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I just started my TMS treatments I am on treatment # 5. What I found that is lacking in my treatment is a forum to discuss the treatment as you are going through it so I searched online and found this forum. In pre treatment inquiry online I did not find anything about a “dip”, memory loss or activation, increased anxiety, possible brain injury, etc. the things I am reading on this forum. Now I am concerned. I am trying my best to maintain a positive attitude to facilitate my treatment but right now after reading posts on the forum I am scared. My gut instinct is to remember that every individual is different and experiencing mental malfunctions that are all over the board and looking to TMS for relief, therefore their outcomes and experiences are going to be varied. I am thinking maybe this forum is not the place I should be looking to for general discussion, yet I am now wondering if I have been sold a bill of goods that TMS is harmless and potentially helpful. I am very confused right now and plan on having a conversation with my technician at today’s treatment. Bottom line, should I be worried about what I might potentially be doing to my brain? Is the information being submitted to this forum the “fine print” on the back of the bottle?
I talked to my technician about my concerns and found that yes the “dip” can happen but that it’s not what happens to everyone. We also discussed my other concerns about anxiety and memory, she gave me some information based on her experience as a technician in the field for 5 years. While there were some cases where treatment increased anxiety, how a few have experienced a dip and how for a few more the treatment did not work for them. Overall I calmed down when I realized that these reactions to treatment were possible but not the norm.Then I had my treatment and boy was it a hard one. Pain increased to almost unbearable, tried breathing techniques to no avail. After about 15 minutes the magnet device was re positioned slightly and the pain became manageable. But the treatment was a hard one I left wiped out and nauseated. The pain I experienced shocked me as my previous treatments had all been moderate and manageable. I hope today’s experience is better. I am quickly learning that TMS therapy is not exactly a walk in the park, it’s unpredictable, painful at times and different for each patient. I maintain my hope that TMS will help me reach my goal of depression relief but it is not easy.
I can only answer for myself. I completed the full 36 treatments. They had warned me to be prepared for the dip – I did have anxiety and dip about week 4 but it varies from individual to individual. After 50 years of depression I am finally off medication and feel fine. I hope that it works for you, too. I feel so bad for those on this site who have had adverse reactions. My psychiatrist has had 3 complete TMS. Two of us were “cured” and the other developed severe anxiety. If I had found this site before I started I probably would not have done it. But, for me, it was the right thing.
@deb, I agree it’s not an easy treatment. It is very individual. I’m on treatment #23 and had a good 1st 9 treatments with joy, memory returning, organizational skills. Then the rest have been all over the map and certainly not ending my depression YET. Having hope is the most important thing. I’m a pretty severe case with an involuntary movement disorder & constant muscle mis-firing that occurred with off the charts anxiety & severe suicidal depression at 40! I’ve been on Valium for 4 months which I absolutely hate & am hoping TMS can get me out of the hole! I’m a very unsual case and couldn’t tolerate most medications due to movements flaring. TMS has returned functioning in regards to my children and little less crying last 2 days since they changed my protocol. Keep in mind your among a very depressed group with various co-morbities and as you said it’s very individual. I figured the risk was worth it for me because what’s worse than death! They are going to start treating my OCD tomorrow as well (even though that faded in the background with my sanity last year) Good luck! 🍀 Keep up the journey to healing.
-Sunnybrook
Thank you for responding to my post and offering your story and support. I am SO happy to hear that TMS did work for you I wish you continued relief.-Junebeatle
I am only guessing that when we receive TMS treatments we are stiring the pot so to say which brings up the good and bad stored where we are receiving our pulses. I hope that the remainder of your treatments show continued improvement that leads to success. Thank you for the support.Yesterdays treatment was totally bearable, I met my targeted goal for strength of the treatment at day 5. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when the treatment didn’t hurt. The day before with pain I experienced I thought I would have to stop treatments. I have had my hopes set on TMS since last August when I started researching it online. My psychiatrist/psychologist team had never mentioned TMS as a treatment, they only kept trying various pills with nasty side effects and little relief. When I asked about the possibility of seeking TMS treatment they said sure, but were not very helpful, I don’t think they knew too much about it. Today is day 6 of treatment and I will go as I have been to treatment with my best foot forward, ready for the battle with my target on my goal of getting the old me back. I believe I have been somewhat depressed my whole life, with major depression for the past 7 years.
Thank you for this forum. Next week I am joining a Depression group meeting at the facility I go to for my TMS therapy. I am hoping to meet a fellow TMS warrior there. But so far this forum has been great, scared the heck out of me initially but I am now finding hope here.
@sunnybrook I think I’ve read a few of your posts elsewhere on this forum during treatment and you didn’t think it was working for you. When did you notice the difference, post-treatment? As I’m getting closer to the end at 23 I’m getting more concerned…Thanks
-junebeatle I have been told that it might be well after treatment like a month or two before maximum benefit is realized. I feel like it’s a individual thing, no two patients experience the same treatment feelings or outcome. I am trying not to compare myself to others treatment because I feel that would be counter productive for me. I am very happy when I hear that others have had positive results. When I first read through the forum it seemed all I saw were negative posts, it scared me, because it seemed to rock my “hope” that this treatment would help me. But here and there I have found reports of good outcomes which help so much. I did find some good You Tube videos that patients have taken the time to make that give real insight to their journey which also helps. 23 sessions is just a bit over 4 weeks and a lot of what I have read states that most who respond well to treatment start to recognize results after 4 weeks. Your there….any day that depression feeling may lift, how wonderful, it may take longer, just have to hang in there and remain positive. Hope what I have had to say here helps.
