Hi Deb,

I am so sorry you have not felt a reaction to TDCS but please keep
Trying and keep in mind there are other protocals to try. I don't
know what the stats are but unlikely a person responds to every
protocal.

:hug:Joydee

Hang in there Deb. When I get frustrated I try to focus on what I do have and can do instead of what is not going well. When I was in a wheelchair I had many a dark day.

When ever I caught myself saying or thinking "nothing works for me" I knew I had to immediately change my thinking. Changing your thinking can make a big difference in how you manage your illness.

For instance, it is wonderful that you can still work. Try to focus on the things you are able to do and add new small challenges each day. The tDCS is currently not providing you relief. That does not mean that it won't eventually work. Additionally, you have the best doc available to treat you with it.

Please don't loose hope. I just bet that your doc has some additional tricks up his sleeve if the current course of treatment does not yield improvements.

How are you doing Mike?
 

Hey there Mike. Hope your computer issues are cleared up by now.

Please tell us how things are going with your tDCS treatments. Could you share what you did to tame the edema beast?

What equipment issues did you have with the tDCS and how did you fix it?

Please don't be a stranger. I love hanging out with the ladies but sure would like some feedback from another guy!

Hope you are having continued success with your tDCS treatments.

Need a little clarification on electrode placement
 

I have assembled all the necessary equipment and have been using the tdcs treatment for about a week. I have read through this thread at least 3 times and am still a tiny bit confused if I am doing the electrode placement correctly.

I want to treat my right foot. From what I can see on the homunculus images, that area is rather high up on my head. So rather than placing the anode (the positive red) electrode just above my ear, I am assuming I should place the electrode towards the top of my head. Is this correct?

Also my main confusion is what side of the head to put the anode on if I am trying to treat my right foot. I have been placing it on the right side of my head with the cathode above my left eye but I have a feeling I am doing this backwards. Should I be treating my right foot by placing the anode on the left side of my head?

I do plan on trying both hemispheres- 2 weeks with the anode on one side and 2 weeks with the anode on the other side- once I see some results. This is because I have milder symptoms on my left side as well.

Any clarification is much appreciated.

I think...and someone please correct me if I am wrong...that you want the anode on the left side if you are treating your right side. It should be the opposite of the side you are treating.

I am a little confused. How are you determining where on you head you are placing the electrodes, right or left not with standng?

I checked out the homunculus charts and saw that the feet were to the top of the head. Knowing that the pads are 3" wide and there is some leeway in positioning, I positioned the anode according to the measurements I saw on one of the posted videos- about an inch in front of the midline (from ear to ear) and about 2" above the ear- not right above the ear.

I know you recommended actually visiting Dr. Fugedy but I'm trying to save what reserve money I have to put towards possible Ketamine infusions. Since I'm relatively new to this disease, I'm trying to hit it as hard and as fast as I can.

Changing protocol
 

Spoke to fugedy and we r trying the occipital bone and opposite side of head on the motor corteX. he wants me to wait til Friday ...hope it helps!

Deb

I will keep my fingers crossed for you Deb...hope this one shows some positive results!

BTW...my first day of work yesterday went REALLY well. I think I really lucked out and got placed with an excellent team of people. I am probably over-prepping with all the stuff I am doing to get ready for work in anticipation of elevated pain levels but I figure it's better to be over prepared than not prepared enough, right?

Hi Deb,

Good luck on the new placement. :hug:

Hi,

Good news to brighten my day. Hope the good days keep on coming
for you. :hug:

Mike is still having computer issues. I'll let him know you are asking for him.

So...yesterday was day 2 at work and today I have the day off. Yesterday was a very physical day for me. I was there for 10 hours and on my feet 100% of that time. I was moving shelves around, moving product, putting a lot of product out to the floor from the stockroom, helping customers, etc. The only breaks I took were to use the bathroom and to get something to drink a couple of times. By the last couple of hours I started to feel the pain and by the time I made it home after my 1 hour commute I was definitely in a full blown flare with my ankle and could hardly walk. BUT...I was grinning ear to ear...I was so happy. Today the pain flare is already gone and all I have in addition to me normal pain levels is soreness (which I expect I will have for the first month or two until my body adjusts to these sorts of activity levels).

