John Hanley wrote:

>My pdoc is talking about the possibility of ECT for me.
>Wondering how many in this newsgroup have had ECT and what you
>thought of it. [I realize this is a meds group, but it is the
>only one I subscribe to].
>Thanks.
>John
Hi John, I just read your post and thought you might like to hear my experience with ECT. I was in the hospital for three weeks.

The first week my pdoc. tired all kinds of meds at very high doses with no luck, I was just getting worse. He finally convinced me to do ECT. I had five treatments before leaving the hospital and another one last Mon. I will have another one next Wed. and the last one a month after that. I lost most of my memory surrounding the treatments and didn't start getting it back until the day of my second to last treatment. I recognized all the doctors and tech people at the ECT treatment area of the hospital and I started remembering some of my time in the hospital. Most of the three weeks was wiped out, but my journal helped with some of the memories of the three weeks. I can say that I feel great. Before entering the hospital, I had been contemplating suicide very seriously, so I can say with all honesty that the ECT treatments have saved my life along with all my doctors who worked to convince me to take them.

ECT is a difficult treatment to take, leaves you with a loss of memory surrounding the first few treatments and an hellacious headache! Darvacent can take care of the headache though and I would highly recommend the treatments. The first week I was in the hospital, I was given large doses of various meds and none of them helped. I was actuallly getting worse, when my Pdoc and the ECT doctors talked me into taking the treatments.

If you have any other questions that I could help you with please email them to me, I'd be glad to help you with any answers. I havn't had any other problems from the treatments and I would recommend them for anyone who is having severe depression problems. I have been severely depressed for quite some time, and I was on 475mg Effexor ER, 20mg. Celexa, 100mg. Serzone, .75mg. Mirapex, 60mg. Ritalin and Ambien to sleep. Now I just take 475mg Effexor XR and 30mg Remeron at night. I still have two more treatments to go and I imagine I will have to do maintenance treatments, but it is well worth it because I feel so great.

Kait