Thanks for the help Catra121. Do you happen to use the Amrex sponge electrodes? If so, after using them what kind of maintaince care do you perform on them? Is it alright for me to just rinse them out with regular tap water and let them air dry? Or should I take the sponges out from the plastic housing and then wash and dry them?

I just let them air dry. They seem to have held up really well. I bought several extra sponges but I am still using the same ones I did when I started.

Hi. Your advise, while appropriate, is however specific to the use of "the protocol."

My use is under the supervision of a "medical psychiatrist," essentially an "interventional psychiatrist." (Although now largely a psycho-pharmacologist, he had put in his time as an editor of J ECT a number of years ago.) And before I had met Dr. Fugedy, my psychiatrist had started me out at 3 mA over 20 minutes on the dominant motor cortex: for a total dose of 60 mA x min. On my own, I increased the dose to 4 mA over the same period of time, and in short order had pronounced remission of my most frustrating manifestations of sympathetic dysfunction: myocardial small vessel constriction, which, after causing me non-specific acute chest pain for perhaps 5 - 6 years, had (1) shown up for the last couple of years on MRI cardiac profusion studies and (2) after having been previously responsive to nitroglycerin tablets had recently become "refractory" to nitro, on account of which I had been briefly admitted to a local hospital through the ER in late March for acute chest pain even though it was clear by that point - following a 12-hour troponin study - that I wasn't having an MI, until a cardiologist could read an ultrasound study to determine that my aorta was okay, whereupon I was discharged.

But the problem remained: based on my symptoms there was no way anyone could rule out an MI in the event of future acute chest pain, which seemed to foretell a number of 12+ hour trips to the local ER.

So enter tDCS and the chest pain - along with some pretty significant edema in my ankles - vanished!

But about a month later I saw Dr. Fugedy, who while expanding to domain of stimulation to include my dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex [at F-3] in an attempt to off-set some of the cognitive effects of CRPS, pulled my back to 2 mA all the way around because that was the dose level on which the safety studies had been run. The only problem was that the chest pain and edema returned almost immediately. So with the blessing of my local doctor I increased the dose back to 4 mA over 20 minutes - or a total dose of 80 - while keeping the power level in front at 2 mA, where it seemed to be working just fine.

All that was well and good until about a week ago, when both the chest pain and the edema suddenly returned. I had the thought of possibly switching the motor cortex stimulation to the other hemisphere, but wanted to confirm that with my doctor, who was in total agreement, suggesting that I had developed an "accommodation" to stimulation at M-1. So I switched to M-2, still at 4 mA, and both issues resolved at once.

Bottom line: there was a reason why I personally held out on tDCS until I could use it under the supervision of a physician with some real understanding of neuro-physiology. This way, when the evidence indicates that "the protocol" isn't working for me, I am far more comfortable in bringing modifications to bear. In this case, doubling the suggested dose.

But having stuck my neck out, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

For what it's worth . . .

Mike

That is all very good to know, Mike. I have to admit that it never would have even occurred to me to increase the dosage. I agree that it shouldn't be done without the supervision of a doctor...but I am glad to know that it has been working for you. I still get chest pains but they are MUCH less frequent than they were and only come now along with a really bad pain flare (which are also much less frequent now).

Hi,

Thank you for sharing. I have a lot of questions but a little pressed for
time right now so I will say more later. As usual your posts always
deliver with thought provoking information. Meanwhile good luck in
your continued use with TDCS.

Hello all,

I've been watching this space with great interest after reading about the use of tDCS for depression and cognitive dysfunction. After much research I have purchases the ActivaDose and associated bits and pieces and am experimenting with tDCS on F3 and Fpz (cathode).

I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to ballerina, catra121 and everyone else who has posted here, as I would have been unable to treat myself using this device in Australia if I had not have been lucky enough to come across this forum. I hope that you all find a solution that works for you - and if anyone has any questions about tDCS protocol feel free to get in touch. Though having said that I am experimenting with it as a treatment for depression and am not familiar with its use for treating chronic pain.

Thanks again and good luck everyone.

Hi,

Welcome, to the site and the best of luck to you on your journey with TDCS.
Although the conditions being treated may differ in name some of the electrode placements will be the same. For example my daughter used
the F3 placement for the emotional pain from RSD, another member of this
site used it to restore cognitive functioning. I had noted during the period
my daughter was treating she had less difficulty if finding the right words to use during conversations.

Please don't be shy about sharing your experiences. We would all love to
hear from you. There is every reason to expect better things when it comes
to TDCS, newer protocols are being worked on, newer types of units which
solve some of the problems with the traditional units etc.

Thanks Joydee for the encouraging reply! It was really nice to hear from you. I've had a lot of success with the protocol I have been doing for the past month. I put the anode at F3 and the cathode just above my right eyebrow, for 20 minutes, 2mA, 5 days per week.

I've noticed a remission in my depression, equivalent to what I have experienced with antidepressants, but without any of the awful side effects.

I've also noticed that I think much more clearly and I seem to find words much easier. I used to talk very slowly - now I'm able to talk at the rate of a normal person.

Happy to hear others's stories and grateful to those of you who've shared thus far!

I am amazed by this thread! I have not heard of this treatment before, so immediately had to search for research articles. This one from NIH states that the results are "promising". I'll have to have a talk with my PM about it. Thanks for all the info!

NIH article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336445

Aloha,
Jenny

That is GREAT news! I am so happy to hear that you are having success with tDCS.