Posted by Ash on November 16, 2000, at 22:44:05
Hi all,
For the benefit of readers here, I thought I would put down my recent experience with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
A little background first: Like many here, I am one of those treatment resistant individuals that has not responded to a single A/D. I've tried the gamut -- TCA's, MAOI's, SSRI's, antipsychotics, various augmentation strategies -- everything ( maybe that is too absolute a term? well, then almost everything) short of ECT.
A university teaching hospital was conducting a research study on TMS (no placebo arm) and I agreed to participate in the 2 week treatment protocol. At the first session, the treating doctor calibrates the strenght of the magnetic field that is to be applied --one that barely causes involuntary twitching of the muscle of the thumb. Thereafter on a daily basis, the doctor gives the treatment via a figure 8 shaped magnetic coil that is placed a couple of inches above the head a little above the right side temple. The magnetic field is appled on a repetitive rapid off/on basis in two sessions of about two minutes each seperated by a break of a couple of minutes. The sensation is sort of someone rapidly tapping one's head, only slightly uncomfortable. Thus the active phase of the treatment lasts about a total of six minutes. The most common side effect is a mild headache that is easily treated with Tylenol. Changes in my mood were evaluated every other day through a HAMD questionaire.
I understand that the success rate of TMS as reported in the literature, as well as through unpublished studies is as high 40-50%. This is not all bad for a group of treatment resistant patients who have failed an average of 6 A/D trials. Unfortunately (and perhaps not surprisingly) TMS did nothing for me. All I got from it was a moderate headache on the second day of treatment.
And so the quest for the proverbial light at the end of the the pitch black tunnel continues... though many times it seems even too hard to put forth the effort.
Ash
poster:Ash
thread:48942
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001115/msgs/48942.html