Can ECT cause dizziness?

Can ECT cause dizziness?

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective mode of therapy for a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. However, it is associated with some disturbing side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, dental and tongue injury, confusion, dizziness, headache, and myalgia.

Does ECT cause balance problems?

It is likely that ECT impairs balance and gait in some vulnerable patients. Conversely, its antidepressant effects can lead to a rapid improvement in mood, cognition, confidence, mobility, nutrition and hydration, all of which should lead to an improvement in balance and gait over a treatment course.

What are 3 common side effects of ECT?

The most common side effects of ECT on the day of treatment include nausea, headache, fatigue, confusion, and slight memory loss, which may last minutes to hours.

Is it normal to be disoriented after ECT?

ECT can have side effects. Most people we spoke to had some side effects from the treatment. Side effects ranged from the pleasant “being woozy is actually really nice” right through to the extremely unpleasant e.g. complete disorientation or deeply upsetting such as the loss of treasured memories.

What is psychogenic dizziness?

Psychogenic dizziness is defined as recurring or persistent symptoms of balance dysfunction, inconsistent with organic vestibular disease as determined by history, clinical examination and pertinent investigations, and consistent with emotional origin.

Can depression cause dizziness and lightheadedness?

Depressed or anxious patients often become passive, withdrawn, apathetic, and excessively help-seeking; these factors may then contribute to negative reactions to dizziness [20].

Can ECT cause long term effects?

But some people experience more long-lasting or permanent memory loss, including losing personal memories or forgetting information they need to continue in their career or make sense of their personal relationships. Some people also find they have difficulty remembering new information from after they’ve had ECT.

What is the main side effect of ECT?

The main side-effect of ECT is memory loss, which usually resolves after a few weeks, but can last longer. People have varying degrees of memory problems after ECT, and different reactions to it. For some people, the benefits outweigh the side-effects, while others find the loss of memories very distressing.

How long does disorientation last after ECT?

Confusion usually begins immediately after ECT and typically lasts for an hour or two; resolving spontaneously [12].

How do you treat psychological dizziness?

Dizziness that is caused by an underlying anxiety disorder should improve with anxiety treatments, such as:

1. Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have a long history of success in treating anxiety disorders.
2. Medications.
3. Lifestyle changes.

How long does psychogenic dizziness last?

Symptoms of dizziness, unsteadiness, or non-spinning vertigo on most days for at least 3 months. Symptoms persist for prolonged (hours-long) periods but may wax and wane in severity, and do not need to be present continuously throughout the day.

Why do I keep going dizzy?

Dizziness has many possible causes, including inner ear disturbance, motion sickness and medication effects. Sometimes it’s caused by an underlying health condition, such as poor circulation, infection or injury. The way dizziness makes you feel and your triggers provide clues for possible causes.

What are the two most common side effects of ECT?

Although ECT is generally safe, risks and side effects may include:

• Confusion. Immediately after treatment, you may experience confusion, which can last from a few minutes to several hours.
• Memory loss.
• Physical side effects.
• Medical complications.

Can ECT cause tinnitus?

It is likely that current delivered during the fourth ECT treatment triggered the perception of tinnitus for this patient. The unique organization of this patient’s central nervous and auditory systems combined with her particular pharmacological history might have predisposed her to developing tinnitus.

What are some of the negative side effects of ECT?

What are the risks and side-effects of ECT?

• loss of memory about the events immediately before and after ECT.
• heart rhythm disturbances.
• low blood pressure.
• headaches.
• nausea.
• sore muscles, aching jaw.
• confusion.

Can ECT cause confusion?

Confusion usually begins immediately after ECT and typically lasts for an hour or two; resolving spontaneously [12]. Acute confusional state lasting less than one hour is a frequently encountered complaint reported in almost 12% post-ECT patients [13, 14].

What does psychogenic dizziness feel like?

The characteristics of psychogenic dizziness are: (1) continuous dizziness for long periods of time; (2) younger patients; (3) predominant female; (4) associated symptoms of panic attack, such as headache, breathlessness, nausea, sleep disturbance, paresthesias, anxiety and palpitation; (5) symptoms of aggravation due …

Does tinnitus have anything to do with the tongue?

Summary: In the largest clinical trial of its kind, researchers show that combining sound and electrical stimulation of the tongue can significantly reduce tinnitus, commonly described as ‘ringing in the ears.

What are the side effects of ECT?

Memory loss is the side effect that caused the most concern to people. Apart from the side effects of having ECT, there were also suspected side effects from having the general anaesthetic and sometimes it was difficult to tell the difference.

Does electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) affect blood pressure?

Alterations in blood pressure are common but typically benign complications associated ECT. Hypertension as well as hypotension may be associated with ECT treatment. Potential mitigating factors include pre-ECT assessment of medical, particularly cardiovascular status, appropriate procedure monitoring, and clinical management.

What are the side effects of electroconvulsive therapy?

Physical side effects. On the days of an ECT treatment, some people experience nausea, headache, jaw pain or muscle ache. These generally can be treated with medications. Medical complications. As with any type of medical procedure, especially one that involves anesthesia, there are risks of medical complications.

Does ECT cause headache and jaw Ache?

Headache and jaw ache sometimes only happened following the first ECT sessions, and people felt their bodies adjusted better to treatment as they went along. For others, this was something they always experienced after having ECT.