I definitely think all of my "suiting up" for work paid off yesterday. I wore lidoderm patches on both knees and both forearms and I had my TENS unit on my ankle. My arms swelled up pretty bad yesterday (which they didn't do the first day...but that was mostly spent in the office)...but there was no pain flare in my arms last night...just the swelling. My ankle got a lidoderm patch on it after I got home and a heating patch. Definitely experienced a flare there but by the time I woke up this morning that was gone. I still got 8 hours total of sleep...though I did wake up several times during the night in pain...but fell back asleep pretty quickly each time.

I was still able to do 2 tdcs treatments each day for my first two days of work and should be able to for the next two days too. I'm off today (definitely a good thing with the soreness) and tomorrow is a meeting so that will give me an extra day to rest up with less physical activity. Friday will probably be another project day but then on the weekend it will be no projects (though I will be on my feet all day probably). This weekend though I don't think I will be able to do two treatments...probably just one each day. But I'm going to keep at it because I honestly think that tDCS is the only reason the pain flares are so minimal given the amount of activity.

But today it's all about the soreness...and I cannot express to you my joy despite tha pain. I can still do it...I still got it. I will be able to figure out ways to make it work and more than anything I am just so happy to be working with a great team of people. The more time I spend working with different people and talking with them about the business the more I feel like this is really a place that I will fit in well as part of the team. I feel very very blessed and lucky right now.

You are an inspiration to me!!! I don't know how you and others on this board do this. I have trouble finding enough time in the day to do drs. visits, aquatherapy, tdcs, organize my medicines, overcome my fatique, and TRY to keep up with my life.

Hi,

Great news Catra. You say you felt Joy. Let me say this. you are a "Joy "
and in reading your account of yesterday with tne hours and being on
your feet 100 percent of the time you even sound a lot like " super girl" .
but also please take care of yourself. :hug:

Joydee
 

So tell us how the trip went for your dtr. How did she like Doc Fugedy? Did she get a treatment while she was there? Does she understand the treatment and instructions? I hope it wasn't too overwhelming. I'm sure she'll do well and rest assured we're all pulling for her as well as ourselves. We want to put a major whole in the process of this disease and imagine the impact we'd have on the rest of the RSD community if we all had some major improvement.

I did talk to doc and he's changing the protocol this friday. Wants me and Deb to take a few days off of treatment. Guess he thinks we've fried our brains. LOL. We'll hang in there and keep our fingers and toes crossed. Hope your daughter is doing well and you got plenty of rest over the w/e. OOps, forgot you got to take care of the kids. No rest for the weary. Luv Ya:grouphug:

Hi,

Where do I start? Yes both my husband and daughter had a favorable
impression of Doc Fugedy. While she was there she was having a migraine
headache. Of particular note, I had read somewhere in research, migraine
headaches put one at risk for CRPS and indeed prior to her surgery which
led to CRPS she was taking Topomax for migrane headaches. Suffice it
to say the Doc gave her two treatments. One protocal for the CRPS and
one for the migraine headache. Until she speaks with the Doc she is
uncertain as to wheather she is supposed to do both protocals or just
the one for CRPS. Thus far she is doing only the one, for CRPS.

She was treated on Saturday, flew home on Sunday was so exhausted
she did not treat on Sunday but started on Monday. She is having some
problems, she and the Doc are currently playing phone tag. The problem
seems to revolve around burning. From the feedback I have recieved if
indeed I have understood the feedback it would appear the treatment
would tend to work better without Saline solution. By this I mean only
water. Conversley if I am understanding correctly from other souces, most
people have burning issues. I consulted with ballerina who shared with
me a weak saline solution and did make up a batch for her which is has
used. Again she and the Doc are playing phone Tag or more recorrect
E-mail tag. At one point she believes he called while she as giving herself
a treament but feared to use the telephone while using and electrical devise.

She did turn the current down due to the burning but the Doc had covered
that. She thinks she will need to use the full strengh saline solution. I
suppose that is the question. To Saline or not to Saline, but hopefully over
time she will make an adjustment and can at least at one point alternate with
saline and not saline.

