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Side Effects of Shock Treatment for Depression

If you hear "shock treatment," it may conjure up images of barbaric procedures that turn depressed patients into vegetables or even kill the people the treatment is supposed to help. But electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has come a long way from the days when patients were subjected to high doses of electricity without anesthesia, according to the Mayo Clinic, and ECT is now a preferred treatment for some patients, due in part to minimal side effects with quick-acting results.

  1. Modern ECT

    • To understand the side effects associated with ECT, you have to understand the procedure as it is administered today. According to the Cleveland Clinic, after administering anesthesia and muscle relaxants, precisely calculated electric currents are applied through the scalp in a controlled setting. These e-currents set off a brief seizure, which in turn prompts changes to chemicals in the brain that contribute to depression, the Mayo Clinic reports. In the early days of shock treatment in the 1940's and 1950's, depressed patients were casualties of staff who misused equipment, weren't trained properly or didn't administer the currents appropriately.

    Immediate Effects

    • If you undergo shock treatment, you probably won't remember the moments leading up to the treatment or the treatment itself. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the most common side effect is short-term memory loss. Memory problems usually subside within a couple of weeks or months. Permanent memory loss is rare.

    Infrequent Effects

    • Though short term memory loss and confusion is common right after this short procedure, it's less common for you to experience headaches, sore muscles or stomach ache, according to NAMI. The organization also notes that these conditions may be side effects of the anesthesia or the muscle relaxants used before the procedure, as opposed to the actual treatment itself.

    Complications

    • There are some medical and physical side effects related to the treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic. When the electric current is administered, your heart rate and blood pressure increase, though this rarely leads to serious heart problems. As for physical symptoms, some patients have been known to experience jaw pain and vomiting that can be treated easily with medication.

    Candidates

    • NAMI reports that ECT is more effective for some patients, including pregnant woman who can't take antidepressants during pregnancy. The Mayo Clinic also reports that this treatment achieves results more quickly and effectively than other medical or psychological therapies. Generally speaking, according to the Cleveland Clinic, if you have not had success with other types of therapies or are severely depressed or suicidal, you may be a good candidate for ECT.

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