Posted by Pfinstegg on January 9, 2003, at 11:29:08
In reply to To Pfinstegg, posted by glenn on January 9, 2003, at 4:51:06
Hi Glenn! And thank you for the warm welcome! I am in the midst of TMS treatments. To my amazement, after 8 treatments, my depression is completely gone! Here, they evaluate your progress by using the Beck Depression Inventory(available on Google if anyone wants to take it). It's sort of simple, but I think it's accurate. The ratings are:
1-10 : within the range of normal
11-16 : mild mood disturbance
17-20 : borderline clinical depression
21-30 : moderate depression
31-40 : severe depression
41 + : extreme depressionDuring the two months prior to treatment, I was asked to fill out the inventory every few weeks, in order to give the doctors a good baseline. My scores then ranged between 35 and 41. But after 8 days of TMS, my score is 2! I am scheduled to have 7 more treatments, with a possible option of having 10 more afterwards.
The treatments themselves were more painful than I had thought they would be- like an electrified ice-pick being plunged into my brain! However, taking Tylenol with codeine helps enough to make them quite bearable. I haven't had any side effects other than the discomfort, and can drive myself to the daily appointments without any difficulties- no memory problems or getting lost!
Each treatment consists of 400 pulses of high frequency electromagnetic energy, just below the threshold which would give you a seizure, delivered in groups, with a few seconds pause between each group- it goes to a precise location over the left pre-frontsl cortex: while you're being treated, you walk around with an indelible black dot marked on your skull. Each day's session takes about 20 minutes.
I am still taking the tianeptine, not because it's a good AD (it isn't) but because of the possibility that it will have a long-term protective effect on the limbic system. I also rely on fish oil, B vitamins, synthroid and Cytomel.
You were a dear to ask about my husband: while I am here in Atlanta having TMS, he is at Sloan-Kettering in New York undergoing the latest in radiation for recurrent prostate cancer- IMRT (intensity-modulated radiotherapy). His prognosis is excellent with this new form of radiation- about a 92% chance of cure.
TMS is not yet FDA-approved, so insurance does not cover it. I hope it will be approved soon, as it is in Canada and Europe, because it is a terrific treatment- based on my experience!
It was so nice to hear from you, and
I do hope things are going well.Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:135057
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030106/msgs/135085.html