ECT and anxiety

[valerieschmude]

I am in the middle inf a series of ECT and have terribls anxiety sometimes following the treatment. Any like experiences or suggestions?

[Photogeek]

If it were me I would tell the consultant who you are under, they will re assure you, as I have no experience myself so can't help you. I would definitely ask your Dr. GOod luck and hope your feeling better soon.

Hannah 

[Olderal]

Just a hypothetical big hug for you. Hope all goes well. No experience of ECT but Hannah's advice sounds good.

Olderal

[endogenous]

My  psychiatrist told me it is effective for depression where there is psychomotor retardation, where the patient has no emotions and can't feel sensations. it is not effective for anxiety where the patient's  thoughts are quick and they have physical symptoms like racing heart, sweating, dry mouth, restlessness, agitation etc

My old psychiatrist recommended it to me and it didn't work, I experienced mania then paranoia and then went went back to how I was - depressed.

I am on imipramine, a tricyclic anti- depressant. The ssris didn't work either.

Good luck

[BonnieSue in reply to endogenous]

May I ask if the imipramine is working for you? I have an adult son for whom no SSRI or MAO inhibitor or any antidepressant worked, nor did ECT. He's now on a tricyclic which is at least helping to a degree. It's not all we could have hoped for, but still somewhat successful. He's still my dependent, trying to feel good enough to go back to finish college. Is that how you would describe your progress with the imipramine?

[endogenous in reply to BonnieSue]

Yes the imipramine is working for me.  I am able to function. When I first started it I had a partial response. My Dr who is old school  insisted I stay on it and gradually increase it. It doesn't make me feel numb and it doesn't decrease my libido like the SSRI. The only side effects I have is mild constipation and postural hypotension.

Many young psychiatrists use the ssris as first option as they don't know much about the tricyclics. In the literature there is no evidence suggesting that the tricyclics are more or less  effective as the SSRIs in treating depression and anxiety.

Imiprimine is the best tri for anxiety as it has a stronger serotonin inhibitor than the others tris. It was the very first anti -depressant and has been thoroughly researched.

[BonnieSue in reply to endogenous]

Thank you.

[endogenous in reply to BonnieSue]

His Dr could also prescribe and anti-psychotic (sounds worse than it is ) for anxiety and depression to boost the anti -depressant. Seroquel and Zyprexa are probably the most widely used.They are not addictive like then benzos

[BonnieSue in reply to endogenous]

Yes, he already is on 25 mg of seroquel at bedtime and 5-6mg of klonopin/day (I'm not sure which) for GAD. The seroquel for getting to sleep and the klonopin because the GAD is tough to control w/o the use of benzos despite their negative side and long term effects.

[valerieschmude]

I tooo am i the middle of a series of ECT and have terrible anxiety following - worse than befoe the treatment. WIll it settle down?