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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by snapper on March 29, 2007, at 18:26:19
Just thought I would let everyone know that I had my VNS activated today. It does not hurt. It is set to stimulate the Vagus Nerve for 30 seconds every five minutes at .50 milliamps. This is a starting point and there is a lot of room for adjusting all kinds of different parameters until I start to respond.
snapperps: btw it is not as strange foreign or as alien as I thought it might be or feel.
Posted by Phillipa on March 29, 2007, at 19:47:08
In reply to Vagus Nerve Stimulation, posted by snapper on March 29, 2007, at 18:26:19
Can you feel it in your body? And are you getting meds yet? Love Phillipa congratulations
Posted by greywolf on March 29, 2007, at 19:50:36
In reply to Re: Vagus Nerve Stimulation » snapper, posted by Phillipa on March 29, 2007, at 19:47:08
I'm super interested in your experience. I'm in the process of getting insurance approval for VNS right now, and I'd love to find that it's an effective treatment.
Best of luck to you. I hope it works out great!
Greywolf
Posted by chiron on March 29, 2007, at 19:59:32
In reply to Vagus Nerve Stimulation, posted by snapper on March 29, 2007, at 18:26:19
thanks for the update. I'm very interested as well.
Posted by football on March 29, 2007, at 22:45:44
In reply to Vagus Nerve Stimulation, posted by snapper on March 29, 2007, at 18:26:19
Keep us updated please. I'm very interested in how well it works.
Posted by stargazer on March 30, 2007, at 14:42:59
In reply to Re: Vagus Nerve Stimulation » snapper, posted by Phillipa on March 29, 2007, at 19:47:08
Phillipa,
Why are you asking him about meds when he is excited about the VNS being activated? Wasn't the reason for the VNS due to med failure or ineffectiveness? I would leave meds out of the equation at this point since he is excited about the VNS being turned on and his focus will be on determining its affect over the next few weeks, months. I apologize if I am speaking for you Snapper, but I wish you all the luck in the world on achieving remission of your depression.
I know if it were me going through this recent procedure, the thought of meds would make me cringe because the reason for the procedure is to eliminate meds once and for all, possibly with the addition later for fine tuning and symptom tweaking. Or perhaps Snapper had SE's that were too severe to continue on meds. My rationalization for the procedure.
I apologize for internalizing how this is making me feel, since meds have not been the answer for many of us. Aren't we convinced that meds are not working very well for many of us and his appraoch here is a brave and cutting edge approach to his lack of response to meds. I'm assuming he did not respond well else he would not be trying VNS.
Perhaps too many of us rely on meds, for too long and the answer lies elsewhere, either in this procedure or other approaches still being researched or considered less effective than meds, i.e. lifestyle changes, vitamins, etc.
All I know is that I applaud Snapper's bravery in dealing straight forward with his struggle in a very pro-active and no nonsense way.
God speed, Snapper...
Posted by Phillipa on March 30, 2007, at 19:37:54
In reply to Re: Vagus Nerve Stimulation/Phillipa/Snapper, posted by stargazer on March 30, 2007, at 14:42:59
I was under the impression that VNS allowed meds to work better as my old pdoc brought it up with me as a way to make meds work better. Love Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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