It has only been three days of course and now having to turn down the current this may have an effect when it comes to seeing if she is responding
etc. She will know more when she and the Doc touch base. She has
adopted a visual aid while she is doing the treatments which in essense
is she is visualizing healing energies are passing into her head. Since thoughts are things and have power, I think she instincts are a good thing.
Wiill report more to the group when more is known. Luv you all back:hug:

Joydee, burning from tDCS
 

So glad she's accomplished this so far. I know about the burning also. But, I can tell you I use both. I dampen the sponges first with water. Then since they are not wet enough I have a saline spray can I then add saline to the sponge to get the right dampness. They of course leak as you place them on with pressure but I keep a small towel around my neck to catch the drops. I also get the burning and tingeling but I assume that's from it not being wet enough. Then if it's too painful, Doc has Debbie doing less power at a 1.0 and run for 40 minutes so you get the same power. So keep that in mind if she can't reach Doc. I had never heard that there was a problem with using saline. I know Doc said he started with saline but has accepted water is just as useful. Also the tightness of the head band she's using may play a part in the burning. Cut it back until she reaches tolerance level. Hope this was helpful. Three cheers for your daughter she's on the right track.

Hi,

Thank you for your response. To date I have not been able to be present
during treatment times due to a conflicting schedule but I had mixed a weak
saline solution for her at one point then a mixture according to the instructions from the Doc. She said she had a better outcome. She has
in fact been able to turn the current up to the orginal setting. She has
also changed treatment time since the time she had was her more active
time of the day and it was difficult for her to add more tasks.

Of particular note, while this may be just meaningful chance. She mentioned
the treatment made her sleepy. She feel asleep during the treatment. This
may turn out to be a one time event or it could mean the treatment is having
an effect on one of her major problems which is insombia.

Question? You say you have a saline spay in which you spray onto the pads
after you had wetted them with water. Would my understanding be correct
to assume the additional saline spray is one which comes from a pharmacy
or is it one you have mixed. :hug:

Saline spray
 

It is in a spray can from a pharmacy I think. I use a Rite Aid pharmacy. I bought it awhile ago to have on hand if I needed it to clean a wound for my grandson. So when this came along I found it handy to keep with the tDCS unit so if I needed to add more liquid I had it without having to get up to get water. I don't know if I'm doing anything wrong by mixing water and the saline. I never heard there was any reason not to use saline. I find doing treatment in the evening so much easier. It's the best time to do it when the day is done and there's no pressure to get something else done. Just turn off the rest of the day and sit and relax. I do it when there's a program on tv I like to watch. Sitting and relaxing for your daughter is probably why she falls asleep. If she's not watching tv and she's meditating she's got to be doing the best possible plan for the tDCS to do it's job. Lots of luck to her and your family.

Hampster, you brought up an interesting topic that I've been concerned with. Since tdcs is also used to deliver medicines in the same manner we are using it, I read the label on all of the over-the-counter types of saline solutions. The spray saline, the eye drop saline, and the nasal saline all have a number of other ingredients in them including various preservatives. I did not buy any of them because I didn't want any of the other ingredients passing into my body.

I spoke with the pharmacist about this. He told me that in order to get pure saline- the kind used for wound irrigation or the kind used in IVs- I would have to get a prescription. I protested about this knowing that normal saline is just water and salt. He said that was state law. I asked if he, as a pharmacist, could prescribe it for me. He said in the state I live in, pharmacists aren't allowed to prescribe anything. In other states, pharmacists can prescribe. (I'm getting used to frustration.)

So my dear husband, quite on his own, found unadulterated saline (the kind I would have needed a prescription for at the pharmacy) on Amazon. I ordered it up without any difficulties.

I don't know if all of the preservatives should be a concern but I assume that is one of the reasons the medical field uses the saline that does not have the additional ingredients on patient's open wounds.

Don't know if I'm making unreasonable assumptions but I figure if it's my brain I'm working with, I'd better be extra careful. That's also why I don't use my tap water because it comes from the well and I'm not sure what's in it (our area is known for high levels of arsenic).

