TMS

[heathermf316]

Anyone have experience with having TMS treatment? I don't like the idea that I have to go every weekday for 4 weeks for 30 min a session. My med provider said on top of that I still keep taking my meds.

[Opossumish]

Hello!

I appreciate your concerns about undergoing this involved but easy therapy!

I've been getting TMS for 1.5 years and find it quite helpful. I agree the initial time commitment is daunting and don't be alarmed if it takes a while to take effect. I first felt differently at treatment # 26, which feels like a long time to wait and caused me no small amount of worry that it wasn't working. I've had the acute series of 36 treatments three times, because of insurance shenanigans that postponed approval for maintenance treatment for three months between each of my acute series. The local facility where I got the first two acute series shut down and now I travel over an hour each way to get TMS, if that's any indication of how helpful I find it! This time around I finally got approved for maintenance in a timely manner, so I was able to start going one to two times a week immediately after finishing my third series, which has been immensely helpful. Not everyone needs maintenance treatment right away; my brain is just really good at being depressed after over 4 decades of it!

So, if you're able I think it's a great thing to try, and I congratulate you on looking into this not so new but still under - used technology. The combination of TMS and Ketamine Infusion Therapy has brought me out of a two year tailspin of barely functioning, severe depression.

Feel free to ask for more details, and good luck!

[Jenmomof3 in reply to Opossumish]

What is TMS therapy?

[Opossumish in reply to Jenmomof3]

"Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. TMS is typically used when other depression treatments haven't been effective."

mayoclinic.org/tests-proced...

[Jenmomof3]

is it only for depression or can it be used for anxiety as well?

[Opossumish in reply to Jenmomof3]

They're starting to use it for anxiety and a host of other things, like migraines and even autism. I believe it's only FDA aproved for depression currently, so anxiety treatment may not be covered by insurance. I'll ask my provider when I'm in next week and get back to you. 🙂

[Jenmomof3]

Thank you so much! I appreciate that!

[Opossumish in reply to Jenmomof3]

I spoke with my providers. They said (this is in the U.S., not sure how it works elsewhere) that Anxiety is the next thing on the Agenda to be approved for TMS coverage, so they think it will be covered by insurance some time in 2018. What they do right now, they said, is that if they are treating someone for depression who also has anxiety, they will sneak in anxiety treatments as well (fewer pulses, alternate side of the brain) and just not mention it to the insurance company. Obviously this practice will vary from provider to provider, but either way, it sounds like there's hope for future coverage! Good luck!