Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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  • #5557

    Dee Pressed
    Participant

    I am almost 4 weeks through TMS. First 2 weeks were unbearable with pain in my eye, and side of my head. The pain, sound, was making me much worse. Was going to quit and technician one day 2 weeks in switched the magnet to the right side of my head. It was not “Protocol” but sometimes done when TMS can’t be tolerated on the left side. I am still depressed, but I realize it is early yet. My anxiety controlled with klonopin was being totally undone. I read on the TMS site the person who hooks you up to the TMS machine is supposed to stay in the room with the patient. That never happens. Do others have the tech stay with you the whole time? Sometimes they never check on me at all.

    #5558

    Anonymous

    Hi. After reading your post I just had to write you…I am so sorry to hear you had to endure so much pain for that long, and no one from your treating office addressed it much earlier. It is part of what they do when initially setting a patient up for treatment…is the mapping out of the area they are targeting, and by some trial during the first session, they work with the patient to find the most tolerable area to work on (still staying within the correct parameters of location). That is what they had done for me. I am new to TMS as well…just completed treatment #6. I was trying to find an answer to your question as to whether or not it is protocol for someone to be present while the treatment is in progress. And I have not yet found a definitive answer on that, but I have to say even if your treating office follows a different procedure than another office where someone is always present with the patient, I cannot imagine they should be leaving you completely alone and not monitoring you or at least regularly checking in with you. It is crucial during the treatment that the coil always maintain a certain placement. So if by chance, your head should move even slightly to where the placement needs to be repositioned, your technician should be there to attend to that. And especially if you are experiencing discomfort that could be unbearable during any session, someone should be there for you to express your concerns to. Do they give you any way to call for someone while you’re in the chair if you should need anything at all? As the patient, we have every right to ask questions about our treatment, and definitely to express to the treating coordinator or technician any discomfort or concerns we may have. In the office where I receive TMS treatment, my Coordinator is there each and every session during the entire treatment. But I am unsure if that is a matter of protocol or an offices procedure. Do you feel comfortable talking to your technician and asking some questions? You are still early on in your treatment, so if you don’t feel better yet, please do not be discouraged. I heard the time frame can be different for everyone. My dr was hesitant to even give me a time frame, but said at minimum, I most likely wouldn’t notice anything before session #11. But again that is something that varies with each person, and in my case I am just taking it day by day and trying to stay as optimistic as possible. I think we are really lucky to have an opportunity to try such a cutting edge new treatment, that could really make a difference for us. That is my prayer for all of us going through this new treatment. You’re in a great place in this forum, to get help and support from all of us here, while going through this journey.

    #5568

    Dee Pressed
    Participant

    Thank you for your response to my post. Apparently what I have found out is the office is short staffed. One tech was running up to 3 TMS patients at once sometimes. I mentioned maybe having a light go on outside of the room somehow so the tech could know if someone is in need. That didn’t go over too well. New techs are now being hired but it is slow going on their training. I thought being a guinea pig on anti-depressants was bad. I have no idea if the machine is being hooked up correctly by the new trainee. I was asked if it hurt. I sad yes in my eye. She moved the magnet, it was better then today the trainee, tech, and the elusive psychiatrist who I have seen twice all went to another room as another money maker, I mean patient needed to be mapped.
    I realize having a positive outlook on TMS may make it a little better for me but this location is new and very busy and just doesn’t seem to well equipped to handle the amount of patients they have.
    I have six more sessions of TMS so we shall see. What was suggested yesterday was that I now see a therapist since the TMS doesn’t seem to be working as well as I had hoped. I am 60 years old with about 30 therapists seen in 30 some years. I think it is a bit late to dig up childhood again.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by  Dee Pressed. Reason: No tags
    #5578

    Denaqueenbee
    Participant

    Hi Dee, I too, am 60 now and tried TMS and so far have not gotten the response I prayed for. What the heck could be so wrong it doesn’t work for us? Therapy? Maybe for some, but most of us know what we should be thinking, and we just can’t, when I go, the therapist is as stressed as I am because there are no answers!

    I know we’ve all tried so many things before TMS, so it’s not like we’re new at this. I’m wondering if you get results AFTER TMS, I hear it can happen within a few weeks, and I’m praying things change for me too, I’ve been done for 2 weeks now? I feel mean, and that is a new feeling for me, so I’m worried I’ll feel mean the rest of my life. LOL. If it wasn’t so awful maybe it would be funny. I wondered how you were doing?

    Dena

    #5579

    Dee Pressed
    Participant

    Hi Dena,
    I am almost done with TMS. I am at the end process where they “wean” you off of it by only going 2 times a week instead of everyday. My last session 5 days ago left me with a horrible headache that lasted for a day and a half. Not sure I want anymore TMS after that one. I am supposed to go tomorrow but if it is too painful I will shorten my session. I get TMS on the right side not the left. I could not endure the pain when the magnet was on the left side. My deductible that was met has ended and I am starting all over again trying to meet my $5000 deductible. So I am self pay at $200 a day right now. A ridiculous amount to pay. I think it would be easier if I just spent about 30 minutes or so beating my head up against the refrigerator. I do have magnets on it, so maybe that’s an option. lol.
    Have I seen any progress? After that awful headache went away, and not having TMS for 5 days I have felt much better, with no crashing like I was getting originally. When I missed 2 sessions I was major depressed, more than usual. But not this time. OMG is there hope? I now have hope, which is scary. I was mean in the beginning, and mean for a day or so when I had the bad headache. Then that went away. In my experience these many weeks I have hated TMS almost every day. I was angry at the machine for annoying me and hurting my head, angry that this is my last hope for feeling better, angry that the tech and others at the TMS center said go to talk therapy. Angry the damn machine would go off if I moved to scratch my nose, or moved my feet. Angry it took the tech what seemed like forever to get back into the room to start the machine again. I did and do not like the way this TMS center is run. I saw a psychiatrist 2 times. Once for mapping and the 1st time to see if I would be a good candidate for TMS. Well of course I was I had insurance. One tech runs 3 patients hooked to machines at one time. In my opinion that is wrong. The new tech was trained on patients for just one week before she was on her own with no one checking on what she was doing. That does not seem right to me.
    I am hopeful that I will feel better when the weaning off process is done. I see small differences in me, not earth shattering BUT I had one day where I woke up and the sadness and brain fog was not there. That was weird for me. At 200 bucks a pop this better work.
    I’m not usually mean, but I don’t take crap off people. I think there is a difference, especially at 60 years old.
    Perhaps the being mean part is TMS working it’s way to help get the negative crap out. I dunno’.
    Hope for all of us who have tried TMS. Just think, if something comes up later we can all get money from a class action suit re: TMS , lol.
    Take care Dena and let me know how you are doing. I CARE 😉

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