Hi all. I recently completed 45 rTMS sessions about three weeks ago. I am 23F, diagnosed with MDD, GAD and panic disorder. I have been on 13 medications that have either not worked or I have reacted badly to. I do not metabolize most psychiatric drugs normally. I have also been in some aspect of counselling/therapy for six years.

I had 15 sessions of low frequency 1Hz rTMS treatments to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-low frequency) and then 30 sessions of high frequency rTMS intermittent theta burst stimulation on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-high frequency) AND low frequency 1Hz rTMS treatments to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-low frequency). 

I was put on bilateral treatment because my scores weren’t getting any better.

I am feeling so lost now because I didn’t get the results I wanted. I think at the end I had only gone down 8 points. My mental illness is still very much affecting my daily life.

I am looking for suggestions on what I may be able to try next as I really hoped that rTMS would work for me. I understand that it may start helping in the months following but I have had a sharp increase in symptoms due to loss of hope. I am also dealing with a stressful work situation, a toxic household and a chronic illness. I am having very high levels of very uncomfortable anxiety, panic episodes, very high levels of depression symptoms and a recurrence of suicidal ideation.

My regular psychiatrist doesn’t seem to have any idea of what to do. He is taking me off all my medications right now to see “what happens”. I am feeling even worse than normal because of this medication change. I feel like I am dying.

I was set up with the centre’s psychiatrist for an appointment in mid May but I am hoping to have a few things in my mind to ask about when I see him. 

Thank you.