[PrairieCat]

TMS is Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation. I had it about two years ago. I would love to know anyone else who has had it and how it worked for you. Were you very vulnerable for a while afterwards? Did it take some time for you to "recover" from it? Did it take a while for you to figure out what it did or didn't do for you? Did your insurance cover it? If so, what state do you live in? (Mine did not cover it and I live in the SW.) What machine was used? Mine was Neurostar. For anyone interested in TMS treatment, you can google both TMS and Neurostar or you can ask me questions.

I would like to discuss your experience and mine with you if you have had TMS treatment and would like to talk about it with me. It was quite an awesome experience for me. I knew a person who had it done at Duke University in SC on their different machine, but I did not stay in touch with her afterwards for some very good reasons; she had a negative agenda, to make a long story short.

Anybody? Thanks!

PrairieCat

[Eliza Jane]

I had two rounds of 3 weeks each 2 yrs ago. It was extremely expensive and not covered by insurance. Round 1 seemed great at the time, but in retrospect it made me hypomanic. We didn't realize I was bp ii at the time.

I crashed about 4 months later. Round 2 didn't work at all, so I resumed some medication. I was trying to be med free so I could get pregnant which is why I messed with tms in the first place. (Happy ending: took a little Lamictal, got pregnant, have a great son).

My decision-making process might have been different if I had known I was bp. I haven't found any articles on bp and tms, but I'm quite sure it flipped me into hypomania. I think it is worth a shot if you don't have to pay thousands for it, but I wouldn't pay out of pocket.

Best,
EJ

[renie1022]

I am very lucky that my psychiatrist does it. She recommended it a while back but in the meantime I started having hypomanias and she then told me it would not be appropriate. Kind of disappointed to have less options now. Also the no antidepressents because of the same thing. I am very depressed now.

I hope the TMS goes well for you, we are all lucky when we find new options. Even just to give some hope/placebo effect type thing.

[swheaton]

It sounds interesting.

[PrairieCat]

Originally Posted by Eliza Jane

I had two rounds of 3 weeks each 2 yrs ago. It was extremely expensive and not covered by insurance. Round 1 seemed great at the time, but in retrospect it made me hypomanic. We didn't realize I was bp ii at the time.

I crashed about 4 months later. Round 2 didn't work at all, so I resumed some medication. I was trying to be med free so I could get pregnant which is why I messed with tms in the first place. (Happy ending: took a little Lamictal, got pregnant, have a great son).

My decision-making process might have been different if I had known I was bp. I haven't found any articles on bp and tms, but I'm quite sure it flipped me into hypomania. I think it is worth a shot if you don't have to pay thousands for it, but I wouldn't pay out of pocket.

Best,
EJ

Thanks! I was supposed to be BP II at the time. I am not sure that Dx is correct, though. I had no problems with the TMS and I was taking five p-meds for BP at the time. My main problem has always been Depression. I had a jackass p-doc then whom I left shortly after TMS. The p-doc who did the TMS knew I was dx'd BP; he was not my jackass p-doc, but a different, more expensive doc. I paid out of pocket because I was very desperate - a chance to get rid of Depression and also a possibility of getting rid of Fibromyalgia. It worked for the Fibro. It is gone, a miracle! It did not get rid of the Depression - however, somehow it "woke up my brain" and changed my life. I am sorry for your hypo problem. I thought it was common knowledge that BP people have TMS to get rid of Depression. I am only on an Anti-D now and something for sleep!

Congratulations on your baby boy! Wow, what a happy ending. Thank you so much for sharing.

[PrairieCat]

Originally Posted by renie1022

I am very lucky that my psychiatrist does it. She recommended it a while back but in the meantime I started having hypomanias and she then told me it would not be appropriate. Kind of disappointed to have less options now. Also the no antidepressents because of the same thing. I am very depressed now.

I hope the TMS goes well for you, we are all lucky when we find new options. Even just to give some hope/placebo effect type thing.

[B]Renie, thank you. I had it done two years ago and it went well. It did not get rid of my Depression but it did "wake up my brain" and it changed my life. It also got rid of my Fibromyalgia, which is another reason I did it. So I had a twofold reason and that's why I did it, was on five meds at the time for BP. I am now only down to an Anti-D and something for sleep. That's it. Plus I have a great new p-doc.

Have you taken any mood stabilizers? I thought that those can help with depression. I think I am allergic to all of them, had terrible side effects.

What I am doing now is seeing a brand new T and we are delving into my childhood which I feel is where the answers are. I have also asked p-doc for an official diagnosis. He said it will take some time. I have nothing but time!

Hope you will seek a therapist - one you have good rapport with is the very best for Depression, I think. Also, what about the mood stabs.? There must be something else. I hate to mention this but what about ECT for depression? I had it when I was young, long time ago and all it did was zap my short-term memory and make me stay longer in an awful marriage. I finally left him. Have you tried seeing a Neurologist? Just remember that we ALL react differently to different drugs and treatments. Keep the hope alive!
PC