Dr Wells explains what to expect during accelerated TMS — including what you can do during treatment, between sessions, and after you return home.
How long is Accelerated TMS?
Accelerated TMS typically includes 5 consecutive days of treatment, with 10 sessions per day, for a total of 50 treatment sessions. Patients spend approximately 50 hours in the office with us during an accelerated course of TMS.
The length of each treatment session depends on the condition being treated and the specific treatment protocol being used. Each session for OCD in our clinic is typically about 3 minutes long, while a typical depression treatment is about 10 minutes long. During the OCD treatment, in particular, we also work with patients to activate their triggers, which is an activity in itself that takes another few minutes.
Once a patient has completed their series of accelerated TMS, they come back on a periodic basis for maintenance treatments. The frequency of maintenance treatments varies and often starts with more frequent visits that may spread out over time. Maintenance includes check-in, calibration, the treatment itself, and a brief rest before leaving to continue your day. Maintenance treatments can take anywhere from 20 minutes to closer to an hour in the office.
What to do during treatment
TMS is not typically painful, although immediate side effects may include scalp discomfort or headaches. The patient is awake the whole time. During treatment, patients can sit quietly or they can do activities such as watching TV, listening to music, or having conversations.
In the intervals between treatments, patients can generally occupy themselves in whatever way they would like. They can get a snack, take a walk around the building, read a book, work, talk or play cards with their companions, take a nap, watch a movie — these are all things we’ve had patients do during these intervals.
With each day encompassing 10 treatments and the breaks in between, accelerated TMS makes for very long days in the clinic. We welcome patients to set up camp for the week and make themselves comfortable. We’ve had patients bring items or activities into the clinic and leave them with us overnight. Some patients have even set up a whole mini-office for their time between treatments. Patients have brought friends or family members to keep them company and set up picnics for lunch. We want to make your week of accelerated TMS as comfortable as possible while you spend your week with us for treatment.
In the evenings after treatment, we encourage patients to take it easy with activities such as light exercise, reading or journaling, and spending time with friends and loved ones. Many patients are quite tired after treatments; there’s a lot of energy being put into their brains. During their accelerated series, we encourage patients to go to bed around 9:00 or 10:00 PM, just to be ready to wake up early and come back to the clinic early the next day between 6:00 and 7:00 AM.
An opportunity to focus on mental health
While not a difficult week, accelerated TMS can make for a very long and exhausting week. We highly encourage our patients to use this time as a springboard to really focus on their mental health, almost like they are doing an intensive program for mental health. During this time, patients can be working on a workbook, spending time with loved ones, and avoiding a lot of the work phone calls, social media, and busyness of regular life. Your week of accelerated TMS is a time to really focus on curating your thought processes and your next steps for how you want to change, grow, and advance moving forward.
We’re happy to help you think through ways to structure your week to enhance the impact of treatment and build momentum toward lasting change.
About Us
Wells Medicine is a Houston-based practice designed to provide meaningful care for mental health. Providing targeted interventional treatments for Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD and other conditions, with Ketamine Treatments, Stellate Ganglion Blocks, TMS, and Nitrous-Oxide Treatments. Focused on comprehensive care and integration with Psychiatry, Psychology, and Support Services. We are evidence-based, patient-focused and mission-driven.
The content here is for informational purposes and should not be relied upon for medical decisions. For the details of your specific medical conditions and treatments, consult your doctors or other qualified healthcare professionals.
