Antidepressants and psychotherapy are usually the first few treatments that your doctor will prescribe for the treatment of depression. Unfortunately, there are no treatments or combinations of treatments that treat every depression patient. Every person responds to medication and therapies differently.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a newer therapy that has emerged as a ray of hope for depression patients. It has been observed that more than 50 to 60% of depression patients successfully find relief to depression symptoms with TMS therapy. This is a big revolution in depression treatments, and more and more patients are now considering TMS therapy.
Due to the fact that Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a newer therapy, many patients how are recommended TMS treatment have many questions regarding the procedure, what they should expect from the treatment and what precautions are necessary in order to make the treatment more successful.
In this blog, we look at a commonly asked question – can you antidepressants while receiving TMS therapy?
Well, the short answer is yes! Since Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy is a non-invasive, safe therapy that uses harmless electromagnetic pulses to stimulate the brain and neurotransmitters in the brain of a specific area that controls mood, it can be used in conjunction with antidepressants and psychotherapy to treat depression.
Your doctor will usually suggest Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy after they have exhausted the antidepressants and psychotherapy options after they have failed to provide a satisfactory response. Various studies and clinical trials have shown that TMS is effective for the treatment of treatment-resistant depressive disorders.
After the FDA approved Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment in 2008 for commercial use, the effectiveness of TMS Therapy has been under scrutiny through clinical trial data. The current data shows that TMS therapy is effective for the treatment of a number of mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety. According to a recent study, most people with treatment-resistant depression reported experiencing a clinically meaningful positive effect from TMS therapy. TMS therapy is also well tolerated by most people, and very few patient reports having side effects, which are usually minor and subside within a week.
An important reason that adds to the success of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment is the fact that as compared to other depression treatments, TMS is not beneficial at preventing depression symptoms from recurring. The chances of treatment relapse are low, but patients are advised to get follow up sessions after the treatment to lower the chances of treatment relapse further.
TMS is an FDA approved and clinically proven safe treatment, so patients do not have to worry about taking any major precautions or post-care. However, it is essential to talk to your health provider and go through a health examination before you decide to go through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment for treating depression.
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