This is a type of shock to the brain to help in bipolar patients. It was given to my lymie a few years ago and she was recently suicidal again and the hospital is trying that route again.
She had one yesterday and felt horrible. Throwing up and extreme headache..Now wants to again throw in the towel..
Anyone with any experience on results and problems with the treatments.
Thanks in advance for any help. lmt
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
I hope someone will come here to offer some insight. I'm really sorry that your daughter is suffering so ( and Lymemomtooo ).
Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on :
Thanks toots..I hope someone will post soon. I need to let her stop or encourage her to continue and I do not know what path to follow..
3 different Drs have said it may be her way out of most of the depression. lmt
Posted by coltman (Member # 21272) on :
This stuff destroys your brain - literally. I wouldnt do it , I d prefer to die first
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
I admit I had thought about this to kill borrelia
but not as depression treatment. I would think this
was a guinea pig sort of move for borrelia
treatment. That being the case I could not
implement it for a child.
Posted by seekhelp (Member # 15067) on :
Not in a million billion years. Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
OMG, I'm so sorry to hear this! This may seem obvious, and also hard to implement right now, but:
has she been getting really good, aggressive treatment for her Lyme and co-infections?? ANd, has she also been getting lots of help with ways to detox the neurotoxins? And help with all kinds of supportive remedies nutritionally, etc.? And been tested for heavy metals and detoxed from them? I say all this, because if she could get all this help, eventually, she probably wouldn't feel suicidal anymore. The brain infections, the neurotoxins, and the depression of feeling like you will never get better is usually the problem.
I don't mean this as a scold. ANd, of course, there is probably not a lot you can do about all this while she is in a mental hospital, or while she is suicidal. It's just that these things would go a long way towards her improving, if you could just get her over the hump and out of the mental hospital (I'm sure easier said than done). How old is she?
ANY of the above that you could possibly do would help. Is she getting good psychotherapy while in the hospital---ideally treatment that allows her to express her feelings by crying, yelling, if necessary, etc.? I know that is asking a lot of a mental health system that is far from ideal. That would be essential. And, of course, good help with psych meds.
My heart goes out to both of you. My mother had ECT continually when I grew up, and I saw what it did to her. It was terrible. Supposedly, they have improved it now, but it seems to me to be a horribly barbaric treatment. If there is a way to get her through this without the ECT, that would seem better. I do know that there are a few people who say they have been helped by it, but . . . I'm sending you a PM, too.
Posted by swachsler (Member # 18155) on :
There is a LL psychotherapist who practices in the NY/CT area. She also does work with patients over the phone.
And she specializes in families/teens/children.
I wonder if she would be a good resource for you to discuss this with??
Ask in the support site of LN for someone to message you with her contact info.
I have not been in this situation, but I was very actively suicidal for the first 1 - 1.5 years after infection, and often when I got on effective meds, my psych sx, which were diverse and severe, would get much worse.
If it were not for the fact that I have severe MCS, and thus a trip to a mental hospital would literally have killed me, I feel pretty sure my friends would have had me committed. I might have even gone voluntarily.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am now actually happy some of the time, but even when I'm not, I have no feelings at all of suicidality, and my other psych sx have decreased a LOT. It's all down to the abx and such.
Hang in there, mom. -Sharon
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Lymemomtoo,
So sorry you are once again in this position.
I think if I remember correctly your daughter has been in treatment at least 4 or 5 years. And I know this isn't the first time she has been suicidal and noncompliant with her meds. I can't remember her exact age, but know she is over 18.
A year or two ago I think you went to one of the Amen brain clinics and had some success with meds at least for a while. Are they some of the docs suggesting this therapy?
Hubby was "offered" ECT by 2 different psych hospitals when he first got sick and before he was diagnosed or treated for tickborne illnesses. I am thankful we refused the treatment.
Has your daughter had a repeat SPECT scan in the last 3 - 6 months? Maybe that would shed some light on where to go from here.
Also maybe if she has not done so then a blood slide from Fry or Clongen might help if she had actual proof of an ongoing infection? Can't remember if your daughter has positive test results, but I know for hubby it is very hard to stay focused and not get depressed or negative when there is so little actual proof of an ongoing infection.
I can't remember if you ever tried amino acid therapy instead of just giving psych meds? Those can be given IV also.
IV fatty acids might also be something to consider -- hubby did this for a few weeks back in 2001. This was before he was diagnosed or treated so it is hard to say whether it really helped or not.
Wish I could suggest more to help. I do know that hubby definitely does better mood wise on SAM-e and l-theanine than on any of the many psychotropic meds we tried.
Take care.
Bea Seibert
Posted by lymemomtooo (Member # 5396) on :
THanks to all..Yes, Bea, your memory is correct. She is now 22 and lets me know that none of this is my business. I was not even allowed to talk to any of the Drs.
Who knows if she would be ok by now if she had been compliant and willing to try herbs, other meds, etc.
SHe isn't CDC positive but was positive thru urine testing. Every new Dr does a test which is negative so now she argues that she doesn't have LD. She will probably never be positive on ELISA or WB.
For others, we have also been to the neurotoxin ghru so I fully understand all of that and she wont' cooperate with much detox either. SHE is in the 25% of the population that doesn't detox.
She is also insulin dependent and we are rarely ever able to get it under control. The only way the psych ward got it down was with IV.
Also Bea, her Dr from Amen, now independent, did not return my daughters call for help..Not sure where she is..
I would like to someday awake from this nightmare.
Sharon and rumigirl, she has been seen by one of the best psych llmd's out there. Think they were about ready to shoot one another.
It looks like most are opposed to ECT's so that is helpful..Thanks to all. lmt
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
So sorry Imt. Did they start this before they checked for brain lesions?
Posted by swachsler (Member # 18155) on :
Lymemom,
I'm so sorry you're going through this and have no control over your precious daughter's precarious life. It's terrible to feel so desperate, yet not to have the power to effect change.
I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you haven't already tried. It sounds like you've been a terrific advocate for her, and sometimes all you can do is hope for the best.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)