Skip to main content

Days 1-6 of TMS Therapy

Day One
I drank coffee and saw a sign saying I'm not supposed to! Its decaf only before treatment. Later I learned as long as I regularly drink coffee in the morning, its okay to drink caffeine before treatment. I came in and signed forms and then the technician reviewed them and set up the machine. I went in, we discussed my paperwork and started cortical mapping. They will ask questions about your daily routine every day. Poor sleep can cancel treatment because it lowers motor threshold. You can cancel for medical stuff or emergencies but shouldn't stop TMS for a week or days at a time. The longer you go without treatment the less effective it will be. You can do it with a neck brace, which I have, that's no issue. We adjust stuff with the chair then doc comes in to do brain mapping. There are different machines [neurostar and brainsway] they will make a slight difference. You will usually do a test "train" after they set the angle and strength and you will tell them how it feels. If its good you will start, but can tell them to lower the power if you need. Some places have a TV you can watch. Treatment lasts 20 to 30 min then you're done. It doesn't hurt, and just feels like somebody tapping on your head. If the power is on too high, it will be uncomfortable but will only sting. It doesn't feel too bad. Some providers have earplugs you can use during treatment if you are sensitive to sounds. TMS treatment is usually 30 days, insurance can approve for more. My first time, i had 32 days and this time I have 36 days of TMS approved. 


Day Two
Today was pretty similar. I had to get set up on their HIPPA compliant communication system and then I answered questions, got in the chair with earplugs, then we got started after the tech placed the coil. We discussed if I wanted to up my power of keep it the same to start, and I decided to up my power. The treatment went smoothly and then we stopped to switch to the low frequency cycle set up, which we discussed yesterday. For this the train was a lot slower and had lower power, and only lasted 10 minutes. Low frequency cycles are to treat anxiety, and I'm very excited to try it! 


Day Three
Today I answered questions, got in the chair, and we started at a slightly higher power than before. I'm at 110% and the goal is 120% for high frequency. I mostly chatted with the TMS technician about the show we were watching. We had to stop and adjust the coil because it lost contact a few times. Low frequency cycle went by very fast, then we discussed scheduling an left. 
Day Four
Today was the same other than the fact that i noticed some hand movements at the beginning of treatment. I told my technician and we stopped the train, to change the coil angle. After that the movements stopped. Its not bad or dangerous if you do have hand movements, it just means that the coil could be in a better place to treat your depression more effectively. 
Day Five
Treatment went very smooth today. After I answered questions and got set up, I tried a new show. We tried a few different power settings today, which I didn't mind. We finished with a low frequency cycle and then I thought about the small mood changes I had noticed so far. 
Day Six
Today I was tired but came in ready. We discussed the schedule for next week again and then did the questions. I also filled out the PHQ 9 today. Nothing interrupted high frequency except for one time the coil contact was off. We finished with low frequency and then I left, excited for the weekend. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TMS vs SSRI Medications

Before I decided to pursue TMS, I did a lot of research. I am going to share that research here.  I also will quickly explain TMS therapy. TMS helps depression, anxiety, and other conditions by stimulating parts of the brain that are underactive and calming down parts of the brain that are over-active. It uses MRI strength magnetic pulses to do this. There have been studies of TMS for its positive impacts on depression, anxiety, OCD, smoking cessation, PTSD, stroke rehabilitation, schizophrenia, Parkinsons and Alzheimers, and it even can help chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis. Not all of these are FDA approved [such as the ones for Parkinsons and Alzheimers] but the future of TMS treatment is constantly changing and expanding! It is usually covered by insurance as long as your depression is treatment resistant and the TMS center has approved you as a patient. If antidepressants and psychotherapy don't work for you, Medicare will cover TMS ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Comparing TMS Machines

An Introduction Apollo :  The Apollo TMS therapy system is developed and manufactured in Germany by Mag& More, a TMS specialist with more than 15 years of experience. Apollo is designed to make TMS therapy easy and intuitive to use for the operator. In May 2018, Apollo received FDA clearance for the 37.5 and 19 minutes treatment of Major Depressive Disorder [MDD] in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. Bransway Deep :  In January 2013, the FDA approved Deep TMS therapy developed by BrainsWay. Deep TMS therapy penetrates a deeper and boarder area of the brain than traditional TMS treatment. It treats adult patients suffering from Major Depressive Disorder who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement through various antidepressant medication treatments. In August of 2018, BrainsWay became the only TMS provider FDA-cleared for treatment of OCD using Deep TMS therapy. It...
Post a Comment
Read more

Days 25 to 36 of TMS

Day 25 Today I was struggling to eat before treatment. My tech had been speaking with others and doing research to make sure it would be safe for me to skip eating or eat less before treatment. It was comforting to know I didn't have to force myself to eat.  Day 26 Today treatment went very smoothly today. We have a nice routine going. I usually come early, heat up my pop tart and eat it while we go through daily questions, then get in the chair and adjust myself. After that we put my favorite show on the TV and do high frequency [20 minutes] and low frequency [8 minutes] of treatment. Before we start there is always a test pulse which calibrates the machine.  Day 27 I did a MT check today, which is usual. They happen about once a week and there are fast or long ones on the neurostar machine. When it comes to the motor threshold you do have to report your daily meds & any med changes. However, only a small group of meds change your MT.  ...
1 comment
Read more