ECT
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi anyone, how sad to see no entries so far this year. Does that mean no-one needs any help? In my husband's case it would simply mean he can't summon up the energy to post an entry. It's so sad, he was diagnosed back in the eighties with bi-polar. I've been with him since 1994 and we've just had our third bout of mania, lasting five months, and now he's back in hosp with severe depression. For the first time he's trying ECT. I wonder if anyone else has experience of this? The first session lifted him a bit, but since then he's thinking it actually makes him feel worse. The aim is to carry on for up to six weeks. I know it can have the side-effect of damaging his memory, but his memory is already hopeless, caused I think by so much depression in his life. Age doesn't help either, he's now 64.
He has me and a teenage son, but this bout of mania was pretty foul. Involved lots of spending of money, alcohol, the police, being banned from local pubs and hotels etc etc. For the first time too he was making advances on other women and being verbally foul to me. He was sectioned twice.I do ignore lots of it as am able to differentiate between the 'normal' nice husband and the other. There is, however, always a touch of truth with what he comes out with. Very remorseful now the other side of it has kicked in.
He was on lithium for years; each time he's gone manic it's because he's taken himself off it. Has just tried Sodium Valproate but that didn't seem to be doing anything.
Anyway, if anyone's got any experience of ECT I'd be pleased to hear.
Thanks and hang in there x
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1 like, 4 replies
karine97200 Wallis
Posted
I am so sorry I can not help you, but wanted to say Hi and that I am listening and holding out for you. I think my daughter has Bipolar, she has just been taken into hospital again, due to another very low state, after a manic episode. She has only been diagnosed with depression, but all the doctors do is palm her off with medication. I will talk to them about Bipolar being the cause, as I fear it is. Before an episode a few days before she is incredibly hyper, then she gets a kind of hooded heavy lidded appearance in the eyes and they seem to not focus, the day after that she is in such a depressive state, her body comes out all in a rash and then she is beside herself, in tears, suicidal thoughts. It is simply heartbraking to see my beautiful girl like this with so much going for her. she is only 16.
I wish I could offer advice for you and support you, I just felt you needed someone to reply to you. I wish you and your family well.
Take care
Lizzie46881 Wallis
Posted
I haven't had ECT either but have always been terrified of the thought, I was hospitalised back in 1999 for bipolar II (rapid cycling), I don't get full blown mania with delusions and hallucinations, just hypomania, so I can relate to the alchohol, which I have recently given up, spending, anger, promiscuity; but for me, the depressions were the worst. I have been very lucky as I've been very med compliant, with a great friend who looks out for me, as I'm sure you do for your husband, and have been stable for many years now. I used to take depakote/epillim (sodium valproate) as my mood stabiliser but didn't find it very effective so came off it. I'm now on risperidone 3mg for the hypomania, citalopram 40mg for the depression and diazepam 5mg for the anxiety, I also take a sedating anti-histamine to help with my allergies which also helps me sleep.
I hope it all works out for you both and I send you my very best wishes
Wallis
Posted
My husband is back with depression again. He's so shakey and anxious, each day is a real challenge. We are living apart now, but I see him every day and he eats with us. Without support I don't think he'd make it. I'm finding the cutbacks with Mental Health services really show now. When he rang the Crisis Team it was two weeks before someone came out to see him. And visits now are about one a week, with lots of cancellations. Pitiful!
He's stuck with lithium and although I thought he was 'running high' prior to this episode he didn't go out of control. Just very difficult/belligerant etc.
He's started on another anti-depressant Mirtazapine which is helping his sleep, and his appetite has improved, but not doing a great deal so far re his mood.
I think this is getting harder to treat as he gets older (68 now) but am optimistic the symptons will lessen, as they always have in the past.
Stress is the big factor for him that sets him off.
Good luck both x
Jael128 Wallis
Posted
I'm sorry this is a bit belated. I had ECT last year and it was an awful experience and didn't work in my case. The effects on my memory (though only certain aspects of it) have been devastating. I'm happy to talk more about my experience with you if your husband is still having the ECT and you would like to do this. I was in a hospital where a lot of people were having ECT and it was interesting to see and talk to these people (I was there for months afterwards). Some people responded SO WELL to this therapy and others like me just hated it and found it no use at all. I've forgotten the names of half the people in my life (still) and have also lost a lot of my geographical maps. So don't remember street names, landmarks, nearby towns or the way to get there. It's quite debilitating. Like your husband I have bipolar and have done for more than two decades. The effect on my memory and cognitive abilities has been rather profound and I find this one of the most awful parts of the disease at the moment. Is he having unilateral or bilateral ECT? I know they can do a brief version as well which I started off with but it was next to useless. Please let me know how things are going. I never even knew there was an ECT board otherwise I would have posted on here ages ago.