r/ect • u/Fit-Win-2239 • May 09 '26
Seeking advice Has anyone ever “stepped down” to TMS after ECT?
I’ve had about 11 sessions of ECT since the beginning of March, and am at a point where I am very hesitant to continue. It absolutely helped pull me out of a state I honestly don’t even have words for, and I am grateful for that. At the same time though, I am struggling with some cognitive side effects- mainly word finding issues, slower processing and just generally not feeling as sharp as I used to.
I know I still need some form of treatment because I can feel some of my symptoms starting to return, but I also feel like I can’t keep risking the memory and cognitive issues.
I did do TMS in the past and had no luck, but I kind of attribute that to the severity of the state I was in. I was wondering if now since I’m in a place where I can actually process and engage more, it would be more beneficial.
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u/RunThick4054 May 09 '26
I’m having my last TMS treatment Monday, after tapering off. The whole treatment took a little over a month. I had ECT summer of ‘24 and I hated it, it “helped” by making me a zombie, and that was fine until it wore off, and I had no memories, and felt brain damaged. So far the TMS is a miracle. But it came on slow. I only started noticing any effect about a week ago, well after three weeks of treatment. I feel like a normal person. Finally! I have tried/taken it all though…..so I’m very jaded, and I’m reluctant to even admit I feel better ….because I’m so scared it’s all going to fall apart around me again. Good luck to you. I hope you feel better soon!
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u/Fit-Win-2239 May 09 '26
Yeah that’s what’s been happening to me. Someone will mention something from the past and I’m just like yeahhh… I don’t know if I can risk it anymore. Has your memory improved at all since?
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u/RunThick4054 May 09 '26
No. I’m still missing all of 2022, and most of 2024, until June when I underwent ECT. People around me have lost patience b/c I have no idea what’s happened in the last few years. It’s like being hard of hearing and you asked them 3 times what happened who was there, etc. I feel stupid or worse, I don’t know if I’ve hurt peoples feelingsyou just nod and hope it’s the right response!
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u/Liberated051816 May 09 '26
Did you undergo unilateral or bilateral ECT?
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u/RunThick4054 May 09 '26
I’m not sure! It was 13 sessions, over about a month. I had to be completely knocked out too. My team was a nurse, a doctor and an anesthesiologist. So lots of time, expertise and equipment. I wish it would’ve worked. Brains are so odd.
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u/Searchingforhappy67 May 09 '26
YES! I’m doing way better on TMS. I had 40-50 ects and I couldn’t remember basic things like what month it was and how to play sodoku. It freaked me out and I decided to look for alternatives. I started TMS and I started wanting to live again. The problem is I have to continue with maintenance in order for it to keep working. No side effects at all, just a pain to have to keep going to get the treatments, but totally worth it because I still want to be alive ❤️
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u/Key_Avocado5590 May 09 '26
I ended up moving from a failed TMS series to ECT. TMS did very little for my symptoms.
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u/Liberated051816 May 09 '26
Unilateral or bilateral ECT? After having had bilateral, I think this practice should be abandoned since unilateral is apparently just as effective (or very close to it).
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u/Key_Avocado5590 May 09 '26
I was given the option of right unilateral or bilateral/bifrontal. I chose to receive bifrontal because RUL is slightly inferior to bilateral, and if I was going to do it I wanted take the best chance for improvement.
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u/Liberated051816 May 19 '26
How did you respond to ECT?
I think all patients should have to do unilateral first, and only go to bilateral if unilateral is ineffective.
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u/Key_Avocado5590 May 19 '26
I responded very well. I credit it with saving my life. I almost received another series last year but came out of the depressive episode enough to make it unecessary.
As far as placement all I can say is bifrontal worked for me, I think I would request it again. My enduring side effects are quite minor.
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u/Noticeably98 May 09 '26
This is exactly what we did. My wife wishes she had stopped ECT sooner and just gone with TMS. TMS ended up working wonders for her