Memory loss after ect

Does ECT cause significant and permanent memory loss? How long does memory loss last after ECT? Can electroshock therapy cause memory loss? What are the stages of memory loss?

Rose and colleagues compiled data from seven separate studies. At least one-third of patients complained of persistent memory loss after ECT.

It can totally deconstruct your identity and reduce you to a dependent, chronically confused mess who may never be able to work again, have an intelligent conversation, or do basic tasks without help. ECT can cause permanent memory loss , particularly after bilateral electrode placement, suprathreshold stimulus intensity, sine wave stimulation, or large numbers of treatments—usually more than 20. Some people’s memory loss is longer and greater with ECT. Many people experience memory loss after having ECT.

But some people experience more long-lasting or permanent memory loss , including losing personal memories or forgetting information they need to continue in their career or make. The entire football season when the Saints won was gone- as was the entire season of Dancing with the Stars where Donny Osmond won! These are complete wipe outs.

This tells me that we store memories in packets and not by time alone.

My memory loss was often like chunks of memory -if that makes sense. I lost a few weeks of memory completely. Complaints persist long after ECT treatment. ECT often works when other treatments are unsuccessful and when the full course of treatment is complete but it may not work for everyone. Much of the stigma attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses of electricity were administered without anesthesia, leading to memory loss , fractured bones and other serious side effects.

Some who consider ECT worry about memory loss. Members of our local Dallas ECT support group, ConnECT, report some short-term memory issues around the time that ECT was administere but no. The memory loss is as disheartening as the depression I experienced pre- ECT.

The total loss of months and years of my life was not worth the extreme efforts to fight my mental illness. Controversy continued as patients reported long-term side effects of ECT , particularly memory loss. Proponents of electroconvulsive therapy ( ECT ) claim that it is safe and effective and that the side effects are short-lived.

However, a new review, published in the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health, reports on the likelihood of permanent cognitive impairment and permanent memory loss after ECT. Advocates for both sides debate the memory loss issue, and Harold Sackeim admits the famous in 2(in 2persons receiving ECT gets memory loss ) is not based in science. Despite the fact that this number was pulled out of a hat, it is the most commonly quoted statistic about memory loss. NAMI uses it, the APA uses it, as do other sources. ECT has destroyed other lives.

Memory loss and headaches: ECT may cause memory loss and confusion.

Your confusion may go away in a short time, such as hour after your treatment. You may also get a headache after an ECT treatment. I suspect the memory loss goes back even further, or perhaps it is selective. Some things are clearer to me than others. Most patients’ experiences of ECT involve the loss of some memory , but usually it is quite short-term.

I had previously had a course of ECT and I did not lose all that much. They can also forget events that happen after the treatment. Typically, memory loss will improve in the days and weeks after treatment. While ECT is not the nightmare it was it is still something which is used as a last resort in only the most severe of mental illnesses and when other treatments have failed.

Possible Memory Side Effects. Two different kinds of memory loss may occur during the course of ECT treatments. The first is the loss of short-term memory during the period of time that you are having ECT treatments. How your memory fares after ECT depends on whether you are in the index phase of ECT or the maintenance phase of ECT.

Index phase of ECT means that you are undergoing acute, aggressive ECT treatment for your depression.