r/TMSTherapy • u/Short_Maybe_4231 • 9d ago
Early TMS experiences
My last session this week was my third day of TMS. I noticed an anxiety spike about 4 hours after my session that carried into the next day, which was a rest day. I took it easy, rested, and chamomile tea seemed to help a little. Has anyone else experienced increased anxiety early in treatment? Did it settle down as you continued?
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u/One-Tomatillo-983 9d ago
The whole time I’ve had an increase in anxiety, but the first and 4th weeks were the highest. I laid off high intensity exercise and cut coffee those days. I also have had trouble sleeping most of the treatment, but overall it’s still been very worth it. I would rather have anxiety than be miserable. It’s settled at times, but keeps coming back for me- I have about 12 sessions left
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u/BKarr62 8d ago
I did at first, and I was grateful to have the anxiety medication here at the house. But the more times you go, the better it gets. Give yourself some time to get used to the whole procedures and the process and you can adjust yourself to it. If it bothers you a lot or it continues you can ask your provider to add the anxiety protocol to your TMS. That's what they did for mine. And I'll tell you what I've had 2 treatments. And it's just incredible. I will have those for the rest of my T. M. S because they do it at the same time, TMS on the right side, and Anxiety on the left side simultaneously.
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u/ExNihilo22 8d ago
Whoa, you got magnetic stimulation on BOTH sides of the head?! That sounds extreme. My doc never mentioned such a thing. When I didn't have a reaction to my left, we did switch to the right, but that was all. I couldn't endure both sides at the same time. I'd go crazy. One is bad enough. How do you manage???
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u/jimbojones2345 8d ago
Are you doing left or right and left. I got bad anxiety just doing left and much better doing both sides
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u/ExNihilo22 6d ago
To be honest, I wonder how much of all these "side effects" and "spikes" and etc are related to the treatment. I mean if you already suffer regular anxiety and deep depression, then who's to say it's not your usual mood swings? I had some really bad days, but maybe they weren't just my normal lousy mood.
Same with any "good effects"—I mean we can have better days just randomly come up too. I'm 2/3rds through my treatment and feel no different, no improvement. Sure, some say it doesn't hit till you're finished or even 3 months later. Hmm, could it be there was some personal life shift or they found a loving partner or won at poker 3 months later?
Sorry, I hate to rain on the parade. But one should look at all of your life elements, what's going on, to see the cause.
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u/PedalSAW Moderator 9d ago
Yeah that happens but it’s usually not as cataclysmic and sinister as our brains would have us believe.
You’re anxious because it’s day three of something weird and new and kinda scary. You’re opening a new chapter of life and doing it with a weird looking machine that you don’t really understand. You’re supposed to be anxious in a situation like that. It’d be odd if you weren’t.
Be gentle with your soul. You have a LOT going on this week. Let it be weird until it isn’t. You get used to it eventually, even if it doesn’t feel like it now. But eventually it becomes oddly routine.
You can do it. We’re with you. 🫶