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I just had my seventh session today, and for most of the past week I have felt extremely sleepy/tired/spaced out. I can’t even read, except in the morning or after taking a long nap. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, did it last the entire six weeks? Did it go away after treatment ended?
Also, a random piece of encouragement: After day 3 of treatment I had a day or two where I had a hard time remembering names and words (words and names which I would normally know right away), which really scared me, BUT it went away after a few days and I’m having no problems with that now. I am feeling fuzzy-headed because I feel so tired, but it’s not the same thing at all–I can remember things just fine. I guess my brain was adjusting to the initial shock/change or something.
It’s hard to tell if I’m seeing any benefit from the treatment yet, but before this tiredness hit I did feel more calm and energetic so…maybe it is. I guess time will tell–I know most people don’t see a noticeable change until week 2 or 3 and some people don’t until as late as week 6, so I’m going to reserve judgement until I’ve completely finished the treatment.
@tms2019 I was very fatigued most of the process..my memory improved over time (it was terrible before from the severity of depression, thought I had dementia) Honestly I didn’t think it was going to work until treatments 36-46. Hang in there, it’s a wild ride, some days I thought I was losing it more than I already had, lol. Very worth it in the end, it saved my life! I hope you experience the same thing!
Thanks so much for your reply—it’s very encouraging and very appreciated. I looked at a bunch of “official” TMS websites and none seemed to list tiredness/fatigue as a possible side effect, so I really wanted to see if anyone else experienced the same thing. It’s also good to know that things may get worse before they get better. This tiredness and “brain fog” is so overpowering that I was starting to get a bit discouraged.
A quick follow-up question: do you feel that you would not have experienced the same degree of benefit from TMS if you had only had 36 sessions? That’s all that my insurance will cover, but I feel like I’ve read a few instances where people needed more sessions than that (and it sounds like you may be one of those people). I may talk to the physician at the clinic I’m going to to see if they’re willing to add sessions if need be (I can’t help but wonder of some practitioners are more flexible/willing to continue than others).
Also, in the same vein, have you needed/benefited from any “booster” sessions?
@tms2019, You are correct I was still crying most days out of the blue even at session 36 and having repeated suicidal thoughts. It was the additional ten sessions that made the difference for me. My insurance,Aetna, did cover my sessions because my scores improved, but not enough. My psychiatrist was great to realize this and add it to my protocol. I’m only 6 weeks out, so I’m still depression free so far. I know I’ll need boosters because unfortunately I take a daily benzo for severe anxiety & a movement disorder that started in 2018 when my depression hit. One thing that helped me during sessions was to play brain games like Elevate, math booster, Brain HQ. Kinda difficult with the tapping, but I was desperate to have some skills come back and it also helped. Sounds quirky, but I would go home and do 2 hours of long division, multiplication, subtraction, and addition to really keep things moving. Don’t be afraid to ask for more sessions if you need it.
TMS2019 can you follow up and let us know if the drowsiness ever subsided? I am in my second week and am worthless after treatment. Im exhausted and unable to do much other than lay on the couch
I am on treatment 35 of 36. I have found I take afternoon naps on most days after treatment. My Doctor suggests that the brain wants time to heal after the session. I just had 5 days between treatments. On days 1-3 I had good energy… then it fell off and I’m very tired. I have seen reports that progress continues up to 4 or 5 months after treatment. I am optimistic
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