The Pros and Cons of Accelerated TMS

What is Accelerated TMS?

Standard TMS treatment courses typically provide one session per day for approximately six to seven weeks. Accelerated TMS delivers the same treatment on a highly condensed treatment timeline. You receive five to ten daily treatment sessions for one to two weeks.

Pro: Get Depression Relief Faster

Suppose you are suffering from acute suicidal ideation. In that case, accelerated treatment can give you relief in as little as a week compared to standard TMS, roughly seven weeks, or medication, which can take three to six months.

Con: Insurance Doesn’t Cover it Yet

The great benefit of standard TMS treatment is that most insurance at least partially covers treatment. Insurance companies haven’t started to cover accelerated TMS at all yet.

Pro: Minimal Side Effects

Like with standard TMS treatments, you can avoid the debilitating side effects of antidepressant medications, such as weight gain, listlessness, fatigue, brain fog, and loss of your sex drive.

Con: Both Standard and Accelerated TMS Have The Same Exclusion Criteria

While there aren’t many things that exclude you from getting TMS treatment, there are a few, and they are the same for both accelerated and standard TMS.

Pro: Best Option if You Don’t Have TMS Treatment Centers Near You

If you have to travel outside your immediate area of work, school, or home, regular TMS treatment can be costly and burdensome to fit into your daily schedule.

Con: Treatment Days Can Be Lengthy

Depending on your individualized treatment plan, you will have five to ten daily sessions. Each session only lasts around 10 minutes, but you need a 50-minute rest period between each one.

What About SAINT TMS For Depression?

SAINT is a huge success and a step forward in providing relief for patients with treatment-resistant depression. However, it is not available yet for standard clinical practice.

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