Perhaps I'm being overly cautious...

Reluctant
 

Yikes... I had no idea life had to be so complicated when it comes to water. I guess we all better get the right recipe and make our own. Great idea getting it on Amazon, that's my route at this point. Thanks for making me think about it, I guess those added ingredients can play a major role. Have you had any improvement in the use of the tDCS? I have a new protocol to start using. Lets see if my left brain cooperates.

I'm not sure if the extra ingredients make any difference but I'd rather err on the safe side than take a chance with my brain.

Now that I'm placing the electores on the correct areas (one of my duh moments), I'm not sure if my improvement is related to the tdcs treatment or weather. Overall, I definitely feel better. I'm waiting to draw conclusions until the next major storm or barometer change. That's what I've been having great problems with.

I hope you're new protocol and left brain cooperate.

This is encouraging! Are you keeping any kind of a pain journal to track your progress as you go through the tDCS treatments? I found this very helpful is assessing how I was doing through the tDCS process. Even when I got flares during weather changes, they were less severe and lasted a shorter period of time. I wouldn't have really noticed some of those changes if I hadn't been tracking them and writing things down. I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is just the first small sign of great things to come.

Well...I survived my first week of work! Yay!!

I was pretty much too tired and sore after each work day to really DO anything but that seems to be fading a little. When I got home yesterday I actually made dinner...so I had enough energy for that. I'm a little sore this morning but nothing like I was last week after my second day and I was just as active today at work as I was then. So far I have been able to do all the different tasks and work in all of my different departments without any trouble. And...again...the team of people I am working with really are wonderful so I am thrilled at how everything has worked out.

The only bad thing at all really is that I have had a terrible cold since Friday. I have today and tomorrow off work so I plan to get some rest and try to recover from this thing so that I'm refreshed and ready to go on Thursday. Also...since the cold started I have noticed some additional swelling in my arms and ankle...but between the TENS on my ankle and the lidoderm patches on my arms I have surprisingly not gone into any really bad pain flares despite the swelling. It's a real pain in the backside to get ready in the morning and "suit up" but clearly it has been working out.

Oh...and did I mention I did a couple of customer carry outs over the weekend? Carried a vacuum and a steam cleaner out for a couple of customers out to their cars. By carried I mean I lifted the things, put them on my walker, and ROLLED them out to the car...but hey...it works, right? Go me...

Catra
 

You are such an inspiration to follow on this thread. Keep up the great work and let us always know how you are. Question for you, did you ever find any problems with tDCS whether you used water or saline to treat? I assume you are still using the treatment but where do you place pads at this point? We all want to be in as good a shape as you are someday. Love to read about your days. Have a great day Thur. and let it be pain free. :)

I am currenty using the M1 and S2 protocol: cathode over right eye and anode over left ear. Every other week I switch it so that the cathode is over my left eye and anode over my right ear. I do this because I have RSD on both sides of my upper body and I have noticed improvement on both sides.

As far as saline...I just used what I got at the pharmacy. I might try it with just water given the above discussion but I've never noticed any issues with it. I do make sure the sponges are thoroughly soaked though...so except for the first few times I didn't have any issues with burning or anything either. I feel like once I got the hang of it, it all feels like second nature now. I feel lucky that the second electrode placement worked out so well for me.

Also...so far I have still been able to do two treatments a day but Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I will be working the closing shifts (2pm-11pm) so I think I will only be able to do one on those days. I don't expect it will set back treatment at all...but I will let you guys know if I experience any difficulties with the change in treatment schedule.

I am so blessed. I hope to be back to work in the near future. I have been spending just about eight hours a day conditioning myself.

Now that tDCS has eliminated some of the symptoms that landed me in the wheelchair I have been building up my strength and tolerance for activity. I never would have believed this last January, but now I am tending a vegetable garden!!!!!!!!! Last week I transplanted some sun flowers that I had started in small pots. About 75 of them. I have planted them everywhere I find a space. Sunflowers are so cheerful and tenacious, and start out small but persistently quickly grow despite the heat and scorching sun. They represent my journey from recovering from the devastation cause in my body by the Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulator. Most people do not recover from spinal cord stimulator induced spreads of neuropathic pain and in fact, they become worse over time, losing more function.

