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I’m Depressed; How Long Until I Feel Better with TMS?

 

When does TMS start working for depression?

 

Though Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy has been FDA-cleared for the treatment of major depressive disorder since 2008, for many patients it's still fairly unknown as compared to antidepressants or talk therapy. And as with any depression treatment, patients still have questions and concerns that are going unanswered – Will it hurt? Does it have side effects? Will it work for me? If you or a loved one is currently suffering from depression and are considering TMS Therapy, schedule your no-cost consultation here

 

TMS therapy sessions range from 30 to 36 treatments over a 6-9 week period, but when do patients start noticing a change?  Because every patient is different, reaction to treatment can vary. Some patients may notice small changes after week 2 and others not until week 4 or 5.

 

What are the first things they usually notice?

It is the small, everyday things that count. Small changes like having a better night’s sleep, waking up on time and getting out of bed, making more independent decisions. Some of our patients reported feeling “good” in the mornings, they were dressing more nicely, having increased patience with family members, feeling like they could resume working, motivated to be more social; these are all signs of improvement! Here are what some of our past patients say:


Josephine says that "I noticed a difference after two weeks, it was unbelievable. I quit crying, I had a real lift in my mood, and I started telling everybody about it. My close friends would remark and compliment me and say “Wow! That’s our old Josie.” They were very sweet. I couldn’t be more pleased.


Danielle says that "It was my 17th treatment and I had gone to West Virginia where my son and daughter live. I have a granddaughter that was about six months old at the time. I was holding her and there wasn’t a lot of particular joy in holding her and playing with her the first evening I was there.


But then the next morning when I woke up it was like somebody had flipped a switch. It was a new me. That’s exactly what I told my Tech when I went back in for my next treatment on Monday, it was like someone had flipped a switch on that Saturday morning. It was unreal. And when I picked up my granddaughter and started playing with her, I got her laughing and cooing at me and just felt like "Wow, this is what it feels like to be a grandma!" I was just having a blast with her, and the feeling didn’t go away. It was there."

How long will these signs of improvement last? Do patients need to keep coming back for maintenance therapy?

 

Again, every patient and every case is different. Some people may need maintenance therapy and some won’t. It depends on so many other factors like age, number of medication tried and failed, ECT, support systems, therapy, diet, exercise. It is extremely complex to know what happened in a patient’s life to pinpoint what triggered a relapse; as an example, if someone gets better and then they experience a devastating event (such as a death in the family) then that can easily trigger a depressed episode. TMS therapy is one tool in a whole shed of tools. Diet, exercise, healthy sleep habits, surrounding yourself with a support system, continuing talk therapy, amongst other activities will ultimately result in overall remission and sustainability.

 

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