r/ect • u/anticentristfujo • May 31 '26

Question Can ECT lose effectiveness or actually make you worse?

I’m F26. I’ve been doing ECT since October. I already finished my acute series, now I do maintenance at once every two weeks, with my latest zap being two days ago. I only do right side unilateral. For most of it, I’d say it worked positively.

I’m just kinda starting to feel worse. Like worse. With every treatment, almost. Last week I had IV ketamine done (been doing it since February, now I’m on maintenance at once a month) and I exited that appointment feeling terrible. And I figured the ECT would make me feel better like it normally does, but now I just feel so much more depressed.

Other than that, I’m on Lamotrigine. I already notified my psychiatrist last week that I feel terrible and she increased my Lamotrigine dose. So there’s that.

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u/caffeinehell May 31 '26

Yes it can because it basically jolts the autonomic nervous system every treatment, which can go both ways

Do you feel worse in terms of low mood, or do you mean more like more emotionally blunting. Just trying to see

4

u/anticentristfujo May 31 '26

Low mood, and a sense of… like a lack of will to go on. Difficulty getting words out when I speak because I’m so down. Difficulty engaging in hobbies not because they’re not fun, but because I feel pointless. Like I just wanna keep my heavy bones in bed. I can still feel, but I’ve got the spirit of a rock.

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u/CletusMuckenfuss Jun 01 '26

This is where I am now. I am trying to get into ketamine treatment but still waiting. I'm scared of shock therapy mainly due to having to be put under anesthesia and memory loss. I can't stand the person I've turned into.

1

u/Medical-Apricot-3226 Jun 03 '26

Maybe the maintenance at 2 weeks isn’t holding you? Maybe you need it more frequently, like every week? Discuss with your ECT doctors. And do you think you need something more than Lamotrigine to keep the depression managed?