Benefits and Risks of TMS
The West Coast TMS Experience: A Message from our TMS Coordinator
THE BENEFITS
Being free from depression can change your life and the way your loved ones and colleagues experience you, as well as how you experience them. If you have been suffering from clinical depression, you are probably missing out on some aspects of what life has to offer. Depression can negatively affect your ability to fulfill your role as a partner or spouse, mother or father, co-worker or friend. This lack of engagement in life leads to difficulties with motivation, fatigue and inactivity, which can lead to job loss and marital difficulties. Children with a depressed parent may themselves have emotional or behavioral problems.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can dramatically decrease the symptoms of depression or even put it into remission without the side effects associated with drug treatment.
THE RISKS
The most common side effects of TMS are headaches and scalp irritation, mild-to-moderate in nature, which generally can be managed with an over-the-counter pain medication like Tylenol. Usually, such discomfort goes away early in the course of TMS treatment. In most cases, side effects are not severe or persistent enough to stop treatment.
TMS has a very small seizure risk, about 1 in 30,000 treatments. Even though the risk of seizure is quite rare, patients should feel secure with the knowledge that they are being monitored at all times by one of our trained staff members.
TMS for depression does not appear to alter personality, numb or blunt character, or cause memory problems or clouded thinking. Furthermore, TMS has not been linked to acute worsening of depression or suicidal thinking. Therefore, TMS therapy for depression does not have an FDA “black box” warning.
TMS therapy is contraindicated for use in patients who have conductive, ferromagnetic or other magnet-sensitive materials implanted in their head or are non-removable and within 30 cm of the treatment coil. Many dental and medical metals may not be magnetic, so it is important to find out their composition and discuss this information with our TMS coordinator prior to scheduling an evaluation with our medical director.
For many, the benefits of TMS therapy for depression far outweigh the risks. Because TMS specifically targets the area of your brain that is responsible for mood and does not directly affect other organ systems outside the brain, medication-induced adverse side effects, such as sexual dysfunction, diarrhea, constipation, sweating, tremors, and weight gain are avoided. If you are struggling with depression and have not found relief from drug therapy, cannot tolerate medication side effects, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, TMS may be a viable alternative to medication for you.
Still have questions? We have answers. Click here to contact us.
Learn More About TMS Therapy:
What Is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation?
Is TMS Therapy Covered By Insurance?
References:
- Lisanby S, et al. Daily Left Prefrontal Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in the Acute Treatment of Major Depression: Clinical Predictors of Outcome in a Multisite, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Neuropsychopharmacology, advance online publication, 13 August 2009, doi:10.1.038/npp.2008.118.
- Data on file [NeuroStar TMS Therapy®].
- Demitrack MA, Thase ME, Clinical Significance of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the treatment of depression: Synthesis of Recent Data. Psychopharmacology Bulletin 2009; 42(2):5-38.
- Janicak P, et al. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in the Treatment of Major Depression: A Comprehensive Summary of Safety Experience from Acute Exposure, Extended Exposure and During Reintroduction Treatment. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2008; Vol 69:222-232.