Although I would not recommend a spinal cord stimulator to anyone who suffers from CRPS due to the high risk of spread tDCS may be an effective treatment for those CRPS folks who have had developed spreads from stimulators.

My family thinks I am a little nuts. At a family cookout I was being quizzed about why I didn't just plant four or five sunflowers. Didn't want to go there with the whole family so I just said, "because that is how many seeds were in the packets, pass the potato salad please."

Everybody here knows why I did it. Right????????

I definitely get it! Sounds a lot like me...I've planted TONS of flowers this year and love walking out into the backyard and on the deck and seeing all the pretty, cheery flowers everywhere. My boyfriend gets it too...but he still laughs and teases me. I have all sorts of grand plans for the back yard and how I want to make MORE flower beds. I even bought a perennial garden book for Illinois and have started plotting out what I want to do next year.

I'm so happy to hear that things are going so well for you James. I think you are doing the smart thing trying to condition yourself with the activities before jumping right into the working. That's what I tried to do while I was off when they wouldn't let me back at first and I think that things worked out better for me because of it. If I had just gone back right away I don't think things would be going as good as they are right now. I tried my best to simulate the activities I do at work...but of course there's only so much you can do when you aren't actually AT work. Still...thanks to the conditioning and the work I did to build up my endurance I really haven't had any trouble being on my feet for 9-10 hours a day at work with little to no sitting during that time. Well...my feet were a little sore the first couple days but that was bound to happen...they've adjusted already.

I am so excited for you though. I'm doing a happy dance for you. Keep up the great work!

Catra & James
 

Kudos to you both. We just love hearing about the great strides you've made. You both deserve the tremendous improvement and feeling of pride in what you have accomplished. Great job. BUT, how is it possible that Deb and I have had no change what so ever? What are we doing wrong and what can we do to cause some kind of change? We're sticking with it and don't want to or plan to give up, but we are both very discouraged and disappointed. I guess we put so much hope into the treatment and are so hurt that it's not going like we envishioned. We're both thinking we're just not placing the pads correctly or not treating often enough or just using the wrong protocol. We're only on our second placement but is it the right one. Who knows? I'm even questioning do I use water or saline, is the placement tight enough. How critical is it having the pads in the exact spot? We are really at a loss and are keeping our fingers and toes crossed for the moment. I really am so happy for you both to have had the treatment work for you and you are able to make such changes in your life for the better. Goooo potatoe salad.:D

I would say that it's very possible that it will take longer for you to see the progress. As happy as I am about my improvement...I think it's important to remember that the greatest improvement in the pain was in areas that I had RSD for less than a year and it's only in the sensitivity. I still have the burning constant pain...but that just seems so much more bearable without the extreme sensitivity. Not that I want to minimize the success because I am so thrilled with it...but if you both have had RSD in the same area for a very long time then it may just take a while to see those sorts of results. The sleep is a big thing for me...but that took a couple of months before I saw any improvements. Fewer flares that last less time is another big thing but again...that took a while before I saw it.

I also think that for me it was easier to see some of the improvements with the pain because I am not taking any pills/meds to help with the pain other than the Lidoderm patches. I think if you are on lots of meds that have been keeping that pain level lower then maybe it would be harder to notice slight improvements. I don't know if this makes a difference or not but it could be another factor that impacts noticeable relief. I would say that my pain level now is normally around a 5-8 except when I get flares and then it's back up to that 9-10 level. If you already have something that is helping to relieve the pain then it might be harder to notice some of the changes because they might not seem as large.

As far as placements...I can't really address the questions there. I've been doing this all on my own so I couldn't even tell you if I am technically doing it right. I don't measure each and every time I place the electrodes...I just feel like I know the right spot from doing it for so long. Not very scientific of me but I figure if it's working then it's gotta be alright.

I would caution you and everyone else who is trying this to not stress out too much about the small details. Seriously...the more you stress and worry the more you're going to aggravate your RSD and possibly offset any improvements you might be having. We all know what stress can do to our RSD. I approached the whole thing as, "If it works, great. If not, then I'm no worse off than before." I was hopeful and optimistic but I never got myself too worried about whether I was placing the electrodes perfectly or whether I should use saline or something else or whether this protocol was the right one or if I should already be trying the next. I knew there were other protocols and IF it didn't work then I could switch (which I did) but I didn't stress about it.

And remember...even though I am back at work and all that...I am not 100% better. I still need to use the walker, I still have to suit up with lidoderm patches and all that before I go to work, I still have pain and balance problems. I still think of tDCS as a miracle and I continue to see improvements...but they're not always the ones that I might wish for. I would love more pain relief...but instead I am mostly seeing more sleep (which is awesome and I'm not complaining) and less flares (also awesome). James is seeing far more improvement in many areas than I am but he's also got a few months of treatment on me, as does ballerina of course.

So seriously...try not to stress out about all the small details and seeing improvements in the areas that you are looking for improvement. Give this new protocol a good shot and continue to be focused on your health. I was very involved in all my other treatments (physical therapy, hot baths in epsom salts, TENS, ultrasound, etc) all while I was doing the tDCS treatments. By pushing myself with those I was also able to see improvement. My pain wasn't really noticeably different sitting still on the couch. It was noticeable when I was pushing myself to DO stuff. If you can find other treatments or exercises to focus on instead of obessing over the tDCS details then maybe that will help. Take each day as it comes, track your progress, and hopefully you will start to see improvements in the coming months. And it might very well be months before you see noticeable changes so don't get discouraged if you don't see them right away.

Just my thoughts on everything...for what it's worth. I hope that you both see improvements soon but with tDCS it's the long term results that are most important.

Okay...time to get ready for work. I didn't get home last night until 2am from work and I'm afraid that it looks like tonight will be much the same. It's gonna be a long one...

Catra
 

Thank you sooooo much. You really did make a big difference. I will try to stress less and keep up the hopes of improvement. You really hit the nail on the head in covering all my displeasure. Your suggestion to focus on other activity goes a long way, and it does work because at times I am able to just turn off the pain mode and just push thru. By the way what do you do and where do you work? I don't think I remember you says what it is you do. It sounds exhausting and physically draining, how do you do it????? Again, thank you and I will keep you posted. :hug:

I'm an assistant store manager for a big box retail store. It is a very physical job and I am literally on my feet for 9+ hours a day and am lucky if I sit 30 minutes during that entire shift...usually just a minute or two at a time to check sales, email, etc. And that doesn't take into account the fixture moves, putting out product, etc which are all very taxing on me physically.

The good news is that in my 2 weeks now back at work I've been able to work in all of my departments and do projects and it seems to be going okay. I obviously have to do things differently since I need to use the walker but the important thing is that I can still DO them. I actually did a couple of "carry outs" for customers and "carried" their vacuums and steam cleaners to the car...by which I mean I put then on my walker and pushed them out there. I'm making it work. It's still frustrating because I was so much faster and could do things so much easier before...the walker is a real pain. But it is what it is. The more I do things, the more efficient I will get at doing them this new way.

I honestly don't really know how I am doing it...i just keep pushing through. I really love my job and what I do so that helps...and when I am working there are so many other things to focus on besides the pain that I really don't feel it until the drive home (it's an hour commute now for me).

I'm still playing with the best way to use the various treatments for work. I've been wearing the TENS all day at work but I've still been getting bad flares and swelling at the end of the day. Today I wore a lidoderm patch on my ankle instead and am wearing the TENS now that I amx home. This may be the better way to go. My pain levels are higher at work but with the lidoderm patches on I don't seem to go into those flares. I've been wearing them on my arms every day and they seem to help with the pain there. I don't know...I keep playing with it.

Yesterday and today were my first closing shifts since I've been back and both were unfortunately late nights where we didn't get out until 1am and 12:30am. So I'm pretty tired and I think my strategies for closing shifts, weekends, project days, and meeting days will all need to be a little different. Thankfully my body is adjusting to the physical activity well and after two weeks I'm not really feeling any soreness anymore and it's just the RSD that I'm dealing with.

Sorry...I tend to babble a bit this late at night...

Hi everybody,
I hope you are all progressing towards wellness. This is just a brief hello to say that I am back. You have all remained close to my hearts. This is a wonderful forum offering hope to those who thought it once impossible, including myself. I am very grateful for all Ballerina's work and her inspiring spirit which has spread through all of us. It has indeed kept me going through the most difficult times. God bless all and may healing come soon to every single one of you.
Warm regards, hope and peace,
Nick

not working
 

still not working for me...so depressing as I continue to deteriorate. I really need this to work!

Debbie

Please keep trying
 

Dear Debbie
Do not give up. We may not all be built exactly the same but we're all from the same factory, we're all human. Our individuality and the time course we've endured our conditions necessarily have a bearing on variables such as electrode positions, current density, length and frequency of treatment, etc.
I hope to apply tDCS for tinnitus. In the studies there are many individual factors why some respond and others don't. Maybe given the correct protocol, we are ALL responders, all healers. So maybe it is our task to try out different protocols until we hit the right one. There lies hope.

It would be interesting to learn what works for whom and for someone to tabulate the data as a cross-reference guide. My own experience has become more severe and gives me no choice but to give it a big try. How long have you been using tDCS, with what equipment and what protocols?
Please don't despair, the science is solid and I think we can all be responders,
no matter how resilient the condition appears to be.

Hi,

I agree with what Nick Allen said. As can be seen by fellow board
members who may have expected to hear how my daughter is coming
with her trial using TDCS nothing has been posted. This is due to
Murphy. Everyone knows Murphy, he or she is that hidden element which
seems to make things go wrong even when we humans try to make them
go right. It has been sixteen days since beginnig first protocal but
Murphy and his law has seen to it than nothing runs smooth. First of
all at consultation time my daughter suffered a migrane so Doc Fugedy
gave her two treatments, one designed for the headache and she
was to proceed with one protocal for her CRPS. Then she had some
problems with burning since the Doc first advised just water so she
started using Saline. However as treatments proceeded she kept
having headache,s. She E-mailed the Doc but both played E-mail tag
or phone tag, unsure if both.

In addition, I suppose despite the pain involved there is still humor.
I certainly got a chuckle out of my daughters account of what happened
during one E-mail to the Doc. She had typed out his name but was
using auto correct. She meant to say hello Doctor Fugedy but the
auto correct changed what she typed to "digest" so the E-mail said
Hello Dr. Digest. My daugther quicky sent anorher E-mail explaining
the error to the Doc but when my daugter shared with me the event
I could not help but wonder if when the good Doc first looked and
the E-maill if he thought to himself. I am not a Gastro Doc, rather
a PM Doc.

Of course due to the continued headaches the Doc then reasoned
in light of the problems it might be a good Idea for now to use the
migrane protocal if I am understanding correctly but over one week
end my daughter and the rest of the family went to a family reunion
in the park and since she was out in the sun for hours had a sun burn
on her head so took a couple days off. She has resummed with
the new protocal but with all the delays and dealing with Murphy
it is much to soon to tell anything at this point in time. I however
continue to have faith in the possibilites presnted with TDCS and
complety agree with Nick Allen. My prayer is that everyone will
be responders to TCDS at some future point in time. :hug:to all.

That does sound like a lot of craziness getting in the way. I'm sorry to hear that she's been having these terrible migraines. I had AWFUL headaches last year and nothing the doctors tried worked until I was put on the clonidine patches. That still didn't help much with the headaches exactly but it stopped the blurry vision, dizziness, etc which were just making the situation unbearable. They've actually gotten better over the past few months but just started getting them again lately. I would guess that it's the increased activity and pain levels with working...though it could just be the customers too...lol!

I keep praying for your success Debbie. Keep at it...

At work yesterday I had the oddest thing cause my hand to flare and freeze up on me (I literally had to pull my fingers apart with the other hand)...dusting. It was "dusty thursday" and everyone in the store is supposed to dust while they are working. I was the opening manager so I had a swiffer duster and was dusting all the fixtures at the front of the store...guess it was too much for me. Lifting vacuums...fine. Dusting...not so much. RSD is so odd...