Deep Brain Stimulation

[Sandra]

I had Deep Brain Stimulation surgery about 18 months ago and it is just in the last couple of months that I find it has really improved my depression. Not cured, but definitely improved. As this is a very new treatment (still experimental) my psychiatrist suggested I look online for people who have also had this surgery to compare experiences. This is my first time posting to any forum so please bear with me.

[paul m]

Hello Sandra and welcome. Please feel free to ask questions, reply to other people's questions, use the forum to vent out some frustrations or post articles to it.

Generally we are pretty friendly (well always ) . So post away. Take Care. paul m

[AJ]

Welcome to the forums Sandra.

[Lizzy]

Hello Sandra. I will be interested to hear about your new treatment. I am slowly coming around from depression & hope the best for you too.

[astronaut]

Hi Sandra,

I have never heard of this sort of surgery before. I have had rtms therapy (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) but it was not physically intrusive like a surgery is. 18 months seems like a really long time before feeling any effect from the surgery. How do you know that the improvement is from the surgery and not simply from time going by? Or other lifestyle changes?

Where did you have the surgery done? What happened during surgery? Was it only done once?

If you want to compare experiences, it might be better to try to contact other patients through the clinic that you went to for your surgery. They might be able to send out a notice or email with your contact information to other patients who might be interested in getting in touch with you.

astronaut

[Sandra]

Thanks for all your interest and suggestions. Deep Brain Stimulation (or DBS) is where they implant a pace-maker like device in your brain so you get continual electrical stimulation. Part of the reason it took so long for me to feel any improvement is that they were continually adjusting the level of stimulation - partly for the parameters of the clinical trial and partly to find the optimal settings. In my case, it took them a long time to find what the best setting was.

[Phoenix]

Welcome to the forum, Sandra.

I have never heard of that surgery before. What made you decide to have surgery? Do you find it to be more helpful than other types of treatment?

[astronaut]

thanks for explaining, Sandra. Now that you describe it, it seems to me that I have heard of it before only I can't remember where.

[Kaight]

Hi Sandra, Welcome!

I am certainly interested in hearing more about the surgery and what you think about the results

Kaight

[Sandra]

I decided to have deep brain stimulation surgery out of desperation. I have had severe depression for about 7 years and couldn't tolerate the side effects of the many different anti-depressants I tried and was getting nowhere with counselling.

[uni]

Hello Sandra, and a belated welcome to the forum.

Deep Brain Stimulation is not something I know much about. However, several years ago I saw a TV documentary where they followed a young woman and her progress through depression and the DBS surgery. She had a twin sister who never got depressed. I'm not sure if they lived in the States or Canada. It was on a W5 or 5th Estate type show.

It would be nice to see a follow-up program on it, but I suspect one has never been made. If I can remember more I'll post it so maybe you could watch it via the web or something. I'm wondering if people in other countries may have had it done, and you can find them on the web if you keep looking?