TMS therapy for depression that medication hasn’t lifted
TMS is an FDA-cleared, non-drug treatment for major depression. At Reign-Bow we add a qEEG brain map, so your treatment is planned around your own brain activity and checked against it as you go. You drive yourself to each session and go straight back to your day.
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When antidepressants haven’t been enough
Roughly one in three people with major depression don’t reach remission even after several medication trials.1 If that’s you, it isn’t a failure of effort. It may mean your depression needs a different kind of treatment.
TMS works differently from medication. A magnetic coil stimulates a specific region involved in mood, usually the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and leaves the rest of the body alone. It isn’t associated with the weight gain, sexual side effects or sedation that lead many people to stop antidepressants.
What the brain map adds
Standard TMS places the coil in the same spot for almost everyone. We record a qEEG first. It shows patterns in the frontal rhythms that researchers have linked with depression, such as an imbalance in alpha activity between the left and right sides, and it gives us a baseline.
We use the map together with your history and symptoms to set up treatment, and we repeat it during care to check whether your brain is changing along with how you feel.
One caveat you should hear from us: standard TMS is the version with large trials behind it. EEG-guided methods are newer and haven’t yet been compared head-to-head in large studies. We use the map to inform decisions, never to replace clinical judgment.
What the research shows
In the NIMH-funded OPT-TMS trial, people who received real TMS were about four times as likely to reach remission as those who received a sham treatment (14% versus 5%). In the open-label phase that followed, about 30% of participants reached remission.2
Results in everyday practice are stronger. Across 42 U.S. clinics, 58% of patients responded and 37% reached remission by their clinician’s rating.3 Real-world numbers run higher partly because people know they’re receiving real treatment and often continue medication or therapy alongside it.
What a course of treatment looks like
Brain map and plan
We record your qEEG, review your history and medications, and explain the plan and the cost before anything starts.
First session
We find the right intensity for you, position the coil and deliver the first treatment. You’ll hear clicking and feel tapping on your scalp.
Weekday sessions
A typical course runs five days a week for four to six weeks. You’re awake throughout and can drive yourself home or back to work.
Re-map and review
We repeat the qEEG, go through your symptom scores with you and decide together whether to taper, continue or stop.
Side effects and safety
The most common side effects are scalp discomfort and headache in the first week or two, and they usually ease as you get used to treatment. Unlike ECT, TMS needs no anesthesia and isn’t associated with memory loss.
Seizures are rare. TMS isn’t suitable for people with metal or an implanted device in or near the head, such as an aneurysm clip or a cochlear implant. Dental fillings and braces are fine.
If you’re thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to the nearest emergency room. Don’t wait for an appointment.
Therapy alongside TMS
TMS and talk therapy work on the same problem from two directions. Many people find therapy easier to use once their mood starts to lift. Psychotherapy is available at our clinic, and if you already have a therapist, we’ll coordinate with them.
Sources
- Rush AJ, et al. Acute and longer-term outcomes in depressed outpatients requiring one or several treatment steps: a STAR*D report. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2006.
- George MS, et al. Daily left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for major depressive disorder: a sham-controlled randomized trial. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2010;67(5):507–516.
- Carpenter LL, et al. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depression: a multisite, naturalistic, observational study of acute treatment outcomes in clinical practice. Depression and Anxiety. 2012.
Last updated October 2026.
Questions about depression treatment
How soon will I feel better?
Many people notice changes in sleep, energy or mood between the second and fourth week. Others respond later in the course. We check in with you every week so we can both see the trend.
Can I stay on my antidepressant?
Usually, yes. Most people continue their current medication during TMS. Please don’t change anything without your prescriber. We’ll coordinate with them.
How is TMS different from ECT?
ECT uses an electrical current under general anesthesia to induce a brief seizure. TMS uses focused magnetic pulses while you’re awake, with no anesthesia and no recovery time. ECT remains an important treatment for severe depression. TMS is a less intensive step.
Will insurance cover TMS for depression?
Many plans cover TMS for major depression once certain medication trials are documented. We verify your benefits with your insurer before treatment and tell you what you would owe. We work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and Aetna, and we offer self-pay options.
Do you treat teenagers with depression?
The FDA has cleared specific TMS systems as an add-on treatment for depression in ages 15 to 21. Ask us at the consultation whether TMS is appropriate for your teen.
How long do the results last?
Follow-up studies suggest that most people who respond are still doing well a year later, sometimes with a few maintenance sessions. If symptoms return, TMS can be repeated.
Depression care for Chicago and the suburbs
Our one clinic is in Lombard, a short drive from most of DuPage County and reachable from Chicago and the south suburbs by I-88, I-355 and I-294.
Call our office
We’ll answer your questions, check your insurance benefits and help you decide whether a brain map is the right next step. Our team answers the phone during clinic hours.
Prefer to write? Request a consultation or verify your insurance.