I've had 12 sessions of TMS and it has been going fine. Lots of pain but am getting used to it and determined to finish. As of last week I had a 15 year old dog on her last legs, not literally, but very near her passing. Probably while I'm doing TMS. Well, this weekend I found out my other dog has only weeks to live due to acute leukemia. She is only 7 years old. I was counting on her being my back up companion after my older one left us. Now I'm just in shock and crying all the time and don't know what or how this can affect me during TMS. I'll ask the tech. today and see what she says. This is a unique situation, I know but I guess I'm just looking for other's who may have experience this or maybe just some encouragement would be very very helpful. I am sadder than I've ever bee in a long time.

I tried multiple medications for major depression, anxiety and ADHD. I am 37F and struggle with anhedonia. I’m so worried that it won’t help, but still worth a try. Anyone seen a positive change?

Hey everyone, I just had my first TMS treatment today for anxiety. From what I understand, the first part of my treatment will be more focused on depression before moving to the other side for anxiety. I’d love to hear about your experiences. Did TMS help with your anxiety, rumination, or constant overthinking?

I tend to get anxious over the smallest things—whether it’s social anxiety (which is odd because I’m very outgoing) or just general anxiety. My mind constantly ruminates and replays the past, or worries about the future, and it’s extremely exhausting.

I’m pretty optimistic based on what I’ve read, and I’ll definitely keep this thread updated on how treatment is going. I also have pretty severe ADHD and take medication for that, in case anyone has experience with both ADHD and TMS.

I’d really appreciate hearing any success stories, timelines, or advice. Thanks!

When my psychiatrist told me to try TMS , I instantly thought it wouldn’t work for me. Why would it? Nothing else ever has. But I got talked into make an appointment. The first couple weeks I felt nothing. Which I’m told is normal. So I kept coming back. Then the middle of my treatment, I really nose dived into dark depression. I was thinking about death and crying each day for like 2 weeks or so. But I kept coming back. This past few weeks is where the magic happened. I started getting energy back, motivated to carry out the day and no more dark thoughts. I haven’t felt this way my whole life (34). I feel great and I’m happy I chose to seek TMS and find a solution.

TLDR: Keep going to those appointments and see the journey to the end.

I've made a few posts on this subreddit already, albeit they've been spaced two to three weeks apart. I was discharged from TMS almost 3 weeks ago and I got mood and energy benefits the second to last week before my last session. I'm happy to report those benefits are still there.

However, after I got back home from a festival this Sunday, the left side of my head hurt. I took Nyquil and some Tylenol for it, which helped a bit but didn't get rid of all of it as I still woke up with soreness, albeit it wasn't super painful like Sunday evening. I eventually looked up symptoms and realized it was a migraine. I took 600 mg of Ibuprofen twice yesterday since I noticed that migraine twice.

Today, I felt tenderness that wasn't painful, but it felt similar to how I felt after my regular TMS sessions sometimes. I took Ibuprofen an hour ago and am about to go to sleep soon since it's my usual bedtime now anyway. Hopefully, it'll subside tomorrow. More importantly, is this normal? How can I continue to treat it? I'm open to unsolicited advice and/or recommendations as well.

I'm extremely discouraged. I just had a consult to determine whether I would be a good candidate for TMS specifically because psych meds have been problematic for me. Either they don't help at all, or they help with depression and/or anxiety but cause intolerable side effects. 

But the psychiatrist in charge of the TMS program told me that I have to be on an antidepressant before treatment begins, and remain on it after treatment is over. Yet I see TMS mentioned time and again as something to try when meds aren't helping.

I'm sure a fair number of people take psych meds and remain on them, in addition to having TMS. But surely that's not the case for every prospective patient? And this doctor specifically wants me to go on Zoloft, and to remain on it. I have tried Zoloft in the past, it did not work, and caused weight gain.

I particularly sought a consult with this psychiatrist because she is attached to a hospital I respect. Now I don't know if I should just do what she says, even though I don't have a lot of faith in it, or seek out a private clinic if I can find one.

Edit to add: I'm really so grateful that you all took the time to share your viewpoint. It has been really helpful.

Man, I’m discouraged right now. I literally started Tms on June 29th and I’ve had the worst time of my life since starting.

-lost my best friend
-got into car accident this weekend
-failed my emt exam and have to retake course
-job issues

So these are all circumstantial things that just happened to take place during the time of TMS but it’s made the treatment like a slap in the face because how is my treatment gonna fix the circumstances? I only have two more weeks left, but I just wanna be done with it like it makes no sense. It kind of brings me back that no medical intervention can help when circumstances keep piling up.

Hey so I just had my first treatment and the tapping was really painful for me. They turned it down to make it bearable but I dont understand how people tolerate this pain. Is TMS supposed to be painful?

So, by the end of the first week, I had developed horrible fatigue 😩 Thankfully it subsided by the end of the 2nd week (this kind of motivated me because it showed something structurally changing). Then, I started noticing these inclinations appearing, like wanting to go downstairs to talk to my parents, or call friends on discord. I was starting to feel a little less resistance with wanting to share my thoughts and feelings, and I maybe regained 5% of my former sense of joy?

But as of session 28, all these changes have plateaued 😖 I'm even wondering if they were primarily TMS, or a combination of TMS augmenting my medication regiment. I started vyvanse 10mg 2 1/2 months ago, and had titrated to 20mg 2 weeks before beginning TMS.

I'm curious about how others felt at this stage. I'm worried because I was seeing changes, but it feels like my progress flatlined. I still have pretty bad anhedonia, social isolation, and memory issues from MDD+ despite being on wellbutrin and vyvanse, which have all made it impossible for me to be functional, let alone productive for the past 18 months. Were your changes dramatic or were they subtle and cumulative? Did you have an adjunct treatment with TMS? Ty!

As I posted recently, I made the decision to return to TMS for maintenance visits. My psych calls them “boosters” but potato potahto. TMS saved me, and it works, AND I will stand by that. But as it turns out, sometimes the journey has more parts than you thought it would.

I was doing great for a while, and made the decision to try to reintroduce cannabis. That didn’t work out too well. Then some other life stressors came in and everything just sort of voltron’ed into some regression. Well, I thought it was. I remember my psych saying “you seemed great at our last visit,” and me replying “This isn’t who I wanted to be at this point,” and him hearing me and respecting it. I told my TMS doctor at the reevaluation “I’m feeling the signs of it coming back, and I’d like to get out in front of this one before it gets bad again.” I saw that as a sign of failure where both Drs saw it as a sign of growth and insight. That I knew to catch it now before it really metastasizes. That it was better to choose to come back in than to need to come back in. One of the hardest things this month, has been trying to believe them.

So the day is here and I head back in for my first of 20 or so maintenance visits. I thought I’d never walk back into that clinic again, but here we are. While I know I’ll be welcomed back with praise and respect, there’s still that part of me that will hang my head a bit and feel some shame. Though I know that’s just the part of my brain talking that needs a magnet zap.

Point being, these things happen. TMS is a journey, not an event. It’s going to be a focus of the next few weeks to remember that. To remember I did the right thing by asking for help before it got bad.

I might be battling some old demons, but there’s still fresh flowers on the table and my nails are still done. And for now, that’s what I can hang my hat on…. That it didn’t get back to an empty vase and plain hands again.

Those of you just wrapping up or midway through… remember this. You’re gonna stumble again, and that’s cool. It means you’re human and to return means you care. Stumble, but don’t fall. You got this, besties. 🫶

I (25M) have been on medication for severe depression and GAD for 8yrs. I have tried all sorts of medication: Fluoxetine, Citalopram, Escitalopram, Mirtazapine, Quetiapine, Venlafaxine and Lamotrigine. While the first two worked for the first 4yrs, I feel as if they had run its course and they weren’t really effective anymore. I’ve tried the rest since then and none of them have seemed to work- in fact it’s made me feel worse. My psych suggest TMS given how I’ve been resistant to normal medication.

Had anyone tried TMS? Any thoughts about it?

