TMS: An Alternative to Medications for Depression?
While medications can be beneficial to most people with depression and some people are able to find relief after trying only one or a few medications, there are some people for whom medication does not provide the desired level of relief. If you have experienced symptoms of depression for a long time and have had multiple medication trials, you know how frustrating it can be to feel like you are in a cycle of trying a new medication only to find that it isn’t as helpful as you had hoped, moving on to a new medication, and then repeating the process. TMS provides a non-medication option for relieving symptoms of depression when multiple medications have been ineffective.
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TMS stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. It is a non-invasive procedure performed in an office using a machine that creates magnetic fields targeting the areas of the brain that are responsible for depression. According to the UNC School of Medicine, “These electrical currents activate cells within the brain which are thought to release neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Since depression is thought to be the result of an imbalance of these chemicals in the brain, TMS can restore that balance and, thus, relieve depression.”
TMS is non-invasive, and most people report no pain or lingering side effects, which make it a good treatment option for people who have not found other resources helpful. Anecdotally, it may be important to note that some individuals seem to report fatigue and minor headaches. However, these symptoms don’t appear to interfere with treatment or with daily functioning in any major way.
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One potential barrier to treatment with TMS is that it can be a sizable time commitment. While sessions tend to be fairly short (some sources say sessions tend to last anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour), sessions for TMS occur much more frequently than sessions for other treatments. When undergoing TMS, it is common to have sessions 5 days per week for 4-6 weeks.
According to the National Library of Medicine, “[a] literature review reported that the response rates to TMS range between 50% and 55%, and the remission rates range between 30% and 35% in patients with major depression.” In my own experiences of hearing others talk about TMS, it seems that some report temporary improvements in mood, while others report that TMS completely changed their lives in a positive way.
So while positive results are in no way guaranteed, the risk of negative impacts also seems low. Aside from the potential for minor side effects and the challenge of fitting treatment into your busy schedule, it may be worth checking in with your providers about whether or not TMS may be an option for you if you have found medications to be ineffective.
For further information on TMS, please see the following webpages:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17827-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-tms
https://www.nebraskamed.com/behavioral-health/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-can-it-actually-help-with-depression
