Posted by Zatar on November 14, 2013, at 18:23:04
I finished 35 sessions of 10 hz LPFC rTMS. Didn't see any improvement until session 22 or so. I had so many side effects from medications that I could never get to therapeutic levels so it was worth a trial for me.
I have much more energy, am less irritable, talk more. I could literally fall asleep any time of the day before rTMS. My husband noticed the changes before I did. I am like hakuna matata again, more my old self! I also notice that my Fibromyalgia tender points are less painful, about a 30-40% improvement. Unfortunately my myofascial pain and trigger points have not improved, but that is a totally different issue. I am happy with my results!
The doctor who did the treatment was at Shands, and he said the number of treatment sessions to show improvement ranged from literally one treatment in one man, up to 26, with many showing improvement after 10. Once you see improvement, you make the decision if you need to go up to the 30 sessions recommended for depression by the FDA.
Since it took me longer, I did 30 daily treatments followed by tapering down over two weeks. The nurse said they had one fellow who didn't go to the movies in over 15 years, then started going with friends and talking to servers in restaurants after two weeks of rTMS, a big change for him.
I will be going once a month for a "tune up" of one session. Follow up varies; some come once a month, some every 6 months, some when they feel symptoms returning. Since I am older and it took me longer, I personally feel that once a month is about right.
Now I'm wrangling with insurance to cover it. Not cheap at $300+ per session, but worth it even if insurance does not cover it. Who needs a new car?
I'm wondering if some of the treatment failures reported are due to stopping too soon. My doctor only does rTMS and was very knowledgeable about the pros and cons of it. Glad I took his advice to stay the course when I didn't notice anything at 20 sessions.
-Zatar
poster:Zatar
thread:1054359
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20131025/msgs/1054359.html