[bdeslaur]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to make a post on how I felt about rTMS. I was first referred to the treatment by a nation-known psychiatrist. When you first arrive to your first appointment, expect to be nervous. The rTMS machine is small, but LOUD. It's a tiny machine with an MRI magnet inside of a helmet that you wear on your head. The technicians give you a mouthguard and watch you closely throughout the procedure because it can induce seizures. I do recommend using the mouth guard, as it hurts so bad when your jaw clenches down on your tongue. When the machine turns on, the technician will signal down from 3 seconds. When the 3 seconds are up, you will be on a slow pattern of the treatment for approximately 15 minutes, sometimes longer if the therapy is for anxiety only. It feels like a hard thunk to the side of the head that the magnet is on. When that part is finished up, the long stride of the treatment starts up. This is when the technician stands-by to signal to you when the next treatment phase is. After the slow phase, it is followed by a quicker one that thunks your head 20 times in 1 second, followed by a 10 second pause inbetween. Expect your face to clech up and your arms to shake involuntarily. This lasts 10-15 minutes.

I had a total of 40 sessioms. By sessions 20, I started to feel much better.

If any of you have any questions about the procedure, let me know. I know it can be a bit scary, but it's just a funny sensation. It doesn't hurt.

[sandygrn]

Originally Posted by bdeslaur

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to make a post on how I felt about rTMS. I was first referred to the treatment by a nation-known psychiatrist. When you first arrive to your first appointment, expect to be nervous. The rTMS machine is small, but LOUD. It's a tiny machine with an MRI magnet inside of a helmet that you wear on your head. The technicians give you a mouthguard and watch you closely throughout the procedure because it can induce seizures. I do recommend using the mouth guard, as it hurts so bad when your jaw clenches down on your tongue. When the machine turns on, the technician will signal down from 3 seconds. When the 3 seconds are up, you will be on a slow pattern of the treatment for approximately 15 minutes, sometimes longer if the therapy is for anxiety only. It feels like a hard thunk to the side of the head that the magnet is on. When that part is finished up, the long stride of the treatment starts up. This is when the technician stands-by to signal to you when the next treatment phase is. After the slow phase, it is followed by a quicker one that thunks your head 20 times in 1 second, followed by a 10 second pause inbetween. Expect your face to clech up and your arms to shake involuntarily. This lasts 10-15 minutes.

I had a total of 40 sessioms. By sessions 20, I started to feel much better.

If any of you have any questions about the procedure, let me know. I know it can be a bit scary, but it's just a funny sensation. It doesn't hurt.

Glad TMS worked for you as well! My treatment was with a different type machine. I did not have the face muscle clenching, or arms shaking that you described. Just felt like repeated tapping on my head. I am better able to "weather the storms of life" better since completing my treatment. I would recommend TMS to anyone suffering with major depression!