Posted by Pfinstegg on November 12, 2004, at 14:02:13
In reply to Re: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Dan Pe, posted by Dan Perkins on November 12, 2004, at 11:57:01
Good to hear from you, too! You are just at the very beginning, and you are having it at a slower rate than I did. For me, each treatment was 400 trains. You are having an intermediate frequency, which is the newest way to do it. (It used to be given either at a low frequency of 2 mHerz or a fast one of 20 mHerz). I don't think you'll know whether it's really beneficial for a couple of weeks at least. Isn't is typical for them to reassure everyone that it doesn't hurt, when it REALLY does? It's like the drug companies slowly and reluctantly admitting to side effects after they have become generally known to the people taking their drugs.
I have typically had a "drug holiday" for several weeks after the TMS, because I felt so well then. The depression would slowly return, however, ahd I have usually taken low doses of Lexapro 5-10 mg.) and Wellbutrin (37.5- 75 mg. of the regular release) as maintenance. More recently, perhaps because of the intensive psychotherapy I have undertaken, I'm much less deprssed in general, so I take the low dose Wellbutrin plus tianeptine. I just chose the latter on my own, because it is so neuroprotective in animals- it's not much of an antidepressant, but from what I've read of it, I feel it might protect me from another severe depressive episode. Just guessing here! I do think the Wellbutrin is definitely helpful for people who have taken a lot of SSRI's, as it does tend to raise dopamine.
I wish you the very best of luck, and do hope you find it helpful. Even if you don't find much improvement in depression ( I hope you do!), it is likely to be helpful over-all to your brain's functioning, and it might help the AD's work better afterwards.
Are you taking it as part of one of the Neuronetics trials? I've read that they are conducting them at about 20 centers, in the hope of gaining FDA approval in late 2005.
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:414030
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041108/msgs/415076.html