Yes it is very easy to get cocky and do more than I should just because tDCS has given me some quality of life back.

You keep up the hard work too!!!!! I am so happy that you and James are making such good progress!!!

Remission for us someday!!!!

Unfortunately my take on doctors and tDCS is that patients are going to get their own equipment and treat themselves before most doctors will offer. Just think what will happen to lucrative pain management practices and spinal cord stim revenues if and when tDCS takes off. (which I believe will happen within the next few years.) Patients like me will not wait for the medical profession to promote, to provide or to give permission in the way of scripts for the treatment. My hunch is that college kids will lead the charge rather than chronic pain patients, using the devices for learning and memory. I predict that they will routinely pack a tDCS device with their i pads.

I can't wait until tDCS wipes out the Spinal Cord Stim business as it pertains to CRPS patients. I become ill every time I hear of another failure case like James.

Better day are ahead for all of us.

CRPSjames & ballerina:

Would you 2 tdcs “positive responders “ (for lack of a better term) be kind enough to post another description of the locations you are using for your anode and cathode?

It would be useful to have it listed in the EEG coordinates or some other manner that allows others of us to accurately do a trial using those locations.

I have tried 3 ten-day trials & have had no symptomatic improvement whatsoever, but each of the trials have caused some significant sleep disturbances… so something is happening. I've been on a weeklong reprieve and I am about to start another trial.

The 1st trial I used what I thought was the location that ballerina (motor cortex and S2) is using, the 2nd trial was more oriented upward towards C-3 trial was at C-3 -and a little higher on the head also……


If you feel more comfortable PM’ing me, fine with me.

voner

Hi Voner,

I an very sorry you have not received any relief. I have used the electrode placements you have used and had the best response to M1 S2. I am currently trying a new placement but have no track record yet.

I am no expert but I offer the following. I did extensive research on tDCS and my areas of pain. I also visited and/or consulted with the three leading places in the US as regards tDCS and my area of pain. This process might be useful for you. I also vaguely remember that you rigged your own electrode parts. Don't know if this could be a factor.

The description of my M1 S1 is listed in this thread. Please send me a pm if it is not clear. I am not always as clear as I could be.

The fact that your sleep is being disturbed is not great but you are right-something is happening.

I would not give up yet.

ballerina:

thanks for the response and suggestions. I'm certainly open to hearing anything.

your statement about my set up is a good one -- I've tested my set up with multimeter is, etc. -- and that all is working properly.

the part that confuses me -- I get sleep disturbance -- which kind of indicates that maybe I'm too far forward towards the forehead in my electrode placement (i.e. near or on the DPLFC - which is reported in many research papers to disturb sleep) -- but then when I measure - that's not what the measurements indicate.....

/////////

Dear Voner,

A thought has crossed my mind which may or may not have any relevance
but in your post you mentioned despite your hunch you might be placing the
electrodes in the wrong area your measurements would suggest you are not.
My question is since everyone is different which includes our anatomy then
is it possible certain parts of your brain may not be placed in what is
usually considered the norm?

Regardless, hang in there.
Joydee

Ha...this made me laugh. I've had the same thought before and it was followed up with the thought that, "Great...just one more thing about me that's not quite right." Lol.

But it's a valid point...maybe try adjusting the electrode placement slightly and see if it helps. Not like it's going to hurt you and if the sleep disturbances stop then you have your answer and measurements be darned.

TDCS with DC waveform i also find some study where use theta-TDCS to cause a change in brain rythm.May it can be posible use similar apoach in the CRPS to restore a natural barinwave pattern in cortex area.But this need litle more advanced device capable to deliver specific waveform (similar to CES but with dirrect current may can be used porgramable CES device with diode to block lower part of wave).I try to build it with MP3 player and few other parts.

Just a little update on my own progress with the tDCS treatments. I've been doing this new protocol for 2 weeks now and I am very happy with the progress. The reduction in the pain has been consistent in my hands and arms (went from a 6-8 normally down to I would say a 4-6) and the allydonia (in my hands and arms) is also greatly reduced. I am wearing the gloves less and less (though I still keep them with me all the time just in case) and I also haven't been having the freezing/stiffness in them at all for the past week and a half.

Now...I did have what COULD have been a very bad setback a couple days ago. I was riding in the car, we were stopped at a stop sign...and we got rear ended. Oh my lord...that jolt! I thought I was going to die. I had a very similar experience with a jolt like that in the car last year and it sent me into a flare for a week. Well...as the day went on the pain got worse, started in my back and neck, went to my shoulders and down my arms. My back and neck were so stiff and in so much pain I could not even turn them at all. When we got home I set to work, pulling out the heating pads (one for my neck, one for my back), attached some lidoderm patches (one to each forearm), and plopped myself down in front of a spaceheater for a good hour until I felt like I could was getting the range of motion back in my neck and body. My ankle...surprisingly didn't seem affected by the accident this time but I had the TENS unit on at the time pretty high...and it was my back that got REALLY jolted against the back of the seat.

Anyway...followed all this up with a hot bath with epsom salts at the end of the night and ultrasound therapy on my arms and shoulders. The next morning I took another hot bath with epsom salts and just did the normal routine that I start every day with and aside from a slight ache in my back still...the pain was essentially at normal levels. I couldn't believe it...I was on edge all day waiting for the flare to hit me again...but it didn't. I continued all my normal stuff throughout the day and this morning I feel completely back to "normal". I am amazed. I definitely feel that this is related to the tDCS treatments because before the smallest things could cause flares and something like this really would have lasted a week or so. But it didn't. Just a couple of hours really of the bad intense flare (swelling, pain, temp changes, etc) and with just pulling out my "flare kit" and responding to it with all my normal stuff it just melted away. And the achiness the next day was likely not really related to the RSD at all but more just stiffness from the actual accident itself.

So yay for tDCS and dodging a bullet with this flare. I was so scared that this would set me back a lot but instead I am free to keep plugging along as usual and working on all the things that I am trying to accomplish. Hope this can give everyone some hope. I'm going to continue using this protocol and look forward to hopefully more improvements in the future.

Take care everyone.