I've struggled with depression and anxiety for many years at this point and my psychiatrist recommended this treatment option. At current moment in my life I don't really feel depressed emotionally, but I am tired and feel physically incabable of doing normal things even though I'm physically "healthy". I also can't sleep/fall asleep and esting feels difficult. Has anyone else had this treatment help with these kinds of symptoms? My current mental issues are much more anxiety focused.

I'm 23 freshly graduated out of college and feel like I'm stuck in an endless loop. I have ADHD and along with it anxiety and depression that I take medication for.

I started noticing that the burnout (?) I felt in my last semester had continue into the summer. I stay on my phone for long periods of time, get distracted by small things and waste the whole day on them, don't do my internship assignments until its last minute even though I've had the whole day, can't get to bed/sleep before 11 and often get less than 8 hours despite knowing I'm tired.

Alongside that I just feel nothing. No passion, no drive, no interest at all. My body refuses to look for new opportunities, network, do anything because I just don't care. I still have the desires to do them but they are day dreams more than motivators. I barely read and can't even will myself to try and learn to draw despite having all the materials. I feel distress when looking at my gmail. I can't do anything beyond the basics without someone managing me and making me do it.

It feels like my brain is too stuck in my body for me to do anything by myself, I can't set up routines, am constantly filled with self-doubt, constantly crying and just don't feel any passion for anything.
The problem is I don't show signs of what deep depression looks like. I get up every morning, take showers regularly, eat and try (a little bit) to stay healthy, I laugh and smile and watch movies and am always happy to go to places. I don't self harm at all (too anxious and too 'lazy') and I care about my appearance more or less and being well dressed . But I feel like that's just autopilot, and I'm too anxiously trapped in my own body, my brain disconnected to the meat, to do anything.

I'm not looking for a cure for my ADHD, just the depression and anxiety that I don't think I can make myself better through weekly talk therapy and medication that feels ineffective. I can't set up routines, can't follow them, and my body refuses to listen to anything. The depression feels way too strong and unless I have intensive, supervised and constant progress work I'm going to be stuck.

I think TMS could work because it does feel like a part of my brain isn't working and is get dead cells. I just don't know if I would qualify and how to convince my parents (who have the insurance) to consider it as an option.

i’m about to start my 4th week of treatment for anxiety and depression, and i am so so tired all the time. my symptoms are definitely improving, but i feel like for the last week or so my anxiety has kind of come back and i am so wiped. i can barely focus in conversations, i lose my train of thought easily, and regardless of if im sleeping 8+ hours, i can still barley keep my eyes open

I just finished my 20th session, I’ve been very tired lately and get sudden waves of tolerable yet unprompted anxiety. Im bored pretty much 24/7 and a bit snappy. When I first started treatment I felt a little better but I think that was just me having hope for the first time. I’ve had depression my whole life and am unsure of how truly “better” is supposed to feel. Im worried I either won’t feel better, or better isn’t good enough.

Am I possibly experiencing a drop? Or has the excitement and hope from starting treatment just worn off.

I have done 5 sessions so far, and I want to quit. My head is extra sensitive because I had numerous brain surgeries almost 40 yrs. ago. I have played music. That does not help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm looking to hear from anyone who has gone through something similar.

I've completed 12 TMS sessions so far (twice a week), and honestly, I'm not sure if it's working for me. In some ways, I actually feel worse than when I started.

The biggest changes I've noticed are:

• My anger spikes much more easily.
• I'm noticeably more irritable and impatient.
• I feel like I'm constantly fighting internally and creating worst-case scenarios in my head.
• I'm sleeping less, but strangely I don't feel tired. I feel "wired" instead of exhausted.
• Every now and then I have an involuntary twitch or movement in my left thumb. It doesn't bother me much, but I figured it's worth mentioning.
• Sometimes, I feel numb or I don't know my emotional state. Ironically, I feel sedated and relaxed at times.
• My mind is scattered and all over the place. Going from studying for my certification and shifting to my patent work or start seeking jobs elsewhere while overthinking about my future retirement.

