-
Posts
-
My brother is due to start his first session of TMS treatment later today. On top of his regular depression, he suffers from a condition called akathisia (neuroleptic induced) which gives incredible anxiety, insomnia and you can’t stop walking (on some days he walks for up to 18 hours a day with only short breaks). Really hoping the TMS will help here.
Anyway, I decided to comb the entire 100 posts (approx 1000 comments) of this forum to see how effective TMS was, and if it could pose possible unforseen risks. As a public service, I have summarized the results below with links to each comment.
The rating system works thus:
1/5: Disaster – symptoms much worse than pre-TMS treatment
2/5: Some deterioration – symptoms somewhat worse than pre-TMS treatment
3/5: No difference – symptoms are the same, or thereabouts compared to before
4/5: Some improvement – symptoms are noticeably better than before
5/5: Significant improvement – symptoms have largely cleared up – great success!Overall, I found 24 total cases (limiting results to only comments near or after final day treatment as obviously the ‘Dip’ is found towards the start and we don’t want to include those), and I have tried to interpret each case to the best of my ability. However if the corresponding users disagree with my assessment of their comments, please correct me, and I can edit this thread, or post corrections below.
The average score was 3.54 – so it looks like TMS may indeed be worth a shot! And encouragingly, only one person scored below 2/5, and one fifth of subjects scored on or close to the maximum 5/5! Here is a more detailed breakdown of the results for each category.
1-1.5 / 5: 1 case
2-2.5 / 5: 4 cases
3-3.5 / 5: 5 cases
4 / 5: 9 cases (the most common result)
4.5 / 5: 3 cases
5 / 5: 2 casesBelow is the score for each person, along with direct link(s) to their final assessment comment/s, so users can check to see if my interpretation is sound.
4/5 Gin Doloughan http://tmsyou.com/topic/bipolar-depression-and-tms/#post-5602
2.5/5 keep_hoping http://tmsyou.com/topic/struggling-insomnia/#post-5491
2/5 warriorwon http://tmsyou.com/topic/struggling-insomnia/#post-5490
4/5 Dee pressed http://tmsyou.com/topic/what-the-hell/#post-5587
2/5 Denaqueenbee http://tmsyou.com/topic/what-the-hell/#post-5588
3/5 kate http://tmsyou.com/topic/what-to-do-after-tms/#post-5497
4/5? Buddy http://tmsyou.com/topic/3000-vs-5000-pulse-sessions/#post-5403
4/5 zsazsa http://tmsyou.com/topic/successful-tms-treatment-relapse/#post-5554 … http://tmsyou.com/topic/treatment-number-14-today-needing-encouragement/#post-5555
4/5 rebtar http://tmsyou.com/topic/treatment-number-14-today-needing-encouragement/#post-5250
1.5/5? lunarafire http://tmsyou.com/topic/tms-has-caused-me-to-have-constant-anxiety/#post-5493
2/5? otis175 http://tmsyou.com/topic/scared-this-isnt-working/#post-5169
5/5 sooxie http://tmsyou.com/topic/anhedonia-and-lethargy/#post-4874 … http://tmsyou.com/topic/day-1/#post-5049 … http://tmsyou.com/topic/post-tms/#post-5086
4/5 GraffinLA http://tmsyou.com/topic/tms-and-medication/#post-4991 … http://tmsyou.com/topic/fog-and-fatigue-after-stopping/
3/5? jennawriter http://tmsyou.com/topic/seeking-positive-stories/#post-5271
4/5 Martha Rhodes http://tmsyou.com/topic/day-17-and-needing-some-encouragement/#post-5253
4/5? tmskim http://tmsyou.com/topic/day-17-and-needing-some-encouragement/#post-5251
4.5/5 bmailb http://tmsyou.com/topic/new-patient-5-treatments-in-its-been-a-mixed-bag/#post-5132
4.5/5 Kevin http://tmsyou.com/topic/ive-had-both-types-of-tms-therapy/#post-5115
4/5 Greg http://tmsyou.com/topic/day-1/#post-5044
3/5 gandolfication http://tmsyou.com/topic/tms-ineffective-for-me/#post-4764
3.5/5 camilo http://tmsyou.com/topic/tms-ineffective-for-me/#post-4918
5/5 Colin06 http://tmsyou.com/topic/feeling-worse-during-the-beginning/#post-4660 … http://tmsyou.com/topic/feeling-worse-during-the-beginning/#post-4663
3/5 Sadmommy http://tmsyou.com/topic/feeling-worse-during-the-beginning/#post-4804
4.5/5 colleencasey http://tmsyou.com/topic/tms-patients-in-the-good-news/#post-4786 … http://tmsyou.com/topic/tms-patients-in-the-good-news/#post-4801Hello,
Thank you very much for providing all of the detailed information on TMS. It is extremely helpful. I am most likely starting my TMS this week. They are going to give me the assessment today for the left front of my head (I previously tried the right side, and since I was getting worse I got scared and stopped after 3 treatments). I am very sorry to hear about your brother, and I really hope that the TMS will help him. I went through a lot of the links on your post and I feel better now having more of an understanding of how people have responded. I will admit I am scared since I saw some people got worse. But I am willing to take that chance, since the medications have caused problems for me and some people have improved from it. The medications have helped but are difficult to deal with, especially at high dosages. It was very kind of you to do this and I hope it helps more people out there who are getting TMS.
AnonymousHello, let me tell you about my experience with TMS back January of 2016. It was a disaster that ruined my life.
