TMS vs. Antidepressants

Exploring different treatment options for depression is often an essential step in finding the right treatment for you. Antidepressants and TMS therapy are two treatments you're likely to come across in your search, but which should you try first? Are they effective? How long do both treatments last? This guide will answer these questions and more to help you determine which treatment option may be the best fit for you.

TMS vs. Antidepressants

TMS therapy and antidepressants are both effective treatments for depression. However, one of the benefits of TMS therapy is that it can provide relief for people who either haven't had much success with antidepressants or cannot tolerate them. To compare TMS therapy and antidepressants effectively, it's necessary to examine the particulars of both. Knowing how they work, their side effects and success rates can help inform your treatment choices.

How They Work

TMS Therapy:

TMS therapy uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas in the brain responsible for regulating mood and emotion. The stimulation of nerves in these brain regions can improve the brain's ability to regulate mood.

Antidepressants:

Chemical messengers called neurotransmitters allow the brain to receive signals from the nervous system. Antidepressants generally work by increasing the levels of specific neurotransmitters that affect mood and emotion. Different types of antidepressants achieve this result by interacting with certain neurotransmitters.

Success Rates

TMS Therapy:

Data shows that about two-thirds of people who haven’t benefitted from antidepressants see good results from TMS therapy. Some even go into full remission and don't experience depressive episodes or symptoms again. Others may need maintenance sessions down the line if their symptoms resurface. TMS therapy remains effective after initial treatments, so maintenance sessions are usually helpful.

Antidepressants:

Antidepressants provide symptom relief for about two out of three people who use them to treat depression. However, they often involve some trial and error. Sometimes, people need to try two or three antidepressants before finding an effective one. And one-third of people do not find relief from antidepressants. 

TMS Therapy

One of the benefits of TMS therapy is that it has minimal side effects. About 42% of people experience mild to moderate headaches and/or discomfort during or after the treatment session, but for most people, these side effects subside and eventually cease as they become acclimated to the treatment. An extremely rare side effect of TMS therapy is seizures, which happen in fewer than one out of every 60,000 TMS sessions.

Antidepressants

More than half of all individuals who take antidepressants experience side effects. The particular side effects a person experiences are somewhat dependent on the type of antidepressant they are taking. Common side effects of SSRI and SNRI antidepressant medication are nausea, diarrhea, headaches, sleep problems, and sexual problems. Tricyclic antidepressants are more likely to cause side effects such as blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, trembling, and difficulty urinating. Rare side effects of antidepressants include heart problems and liver damage.

For the most part, side effects are less common after the first few weeks of using antidepressants. However, for some people the side effects are intolerable, which can lead to them discontinuing their treatment.