Hi Iguanabill,

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly. It sounds as if your wife is not going to respond to this protocol. I had a moderately good response to anodal stimulation of the motor cortex (c3) but many people don't and assume that they are not responders to tDCS.

I have had a better response to anodal stimulation of the motor cortex and secondary somatosensory cortices (M1 and S2.)

To place the electrodes for this protocol place the anode (red) over the auditory canal, just above the ear (contralateral to painful limb.) Be sure the top of the ear does not become caught under the electrode. Ditto for hair. Place the cathode (black) above the opposite eye.

Additionally, the literature suggests five days on and two days off, but I believe the primary reason is that researchers don't work on weekends. I go straight through with treatment twice a day, twenty minutes each until I plateau in terms of relief. I am still working out a booster protocol that works well for me. I will post when I have tweaked it.

I am also experimenting with additional protocols. Will report on successes and failures for the benefit of all.

Hope your wife gets some relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi sberube,

What a good idea!!! Happily, since I am camera shy, there is already a good one out there. Please see the following:
http://www.neuromodulationlab.org/in...=13&Itemid=70#

Hope this helps!!!!!

Thanks Iguanabill and Voner,

I had forgotten that the adaptors were separate from the electrodes. Please forgive me all!

Wow Voner!!! Very cool!

I am so glad that I finally have some company. We won't be alone for long since tDCS has so many applications from treatment resistant depression to enhancing memory. I predict that college student will very soon be routinely taking these devises to college!

Hi lovefamilypets,

Food for thought:

TMS has a long history of success with treatment depression. tDCS, however, is more effective for chronic pain, is portable, cheap and carries no risk of seizure as does TMS. It sounds like your doc is not familiar with the application of TMS for chronic pain. If so you will, in effect, be paying for his training. I believe TMS for depression is not routinely covered by many insurances. Definitely not covered for the treatment of chronic pain.

You would save yourself lots of money by trying tDCS yourself.

Just my humble opinion.

Just a quick update on my progress with tDCS.

Today I walked outside for about a mile! I don't remember how many years it has been since I did that! It was a challenge and I had to rest and use my service dog for balance but I did it!!!! This time last year I could not even leave a small heated room let alone go outside. Even if I had been able to go outside my joint pain was so severe that I would be lucky to make it to the driveway.

I am still working to get off all meds (with the exception of LowDose Naltrexone and adderall.) I want to get off of Trazadone at bedtime since I am concerned about continued tooth decay. ( I am down to 25mg.) Quite an accomplishment!!! (I still take a laundry list of supplements which I will continue to take)

I have oxycodone for breakthrough nasty flares but have only used one pill in the last two months.

I am thrilled to report that my claw hand has not returned! I still have weakness but I am working very hard on strength and flexibility. (Still don't trust holding a glass or knife in that hand)

I am strictly adhering to anti infalm diet. (Now that the holidays are over it is much easier)

Although I did not have clinical depression I do feel more chirpy than I have in years.

Although I am very grateful for my improvement I admit to being a bit greedy. Thus I will be experimenting with longer periods of treatment as well as additional protocols.

Hope this helps someone else!!!!!!!

So very happy that things are going so well for you. I know what you mean about being greedy. Now that I can do a little I want to do EVERYTHING and have to remember that I still have limits so that I don't have setbacks. It's very frustrating when you can't do something you want to do but those are the times I remind myself how far I have come in the past few months.

You success has really inspired me and I will definitely be discussing tDCS with my doctor at my next appointment on Feb 10th. I think she will be very excited by this treatment and I know that I am personally very willing to do what it takes to make my quality of life the best it can possibly be.

Hi sberube,

What a good idea! Happily for me since I am camera shy, it has already been done. Please see below
http://www.neuromodulationlab.org/in...=13&Itemid=70#

I have to agree with ballerina's remarks above; when one reads the literature, tDCS seems to have a stronger evidenciary basis for efficacy than rTMS. We blew over $25,000 on two separate facilities giving my wife rTMS. She didn't respond well. Part of the problem for her, however, was that she had to sit on her bum during the treatment (there is no getting around this), which is her most painful area. The treatment seemed unable to overcome the insult of additional pain provoked by sitting.

The first treatment targeted her left prefontal cortex area, where they ordinarily treat depression. The second, with Dr. Sheldon Jordan in Santa Monica, CA, whom we greatly admire and dearly appreciate, targeted both the depression area and her right (contralateral to her worst pain) secondary somatosensory cortex. He reasoned that most alternative brain regions lack "memory;" that is, deep brain stimulation, for example, only works when stimulation is continuous, but fails as soon as the signal is turned off. He believed that the secondary somatosensory cortex had sufficient memory to "remember" the change in activity well beyond the end of the treatment. I thought the idea was brilliant. My wife's brain was indifferent, however. After both series of treatments, we had to return to the one treatment that seemed to help her condition the most: electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). She really hated ECT, but it's very effective brain stimulation and, because our insurance covered it, we were able to use her retirement funds for other (largely futile) options.

I like this idea, ballerina, as it reminds me of Dr. Jordan's approach. The secondary somatosensory cortex is deeper, but I imagine your electrode position just above the ear allows the current to penetrate it. Very interesting. Will definitely try this. However, unless one shaves, it's inevitable that hair will be under the electrode, so I'm confused by your comment. And for other readers, what ballerina surely meant was that the cathode (black) electrode is placed above (not over) the opposite eye. One thing to be careful about, I've read, is to keep the electrode well above the eye.

While we're dealing with brain stimulation, I know there are a LOT of pain patients who benefit remarkably from Calmare's electrostimulation device (with Scrambler technology). For this, multiple electrodes are placed surrounding, but not on top of, the most painful area. The stimulation supposedly travels to the brain, sending a "this is not painful after all" signal that changes the brain. It's also quite inexpensive, and you should know after the first treatment (though not in all cases) whether you are going to respond.

You can learn more at www.calmarett.com (I can now post links!). We had 9 treatments at the St. George, Utah, facility ($150 each) before Thanksgiving break. Again, my wife was a non-responder <sigh>. But, a lady from San Diego with severe total body CRPS, including a clenched hand like ballerina's, goes up regularly for treatments, as she can get her pain to a ZERO for several weeks following the treatments. We met several other patients who respond incredibly well. The treatment really does work.

Wow Iguanabill,

I am so very sorry for the numerous treatment failures your wife and you have endured. I so hope that you both find success with tDCS. At least you can try different protocols in the comfort of your home without breaking the bank.

I apologize for the confusion regarding hair impeding the electrode. When using this particular electrode placement close, direct contact with the scalp can easily be impeded if the top of the ear becomes lodged under the edge of the electrode when being wrapped with ace bandages. For some reason, my hair easily becomes lodged under the electrode or above my ear just under the edge of the electrode. Since I do my treatments without assistance, and have limited range of motion in my right arm, this might be more of a problem for me than for others.

Thanks for the clarification regarding cathode placement-so corrected in my prior post-above the eye.

I am keeping your wife in my prayers that tDCS gives her the kind of relief I have found!!!!!!!!!!