I’ve had depression on and off for 35 years. The worst it ever was would be just lying around and not doing much no motivation and when i was on different meds that i hated i could come off of them and live without meds.and thats the way it was before i did TMS. After my 4th treatment i cam home and felt dizzy and neasua. I did do my Friday TMS the next week the same thing. The third week i woke up in middle night to go to the bathroom and i felt like I was going to dye.. I had this over whelming sick depression i never experienced before, i felt like i was going to dye. The next day the doctor put me on medication. I stayed on it for 5 days and came off because i wasn’t on any meds when i started and wanted to see if i got better. Then by the 17th session i started to get activated and wired. I was starting to not sleep by the 20 session i went to go to sleep and i was wired, Like i did speed. it was so scary, i wanted to drift off to sleep but i felt totaly speeded up. I did not sleep at all that night and next day went back on meds and hardly slept. then i just crashed with insane depression. Mind you before TMS i wasn’t on any meds and once in a while would take an Ativan for 2-3 days to help sleep then come off and i would sleep about 6 hours. After TMS i would take an Ativan and NO sleep, Nothing i trpppled my dosage and no sleep. I tried Seroquel 100mgs In the past Seoquel would knock me out and i would just sleep all day and be groogy. Now after TMS, Nothing NO sleep, WFT what has happenedd, I felt like i was dying.and was only sleeping 2 hours every night. My eyes were hurting, my lungs i was so exhusted but could not sleep. I never had this in my life. this went on for 2 weeks until i got to a doctor who put me on Zyprexa and Seroquel This past year has been horrible with 60lbs of weight gain from meds which i was a walking Zombie. I used to play in band guitar and i can no long do this. The doctor who did TMS said i never told her i was Bipolar. I was like what? You did the hours accesment. During treatment i was telling her i’m feeling much worse dose this happned. She flat out said Never hear of any one getting worse. She said that TMS made me Manic and thats why i could not sleep and sent me to another doctor. 11 months later life is so bad i Paid $500 to see this Dr Perera. He has been on the Dr Oz TV show promoted TMS years back. He is head of the TMS society and Pioneer in TMS, from Harvard and Columbia. During my first visti he said the exact same thing. It gave me Mania and thats why i cannot sleep. Well no one said it can cuuse Mania. On Neurostars website says does NOT cause insomnina or worsening of depression. They are liers because there is literatue out there taliing about TMS indused Mania. The problem is. I can’t sleep anymore without some powerful med. Thats so scary i was not like that before TMS. I just went 5 days with 1 hours sleep on 1 mg Klonopin does nothing. Tms has changed how medications work or do not work, thats scary in itself and now i cannot sleep and have pain all over my body from severe depression. My family wife and kids have lost their dad. I’m not the same person i was before TMS . I can not longer work and i’m in constant pain. This all started right after my last TMS treatment.TMS is not a glove that is going to fit all. And doing your research is applauded. As I did when I ventured into this and weighed this and ECT.
I am done with my treatments. It’s a month out and I still feel the benefits of it.
I was given through the years many drugs that had NO effect. Or yes brought promise in the beginning then fell short. Or the stacking of all the pills needed to function was killing my liver. So I was desperate. Sick and tired of being sick and tired.
My expectations were all over the map. But I actually didn’t have high hopes. And was surprised when I felt the veil lift and able to do things and see things like never before. Am I cured? Far from it. I think like any chronic illness you are never cured just better able to manage.
Today I can manage as I walk out into the world and TRY!
The effectiveness summary was so interesting, that was a great thing to do! I am listed under denaqueenbee, rated 2/5, but I’d now have to say it’s, 1/5. Things have been so much worse since the treatment, but I know it’s all individual based, so I am not blaming TMS. But…. What is so interesting, why did it gave me almost instant relief from severe pain in my hands, a return of severe carpal tunnel, or other nerve damage? The entire time I was getting treatment it was almost gone! After treatments done, when I realized TMS didn’t help the severe depression and anxiety, I thought at least I got help with the pain in hands. (It has to be nerve pain because no amount of pain med will help it, and I was desperate about that problem on top of depression.) HOWEVER, that was short lived, about 7 weeks after treatment ended, the hand pain returned with a vengeance, only to keep getting worse and worse since November 2016. For first time in my life, I know I’ll not be able to continue working, and I am scared to death, (60 yrs old) I am still forcing myself to work in agony while I get testing done ordered by hand surgeon, but I fear it’s causing more damage to force it, I’m on keyboard all day long. But fear keeps me from doing what I should do, NOT WORK until we know what to do after final test next week. I fear if I call in or leave due to hand pain, my employer will know I’m headed toward disability, as we are in severe shortage of staff. He knows I have the problem but thinks TMS helped. Unless I’m wrong, I figure until a doctor orders me not to be on keyboard all day, I might risk being able access my Long Term Disability, 3 month waiting period. I have no idea what to do, the depression is so bad I’m can’t function, no medication helps. I gave up on med before TMS, sick of them all, nothing worked, but as Last resort in December, I did try an MAOI, Parnate, but it dropped blood pressure really bad for days, so I couldn’t take it. I’m just giving my experience for others that might need the extra info, especially about the help with pain!
Bless each of you!
Daniel, I’m not sure going through the forum and providing your own interpretation of peoples comments regarding their success is a good idea. I’m actually one of the people you rated and included a link for, and honestly, I’d prefer that you remove it. I really do appreciate your objective, but I don’t think your qualified to “score” people in this manner. Perhaps creating a survey would be a better manner of dealing with this. Best.
God bless the scientist. Thank you for that summary. Very helpful to get a general snap shot of people’s results on this forum, even if it isn’t perfect.
The topic ‘Summary/ratings of TMS effectiveness in all posts on this board so far’ is closed to new replies.