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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 30. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:08:15
TMS... thats gonna be next step. Tired of the meds. Tired of the side effects which end up just becoming the effects in the end. Thinking bout doing it at NY-Hospital Cornell because know one of the doctor's there.
Any experiences? positive ones especially welcome.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:12:09
In reply to TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:08:15
also, im especially interested because it seems to help with cognition. have people noticed that...
Posted by Twinleaf on December 26, 2010, at 23:38:57
In reply to TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:08:15
I had a six-week course of it in 2005,followed by two years of intermittent maintenance. It really helped a lot, bringing me out of a major depression when therapy and a range of ADs didn't help. I can remember feeling calm and alert after the treatments. I don't recall anything more definite than that , although I also recall reading about cognitive benefits. There's no problem with confusion or memory loss- really no negatives except it hurts in the beginning, - and it's expensive!
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:45:01
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody? » pragmatic-attack, posted by Twinleaf on December 26, 2010, at 23:38:57
Sh*t it IS expensive. How expensive? I have medicare plus writers guild insurance. Seems like it would cover it if its done at a teaching hospital but hell who knows-they all have their finger in the pharmacutical industry which would explain why I only just heard about this treatment.
Posted by Twinleaf on December 26, 2010, at 23:53:40
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:45:01
I had it done in a teaching hospital before it was approved, so it wasn't very expensive. I think it costs about $300 per treatment now - maybe less in an academic center.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 0:07:40
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody? » pragmatic-attack, posted by Twinleaf on December 26, 2010, at 23:53:40
Thats pretty expensive :( expecially considering its an ongoing treatment five days a week. Looking online it seems that it is covered on a "case by case" basis. Whatever that means.
Guess there are always clinical studies. Rather go the private route first though.
Posted by emmanuel98 on December 27, 2010, at 20:38:16
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 0:07:40
My insurance doesn't cover it and my p-doc looked into it for me and said it would cost $7-$8K out of pocket. You have to go every day for four weeks for an hour which was impossible given my work schedule. Anyway, I was in a day program and met a woman who had done it for six weeks and, when she had to take a break for two weeks, went to this day program to keep from killing herself. So how helpful can it be, really?
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 21:17:59
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emmanuel98 on December 27, 2010, at 20:38:16
more helpful than your response.thanks
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 21:19:49
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emmanuel98 on December 27, 2010, at 20:38:16
there are plenty of studies so im not concerned. plus have a goods hookup with the guys over there at ny hospital-probably be able to pull some strings-
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 21:23:57
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 21:19:49
if your gonna kill yourself then you are gonna kill yourself-but if your depression has a direct correlation to the cognitive impasirment associated with depression and studies at harvard show that tms is helpful in that regard then i don't understand your logic in telling me its not helpful because some nutty bith still wants to kill herself-thats a different kind of depression
Posted by emmanuel98 on December 28, 2010, at 1:42:07
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 27, 2010, at 21:23:57
> if your gonna kill yourself then you are gonna kill yourself-but if your depression has a direct correlation to the cognitive impasirment associated with depression and studies at harvard show that tms is helpful in that regard then i don't understand your logic in telling me its not helpful because some nutty bith still wants to kill herself-thats a different kind of depression
No need to be rude. She had had depression for years and it was getting increasingly worse. She was a big believer in rTMS, but to me it seemed, how helpful could it be if it hadn't stabliized her after six weeks?? As I said, my insurance company considers it experimental, as do most. Hope your's doesn't or you can afford to try it out of pocket. I know $7K is too rich for me.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 28, 2010, at 2:43:59
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emmanuel98 on December 28, 2010, at 1:42:07
well she doesn't speak for all depressed people-all variants. suicidality is a whole other ball park. But it is true that money controls everything in psychiatry-in america at least. They treat it like a luxury-like your going to a f*ck*ng dermatologist.
Having said that-I'd rather hear from somebody who has actually BEEN through tms. that was the point of the post-I don't want to hear pessimistic speculations-thats not helpful-it's beyond rude.
