I *finally* found something that really helps!

[Lorien]

I've suffered from clinical depression since I was in my early teens (enough to be hospitalized) and I've tried nearly everything; Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Sam-e, St. John's Wort, dietary changes, exercise, etc. etc. Out of desperation, I went for a free trial of a device called "the Alpha-stim SCS" after reading an article about it in a local health journal.It's been two weeks now (real relief of depression isn't anticipated for three weeks)and I haven't had a suicidal thought for ten days! This is a real accomplishment for me. It's helping with my concentration and 'brain fog", and relieving some of the pain of my Fibromyalgia. What is the Alpha-Stim SCS? It's an electrotherapy device that alters brain waves-normalizing them the way advanced meditation techniques can. It's like shock therapy-but painless and much more effective. I was skeptical at first and was worried about experiencing a placebo effect, so I asked a physicist I know to review the technology first (he has about 20 patents under his belt and helped design the CAT scan). Here is what he wrote to me regarding the Alpha-Stim SCS:

Regarding the technology and science you asked me about: I spent several hours researching both tonight. Here's what I think from the information available and what I already know:

The existence of the human (and all other) bioelectromagnetc fields is incontrovertible. Their ability to be modified by electromagnetic fields and electric currents is likewise incontrovertible. Well known, all proven. It's also why meditative techniques, martial arts "katas", and similar have such profound effects on well-being. It's very sound science that finding the right signal can stimulate or alleviate so many different things.

I have looked at the electrophysics described in various reports and find that the causal introduction of periodic micro-currents work the same way as what is known from the sensing mechanisms of EEG and other measurement protocols. In other words -- the physics makes sense too.

Electrical stimulation of endorphin production and modification of neural mechanisms relate directly to similarly known effects of deep meditation, acupuncture, acupressure, and myofascial balancing.

I also looked at the reports from the FDA, American Journal of Pain Management, Peer-Reviewed studies cited in both, and clinical endorsements of the actual technology and commercially available devices. These are very significant and I think scientifically sound reports and the technology employed in the product (Alpha-stim SCS) is specified in use. I also looked at the math cited in the clinical studies supporting the technology and reported results (generally very significantly good). I won't bore you with the math but the documented statistical trend toward clinically proven relief of various conditions seems quite impressive, especially in blind-blind studies over the last 10 years or so.

It is interesting to note that (from several reports):

Fibromyalgia patients showed 36-52% moderate to marked improvement
Myofascial showed 29-61%
Anxiety and depression showed 32-65%
CFS patients showed 60-80% fair to moderate improvement. Also the double-blind reports on significantly improved sleep cycles and reduced pain as well as re-established cognitive advantages (sharper, clearer).

What do I think -- I wouldn't hesitate to believe that the technology has the effects and uses as advertised, it's just like many "alternative-medicine" treatments except that this DOES have major well known medical organizations using and reporting it works (like the Cleveland Clinic, other hospitals, and many Pro sports teams, etc). Remember what Dave says: If it works, it's NOT "alternative medicine"



Anyway-that's a professionals take on it. But Google it for yourselves and do some research of your own. It's by prescription only, and you can always return the device if you don't feel that it's helping you (unlike Prozac). The device costs about $500-some of the best money I've spent, IMO. It's also very effective for those suffering from bi-polar disorder and panic attacks.

[Lorien]

1. I'm giving it a kick

I'm kind of surprised by the disinterest here. Maybe it's not "traditional" enough?

[DemExpat]

2. Thanks for posting and keep us informed on how it works out

longer term.

Perhaps it is the price tag that keeps people from jumping in to ask where to buy it....:-)

I am interested in whatever works for people - even placebo effect!

DemEx

[Lorien]

3. Since Wellbutrin was costing me $134 a month

PLUS occasional checkups to get the prescription refilled, I consider $500 quite a bargain. Right now I'm depression free, fairly clearheaded, well rested, and haven't done ANY stress eating all week! What kind of price can I put on that?

[Ladyhawk]

4. Wow. I'm going to have to read your post when I'm more

clear-headed. I'll listen to anything at this point.

[DemExpat]

5. Sounds very good, Lorien!

Keep us posted....I know I would prefer something like this to medications since I have had such negative reactions to them - don't need that kind of help at the moment, but if down the road my depression returns in full force, I would be willing to try this - definitely!

Thanks for the info.

DemEx

[Lorien]

6. D'oh! Ebay has the units for nearly half the price

I guess the thing to do would be to test them at the doctor's office, then buy one on Ebay if you liked the results. Sure wish I would have known about that earlier.

[ernstbass]

7. Thanks for this post

that is interesting information. Don't you know that the drug companies hate this!!

[Ladyhawk]

8. I'm going to kick this, too.

I need to take some time to go through this information.

