Bradley T. Wajda, D.O. PC

(559) 493-5544

Treating Depression

Depression symptoms are most often treated with antidepressant medications. It is believed that antidepressant medications work by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. These changes have a positive effect on mood and reducing feelings of depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, treating major depression is sometimes more complicated and requires more than antidepressants.

Although antidepressants can be effective for many patients, they do not work for everybody. This condition is sometimes referred to as treatment resistant depression, or drug resistant depression. Although not a scientific term, treatment resistant depression is real and debilitating for those dealing with it.

Additionally, since antidepressant medications are typically taken by mouth, they circulate in the bloodstream throughout the body, often resulting in unwanted side effects such as weight gain, sexual problems, upset stomach, sleepiness, and dry mouth. Many patients do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressants and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them.

For these patients, alternative treatments for depression are available. These depression therapies have proven to work in some people that do not receive benefit from antidepressants and/or cannot tolerate the side effects caused by them. These treatments include: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

Depression and TMS Therapy

One alternative therapy for the treatment of depression is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). NeuroStar TMS Therapy was recently FDA-cleared for patients suffering from depression who have not achieved satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medications.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy uses short pulses of magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the area of the brain thought to control mood. It is sometimes referred to as rTMS which stands for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. TMS patients receiving TMS Therapy remain awake and alert during the procedure.

NeuroStar TMS Therapy ® is an outpatient procedure. The typical course for the treatment of depression treatment consists of 5 treatments per week over a 6 week period for 30 treatments. Each depression treatment session lasts approximately 40 minutes. NeuroStar TMS Therapy is:

• Non-invasive, meaning that it does not involve surgery. It does not require any anesthesia or sedation, as the patient remains awake and alert during the treatment.
• Non-systemic, meaning that it is not taken by mouth and does not circulate in the bloodstream throughout the body.
• FDA cleared for patients who have not benefited from prior antidepressant treatment