Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Offers Hope for Treatment-Resistant Depression

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princeton.eduIn December of 2012, Stephanie S. was taking 300 mgs of Zoloft, 300 mgs of Wellbutrin, 300 mgs of Desyrel, 200 mgs of Risperdal, and 8 mgs of Xanax, but was as depressed as she has ever been. She had also gained 100 pounds as a side-effect of all the medications. Having tried a total of 10 different kinds of drugs with no success, her doctor recommended transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), non-invasive procedure that stimulates nerve cells in the brain with short magnetic pulses. A large electromagnetic coil is placed against the scalp which generates focused pulses that pass through the skull and stimulate the cerebral cortex of the brain, a region that regulates mood. The procedure was approved by the FDA in 2008.

She didn’t feel any difference after 11 treatments, but she can vividly remember the morning after her 12th treatment. She explained:

I woke up … I mean WOKE UP!! I felt so light, instead of feeling weighed down. The sun was brighter. My overall feeling was JOY. This was unfamiliar to me, and I loved it. I came downstairs grinning from ear to ear and just looked at my husband. He knew! I just threw my arms around his neck and laughed. The feeling was indescribable. It was NIRVANA!! I felt better than I had felt before my breakdown. It was MAGICAL! I think that was the first time in my life that I felt pure joy!

She continued and finished the 30 treatments.

Dr. Kira Stein, M.D., board certified psychiatrist and medical director of West Coast TMS Institute in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, is excited about the success she’s had in treating her patients with TMS. She usually does five sessions a week, for a total of 30 sessions; the entire procedure lasts about six to eight weeks, though some patients may need more treatment to respond.

She estimates that about one-third of TMS patients have a full remission and no longer experience depression symptoms.

One-half of TMS patients respond signficantly , where their depression symptoms are improved by at least 50 percent, but do not reach complete remission. The more depressive cycles they have had in their lives, the more difficult it is to treat them, in general.

Dr. Stein’s experience is that TMS success rates are higher when TMS is used as an augmentation strategy for patients who have only partially responded to medication, or who cannot tolerate higher medication doses. She usually recommends a person stay on a dose of maintenance antidepressants and finds that some patients need maintenance TMS treatments to stay well.

The treatment is expensive. Dr. Stein says that each session (and on average people usually require 30) run from $300 – $450, a session; however, more and more insurance companies are picking up at least some of the bill.

Stephanie paid $7,450 out of pocket. Her insurance chipped in $7,000 (the total cost was about $14K).

Stephanie stayed in remission for a year and a half until a cascade of tragic events, including the suicide of her sister, caused a relapse of depressive symptoms. When different kinds of medication again did little to relieve her pain, she decided to do TMS for a second time.

She’s been participating in the online depression support group I moderate on Facebook. About a month ago, I remember a distinct change in the tone of her posts. They went from being desperate to hopeful, from cynical to curious, and from flat to playful.

“What’s the matter with me?” she asked the group. “On the way to my husband’s work, I’m noticing everything for the first time.”

“I think your TMS treatment is working,” I replied.

“Yes!” she said. “I laughed again!!”

She has eight treatments left, and hopes she continues to laugh for a very long time.

Originally published on Sanity Break at Everyday Health.

Image: princeton.edu

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Therese Borchard
I am a writer and chaplain trying to live a simple life in Annapolis, Maryland.

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7 Responses
  1. Joy

    I have had TMS treatment and it has changed my life. I never realized this is what people feel every day without depression! I found out that Medicare is now paying for it, so this will cause more insurance companies to follow suit. I have a lawyer that has taken my case to fight for payment from my insurance company. There is no charge unless he wins. Then, he will charge $500. This is reasonable considering the price of my treatment. I will let you know if he is successful. I have Aetna. Don’t give up! Joy

    1. Jeremy

      Hi joy
      Can you email your lawyers details? I have Aetna as well and have a referral for TMS but the insurance does not currently pay for TMS.

      Thanks

  2. Dee

    I wish this was my TMS story. It hasn’t worked that well for me even with 15 additional maintenance treatments after the initial 30. Getting hit on the head hasn’t helped me.

  3. Barry

    Does anyone have experience using the TMS products available for purchase and use at home?

    Two I’ve found are the Fisher Wallace Stimulator and the (http://www.fisherwallace.com/) Brainsway Deep TMS (http://www.brainsway.com/effective-tms-therapy-lp?gclid=CMiGna3Is8wCFQ8yaQod0EULBA).

    Also, is there a directory of physicians offering the in-office TMS treatment? Thanks for your help as I work to navigate treatments for my 19-year-old daughter who’s suffered from severe depression and anxiety for about four years now.

    1. HumanPerson

      Hi Barry, I’ve had depression since early childhood. have tried nearly 30 meds and until abilify induced seizures. I now use the Fischer Wallace device. I was skeptical, but it has been about 10 months and while I’m not awesome, I’m able to hold down a job.It has helped with the anxiety as well. I used it twice a day for 6 weeks, now I use it for maintenance about 5 sessions a week. The company gives a $100 discount for people on Medicare. I would say it’s worth a try, I hope this helps.

    2. Stefan

      Hi Barry,

      I am not too familiar with FisherWallace stimulator, although I used a very similar device: CES Ultra
      https://www.cesultra.com/product-store.php?gclid=Cj0KCQiAw9nUBRCTARIsAG11eicZSTyPNlgRraxyfxXwYUdYv_LKPTmkIJpU9VeKSTDHV9G28A1DI_0aAuFyEALw_wcB
      These two are not TMS products. From your inquiry I gathered you are looking for home use TMS products. The Brainsway dTMS is definitely a home use product. It’s a doctors office big device, unless you know of something what they do not showcase on their webpage.

      I used CES Ulstra, but it didn’t work for me. I am also looking for TMS locally. Let me know how you are making out in this area with your progress.