TMS Therapy is widely considered to be safe, and there are no long-term or permanent side effects. However, it is important to point out that TMS Therapy is a new treatment, and as such it is important to understand exactly what issues may be encountered, regardless of how minute or remote the possibility. We also have a place on the community forum where you can contribute to discussions with other community members.
TMS Therapy is a generally safe procedure with over two decades of intense clinical and scientific research behind it. In 10,000 TMS treatments during clinical trials, the most common side effects is mild to moderate scalp discomfort and mild headaches, both of which usually went away in the first week of treatment. In a very small percentage of instances there were reports of acute memory loss, minimal cognition interruption, facial twitching, and seizures. These side effects occurred very rarely and were not permanent.
Mild to moderate scalp irritation and mild headache effect nearly one half of all patients who receive TMS and usually go away after the first week of treatment. If symptoms do persist after the first two weeks, over-the-counter analgesic may be taken. If symptoms still persist, the TMS prescribing psychiatrist or doctor can reduce the strength of the magnetic field pulses being administered to make treatment more comfortable. Less than 5 percent of patients treated with TMS Therapy discontinued treatment due to side effects.
The most serious side effect associated with TMS Therapy is that of seizure. The risk of seizure is amazingly small – 0.1% per treatment course. In fact, this risk is no greater than what has been observed with oral antidepressant medications. However, TMS prescribing psychiatrists and doctors take the risk of seizure very seriously. All patients should expect to go through a screening to test for the presence of medical conditions associated with seizure disorder or epilepsy.
The Dip is a possible effect which sometimes happens when progress of your TMS Therapy is temporarily reversed. Symptoms of The Dip can include a sudden and deepening increase in depression, and it can appear as though there has been an almost complete reversal of progress. For this reason, The Dip can feel very defeating and cause undue stress to a patient undergoing TMS Therapy. However, it is important to remember that these effects are only temporary. People who experience this reversal in progress appear to usually gain it back.
TMS Therapy was cleared by the FDA in 2008 after a decade of clinical trials. As such, the actual administering of TMS is very precise and well regulated. Here are some things to keep in mind about TMS safety:
TMS Therapy is always performed by a trained TMS technician under the supervision of a TMS prescribing psychiatrist or doctor. If you experience a side effect, you can ask the monitoring technician to stop a treatment at any time. Furthermore, your TMS doctor may elect to give you a daily assessment. Some clinics and offices utilize specialized depression rating scales as a way to monitor progress.
TMS Therapy does not require surgery, anesthesia, or sedation. Patients are fully conscious and awake throughout the TMS sessions, and are typically delivered in the supervising doctor or psychiatrist’s office on an outpatient basis. After TMS sessions, patients are able to resume normal activities, like work or driving, without interruption.
TMS Therapy is not appropriate for all patients. An evaluation by your TMS prescribing psychiatrist or doctor should determine if TMS Therapy is a safe and appropriate treatment for you.