[Lorien]

9. You might want to do a Google search on

"cranial electrotherapy", as the Alpha-stim is just one of several brands out there that does this, and the university and hospital studies are generally done under the name of the procedure, not the brand name of the device. It is FDA approved, by the way. But your doctor may warn you against it because it might work well enough so that you wouldn't have to see him/her anymore.

There are no known side effects, and the percentage of patients who have seen zero improvement are, in most studies, less than 1%. Most doctors will give you a free trail, so all you have to lose is a bit of time, your pain, and your depression. I'd say that my depression is about 90% gone-I'm only saying I have about 10% left because I'm still not AS energetic as I would like to be (but better than I was) and my brain fog and concentration is only about 40% improved-but I'm hoping for more improvement over time. Insomnia is gone completely-so I give that 100%!

[Ladyhawk]

10. Wow!

I've been really suffering lately. I knew the post-op time would be rough for me because I'm not really supposed to drive while wearing the cervical collar. Let's just say that being confined is not good for depression.

[mopinko]

11. have you ever had a sleep study?

have you ever had a serious head or neck injury?

[shrike]

12. That's wonderful

I read some time ago that a modified version of the old "shock therapy" was helping some patients with depression. Maybe this is a similar technique.

[Lorien]

13. I think that this is that technology

"shock" at a much lower voltage.It's very important to have the device adjusted correctly to experience the most beneficial change. I tried the Alpha-stim 100 (used mostly for pain management, but it can be adjusted for mental health treatments) for a week, and I couldn't get the device adjusted to the same frequency as the SCS model for some reason. By the end of the week I was starting to slide back into depression and insomnia. I exchanged it for the SCS and now I'm back to feeling depression free again! It's been nearly a month since I wrote the original post, but aside from those few days with the Alpha-stim 100, I feel pretty much "cured". :bounce:

[shrike]

14. You're very fortunate

to have discovered the treatment.

According to what I read, and saw on television some years ago, this "modified" shock treatment seems to be able to help some patients who don't respond to drugs, therapy or anything else. Which is a good thing.

[Lorien]

15. More than half of all patients experience "significant" improvement

with the Alpha-stim in over 120 studies, while only 13% experienced the same with Prozac. No wonder Big Pharma doesn't want us to know about it!

[mopinko]

16. have you ever had a head injury?

i am finding out that the root of my troubles, fibromyalgia and attendent low level depression, are problaby related to a broken nose at age 6. i can see where a unit like this might straighted out the short circuit that is ruining my sleep, and therefore my life. trazadone is helping a lot right now. but i am itching to see the neurologist to see what else can be done.

[Lorien]

17. No, can't say that I have

though I had mono three times as a child, and that has been linked to fibromalgia. :shrug:

Persoanally, I think that all the toxins in our environment have something to do with it.

[earth mom]

18. Happy that I stumbled upon this thread today.

My son has some anxiety issues-thunderstorms and lightning mainly at this point, but I worry as he gets into adolescence it might morph into the kind of anxiety/depression I suffered at that age; though I was lucky to have grown out of it. I am very anti prescription drugs and am extremely ticked off and turned off by how the pharma giants are pushing drugs on us all like there is no tomorrow! I am very grateful to find something like this!

Glad to know you are feeling better! And Thanks! :)

[cally]

19. Would most psychiatrists prescribe this?

or is only through someone participating in the study. My daughter has severe depression and your post is intriguing.

[Lorien]

20. Contact the company directly to ask for a doctor in your area

My GP is getting certified to prescribe these right now, but there are doctors prescribing them already in most major markets. Contact:

Christy Light, NREMT
Electromedical Products International, Inc.
2201 Garrett Morris Parkway . Mineral Wells, TX 76067 USA
1-800-FOR-PAIN (367-7246) in the USA & Canada
[phone], EXT. 102 . Fax [phone]
[e-mail]

[cally]

21. Thanks...I'll check it out..nt

[Ladyhawk]

22. OK, I got the referral from my doc...funny how it's up to me to mail it.

But I'll do it. God, I hope this thing works. Depression / Anxiety...sucks ass.

[Lorien]

23. Yay!

it WILL help to some degree-I just hope that it helps you as much as it has helped me. Let us know how it goes.

Glad to see you around here-I was a bit worried about you!

:hi: :hug:

[DemExpat]

24. Good move, Ladyhawk!

I am so hoping that this helps you a great deal.

Keep us posted.

I am just coming out the other side of a pretty big downer the past couple of months, and it is comforting to know that if my depression and anxiety disorder ever return in full force that there is an option with bigger guns than Homeopathy and Herbs besides Anti-D's, which I will not take again because of very negative experiences.

:hug:

DemEx

[mopinko]

25. don't get too happy now

you will scare the doctors, and they will think you are nuts.
do you feel like you are sleeping better? i wonder if that is the mechanism for you improvement. i know that taking a little trazadone, and an earlier anti-seizure drug that i was taking gave me the same huge improvement,
maybe i am just wigging out about this sleep shit, but it makes so much sense.

