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Besides underreporting, another reason for the undertreatment of psychiatric comorbidities in people with epilepsy has been the fear that psychotropic drugs will worsen seizures. Many clinicians have the erroneous belief that all antidepressants, central nervous system (CNS) stimulants, and antipsychotic agents cause seizures and would worsen them in patients with epilepsy. While psychotropic drugs must be used cautiously in patients with epilepsy, they should not be withheld when needed.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a well-accepted treatment for major depression, usually when the symptoms are refractory to medications. In patients with epilepsy, ECT may be an appropriate treatment intervention for refractory depression or mania. One effect of ECT is a temporary increase in the seizure threshold, which commonly results in the need for higher stimulus intensity during the course of ECT. A complicating factor in the patient with epilepsy is the need to reduce blood levels of AEDs during the course of ECT, with the risk of exacerbating the underlying seizure disorder. Despite this risk, ECT can be a useful treatment for some patients with severe psychiatric symptoms refractory to other treatments. A contraindication to ECT is increased intracranial pressure.
And depression isn't? What does HE consider depression is? A foot disease? A testicular problem? A new form of STD?Psych says that he doesn't think I have an underlying mental illness, just some depression
If this were true, then our neurologists would be treating our depression NOT our Psychs. Is this his diagnosis?Psych says that he doesn't think I have an underlying mental illness, just some depression from the seizures interfering with normal living.
Not a problem. No biggie. BULLSHIT! He doesn't know how to treat you so he convinces you to be a guinea pig for one of the biggest medical scam I've seen in a while. Must be getting a very large grant for this $tudy. All my alarms and warning bells are at full pitch on this. These doctors are in cahoots, GET ANOTHER OPINION, GIRLFRIEND.just some depression
Depression is a mental illness. Of all the mental illnesses depression is the hardest one to treat.just some depression
I think I see your real problem.{GP}Said that if neuro and psych cannot agree, that I could benefit from ECT therapy.
You need new doctors, sweetie, you really do.the idea really gives me the creeps
http://www.ect.org/resources/jama_ap.htmlDr. Peter Breggin, a Bethesda, Md., psychiatrist, called the study "an open admission that electrical shock is worthless.''
He said the high relapse rate supports critics' theory that ECT causes brain damage that for a few weeks prevents patients from expressing sadness or depression, while leading to possible long-term memory loss.
ECT has a success rate of over 80% and can produce a rapid remission of symptoms within one to three weeks. However, ECT cannot prevent a relapse. Patients who have completed a course of ECT are prescribed antidepressant medication, or they receive ECT once a month to prevent recurrence.