Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy: What's your experience?

@mojosteve1961 ECT impacts everyone differently. Some people have ECT three times a week for decades with no memory issues. It's typically used on patients when medications aren't effective.

Below I have linked information from Mayo Clinic about ECT
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/about/pac-20393894

May I ask if you use psychiatric medications and are looking into ECT as an alternative?

Clutch, I'm wondering how you are doing now. It sounds like your 36 TMS treatments did not make too much of a difference. Checking in to see how you are doing now.

@kelster69, thank you for reaching out and your concern. I still take a small dose benzodiazepine for sleep , and Remeron. So I haven't had the esketamine therapy and probably will not be able to with the benzo dosage. How have you been doing? Do you receive maintenance treatments ongoing?

Hello @clutch . I am doing ok. I don't think TMS really worked for me. I started another round a couple weeks ago, but quit this week. It's so exhausting going every day for 6 weeks, only to perhaps have it not work again. I am going in for maintenance ketamine next week. I have no idea whether or not it will help me, as sometimes it has greatly, and sometimes I've felt very depressed after ketamine. Ah, the complications of having a depressed brain. I'm glad you wrote back.

I have been on depression meds for years with good results ( first Zoloft for 20+ yrs, then it stopped working and switched to welbutrin) After getting covid in April my depression relapsed. I was not sleeping so I’m now also on the sedating dose of 7.5 mg of mirtazapine at night. I also take 1 mg of Xanax a day (broken up into .25 4X day) I tecided to try TMS
(Transcranial magnetic stimulation) in hopes of being able to get off the drugs. I’ve had 9 treatments and things were going well but around the 6th treatment my anxiety went through the roof. (I also have generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder) The Dr said sometimes this can happen and will settle down usually. But if not they can place the magnet on the right side of the brain to target the area where the anxiety impulses are hyperactive. From what I’ve been told placing the magnets on either side will help treat the depression but just through different paths. I have one more left side treatment this week (# 10 of 36 total) and my Dr wants to try doing right side treatment starting Monday for a week. And then try and go back to the left side for the remaining treatments. I was told depression is different for each individual. I guess they said In some people the depression is dominant with secondary anxiety and
some people have the anxiety as dominant with the depression secondary. I was wondering if anyone else has had TMS treatment and experienced this.

Hi @jorsech, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I think it's great that you are seeking the experience of others who have gone through Transcranial magnetic stimulation. You will notice that I moved your post to a discussion where people are talking about TMS already. I did this so that you can connect with those other members about what the doctor wants to do on your next treatment and see if anyone else has experienced that.

You might be interested in reading this article on the the right vs the left side treatment:
https://www.madisonavetms.com/right-vs-left-tms-is-performing-tms-on-the-left-side-of-the-head-more-effective-than-the-right/.

Did your doctor mention anything else about right side treatment? Are there any side effects at all?

They didn’t mention any side effects from the right side, just that the pulses are lower strength hz and given continually whereas the left side is higher hz and given in short bursts of 6-7 pulses... they basically said both sides will treat the depression but just take different routes. I have a feeling the left side is quicker in seeing improvement in symptoms but I haven’t been told that in so many words

Thank you for the welcome:)

Noticed there hasn't been much discussion on TMS lately. Anyone had TMS lately? Some claim that in addition to treating depression and anxiety, it may also help with chronic pain!
https://tmslosangeles.com/tms-for-chronic-pain/

@sash, I moved your post to this recent discussion about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy so you can connect with @clutch @hazelblue @joli @kelster69 @marjou and others.

Sash, have you had TMS therapy or are you considering it?