[Lorien]

26. It removes the causes of clinical depression- it doesn't "make" a

person happy. Though if your brain chemistry is balanced and normal it's far easier to experience happiness. Sleep deprivation can also effect brain chemistry (seritonin levels, etc.) so not sleeping can certainly effect your mood. It helps me to sleep better, but because of my work schedule this month I'm only able to sleep five hours a night-so I'm a bit grouchy (but not depressed).

[mopinko]

27. sorry should have used

:sarcasm: people are seeing my happiness at relief from 44 years of illness, and several years of crippling pain, as evidence of that i am on a manic swing.

[Ladyhawk]

28. I've worked hard on this and reached a dead end. I'm so sad.

Originally, the doctor's office told me they would accept Medi-Cal if I got a referral from my doctor. I went through the whole process, had to mail the referral myself (my doctor isn't always all that helpful), only to learn that the neurology clinic dispensing Alpha Stim units will not accept Medi-Cal after all and that it will cost me $460, $46 a visit for ten visits, just to see if the product will work for me. I am very disheartened because I absolutely cannot afford this.

Is there any other way? Can I get a free trial somewhere? It seems like no matter what I do, I run into brick walls on every treatment option I want to try.

[Lorien]

29. Check your inbox

:hi:

[DemExpat]

30. It has been about 2 months now for you, Lorien...

are you still feeling great benefits from this?

Do you have to use it everyday?

:hi:

DemEx

[Lorien]

31. I feel better than ever!

which is really saying something. I'm on CRUSHING deadlines from a very important client, my finances are in a mess, creditors are harassing me day and night, and ANOTHER hurricane is headed my way-if I didn't have the Alpha-stim, I would probably be in bed right now with a hangover! But I'm fine; calm, focused-I feel like I'll manage one way or the other . I was NEVER like this in the past-any one of these elements in my life would have felt overwhelming and would have pushed me into another crushing depression. I can't tell you how grateful I am to the maker of this device. I use it 20 minutes a day, every other day, with no negative side effects of any kind. It feels downright miraculous.

[DemExpat]

32. This sounds very promising, Lorien....

happy to hear this,

:hug:

DemEx

[Ladyhawk]

33. BIG THANKS! n/t

[Kashka-Kat]

34. a quick question

is this something you can use as needed, starting and stopping, or do you have to keep it up regularly like light therapy?

How much time does it take? Light therapy in winter helps me but what happens I start to feel better & get a life again... which means I then forget to use the light. Until I'm deep in the hole again, and then have to start over... it is kind of a cumulative effect.

[Lorien]

35. You need to use it regularly, but it's hardly a burden

the device is about the size of a walkman, with two light, comfortable earclips.You simply wet the earclips with conductive solution, clip them on your earlobe, and turn the device on (you can set the power and time for what works best for you). You only feel a slight tingle from the current-it';s not at all uncomfortable. I wear it while I work at my drawing table. It shuts off automatically when the treatment is over. 20 minutes every other day for depression, and hour every other day if you suffer from depression and substance addiction or bi-polar disorder. no side effects of any kind other than a feeling of calm and well being during treatment (and a lack of depression insomnia, anxiety and stress after 2-3 weeks of treatment). substance abusers won't feel true relief until after several months of use-often up to eight months. So yes, it is cumulative.

[CountAllVotes]

36. thanks for this information

I'll check it out! :D

:kick:

[Lorien]

37. Well, it's more than a year after I wrote the OP

and the Alpha-stim is still working! It still only "dents" my PMS, and it doesn't make me numb when someone dies, or do away with all stress when I haven't got any work coming in....but it does help me to have much more "normal" reactions to those situations. I've introduced it to five other people; so far three have ordered one for themselves and really like it, one felt no effects, and one wouldn't use it consistently-so there's no telling if it would have worked for them or not. If I go for more than three days without it I slide right back into a deep depression, so that's a great incentive to keep using it! Another friend of mine uses it to control her panic attacks and social anxiety disorder. She's tried every other medication and so far the alpha-stim is the only thing that's been effective for her. I highly recommend giving it a try if you haven't already!

[Pharaoh]

38. Lorien thanks

I like my alpha stim, I've just had it a few months but it is really helping me to become drug free. If I don't use it for a few days I do start to slide. My big complaint is getting those little cotton donuts to stay on the electrodes ! aarghh! it's pissing me off sometimes. Is there a trick to this?

[Lorien]

39. You've got a bad batch of felt pads. Most of the pads manufactured in '05

have the same problem, but they've fixed it now. Just send them back to whomever sold you the unit and ask for a replacement pack-or contact the company directly. I had the same problem with the set that came with my unit, but the replacements work fine.

