It has been found that when people recover with the aid of ECT, they may not stay well for as long as those who are helped by medication. Nevertheless, when other treatments have failed, ECT can give you a foothold back to health and enable you to make use of the drug and/or 'talking treatments,. Even though medicines may not have worked sufficiently before you had ECT, if the ECT improves your condition it is likely that medicines will then work more effectively to help things improve further, and to help you stay well.
Antidepressants may be needed for a period of time - so consult your doctor before you stop taking them, even when you feel better.