Discussion Brain stimulation treatment

[Onlyborrowedtime]

Has anyone suffering with depression (or any other illness where it is offered) tried brain stimulation? My understanding is they send an electric shock to stimulate parts of your brain.

The ones I'm aware of are, Transcranial direct current stimulation
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
Electroconvulsive therapy
Vagus nerve stimulation.

If you've tried it, what was your experience? Did it help? Were the effects long or short term? Would you do it again? Would you recommend it?

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

Ive read they can do this for tinnitus but idk which kind. Sounds interesting

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

Ive read they can do this for tinnitus but idk which kind. Sounds interesting

I didn't know it could be used for that. The only other thing I've heard it being used for is epilepsy. It seems to be a pretty past resort treatment.

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

I only know about it because Ive been reading abt tinnitus recently. I imagine they can/could use it for a lot of things, depending where in the brain they do it. If they told me itd get rid of the tinnitus AND the pressure in my ears Id drive to wherever right now and camp out to be the first one there in the morning!

 

[Sensei]

I'd say that it's worth a shot. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used in psychiatric care in my country and the majority notice an improvement directly after the treatment.

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

I think is an interesting area of treatment. I think it does generally have a positive effect on people, however I don't know whether the effect is long lasting or not. IMHO treatment that isn't long lasting is kinda a waste. I don't like the idea of having to be reliant on something to keep me happy.

 

[Suicide_vampire]

I'm going to try discuss ECT with my psychiatrist at my next appointment in March, because I don't think meds are working for me and I'm tired of the years of the inevitable cycle trying new med regimes.

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

I'm going to try discuss ECT with my psychiatrist at my next appointment in March, because I don't think meds are working for me and I'm tired of the years of the inevitable cycle trying new med regimes.

I feel your pain. I am stuck in a cycle of attending psychiatrist and being given new medication under threat of being sectioned if I don't. To me it seems like the "final treatment option". There's quite a large part of me wanting to try it hoping it fails so they might finally believe I'm as broken as I say I am.

If I am still around in march I would love to hear your experience! Even if they don't think it's a good idea I'd be interested to hear shy they don't think it's appropriate.

 

[Suicide_vampire]

I feel your pain. I am stuck in a cycle of attending psychiatrist and being given new medication under threat of being sectioned if I don't. To me it seems like the "final treatment option". There's quite a large part of me wanting to try it hoping it fails so they might finally believe I'm as broken as I say I am.

If I am still around in march I would love to hear your experience! Even if they don't think it's a good idea I'd be interested to hear shy they don't think it's appropriate.

Yeah, I will totally share what comes out of the conversation with the psychiatrist

 

[LittleJem]

| have the Fisher Wallace stimulator for about two weeks now. It's a 30 day nearly free trial (minus shipping costs and 15 % if you decide to return it).

when I first tried it, I'd been taking ProFrontal NAC and Sarcosine for a week or two - which was helping a LOT, but still getting low and moody. On the first try of the Fisher Wallace, I instantly felt so much happier (officially it takes 4 weeks to work). Since then I have been using it once a day (as I found twice gave me insomnia). For two weeks it has been helping me a lot - have gone from bedidden to back at work. I foolishly came off my ProFrontal.

Yesterday the depression started coming back, so I have started taking ProFrontal again and am going to use the Fisher Wallace twice a day, to give it a proper trial. I'll let you know how I get on!

The Fisher Wallace is easy to use at home, and I definitely recommend trying it. I do also recommend the ProFrontal.

If all of this fails, I will be trying Ketamine more regularly.

 

[Winniethepooh]

I've tried it once. All I have to say is it wasn't fun.

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

| have the Fisher Wallace stimulator for about two weeks now. It's a 30 day nearly free trial (minus shipping costs and 15 % if you decide to return it).

when I first tried it, I'd been taking ProFrontal NAC and Sarcosine for a week or two - which was helping a LOT, but still getting low and moody. On the first try of the Fisher Wallace, I instantly felt so much happier (officially it takes 4 weeks to work). Since then I have been using it once a day (as I found twice gave me insomnia). For two weeks it has been helping me a lot - have gone from bedidden to back at work. I foolishly came off my ProFrontal.

