Treating major depressive illness with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) magnetic fields is non-invasive and non-systemic. This method, often recommended when conventional therapies such as antidepressant treatment and talk therapy have failed, can produce significant relief from depression symptoms.
Some patients undergoing TMS for depression may be reluctant to forego their antidepressant medication throughout the 6-week treatment period, even if it is no longer effective. Such patients often wonder if they can undergo TMS therapy while taking antidepressants. Sure, just to cut to the chase, sure. The only drugs mentioned as being contraindicated during TMS treatment are tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, and those that reduce the seizure threshold.
Studies on TMS have included patients who were already on antidepressants and those who were not. According to trials of both kinds, TMS has proven to be an effective and safe treatment in monotherapy and a method for managing breakthrough symptoms in individuals already taking antidepressants.
Nonetheless, it is essential to understand the concept of a drug-device interaction and why certain patients may benefit from a therapy that combines TMS with specific prescription antidepressant medicine.
A drug interaction is when elements in a drug interact with another substance, such as food, supplements, or medicine. For example, the exchange could be between another drug and a device, such as a pacemaker. Interactions between medications may alter their effects on the body and lead to side effects such as a decline in the drug's efficacy, an increase in the medication's effectiveness or activity, or potentially harmful impacts on one's health.
The result of a medical device and pharmaceutical drug interaction is called a device-drug interaction. The TMS treatment technology is the device in the case of TMS with antidepressant medicine.
A 2014 report published in BMC Psychiatry compared seven clinical studies involving sham (placebo) TMS augmentative treatment with active TMS augmentative treatment. All the trials in the meta-analysis included patients who had used antidepressants in the past without seeing any improvement. These studies used TMS therapy in conjunction with antidepressant treatment.
Studies were done either in real-time (during TMS therapy) or afterward (before and after TMS treatment, but stopped as the treatment progressed). The scientists compared those who got active TMS therapy with those who got sham TMS therapy.
According to the findings, active TMS therapy combined with antidepressants was more effective than sham TMS in reducing symptoms of depression. The study also noted that there was no discernible difference between patients who got active TMS therapy and patients who received sham TMS treatment about side effects or dropout rates that may have been attributable to the adverse impacts. These results provide evidence for the feasibility and potential efficacy of augmentative TMS in managing treatment-resistant depression.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new technology that could be a promising treatment option in neuropsychiatry. Many people with severe depression may not find relief from their symptoms via antidepressant treatment and talk therapy. Neurostimulation methods like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be helpful for these patients. In addition, people who have had little luck with other types of antidepressants may find relief with the TMS treatment process, or it may be used to boost the efficacy of the medicine. Call us today to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.
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