Have any of you heard of the VNS for depression?

I am in the process of trying to get it. My Dr. and a lady that works for the company is going to start fighting to get it ok'd by my insurance. I know the fight will be long. I'm looking at most likely a year just for the fight to get it. Then the implant is put in and it takes 8 weeks to get better from the surgery and then it has to be turned on by a wand and then it takes up to 6 months to start seeing any difference, maybe longer.

I just wanted to know if anyone has had this put in or knows of anyone that has had it done.

Thanks,
Ada

Ada - The VNS is widely used for epilepsy and you could perhaps get lots of answers about it in that Forum.
Best wishes

Here is one website I found with info for you.

http://www.vnstherapy.com/

I just did a search with the perameters VNS + depression and found lots of information. I hope this helps.

Ada I met a person during a NAMI convention recently that shared his experiance. I did not attend his presentation, but did hear him speak at the lucnh table, and have somewere in my notes a pamphlet...
I will look for it.

Ada, do you think if you had an SCS nerve stimulator for Tos Pain implanted it may have cross over benefits? I know the implant is not in the same place, but the vegal nerve stim is implanted near the armpit, up into the front of the chest where the brachial nerve area is....I have concern about aggrivating the Tos symptoms.

Di

Thanks for the information. I have read some and will read the rest.

DiMarie, I never thought about it aggravating the TOS. I do know the chip is put up near the neck area where the TOS problems are. That will be an issue I will talk to when I see the surgeon that will put it in. My PCP has some concerns about me having more problems from it but he also promised me that if it was approved by the FDA we would go after it.

I'm also not sure when but I will end up having my left side TOS surgery eventually and that might be a good ideal before I get the VNS put in. They sent me a tape which I got yesterday plus a lot of info on it so I am going to watch the tape and see how they put it in and what it does.

I'm just so tired of this depression. I'm just trying to find a way to have a better quality of life. Now that I don't have Bill I do know that I need something to help me get to a point to where I can get out of this house. I have a friend who lost her husband 6 years ago and she is a mess. Her daughter doesn't want me in the shape her Mom is in so she thinks this is a good ideal.

Nothing has helped my depression at all. I can't take the meds and I won't let them do the ECT on me. They have wanted to do it and my PCP won't let them either so we both agree on that. I'm just desperate for answers.

I just thought there might be someone on here that has had it implanted for depression. I will go to the other board and read though. Thanks for all of the good info.
Ada

DreamBelieve, before you lie down on the wheeled wagon headed for surgery, DO investigate this procedure very closely. Don't limit your learning to the surgeon and the company website and salespersons ie, customer service representatives. Study up on it. A few have had the device removed for various reasons. Do you know about the side effects?? And read about the studies?

If you find a "support group", feel suspicious if the group is heavily moderated and only has positive glowing reports, as it might be owned (behind the scenes) by the company.

Have you TRULY tried all the possible antidepressants? There are DOZENS and very few people have actually tried all the ADs, just a handful. Which ones have you tried? What happens when you try them? Have you been tried on any of the TriCyclics? Different ADs are not just "different brands". They are not just like cans of green beans with different brand names. They are each distinctively different compounds that interact with your brain neurotransmitter in totally different ways.

80-90% of people who try ADs will eventually find relief, tho some may have to try more than three or will have to try a combination (like adding thryroid, etc) or trying a mood stabilizer. See McMan's website - http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-17.htm

What, exactly, happens - how does your body or mind respond to being on these meds? Do you go off them within the first month or do you give them at least 2 months to work? Or do you have a rapid response, within the first 3 days, that makes you want to stop them? What is that reaction like?

Have you been tried on a mood stabilizer like Lithium or Lamictal? What does your psychiatrist say about your major depressive disorder?

How does psychotherapy do for you? How many different therapists, how many types of therapies have you tried? Do you try them while you are on ADs?

How long have you had depression? Is it every day? Are you often suicidal? Does it keep you from being able to work? To interact positively or productively with your loved ones? Can you leave the house, shop, keep house and cook? Can you function? Do you have self-harming thoughts at times? Have you ever attempted suicide or planned a sucide (yet then didn't do anything)?

