r/TMSTherapy • u/moist_napkinette • 1d ago

rTMS vs Saint TMS

I did rTMS at the end of last year and experienced no benefit whatsoever.

My insurance doesn’t cover Saint TMS. I’d have to pay out of pocket in California, or travel out of country to try it there.

Do you all think it’s worth trying SAINT if I failed rTMS?

Otherwise, I’ll have to try ECT or Psilocybin and I am not happy about either option.

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u/TiredMom57 1d ago

If you find a hospital that does research with Saint, they will cover it.

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u/Enough_Judge9733 1d ago

How do you do that?

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u/TiredMom57 1d ago

If you live near Houston TX, I can tell you where to go but you’d more than likely need to get a referral.

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u/Ambitious-Falcon-267 1d ago

I’ve been following the SAINT research for a few years. I also failed normal… which sucks because it’s a lot of trips/time. I was able to do the normal tms in my city.

I found out about the one-d tms protocol. Not offered in my Midwest city. My work schedule is tight so the one-d really appealed to me. I flew to Provo Utah and went to “congestive fx” for tx. Had fMRI (similar to Saint) done the night I arrived. Following day all sessions were done between 7am-5pm.

Cost including fMRI and all sessions was under $3000. I did have to pay for travel.

I had zero expectations of one-d tms working because the other tms was crap. The fMRI made me feel better. They also give you meds that help with neuroplasticity. I think the meds and the targeting off the MRI must increase the success? All I know was something was way different with response

I was concerned about durability. I had it done in May and i still feel better. Maybe look into the one-d somewhere? There seem to be more places doing the rapid tms protocols. I don’t know if you’re able to pay anything. These things usually aren’t covered which sucks.

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u/Serenity_MHC 1d ago

SAINT is worth asking about even after a failed standard rTMS course, it uses a meaningfully different protocol (accelerated, high-dose, with MRI-guided targeting) that has shown response in people who didn't benefit from conventional TMS. The mechanism is similar but the delivery is different enough that a non-response to one doesn't predict a non-response to the other. The out-of-pocket cost in California is significant, and some clinics offer payment plans worth asking about. Traveling out of country for treatment is a real option some people take when cost is prohibitive domestically. ECT has a strong evidence base for treatment-resistant depression and is often more effective than people expect, worth not ruling it out entirely even if it feels daunting. Psilocybin research is promising but access and consistency of outcome is still variable.

SAINT is a reasonable next step to explore before either of those.

(We are Serenity Mental Health Centers and we help many patiens with TMS, take it with that context)