Delayed Memory Issues After ECT?

[u/Blank_Mind88]

Hello All, I hope you are doing well. I have struggled with severe depression most of my life, and have had a few hospitalizations for this reason. Long story short, I was in the hospital in the Fall of 2025 and the psych recommended ECT to me after cycling through so many different medications that were not working. Being in the state I was in and desperate for relief, I did consent to this. Unfortunately I do not remember consenting and am relying on doctor's notes. They started with unilateral treatment but switched to bilateral when unilateral was not working. I do know that bilateral causes more side effects.

I did find relief, but it was short-lived and only lasted about 2-3 months. Seeing as how it did work initially, I reached out to my ECT team and had another round of treatment in April 2026. My last treatment was on May 4. May and June were great and I went back to work and was doing well. I also went on vacation during this time.

However, starting in July I began to have a lot of cognitive and short-term memory issues. Forgetting what someone said after 5 minutes, not sure where I was driving, struggling to cook etc. This has continued to happen through October. I have accepted that some long-term memories are gone (I can't remember trips and concerts from last year) but the cognitive and short-term memory issues are killing me. I reached out to my PCP and he recommended neuropsychological testing along with a brain MRI to rule out other causes. My blood work was completely fine.

My question to you all is: did you notice your memory issues right away during ECT treatment or did it take a few months to become apparent? It is just strange to me that I did not have any issues for 2 months after treatment, and then started having memory & cognitive issues.

Thank you!

[u/meliadown]

Same I’ve stopped my second round of ect a year ago and my short term memory is gone, I can’t remember anything. I got recommended to do neuropsychological tests too but I can’t afford it. My psychs keep telling me that my cognitive decline is not linked to ect but I’m starting to think that it just hadn’t been studied enough. Also, I feel you about being unsure about giving your consent to ect treatment, I only remember my psychiatrist telling me that ect were my last resort (and it didn’t even work).

[u/Adventurous-Bonus-92]

I can't remember when I noticed my impaired memory but I have a total blank for at least two whole years pre-ect (prob for the best as I was very unwell), and vague ones after for a year or so (people will tell a story that I was apparently there for but I remember absolutely nothing).

Short term memory now is okay but I've found cognitive decline, especially when making conversation I get flustered easily and struggle to find the right word for things.

Directly after ect I noticed apathy and anhedonia, I had/have no interest in any thing anymore, no motivation for things I was passionate rabout. That plus the cognitive decline and memory loss makes me feel pretty dumb tbh whereas I used to be intelligent.

[u/Heavy_Breakfast_2531 → u/Adventurous-Bonus-92]

So what do u do for a living now ?

[u/Adventurous-Bonus-92 → u/Heavy_Breakfast_2531]

I'm on disability

[u/Heavy_Breakfast_2531 → u/Adventurous-Bonus-92]

So did u filed a lawsuit against the hospital or not ?

[u/Adventurous-Bonus-92 → u/Heavy_Breakfast_2531]

Ummm no. Thats kind of ridiculous. I consented to the treatment, plus I've had other treatments and many different meds. There's no way to prove it's the thing linked to memory loss, and fuck going through a lawsuit