Depression -- TMS treatment

There is currently another active thread on depression but I decided to start a new one because I think this sufficiently important that I didn't want it getting lost.

I suffered a major depression almost 20 years ago but had a phenomenal response to prozac for a sustained remission. Periodically it "pooped out" (antidepressants can do that) and the dose would be raised. I went to 100mg, which is 20mg higher than the maximum recommended dose for depression and it pooped out again.

I then underwent TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) and reduced my dose to 20mg. The underlying theory is that stimulating the left pre-frontal lobe of the brain increases its activity level a relieves depression. I know it sounds like voodoo, but this really worked. It's a 20 minute treatment. Every 20 or 30 seconds you hear a bell and then for about five seconds rapid magnetic pulses are send to the left frontal lobe. Slightly uncomfortable at first but not painful.

The full treatment course is 30 treatments. Incredible result. As I am also prone to seasonal depression I've found going in for five treatment boosters late Fall makes a big difference.

This is a non-invasive drug free treatment that can do wonders.

Many of us go to some lengths to learn about possible new PC treatments that may extend our lives. Depression is serious and it will almost certainly shorten your life. It needs to be addressed as seriously as you are addressing your PC.

There are no side effects I'm aware of. Don't think they need to do over the full 30 treatment course. Like I said, a year after I had it I felt seasonal depression slipping in so going back for 5 boosters was my idea. And it worked.

It worked absolute wonders on my mother-in-law, who has struggled with depression all her life. She's had ECT a number of times. This was really something.

In my case, things just recently got a bit unbalanced by the prednisone that comes along with Abiraterone .

Thank you RobLee

I was diagnosed metastatic. "Best medical practice", which I've spoken of before, does not include
RP, though there are retrospective studies that show it may help. So I did it. If I were facing an open RP I might have thought twice, but Da Vinci with an experienced surgeon (very important; there's a long learning curve for the surgeon) was not that big a deal. I'm doing everything I can to hit this with whatever is out there.

As to "unbalanced" with the prednisone I mean emotionally: My family noticed right away though I was skeptical. On the inside I found that things that would bother me before and I'd slough off now really bothered me, I obsessed about it and would get very angry ("roid rage"). Hard to believe on such a low dose but as the weeks wore on I realized my family was right. Told Dr. I had to get off it and he lowered dose to 2.5mg about a week ago.. This might work.

As for TMS: if your insurance will pay and you suspect (or have) depression there is no downside other than time. There are no side effects, in contrast to Prozac, Effexor and most everything else. No reason not to try it. I was in pretty bad shape when I started. After around three sessions I reported that I had an hour or so of mental clarity. As the treatment progressed it was great. Coming out of it I felt good. I had experienced depression before and, believe me, placebo effect for me was baloney. If it worked, it worked.

As for my MIL unfortunately it did not hold. She was past her mid-80's. But for a couple of months she was happier that anyone had ever seen her. She smiled, laughed -- I hadn't seen that in over 40 years, nor had her children.

I think the treatment not holding was unusual. But even if it was it was well worth the treatment. This is a woman that has had ECT at least three times. She never looked this good. We thought it a miracle, but then it pooped. Important though is after it pooped she was not worse than when she started.

The "booster" thing was my idea. And it worked well. I could usually feel the difference after two or three treatments. In my case depression brings on a mental fog. I can't concentrate. I keep re-reading paragraphs. I feel tired and miserable.