I'm glad that it's helping you too, faulty pads non withstanding! :hi:

[Pharaoh]

40. Thanks

yes they certainly could be more sticky, I'll try some new ones.......

[Lorien]

41. I'm kicking this

for those who are still searching...

[DemExpat]

42. I am so happy for you that you have found such good support

with this device, Lorien, and yes, this thread should be kicked up once in awhile for others to see.

:hug: :hi:


DemEx

[ToolTex]

43. Well, I'll give it a kick.

It sounds interesting and worth a try for anyone that might need it.
:kick:

[Maraya1969]

44. My cousin is a DO and is now doing a technique where they use

electrical currents to help drain lymph glans of toxins. I'll have to ask her if they use a devise like the Alpha-Stim. I have this little cheap thing that I got on the internet that is like a tens unit and I wonder if it would work just as well as the devise you are talking about. Electrical current is electrical current and it seems to me the only thing that could be changed is the number of volts.

Glad to hear you are doing so well.

[Lorien]

45. Kicking it

for the people who are new to this board.

[Lorien]

46. Kick

It's still working a good 80-90% of the time.

[davidthegnome]

47. Very expensive

I'm not sure if my insurance will cover it. Couldn't hurt to find out.. guess I have to find a Doctor and set up an appointment. My last one retired and I haven't bothered to find a replacement, just my psychiatrist, that perscribes medication. Doubt he'd do it, the jackass wanted to put me on anti-psychotics, though it's obvious to anyone who knows me that I don't need them.

[Lorien]

49. It was a lot less expensive for me than my meds were

I was on Wellbutrin before I found the Alpha-stim. It was costing me $136.00 a month because my insurance wouldn't cover it. That's $1,632.00 a year! I've been using the Alpha-stim for three years now, so that's a $4,396.00 savings after the cost of the unit. Of course, if your insurance covers all of your prescriptions then the savings wouldn't apply, but most of us aren't so fortunate.

[tibbir]

48. Medicare

Does anyone know if Medicare covers this treatment? I have bipolar disorder and it's only marginally controlled by a drug cocktail.

[Lorien]

50. Here's what the company has to say:

Q. Will insurance pay for this?
A. Many plans that cover durable medical equipment will pay for the Alpha-Stim. However, many plan administrators and case managers are unfamiliar with Alpha-Stim technology and, since it is broadly classed along with cheap TENS devices, they assume it is just another TENS. If a claim is denied, it is important to work with your doctor and insurance company to educate them on the benefits of this technology. Alpha-Stim is supported by more clinical studies than many drugs and is proven efficacious for its registered indications. Some insurance carriers have mistakenly classed the Alpha-Stim as an investigational device. We can provide them with clearance to market this technology by regulatory agencies in Europe (CE mark) the USA (FDA), Canada, and other countries. As this technology may be new to your insurance carrier, it is important not to take "no" for an answer. Your doctor knows the validity of this technology or would not have prescribed its use in your case. It is cleared to market and deserves proper reimbursement. As a manufacturer, we have limited clout with the insurance carriers. However, the more doctors and patients who request proper reimbursement for this valuable technology, the more inclined they are to listen. In the end, this technology will produce significant savings for the insurer over drugs, surgery and secondary and tertiary problems caused by other types of medical intervention.

Q. Is this covered under Medicare/Medicaid?
A. Typically, these programs will want you to rent for a few months to demonstrate efficacy, after which they will only pay a nominal amount.


http://www.alleviahealth.com/faqpatient.htm

A good friend of another friend of mine is a GP with a group practice up in Cleveland. He researched the Alpha-stim throughly after I told our mutual friend of my experience with it and was very impressed with the studies and technology. He proposed to the group that their practice prescribe the Alpha-stim to their patients suffering from depression, bi-polar, insomnia and anxiety. The panel reviewed it and came back with a firm "no" because there would be no ongoing review generated by prescribing the device. Once the patient bought it it would be very likely that their symptoms would be so effectively alleviated that they wouldn't return to the practice for follow up exams. They also wouldn't have to return to have any prescriptions renewed. Sick to think that even a panel of DOCTORS were putting profits ahead of a patient's well being!

Four months ago another mutual friend of theirs, "Tom", came to the GP in a desperate state. He had been unemployed for several months and already suffered from clinical depression, so he confessed that he was on the verge of suicide and felt desperate. Wellbutrin had worked somewhat for him in the past, but he could no longer afford it. Their GP friend gave him all the sample packs he could of the Wellbutrin then got together with their friends to buy him an Alpha-stim! There are still some good doctors out there. Wellbutrin takes some time to take effect, but Tom said that the Alpha-stim had him feeling much better within a week.He's virtually depression free right now, thanks to the compassion of a decent GP and his friends.

[mdmc]

51. kick

:kick: