Women’s Health

Women's Health

Postpartum Depression

Many women who breastfeed their babies and suffer from Depression seek out a non-drug treatment option.

When deciding the best way to take care of yourself, it is important that you understand all of your options.

All of the studies conducted thus far indicate that rTMS is safe and well tolerated in women with postpartum depression. Treatment resulted in improvement in depressive symptoms which were maintained over 3 to 6 months of follow-up. Remission rates were relatively high, ranging from 66% to 90% in open label trials. This is slightly better than what we see in the general adult populations, where studies report remission rates closer to 25% and response rates around 50%.

Many women understandably prefer non-pharmacologic treatments for PPD because they are concerned about breastfeeding and about exposing their nursing infant to medication contained in the breast milk.

TMS is also a good option for new mothers whose bodies are resistant to antidepressant pills. It may also be effective for those who have not seen improvement from taking antidepressants.

Compared to other forms of postpartum depression treatment, TMS has fewer and less severe side effects. Unlike when taking antidepressants, TMS does not cause weight gain, drowsiness, or insomnia.

Safe During Pregnancy

Women who want to avoid or limit the use of antidepressants may consider Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as a safe and effective treatment option during pregnancy.

Several research findings have shown that TMS is a safe and viable treatment for women who are pregnant or postpartum.

A University of Pennsylvania study of TMS and pregnancy found that among 10 pregnant women treated with TMS, 70 percent responded well within just 20 sessions, with no adverse effects on pregnancy or fetal outcomes. The only side effect was a mild headache in four of the patients.[1]
Another study that focused on TMS during postpartum found that eight of the nine women who were treated with TMS experienced complete remission of their depression.[2]

A recently published study looking at 26 children ages one to five years old, whose mothers had received TMS treatment during pregnancy, found there were no differences between the children born to women who had TMS during pregnancy and children born to women who did not undergo TMS.[3]

TMS’s safety and effectiveness make it an ideal option for women with a history of non-response to standard antidepressant medications that are deemed safe in pregnancy or for women who don’t want to take medication during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding & TMS

Many women are concerned about the taking antidepressants while breastfeeding. Some may be
women who develop Postpartum Depression, while others may be ones who were already on
antidepressants before they got pregnant, stopped, and are reluctant to restart them until after their infant is weaned.There is much research on breastfeeding while taking antidepressants, and the bulk of the evidence is that it is safe.

Premenstrual Disorder & TMS

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a hormone-dependent mental condition that causes significant suffering in 5% of women of reproductive age worldwide.

Symptoms of PMDD include:

Irritability, tension, and a constant fight-or-flight state.
Deep depression and feelings of hopelessness
Feelings of guilt and low self-worth, particularly with knowledge of the stigma surrounding menstrual disorders.
Mood swings that can occur multiple times a day.
Physical ailments like headache, breast tenderness, hypersomnia, fatigue, and more.

Sufferers can develop suicidal ideation from the pain of PMDD, and some turn to substances for relief, especially when the disorder is not recognized or properly cared for. According to this study, the average woman with untreated PMDD will lose about 3 years of life that would otherwise be of much better quality.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel therapeutic technique, which is based on modulating neural activity by inducing an electric field in the brain. Studies suggest that TMS is a safe and effective treatment for PMDD.