BACKGROUND

Headache and myalgia seem to be common, though generally mild, complications of electroconvulsive therapy. Relatively little is known regarding the usual severity and time course of these complaints.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the incidence, severity, and time course of myalgia and headache after electroconvulsive therapy.

METHODS

Patients rated severity of myalgia and headache immediately before treatment and again after recovery and at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours posttreatment on a 10-point visual analog scale. Data were analyzed using random-effects linear models.

RESULTS

Severity of headache peaked 2 hours after treatment, returning to baseline by 24 hours and was relatively consistent within individuals between treatments. More severe posttreatment headache was reported by patients with a history of incapacitating headache and by those younger than 45 years. Headache was associated with increased duration of seizure. By contrast, myalgia was substantially more pronounced and lasted longer after the first treatment as compared with subsequent treatments. Severity of myalgia was not predicted by degree of fasciculations or motor activity, but was worse in patients younger than 45 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Posttreatment headache and myalgia are common but usually mild. Routine pretreatment using non-depolarizing agents is probably unnecessary in most cases but may have a role during the first treatment in a series. By contrast, preventive treatment may be warranted in those with history of severe headache and those who previously have had significant post-ECT headache.