What are your depressive symptoms? Lots of anxieties, too? Do you have very little appetite or do you tend to gain weight, more and more -a huge appetite? Do you cry a lot? Do you have trouble getting to sleep or trouble staying asleep or wake up too early and then can't get back to sleep? Do you have a chance to nap during the day? Do you have a lot of stress in your life? Or did you have a lot of stress when you were a child?

What other medications do you take regularly? Or supplements?

My concern is that there is the strong profit-motivation behind this unproven device. Yes, there are patients who report it cured them -- but the cure may not last for long. And consider that placebos of the right color (red has found to be the best) can "cure" depression, too. Do find out a great deal more about all the possible complications and read the studies yourself. (at least the abstracts online).

These are things you should think about, write out, then present to your psychiatrist and ask him if seeing all these information makes him consider anything else? A psychiatrist, seeing you for generally short periods at spread appointments, rather than one hour a week, often has a very spotty notion of you, as an entire person.

I wish you the best in your exporation of DreamBeliever.
Theresa


PS:
I have no desire to have anyone live with depression for year after year. I was very overwhelmed and (I guess) depressed during high school, given that I flirted with suicide by car wreck, over and over, during at least a couple of years. I was depressed in junior high, too. But my "adult form" of depression didn't start until late in my 20's, when I had a great sense of the hopelessness and helplessness of my life, and my life, in all aspects but my children, was falling totally apart.

In that period, I spent an entire year of my life sleeping, sleeping, sleeping - day in, day out, before I was put on a tricyclic, desipramine - a medication I was on for the next 8 years. Actually, it has remained the best AD I've ever been on - and I have recently been considering giving it a trial run again. It is still a highly recommended tricyclic for bipolars. Gave me low blood pressure (bit woozy if I stood up too fast) for a while til I got used to it. Also a dry gummy mouth.

But during that year, I would get up in the morning, fix breakfast for the children, then go to sleep on the couch - they would wake me for lunch, then my husband's phone call before coming home would wake me to make supper. I MIGHT stay awake for a bit after supper, but then it was sleep again. Prior to that year, I had a 7 or so years at least, of near-constant anxiety --- "nerves". After getting on the AD, my "nerves" went away. Everytime I came off the AD, my "nerves" would come back with a vengeance -- until, after a number of years, they no longer did.

When I am depressed, I am never tearful, don't cry (can only really cry when I am doing well). I eat too much, I sleep too much. I vegetate. I retreat from the world. My bedroom becomes my world. ADs get me out of my bedroom.

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High Dreambeliever128. I am recently diagnosed as being Bipolar-depressive.
I read your information about " Vegas Nerve Surgery ", and you said that you did a lot of research on this proceedure. I need to know how to get in touch with the people who sent you the information to reseach VNS. I hope you will help me. Thanks. :Sigh Peaches

Peaches

VNS is made by Cyberonics, I'm not srue if that is what you mean
though. If you put that name in the search, it will bring up there
website. If you call their 800 number, they will send you information
about the Vagal Nerve Stimulator, and that is a start.

THere are also websites about the Stimulator that you can read other
peoples experiences.

Donna

The phone no is 1-800-332-1375. You can call them and they will send you a tape to watch and plenty of information.

I have been talking to a lady named Kathy there that is working with my Dr. to get it for me. She actually fights the insurance company to try and get it for people.

Hope this helps.
Ada

I went to see my Dr. today and I got to read the letter that has been sent to my insurance company by Kathy at the VNS company and my Dr. He wrote to her and sent her all my info and she compiled it in a letter stating why I should have the VNS. It was a very nice letter.

She told how I had tried every med out there and couldn't deal with the side effects and how I followed through with councelling for 8 years faithfully and how I had spent time in a mental institution signing myself in only to get thrown out because I couldn't take the meds after only 3 days.

She told how it cost 42000. a year to take care of patients in my shape and also about my cronic pain and that I was on Methadone for it and followed Drs. orders to the letter to try and help myself in every way.

It made me proud to read it. My Dr. says I am still in for a long haul with the insurance company though. They will most likely fight me for months but that's ok, at least I know I have a chance of getting it in the end.

It's hard to deal with the depression and it has gotten worse since losing bill. I honestly believe though that this is my only chance of seeing some improvement but I know also not to believe that it will work for sure. My Dr. is preparing me for anything that I might run up on mentally.

I just wanted to share my good news. It might not happen but I'm hopeful.
Ada