First TMS Session Experience & Medicare Australia Coverage Information
Today was my first session of TMS. I will have 35 in total covered under Medicare here in Australia.
Cost is $180 per session (all prices I mention are obviously in AUD not USD) with $174.50 rebate each time (this is because I have hit the medicare threshold. If you have not hit the medicare threshold your rebate will be $153 each sesson). Meaning my 35 sessions will actually cost me a total of $192.5 (again, if you have not hit the threshold it will instead be $945). The cost is just at the clinic I'm going to, your clinic may charge more, but the rebates are always the same.
1st Session:
Took measurements of my head, 37 ear to ear, 37 front to back and 57.5 around.
Drew markings at set points on my forehead and scalp with a marker.
Tried a few different spots to see how my hands on the opposite side would twitch. Some spots made my wrist react more than my hand. Once the best spot was found then the power was turned down until twitching was basically gone. This was my "100%" on that side, basically the minimum power it took to get a response. On the left this was 38, on my right it was 33.
We're doing both sides, right for PTSD, left for depression. The depression we're trying to hit with higher activity waves so it becomes more active. The PTSD we're hitting with less active waves to become less active.
The sound was like a click, my husband was in the room and described it like a very loud mechanical keyboard click. The sensation was very similar to when my siblings and I would dare each other to press a battery to our tongue when we were kids in the 90s, but on my head. I didn't feel any physical tapping sensation like I've seen others describe.
The right I barely felt anything because it was so much weaker at 33 whilst the left was much more intense of a feeling at 38. However as the left is for depression the depression is a pulse then a pause of 8 seconds repeated so was very tolerable. The right side was very rapid, so it was good it needed less power on that side.
You can't cross your arms as that impacts treatment and you must keep your eyes open as that also impacts brain activity.
You need to keep still so the machine will hit in the right spot repeatedly.
The treatment was over in just a few minutes.
The idea is on the depression side we will up the power to 110% then eventually 120% (based on my 100%). How we get there and how gradually we need to increase is up to me and how I react to treatment and what side effects I get if any.
They did mention that I will need to redo this whole setup part again if I change my medications (I'm not on any psych meds), have any drastic drinking or lifestyle changes (I'm a non-drinker) or if my sleep changes, so I needed to tell them if any of that stuff occurs during the next 2 months.
I felt basically nothing afterwards. Scalp felt normal. No change in mood. Maybe a slight weird cotton wool in the head feeling but no pain or discomfort.
I completed the standard anxiety & depression type forms you fill out so they can monitor your progress.
I will be going in daily on weekdays and having the weekends off for the next month and a bit then it will drop back to only a couple times a week then once a week until we're 2 months from when I started today.