If you are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant—and you have depression—you understandably may worry about how managing this disorder will work. The TMS Institute of Arizona may be able to help with a non-invasive, non-Rx therapy. Bear in mind that you should never stop or change any medication without the guidance of your prescribing doctor (in some cases it may be best to continue medication for depression even during pregnancy, and only your prescribing doctor can determine that).
A recent study from the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) encourages physicians and patients to consider TMS for treating depression during pregnancy. However, there is a different perspective on Rx for depression in India compared to the U.S., with a spokesperson from the Institute saying, “Pregnant women with depression cannot be given anti-depressants. Their mental health troughs are enough to cause a miscarriage or pre-term births. But this therapy [TMS] is safe, convenient, and effective.” In a country where it seems pregnant women are not allowed to access medication for depression, or continue their medications while pregnant, it is clear that an alternative, safe, non-invasive form of therapy is needed—and TMS is the therapy of choice.
Anecdote from India on TMS
AIIMS reported one case in which a 30-year-old resident doctor was working at a hospital in Delhi when she became depressed due to a stressful school schedule and death of a family member. She put off her diagnosis and treatment, and when she was married “other priorities took over.” Her depression became severe due to failure to treat it, and worsened when she became pregnant. “Women are more at risk of depression while being pregnant than after delivery, the latter commonly understood as the baby blues or post-partum depression,” according to AIIMS. However, the Institute warns that “Pregnant women with depression tend to receive less prenatal care, don’t eat as well and don’t get enough rest.”
The woman’s mental health had plummeted by the time she went to AIIMS for a checkup. She was pregnant at the time and doctors did not want to prescribe medication, and instead encouraged TMS therapy. This form of therapy uses electromagnetic fields to create electrical impulses in parts of the brain that control moods. Safe, fast, and non-invasive, it requires just a few minutes with an electromagnetic coil on the scalp. There are different kinds of TMS therapy, so depending on which you choose it could require up to a few weeks of repeated sessions or you could finish your cycle in just a few days with accelerated TMS.
TMS and Depression
AIIMS is the first institute in India to offer TMS therapy for pregnant people. It has already shown “significant improvement” in helping with a myriad of neuro-psychiatric and psychiatric disorders such as OCD and migraines. Initially, AIIMS did not allow pregnant people to get TMS therapy, but after years of research it is now considered safe for those who are pregnant—and arguably much safer than medications. One study, which was presented at the 12th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, highlighted how it is especially helpful for those who are pregnant with depression. It has been shown to be well-tolerated for pregnant people with no side effects and is even helpful for those with “treatment-resistant depression.”
What JAMA Says About Pregnancy and Mental Disorders
A recent study in JAMA pointed out that depression and anxiety treatments during pregnancy have long been “clinically challenging” because of the known risks of Rx medications in pregnant people. However, with TMS, the brain is stimulated externally without any need for anesthesia and there is no impact at all on the fetus. When a person is depressed, the metabolism slows in one of the brain’s cognitive areas, but TMS can re-stimulate this spot. The high and low frequencies of TMS are controlled by the provider—which is why it can also help with strokes and head injuries. In just two weeks and three minutes per session for regular TMS, you may help better manage your depression symptoms whether you’re pregnant or not. To learn more or schedule your consultation for TMS, contact the TMS Institute by calling the office or completing the online contact form.
