TMS started one week ago...going well

[sjof]

I started TMS therapy one week ago and am feeling some improvement already, although it seems to take a few weeks at least to show benefits. I no longer sit and watch tv all day and have started reading again, which is a big deal for me. I cannot take ssri’s or any other psych meds as I have severe reactions to them. Diagnosed with PTSD-DS (I think that’s the proper term), dissassociative PTSD, and have been suffering most of my life - this last episode lasting two and a half years. I had basically given up hope because I can’t take the meds that might help me. This is so much better. Catch...In the USA you need to have been in therapy and tried a few meds and failed with them to be eligible for insurance to cover TMS, but it is covered. I’m doing six weeks, five days a week. Happy to answer any questions. Be well and prosper...

[needmycalm]

I’m glad things are looking up for you!

[sjof in reply to needmycalm]

Thanks! This is a great space to share information and support. I’m glad I finally have something to share...😊

[Lostmyself65]

Hi I'm so glad to hear TMS is helping you. I was just reading about this last night but it seemed to have mixed reviews. I just really excepted that the therapy and meds are not going to fix my depression. Can I ask if depression is part of PTSD as I am not really familiar with it?

[sjof in reply to Lostmyself65]

Hi and thanks for responding! I am not a doctor or any kind of health care professional so what I am telling you is only from my limited experience as a patient and fellow sufferer. Here is a link from the VA about PTSD so that you can get an idea of what it is. ptsd.va.gov/publications/rq...

I have always suspected that due to my past I had PTSD, but had never gotten a diagnosis until I went to a psychiatrist to see if I was a candidate for TMS. She is the one who finally gave me a formal diagnosis. She also was quite insistent that my therapist be trained in PTSD.

I have PTSD-DS which is Dissasociative PTSD, a subtype of PTSD. It’s in the link I posted above. Direct trauma is the underlying aspect of PTSD.

But TMS seems to have a high success rate with depression if you want to look into it. If you are in the USA it might be covered under your insurance.

I hope this info helps you.

[Lostmyself65 in reply to sjof]

Thank you for the information. I hope things only get better for you.

[Carlee1962]

Good info to know. Interested in hearing your progress. I think I'll meet the criteria for insurance coverage but even with a portion pay the research I did reveal it would be too costly. definitely best wishes to you😊

[sjof in reply to Carlee1962]

I’m sorry to hear that about the expense for you. I hope something works out so that you can receive the treatments.

[Magicdreamer]

Thank you for sharing your story...I'm interested to know what TMS entails?

[sjof]

Hi Magicdreamer,

I am not a medical expert so I can only relate my personal experience with TMS. For me it entails a series of treatments that run five days a week for either four or six weeks. The treatments as I’ve experienced them are about 20 minutes long and take place in a therapy center. I sit in a big dentist type chair and a device is placed next to my head on the left side. There are a series of magnetic pulses. Some people find it a bit painful and some people find it soothing. Nothing touches your head, but to me it feels a bit like a woodpecker.

That’s about it. There is no lasting pain and no side effects that I am aware of.

I hope this information helps you!

Best...

[sjof]

For those interested in the mechanics of TMS, here is a description from the Mayo Clinic...

mayoclinic.org/tests-proced...

[BS-ZIG]

Hi smog,I was just reading your recent answer about your TMS experience.

The reason your answer caught my eye is because I also cannot take SSRI’s because I took a gene test and the never worked because I a, allergic to them. So I still take an SSRI that I am the least allergic to. I only take it because of the brain zaps that never go away if I quit. But that is another story for another day. I have been trying for 4 years to get my doctor to give me Spravato. And even with permissions from my other doctors I have still not managed to receive the treatments. So I also have looked at TMS and from your post I just read, Is this something that you will always need treatments for? Do you think?

I am going to read some more stuff you have posted now. How soon did you know it was working? Thanks ahead for any reply….

[sjof in reply to BS-ZIG]

Hi BSherzig - My response to TMS was immediate. I have had my issues with ssris called an allergy too, but I think of it as an intolerance. I can’t take any brain meds. Even gabapentin gives me trouble if I take one pill more than once in a while. As for always needing the TMS treatments, most people do not always need them. My brain is different somehow, but I’m dealing with it. I literally moved cross country to live in a geographical area that suits me.

TMS is non-invasive and there are no meds. It’s quite amazing and offers hope to those of us who can’t take meds. I’m also trying to locate a provider of somatic therapy now that I don’t have access to TMS where I live. EMDR is the next treatment I’m looking into.

[BS-ZIG in reply to sjof]

Did you ever consider Spravato? I cannot take any antipsychotics drugs either. They caused me to have drug related Parkinsons. I am in the US also. The best thing I ever did was take the Gene test. Before that I had doctors thinking I was faking that I could not take a drug as far as getting chewed out that I was faking it. Thanks for your reply. This is the first I have heard of EMDR. I will look that up now.

[sjof in reply to BS-ZIG]

My psychiatrist at the time I was doing TMS also treated patients with Spravato. I would see the Spravato patients wandering around when I would go for my TMS sessions. For me, it is not indicated, as it can cause suicidal ideation and dissociation, both of which I suffer from.