Yesterday the depression started coming back, so I have started taking ProFrontal again and am going to use the Fisher Wallace twice a day, to give it a proper trial. I'll let you know how I get on!

The Fisher Wallace is easy to use at home, and I definitely recommend trying it. I do also recommend the ProFrontal.

If all of this fails, I will be trying Ketamine more regularly.

That's interesting. Thank you for sharing! Did you have any other side effects other than insomnia? Do you realistically see it as a long term solution? I would be interested to see your experience over a longer timeframe, but I'm glad it's bring you some success!

I've tried it once. All I have to say is it wasn't fun.

I'm sorry to hear that. Would you care to elaborate?

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

I think is an interesting area of treatment. I think it does generally have a positive effect on people, however I don't know whether the effect is long lasting or not. IMHO treatment that isn't long lasting is kinda a waste. I don't like the idea of having to be reliant on something to keep me happy.

Oh bummer. I didn't know it doesnt last long

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

Oh bummer. I didn't know it doesnt last long

I don't know for certain if it doesn't last long. But I can't imagine your brain stays stimulated for very long. I think it might be something that has to be done continually in order to feel the effects.

 

[NeverMatteredAnyway]

I don't know for certain if it doesn't last long. But I can imagine your brain stays stimulated for very long. I think it might be something that has to be done continually in order to feel the effects.

Thats a bummer if thats how it works

 

[Root]

I'll get repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in March. Don't know about it yet but I hope it helps.

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

I'll get repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in March. Don't know about it yet but I hope it helps.

Would be really interesting to hear how you get on with it!

 

[Root]

Would be really interesting to hear how you get on with it!

I'll tell about it here then!

 

[LittleJem]

I am now using my Fisher Wallace twice a day. Plus the Sarcosine. It definitely helped me a lot at first - so I hope getting more consistent with it will help me again. I came off the Sarcosine which was stupid, as I need to be on something to stay safe for sure.

I will let everyone know if it helps. but it is very pleasant to use - apart from the (regular) water that runs down your face a little from the sponges - it is a dream to use.

I hope it all kicks in again. Stupid risk I took not being consistent. I'd definitely recommend people to try it on their 30-day trial basis. IMO it is the best one out there (I tried the Alpha Stim, but that clips to your ears, while the Fisher Wallace has big pads above your sideburns.

 

[k75]

My last therapist was pushing for me to look into ECT and had a consultation referral in place for me. But I had to start seeing someone else because of an insurance issue, so that never happened.

I'm pretty glad, because that's not an idea I'm comfortable with.

I'm looking into TMS. I'm on the fence about that. But it seems less scary than ECT.

 

[Grumble]

I've been recommended for ECT and rTMS (obviously not both at once...). I'd like to do one of those, but the potential side effects are scary.

With ECT, I read of memory troubles to an extent that people don't even remember a television show they just watched, or a movie. These are supposed to only last as long as the treatment and maybe a bit longer, but some people report long-term (even permanent) memory problems that just sound so difficult to cope with if you're one of the unlucky ones who has that.

With rTMS, it sounds OK, but then no one knows what (if any) long-term side effects it has because I guess it hasn't been around long enough or studied for the long-term?

And if I recall correctly, no one actually knows for sure how or why either of these treatments relieve depression symptoms. (Has there been any recent research?)

I really want to try one of them, but I can't get myself past the possible side effects and the unknowns.

 

[Onlyborrowedtime]

I am now using my Fisher Wallace twice a day. Plus the Sarcosine. It definitely helped me a lot at first - so I hope getting more consistent with it will help me again. I came off the Sarcosine which was stupid, as I need to be on something to stay safe for sure.

I will let everyone know if it helps. but it is very pleasant to use - apart from the (regular) water that runs down your face a little from the sponges - it is a dream to use.