@deb Yes, it totally helps! I’ve been watching those YouTube videos as well, I keep saying this is a game changer for so many, I want that to be my story! I have to say today was depression & 1st OCD treatment together & I immediately feel lighter & more smiley! That’s never happened. Maybe we’ve found the right protocol for me. I can’t even imagine living with MDD for 7 years, that goes to show your strength & resiliency right there. I’ve been depressed through periods of my life mainly after trauma..but the last 4 years with my congenital heart defect son who is very cognitively impaired has taken it’s toll on my mental health with more periods of depression and then my total breakdown where I thought I went insane, yet I’m still here fighting.
Update: had treatment #7 today, happy to report that as far as the treatment itself goes all is going well, no pain, just minor irritation during treatment. I did experience some out of the blue anxiety while off treatments over the weekend. I took a nerve pill and got it under control. I have been feeling better in the evenings, I don’t feel like I want to go to bed at 7:30 anymore, which was how I was feeling. I am thankful for that change, attributing it to TMS but who really knows. I am trying to patiently wait for more good feelings to come my way and positive outcomes from therapy. I find myself wishing I could have a longer treatment each day to get to relief sooner. I know there are many of you on the forum who are having a very rough time, a couple have posted here, I am thinking of you and wish you well.
I am going to a depression group offered where I get my TMS treatment this coming Thursday. I feel like some others have expressed, talk therapy, some sort of therapy needs to happen while you are having treatments, I am going to see if this particular group will help. All of this “getting better” is such hard work as you all know.Deb,
Was wondering how your treatment is professing. I just started and am nervous because it seems like my anxiety is increasing.
@kittaykat,
I’m sorry you’re off to a rough start.. Make sure you let your doctor know and right side usually will reduce anxiety. I was very afraid of this myself since I had suicidal anxiety out of the blue last year and actually have been able to reduce my Valium with TMS down to 10mg for sleep only. I will say it took me a very long time to see results now at treatment 38 & I’m no longer depressed or having repeated suicidal thoughts. Such a relief finally! I was literally crying like 6 hours a day before TMS. It was a very up & down thing, I had a day where I literally thought I was going crazy, but I’m glad now I hung in there. Good luck 🍀 to you, don’t be afraid to speak up! You may need additional treatments for results, my psychiatrist is taking me to 46 since 36 wasn’t enough.Kittaykat- Well I am starting my final full time week, I am on treatment # 26. The battle has been up and down, some days feeling a lift and other days depression is back (very discouraging when it returns). I have had a lift for several days now, so I have my fingers crossed. Even yesterday when it was dreary, raining and cooler I maintained the lift all day. I say lift because it’s not a feeling like “I feel good!” it’s a lift out of the depths of depression and even if this is it, I will take it. I never expected that TMS could make me feel on top of the world everyday so as long as I can maintain this lift and not feel down for days at a time I am good. I will say that I seem to have a lot of dreaming activity at night when I feel the lift the next day. The anxiety is at bay. Hope yours calms down Kittaykat.
Deb- Thanks for the reply. I am just concerned about it and was wondering if it was normal to feel this way initially. I know I have read about the “dip” and didn’t know if that was something that could happen in the first week. Because from what I have read it typically takes place (if it happens at all) later in the treatment process. I realize we are all different but this just frightening me because the relentless anxiety, panic, and intrusive thoughts that I am experiencing are similar to how I felt in January when I went inpatient. I have had depression and anxiety all of my life but nothing this severe. Which was brought in by postpartum depression/anxiety after having my daughter 9 months ago. Just looking for relief, as I know that we all are.
I am considering TMS, but I hear stories of people becoming worse. I have zero support and pretty much at the bottom now. I can’t afford to get worse.
I had ECT years ago and that’s was what happened. I was totally cognitively messed up. I got lost going to the grocery store. I do ally quit because I was worried about my physical safety.
I can’t go there again@purple, All I can say is it saved my life. My experience was very positive, but it took 66 total treatments to maintain and be able to return to work and “normal” life. Each person’s experience seems fo be very different with this treatment. I did 46 initially to get out of crying all day everyday and feeling like I had dementia. Then fell back in about 2.5 months post treatment, paid for 5 weekly boosters 1 time per week until insurance pd for an additional 15. Its lasted 4 months so far and hopefully for awhile:)
It’s an up & down treatment with emotions and for me physical symptoms. I highly suggest it based on my experience, but the last person I encouraged to keep going seems to be in the worse category, so it’s really a personal decision. For me I was out of options (I had already had a horrible experience with Ketamine) and being completely non-functional with 3 young kids and suicidal daily I didn’t have much to lose.
It seems to me that there are more positive outcomes than negative, but there are outliers that seem to be harmed by the treatment. I did bi-lateral every time. Anxiety/OCD is what led me to my first MDD episode. Good luck in your choice! I had a really good doctor who’s been doing off-label treatments for years with Neurostar, including it’s typical depression usage. I don’t know if that’s part of the difference in results? I can read books again and last year at this time I had to save my grocery lists because I couldn’t even do a basic task or use my brain in any capacity.
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