How Long Do TMS Results Last?
Improvement can last beyond the treatment course, but there is no guaranteed duration. Understanding follow-up is part of deciding whether TMS fits your care.
Think in terms of sustained improvement, not an expiration date
Some people who improve with TMS maintain a response for months, including at one-year follow-up. Others experience a return of symptoms, and some do not benefit enough from the initial course.
A 2019 meta-analysis of 19 studies found that, among people who initially responded, about 53% sustained a response at six months and 46% at twelve months. The twelve-month estimate came from nine studies involving 247 patients. These are results from earlier research, not RNH’s outcomes or a forecast for an individual. Read the study and its uncertainty estimates.
The distinction matters: the percentage who remain improved after initially responding is different from the percentage of all patients who benefit. Ask which group a clinic’s reported numbers describe, what “response” means, and whether ongoing treatment was part of the follow-up.
What happens after a TMS course?
Ongoing care can include medication or psychotherapy. Repeat or maintenance TMS may also be discussed, but the plan depends on your response and clinical circumstances. Finishing TMS does not automatically mean finishing depression care. Mayo Clinic describes ongoing care after TMS.
Before starting, ask your clinician:
- What will count as a meaningful response for me?
- When will we review how I am doing after the course?
- Who should I contact if symptoms start returning?
- What would lead us to consider another treatment or additional sessions?
- Which follow-up costs are separate from the original course?
If symptoms return, arrange a review
Contact your treating clinician to discuss what has changed. A review is more useful than assuming that one booster session or another full course is automatically the answer.
At RNH, follow-up or booster TMS sessions are listed at $250 per session. That is a price, not a recommendation for a particular number of sessions. Dr. Clark can discuss whether additional treatment is appropriate and explain a proposed plan. See course and follow-up pricing.
Related reading: TMS and antidepressants, ongoing psychiatric care, and all patient guides.
Cost & payment
Clear pricing. Personal care.
$3,500Full TMS course
Initial psychiatric assessment with Dr. Clark and the full course of TMS treatment. Self-pay; we do not bill insurance.
TMS pricing and payment details →Visit us in Dallas
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