Posted by Pfinstegg on April 4, 2004, at 10:55:47
In reply to Re: Linkadge - Can you send those details- me too, posted by glenn on April 3, 2004, at 9:44:56
I admire the people who have the technical ability to build a TMS machine themselves. However, I do have several concerns - the first being that the machine you build may deliver too little or too much current. Secondly, the placement of the coils is something the TMS technicians take a great deal of time over; they want to place it exactly 5 cm forward of the area of the motor cortex which causes your thumb to twitch when it is stimulated. This would be 5 cm. along a line parallel to the saggital sinus, which is straight front to back in the center of your skull. The treatments are always given to the left side by the few doctors who give them (it is given to the right as well in some of the studies going on at NIMH, etc.). The third worry that comes to my mind is how often it is used by people who have built their own devices. Standard maintenance treatment given in the two centers I know of in the US is twice daily treatments for two or three days - not more often than once a month, and often on an as-needed basis every two, four or six months. I don't think there is any scientific knowledge about what happens if it is given daily.
The known effects of it are an increase in blood flow to the left hemisphere, an increase in BDNF, so that cells can start growing again in the hippocampus, a down-regulation in the HPA axis, so that less cortisol is produced, and an up-regulation in all three neurotransmitters (serotonin, nor-epinephrine and dopamine). These effects don't last too long, but they are very powerful initially. Is it actually possible to get serotonin syndrome from daily TMS? If so, this would be a strong reason to take it only a few times a month.
I guess everyone on these threads knows that I took an initial 3-week course of it from Dr. Mark Hutto of Atlanta in January 2003, which was extremely helpful. Since then, I have gone back twice for six treatments (two a day, so the stay is not too long). It has been expensive - $170 per treatment, plus the expense of travel and accomodation; however, I have claimed it as a medical deduction on my tax form, and it has been accepted.
Just wanted to share these experiences in case they are helpful to one of you...
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:327303
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040402/msgs/332472.html