I hope it all kicks in again. Stupid risk I took not being consistent. I'd definitely recommend people to try it on their 30-day trial basis. IMO it is the best one out there (I tried the Alpha Stim, but that clips to your ears, while the Fisher Wallace has big pads above your sideburns.

Thank you for sharing that! I think it's a very unique form of treatment so I'm glad to have found someone with a positive outcome from it!

I've been recommended for ECT and rTMS (obviously not both at once...). I'd like to do one of those, but the potential side effects are scary.

With ECT, I read of memory troubles to an extent that people don't even remember a television show they just watched, or a movie. These are supposed to only last as long as the treatment and maybe a bit longer, but some people report long-term (even permanent) memory problems that just sound so difficult to cope with if you're one of the unlucky ones who has that.

With rTMS, it sounds OK, but then no one knows what (if any) long-term side effects it has because I guess it hasn't been around long enough or studied for the long-term?

And if I recall correctly, no one actually knows for sure how or why either of these treatments relieve depression symptoms. (Has there been any recent research?)

I really want to try one of them, but I can't get myself past the possible side effects and the unknowns.

I had seems some mention of memory loss but didn't think it was that bad...damm.

I think there's s lot of treatment when it comes to mental health we aren't sure about...but if it works it works I guess?

I guess it's the same with any treatment. Do the risks out weight the benefits? And while feed back from other people is useful you can never know how you'll react.

 

[LittleJem]

Hi all

Reporting back: I had rTMS. I had maybe 8 days off depression (which was great) but no lasting impact. The clinic said to me it is particularly good for addiction, and they did have one woman whose depression went into remission and she was coming back for maintenance treatments. They didn't share any other stories! On their website it says 70% effective for treatment-resistant depression, but that is one research paper and I'm not sure they actually track their own patients (which I think is a little dodgy).

However, this gave me some hope that treating my brain can be helpful, so I have got another TCDS machine on trial - this one can be quite precise with where you put the electrodes. It's called the Activadose and it has a 90 day trial period. I've just been learning about how to use it so I haven't tried it yet. There are some positive reports on Reddit, and others saying it helped for a bit then stopped working (sigh, story of my life!). But there is one person who it has helped for half a year or a year - so that is hope.

Here is one article about TCDS: https://www.newscientist.com/articl...brain-really-does-seem-to-improve-depression/

 

[neitherherenorthere]

@LittleJem Thank you for the update. I'm sorry it didn't help you more, though I've heard of people seeing positive effects a while after they've finished treatment. How many treatments did you end up doing?

 

[GenesAndEnvironment]

I'd like to get a trans-cranial lead stimulation

 

[LittleJem]

@LittleJem Thank you for the update. I'm sorry it didn't help you more, though I've heard of people seeing positive effects a while after they've finished treatment. How many treatments did you end up doing?

Thanks - I had 30 treatments. It did me give me a little hope, which is why I got a tcds machine for home use. I've seen it can last 5 or six months, and some people have maintenance treatment if it helps them.
There is a DIY TCDS grouop on Facebook worth joining. People share stories on there. I also have a lot of good documents and research about montages. I can post my research here on request (just if anyone requests it, I'll get round to using it).

At the moment, I am feeling bored and some despair, but not the level of suciidal thoughts I usually have. I am taking a lot of supplements so not sure exactly what is helping -whether TCDs or amino acids. But need to keep it all going (zero motivation... but two valium today!)

 

[neitherherenorthere]

I can post my research here on request (just if anyone requests it, I'll get round to using it).

I'm sure a lot of people here would appreciate it. Maybe the mods could make it a pinned thread? I feel like there should be pinned threads for various treatment options providing summaries, research, and maybe some anecdotal information for easy reference. Not that you have to be the one to make that thread for TCDS/TMS or anything; just something I've been thinking about.

My philosophy is: it doesn't matter what's working, as long as something is working. And yay for emergency benzos XD I found a resource I really like (though it's a bit outdated now) on complementary and alternative medicine from the MHA, if you're interested in looking at more info regarding supplements.