Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hi Terrig. Just curious about what type tms you are having. Neurostar? Brainsway? MagStim?
Thank you Cali! I am wishing now that I would’ve spent my time and insurance coverage on the MAGPRO TMS treatments versus the BRAINSWAY DEEP TMS. I had MAGPRO TMS in 2012 and started to have good results toward the end of the 30 treatments. I had to quit because at that time my ins. would not pay anything, so it was about $7000 out of pocket! The good results did not last long either. A lot of money spent for very little improvement. I waited and hoped for improvements and better technology and also hoped that my ins. would eventually cover TMS. Fast forward to 2018, and I heard about the BRAINSWAY DEEP TMS and also my ins. agreed to coverage. As of today, I have had 31 BRAINSWAY DEEP treatments and I’m VERY disappointed. Definitely not the same feeling I had with MAGPRO.
Now I am reading online that BRAINSWAY more or less treats ALL parts of the brain and one article stated “stimulating the right frontal lobe may have a canceling effect of the benefits of stimulating the left.”
This is all starting to make sense to me! I think I need maximum stimulation on the left (depression) side only. The article also stated BRAINSWAY is the least flexible in ability to change up more or less stimulation in different areas, whereas MAGPRO is able to treat different areas of the brain according to each pts. specific needs. Thanks for your time and I appreciate your response to my questions!Ok thanks. Just my luck. I haven’t been able to talk directly with Brainsway. They emailed me that I should talk to my provider and that they (Brainsway) only sell the machine. The technician only tells me they ARE “treating” the left side even though the tapping is felt on my right side. Tomorrow I may insist that I talk a few minutes with my actual doctor about this. I have the book “3,000 Pulses Later” by Martha Rhodes, and I have scanned the book thoroughly in an attempt to find out if she felt the tapping on the right side, even though they treated her for depression on the left side, but I couldn’t find anything about that. I’m so confused. I don’t feel like it’s working. 😢 Tomorrow will be my 24th treatment. I feel like I’m wasting my time….3 hr. drive everyday (that’s both ways….1 1/2 each way) I know I need to be more proactive and more of my own advocate, but I think that’s part of my depression? I’m always hesitant to question those in authority. Thanks everyone!
Colleen, thanks so much for your reply. I think I will give it a try to call BRAINSWAY with my concerns. Thanks for your time! 😊
Hello Nutella06! I had TMS by MAGPRO in 2012. I had some good results, but they were sporadic and not long lasting. I describe it by saying “certain periods (minutes only) seemed like the lights were brighter, colors were more vivid, I could even HEAR better, or maybe I was just “more alert”. I truly felt like “this must be what normal people feel like!” But like I said, it didn’t last long. It was just like a “flash” of what it must be like to feel good. At that time my insurance was not covering and I paid the whole thing out of pocket. I had 30 treatments and had to stop. I kept researching TMS and hoping science would improve it to work better. Then I heard about BRAINSWAY DEEP TMS. Also, my insurance is now covering TMS. I am in the process of having Brainsway TMS. I’ve had 18 treatments so far. I haven’t noticed a whole lot of improvement, if any. But I am still hopeful that maybe it’s still too early. I’ve been online trying to get all the info I can find because it seems there are so many variables in the different ways TMS is done. I hope my providers are up to par with their particular way of treatment. I guess the biggest concern I have is “which side of the head?” I always thought to treat depression, the TMS was applied to the LEFT side. However, with my treatment, all the tapping and/or pulses are on my RIGHT side. I asked my technician about this and he said they ARE INDEED treating the LEFT side, but the tapping pulses are applied & felt on the RIGHT. I’m so confused about this and other things, yet I’m so desperate for this to work! I hate having all this doubt! I thought I could just go in for treatment and my doctor and technicians would take care of it from there! There seems to be a big lack of communication between me, the doctor, and the technicians. They have never explained anything to me without me having to ask and then they seem “put off” that I would even have the audacity to question their expertise! It’s just like “Come in, get your treatment, and “see you tomorrow, same time!” I could go on and on about all my concerns but then I don’t even have the energy to talk or type about it and I get to a point where I feel so bad, I can’t even think about it! All I know is my threshold is 51 and I’m at 120% and I’m receiving 36 X 70 pulses (2,520) 5 days per week. I’ve had 18 treatments and supposed to have 30. I’ve read where some pts. have more pulses per day and something about stimulating different sites on the brain! This all scares me because I’m desperately hoping my “care team” is taking this seriously enough and realizes how much we depressed people are “clinging to life” in hopes they are doing all they can in every way possible to make this work!! AND I DO HAVE FAITH THAT IT CAN WORK!! I have felt “glimmers” of it working! I could just cry! I’m 63 years old and I had 55 rounds of ECT in the 1980s when my 3 sons were small children. It wiped out my memories of all those good years! BRAINSWAY DEEP TMS HAS GOT TO WORK!! I would love to hear from others on their settings, placement, etc… Thank you so much for listening! Hugs & Love to you all! Sincerely, Suzie
Hi everyone! Glad to find this forum. I am in the process of having Brainsway TMS. I’ve had 16 treatments so far. I haven’t noticed a whole lot of improvement, if any. But I am still hopeful that maybe it’s still too early. I’ve been online trying to get all the info I can find because it seems there are so many variables in the different ways TMS is done. I hope my providers are up to par with their particular way of treatment. I guess the biggest concern I have is “which side of the head?” I always thought to treat depression, the TMS was applied to the LEFT side. However, with my treatment, all the tapping and/or pulses are on my RIGHT side. I asked my technician about this and he said they are treating the LEFT side, but the tapping pulses are applied & felt on the RIGHT. Does this sound correct to any of you who have had Brainsway TMS? I’m so confused about this and other things, yet I’m so desperate for this to work! I hate having all this doubt and I’m not the best at questioning exactly what they’re doing. There seems to be a big lack of communication between me, the doctor, and the technicians. Just come in, get your treatment, and “see you tomorrow, same time!”