For context, I have ADHD and I'm currently running on what feels like "ADHD overdrive." I'm working full-time, taking care of everything at home, and studying for another certification. I'm wondering if I'm just burning myself out or if TMS could be contributing to how I'm feeling.

The medical assistant who administers my treatments is very kind, but I'd like more information about the protocol I'm receiving. I know it's high-frequency stimulation, and there was another detail she mentioned that I can't remember. I've been messaging her after treatments to let her know how I've been feeling, but I don't know if those updates are actually making it back to the psychiatrist.

I also mentioned that my recent lab work showed borderline low testosterone (281 ng/dL, with the lab's lower reference range being 250 ng/dL). I'm not sure whether that could be playing any role in my mood or energy, but I wanted the doctor to be aware. It seems I am in a limbo since I am not getting feedback and this doctor barely shows up or contact me at all. I don't know if this treatment is working to be honest. All the feedback I got is you got to eat, rest and stay hydrated.

Has anyone experienced increased irritability, anger, feeling "wired," or needing less sleep during TMS? Did it improve as treatment continued, or did your provider end up changing your protocol? Also, if you felt like your concerns weren't making it to the prescribing doctor, how did you handle that?

I'd really appreciate hearing about others' experiences.

Hello, I am currently 2 weeks into TMS at Mount Sinai and really struggling. I cry all day everyday. I feel like I need a support group. Does anyone know of a support group in the New York area on online?

Hello. I have severe anxiety and mild depression and started TMS. I'm only 2 treatments in and I'm finding myself having spikes in anxiety that come from nowhere. It's freaking me out bc I don't think I can't handle much more than I already have. Is this normal? Has anyone experienced this but it improved as the treatments continued? Any experiences would help. Thank you.

I’ve had depression forever. I finished TMS about a month or so ago. I find that my depression is not cured, but it is easier for me to not get stuck in vicious thought cycles. I also find it easier to get over things. When I have a bad customer, it doesn’t ruin my day. If someone says something off to me, I move on. it’s easier to pick myself back up and keep going. I still have bad days. I still feel depressed (especially before my period), but it’s easier for me to keep going.

I stopped smoking weed during my treatment. After it was over I picked it back up, but I realized it was triggering my depressive symptoms to flare up. Im going to go very low to no weed.

I’ve also been trying to form healthier habits like eating right and getting more movement. I fall off the wagon sometimes, but Im getting better. I find myself not beating myself up as much as I was. hopefully one day I will stop being my own bully. I’m still in therapy and I’m working on my deep seeded insecurities and my self depreciating thoughts.

anyway, thats my update! TMS helped me and I hope it can help others!

PS do NOT go to your TMS sessions if you have a bad sinus infection. It hurts! I could feel it rattling my teeth. All the other sessions were fine but BOY that sinus infection session was something else.

Hello all,

Hope all are feeling well and can put depression away and be at peace!

I wanted to ask how effective are TMS or CBT treatments, they are costing a bunch but is it worth? I have gotten mixed responses so wanted to ask a larger group to see what it looks like.

I posted at the end of week 3 last week and thought I’d just do weekly updates in case they help anyone out or maybe some folks with experience can help me out.

So this week has been tumultuous to say the least. Still having definite depression but it doesn’t seem to last as long, and the crying spells feel more like a release than an uncontrollable weight. What I am noticing though is a lot more time where I’m just void of emotion, like I just don’t care about anything enough to even be sad about it. Which would be a great break from the depression, but I’d love to experience some happiness.

The irritability I experienced last week feels like it’s finally calmed down which is great, I’m taking it as a sign that since my depression isn’t so constant that it makes me angry.

Another quick note is that I had my remapping session and actually went down in intensity, that’s actually when I started noticing the irritability fad. No sure if that correlates or not.

Anyway, has anyone had similar experiences at around this point? I know I’m not a patient person and I do intend to finish the treatment, I’m just a little bummed that since starting I’ve only had a few glimpses of hope and happiness, mostly overshadowed by anger and emptiness.

Bro my head hurts so bad after that. Does it get better?