Posted by emilyp on December 28, 2010, at 11:15:22
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 28, 2010, at 2:43:59
I have not been on TMS. But my doctor knows a lot about it (he is not at Harvard or NYU but at another hospital well known for psychiatry). I also almost participated in a study.
In my doctor's opinion, it will sometimes works but it is usually not particularly effective. And if it is going to work, it usually has to be set at level (i.e. strength) greater than what has been used in most studies.
Finally, in terms of coverage, it is very hard to get insurance companies to pay. When you say you have "someone to pull strings", I hope they have a relative at the insurance company. My understanding it is very difficult to get them to pay. It took a long time for insurance to pay for Vagus Nerve Stimulation and for many people that works very well
I don't mean to be negative but perhaps thought you should hear it from someone else
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 28, 2010, at 11:46:47
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emilyp on December 28, 2010, at 11:15:22
nope not interested in people telling me it wont work sorry
especially from people who haven't gone through it.
Also cornell and columbia is better than NYU in my experience.
NYU in my experience is overly expensive and is primarily a humanities school so the medicine element is not as good-from my experience. But it
Posted by emilyp on December 28, 2010, at 17:36:14
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 28, 2010, at 11:46:47
First, I made a mistake when I said NYU - I thought that was the school you referenced instead of NY-Cornell.
Second, I am not sure why you would post if you only want to believe good things. We are all just trying to be honest.
And third, my doctor is a partner with a guy who has written over 12 studies on TMS and depression. And he works at an institution as good as NY-Cornell. So, I think his opinions are quite valid.
But if you go through it, let us know if insurance covers it.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 0:04:08
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 28, 2010, at 11:46:47
will do.
i asked for experiences-not second hand opinions.
not that they aren't credible-im sure your doc is amazing but this is a consumer site.if its fda approved it must do something
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 0:09:35
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emilyp on December 28, 2010, at 17:36:14
also how can you be honest if you have never done it?
i only want to hear from people who actually have been through it-so far just one-whih was effective i might add-not interested in bitterness
Posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 9:30:32
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 0:04:08
The FDA is not perfect. They do a decent job - but think about
Darvon, Darvocet, Vioxx, Bextra, Merida
These are just the drugs that I know have been withdrawn from the market. I am sure many others have that I don't know of.
And think about the pharmaceutical lobby machine
I don't think TMS is dangerous. But if TMS was so great, don't you think a lot of people on this site would have responded with experiences. Trust me, I would have been one of the first to try it.
But best of luck
Posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 9:32:05
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 0:09:35
And, I can be honest, because I have brain and because I have talked to a lot of people about it. Having experience with something is not a requisite for honesty.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 12:17:26
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 9:32:05
im not interested in somebody trying to make me feel hopeless about tms if they haven't even tried it-get a life
Posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 13:55:12
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 12:17:26
I sincerely hope TMS works for you because it seems to me that the depression has affected your sense of reality as well as your level of civility. I was just trying to have a discussion - isn't that what these forums are for?
I mention civility because telling someone to get a life is only the less obscene way to say f**k you.
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 18:32:36
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 13:55:12
im not one for euphemisms.
Posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 19:59:09
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 18:32:36
Clearly you are not one for discussion either. Or did you lose that with your cognitive impairment?
Posted by pragmatic-attack on December 29, 2010, at 23:13:00
In reply to Re: TMS in NY anybody?, posted by emilyp on December 29, 2010, at 19:59:09
why are we still having this back and forth?
i talked t the insurance. they will cover it if the dr writes a note. everybody seems hopeful about it except for some depressive stranger on the web.
you are not welcome-bye
Posted by roscopeeco on December 30, 2010, at 16:39:31
In reply to TMS in NY anybody?, posted by pragmatic-attack on December 26, 2010, at 23:08:15
> TMS... thats gonna be next step. Tired of the meds. Tired of the side effects which end up just becoming the effects in the end. Thinking bout doing it at NY-Hospital Cornell because know one of the doctor's there.
>
> Any experiences? positive ones especially welcome.I thought you might be interested in this study of DBS. From what I gather on that page they are accepting participants. I have no information to provide with TMS, but I know that DBS has pretty good results thus far.
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