Posted by Viszla on August 5, 2004, at 12:48:49
In reply to Re: rTMS solves all my problems but... » ravenstorm, posted by Pfinstegg on August 5, 2004, at 10:32:51
According to the research articles I received from Canada, the best candidates are those who have trd and have failed on several drugs. Also, if ECT helped, rTMS should. I was in an ECT study and it did work briefly. I believe that maintenance ECT would have helped, but this rTMS seems so much better. I had real side effects from ECT.
As for drugs, everything I have tried over 30 years has either not worked or pooped out. Except for Nardil. I'm on it now and I have more good days than bad, but the depression never goes away and the amount of energy & time I have to spend managing it uses up most of my life and money. I know that the older you get & the longer you've had depression, the more often depressive events break through and the longer they last. I'm desperately trying to avoid this and I'm hoping rtms will give me that added edge and something I can return to when depression does raise its ugly head.
Here's a question I have for Pfinstegg about costs. Dr. Bests' technician, Stephen, gave me the following costs - how does this protocol & cost compare to your experience?
$340 - 1 hr consultation
$1200 - Brain Spec which insurance often pays. (What is a brain spec?)
$414 - EEG - again insurance often pays
$290 - 2nd consultation a week later & decision; treatment may start on this dayTreatments - $190 for 1/day; 290 for 2/day
He said they last 40 minutes and could last 8 weeks daily! That's 40 treatments. That makes the treatments possibly $7600 plus another $1000 for the rest, assuming insurance will cover the tests.Did Hutta use these tests? Before you started, what was high range of # of treatments you thought you might have to get? As many as 40?
poster:Viszla
thread:368378
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040805/msgs/374371.html