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Re: Any Recent TMS Experiences?

Posted by tom2228 on July 3, 2014, at 6:29:52

In reply to Any Recent TMS Experiences?, posted by Babbler20 on July 2, 2014, at 22:06:47

> Has anyone recently completed TMS? What were you results, if any?

Yes!! Not completed yet but definitely results. I'm at 2.5 weeks right now and I can honestly say that this has been a life-saving procedure for me so far. I'm getting rTMS by the way.

I've been -- I had been, really -- in a deep, highly resistant bipolar depression for about a year.

When I say highly resistant, I mean, and all of which I'm still taking:

Marplan 40mg
Desipramine 75mg
Desoxyn 22.5mg
Deplin 30mg
Mirapex ER 0.375
lithium carb. 900mg
Abilify 9mg
Lamictal XR 100mg

With the desipramine I was feeling a lot better, even happy despite residual depression, but still lots of symptoms including suicidality. I'd been suicidal for the past year, quite potently the past few months. No thoughts now, or fleeting enough that I can shake them off easily -- I'm sure my brain is conditioned to think them even if it's not how I feel. I know it doesn't reflect how I feel right now.

I started noticing benefits towards at the end of the first week. Actually, initially the TMS was f*ck*ng with me/ causing some side effects like tiredness, disinhibition (looking back, positive in some respects), and difficulty concentrating in my calculus course. But then we realized that the protocol (left and right side) we were using perhaps wasn't the most suitable for me and switched.

Supposedly, whereas high-frequency stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is mainly used in practice for depression, low-frequency stimulation of the right dorsolateral PFC can be good for depression and anxiety, mania (at high frequencies) and PTSD issues. The low-frequency actually decreases activity in the given area by causing repetitive hyperpolarization leading to long-term depression. I was mainly on it for anxiety and to prevent mania, but I was actually quite calm before and well stabilized on my bipolar cocktail, so we ditched it hoping it would deal with the adverse effects I was having.

I was still having benefits anyway, which have continued, and all the adverse effects are GONE. No side-effects. I have more energy, I am more social (!!!), and just not depressed generally! My mom says it's as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders; I feel much more positive and light. More motivated, even-keel. Wow!!

The TMS has gotten me much closer to remission, and perhaps I'm there already. I'm really excited to see what the next few weeks bring!

I would really encourage those who are still struggling. Even though I am only one case, the fact that it has helped someone who is highly treatment resistant and really run the gamut with meds... has shattered my expectations and the pessimism that I've seen here about rTMS. There's some conception that TMS would only be worth it if it were the deep TMS. F*ck that. Give it a shot if you have the money and/or the insurance (mine is covering it in FULL! even for bipolar depression) and the time 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 6-8 weeks). We have to be open-minded despite our past failures with meds.

Speaking of, since I am feeling better I am noticing that perhaps I am a tad bit overmedicated. While I don't want to mess up my progress or cloud the effect of TMS, but perhaps after I'm done I can work on possibly getting off Mirapex or lowering the Abilify by another mg or two.

Best to all of you, and babbler, I'm glad to have this opportunity to respond with my story -- thanks. Will update if you guys are interested.


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poster:tom2228 thread:1067808
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140609/msgs/1067838.html