When you struggle with symptoms of depression and medications and talk therapy have not worked well for you, you want your new treatment to work as quickly as possible. Medications for depression can take up to 8 weeks before you feel improvements, even if you are on the right dose. You may also have to try multiple medications.
At The TMS Center of New Jersey, we understand your frustration. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is different. There is only one course of treatment, though each patient’s exact treatment parameters are personalized. You receive daily treatment sessions on weekdays for seven weeks. When considering this new treatment, you may wonder, “How long does it take before my TMS therapy treatments start to work?” Every patient is different, but you can read on to learn some general guidelines.
Some patients report feeling improvement in symptoms around the two-week mark. Other patients will not feel changes until four or five weeks of treatment. Even if it takes longer for you to notice symptom relief, the TMS therapy is still effective and could work for you by the end of your treatment course.
It is routine not to see the full effect of TMS treatments until you have completed several weeks of therapy. Because each patient is different, there are no set expectations as to when they will feel the final effects.
As your symptoms of depression start to resolve, you will realize that the TMS is working. Once again, each person is different. Some patients report that their family or friends were the first to notice changes, even though they did not think anything was happening. Improvements can be subtle, like being able to interact more with others. You may miss the early improvements if you set the bar too high as to your expectations of what will happen as TMS therapy starts working.
Be on the lookout for small changes. For example, you may wake feeling more rested in the morning because you are sleeping better or are no longer waking during the night due to depression. Daily tasks may be easier to manage and complete. You may feel better about making decisions on your own and have more patience when dealing with other people.
The changes may not occur immediately after a treatment. You could notice something small yet positive, like feeling better suddenly on a Saturday or Sunday morning. It could be something as simple as feeling a little more joy when interacting with family members.
Once you notice a brighter mood and feel less hopeless, you will know that something good is happening. Another sign that the treatments are working is returning to activities and hobbies that you had enjoyed in the past but had given up as your depression worsened.
You should complete your entire planned course of TMS therapy. Taking an unexpected break in your treatment plan could delay results, but it does not mean the TMS will not work. At the end of your planned treatment course, you and The TMS Center of New Jersey staff will evaluate how well the treatment has worked. From that, you can work with the staff to decide whether you need further TMS sessions or are now in remission.
Because every person is different, no one can tell you exactly when you will start to feel better. However, we know that about 83 percent of patients notice real improvements by the end of their TMS treatments. About 62 percent of patients who did not find relief from antidepressant medication go into remission by the end of their TMS therapy. Try not to worry about your number of sessions or how many days you have been in treatment before you start to notice improvement.
At The TMS Center of New Jersey, we know you want to feel better soon. We will be there to support you along the way, whether you respond quickly or if you are one of the less lucky individuals who require the full seven weeks of treatment before they feel like anything is happening. Do not forget to look to family and friends to help you know if something positive is happening. Start your journey to better mental health by contacting us today.
