rTMS: One personal experience and one vent (n=1)
- replies: 2
Firstly, it would be great if mental health professionals dealing with rTMS had first-hand experience of receiving the treatment, even just one session. I am onto my third daily treatment now (9000 pulses in total now). I was not prepared for the lev... View more
Firstly, it would be great if mental health professionals dealing with rTMS had first-hand experience of receiving the treatment, even just one session. I am onto my third daily treatment now (9000 pulses in total now). I was not prepared for the level of discomfort. Moreover, only one of the people treating me has experienced anything more than the initial setup test-run. It's often regarded as a relatively 'light-touch' or non-invasive procedure. You might hear/feel some slight tapping. I've read that you have a sensation like you've been struck by a rubber band. Being struck by a rubber band is a good description. However, it is more accurately described as a rapid fire machine gun of rubber band stings for four seconds, followed by an eleven second reprieve, until it begins again. For me, this was only one side my head and it was only for 20 minutes. Also, I have a few fillings so for me it was like going to the dentist, my teeth would ache with each onslaught. Also, they hit incidental nerves in the process of delivering this treatment, this can lead to a spasm with each series of rubber band flicks in: your jaw, your mouth/lip, your face, your eyebrow, your nose etc... I'm sticking with it because I'm hoping it'll be worth it. Unless you're a masochist, the pain doesn't do much for you from a hedonistic perspective. It could also be compared to getting IPL done on a sensitive area. Something I've grudgingly had to do for medical reasons in the past myself. There is some pain involved which shouldn't be discounted or ignored and the benefits may only be short-lived. If your mental health professional seems confused by or don't believe your point about discomfort it is unlikely they have experienced the treatment themselves. The evidence at the moment points to a short-term moderate effect size for depression, with caveats (e.g. co-morbidness and 'treatment resistant-ness'), and is most robust for the bilateral variant. Little is known about how long the treatment effects last or what, if any, long-term side effects there may be. I hope this helps other people to weigh up the costs versus the benefits of this treatment. I have an inkling many people discontinue the treatment early. This is just my experience so far; I'm sticking with it despite all this.
