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

Debbie

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. 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...

its possible it was a muscle cramp.. in that case stretching would help.. ( ill keep my fingers crossed that , that is the issue...soft hugs

Unfortunately not a cramp. This happens to me a lot in the past year if I immobilize my hands or arms at all...even if it's just having them in the same position without moving or stretching them (like me holding the duster for extended periods of time or the fishing pole when I went fishing or also if I am stitching and my one arm doesn't move much). It's not just a cramp...it's total freezing and I have to forcibly move that limb usually with my other arm. God forbid it ever happens to both sides at the same time...I'll be a useless mess! I try to be good with this stuff and not let myself immobilize but sometimes with the things like dusting or fishing or stitching I don't even realize I am doing it until hours later when I try to set the duster, fishing pole, or stitching down. Once I know that these things cause the freezing I just have to make myself move the limb every 5-10 minutes. Frustrating how much life changes when you have RSD...even when things are going good you can't stop and take a break from it at all or "forget" you have it and the things you need to do for treatment/therapy. Oh well...things are generally going so awesome...this is just a tiny blip on the radar.

Does anyone know of a doctor in Los Angeles that does tDCS?
Thank you!

Just thought I would drop in and give an update on how I have been progressing wih the tDCS treatment and my return to work.

First...I have been continuing treatments but I have gone down to one treatment a day because fitting in two has been too difficult. So I'm not sure if that has slowed down my progress or not (because I am still improving) but it is a change and thought I would mention it. I still do them every day though...usually as part of my routine to get ready in the morning.

BUT...as I said...I am still improving and am very encouraged by the changes over the past month.

I am now consistently sleeping through the night without waking and getting about 8 hours of sleep (unless I have to be up earlier for work). This is incredible. I still have the odd night here or there where I wake up and can't fall back asleep...but it's rare...only 2 or 3 times in the past month I think. Could also have something to do with how exhausted I am from working...but whatever the cause I am thrilled. This makes such a big difference in my energy levels and I just FEEL better overall when I get a full night's sleep. All last year I was lucky to get 3 hours straight of sleep and most nights I was constantly waking up lucky to get 15 minutes together.

There has also been improvement in my hyper sensitivity. Before it was my hands and my forearms that were getting relief and now I can also say that my upper arms are better too and (in the extreme heat that we have been having) I actually went outside without my scarf and wasn't crying in pain from the breeze. My neck still flares bad with anything except hot air movements (ie anything room temperature or less still hurts like all get out)...but this is a step in the right direction.

My balance is starting to improve...yay! I have been able to do more and more walking without the walker. I still always have it with me because I never know when I will lose it but I am able to do more and more stuff without it which is great. Unfortunately, every time I go without it my ankle flares from the full wieght bearing...but the fact that my balance is improving is great as far as I am concerned. Seems like if I am in a flare or REALLY tired...that's when I get all wobbly again...or maybe that's just when it's more noticeable because I don't have the ability to concentrate on it as much.

Work has been great. It totally kicks my butt...but it is WONDERFUL. I find that while I am at work and able to concentrate on something else besides the pain and treatments that things are better. The pain is still there...but it's not consuming all my thoughts and that feels great. I know that's not related to tDCS but wanted to say it anyway because it really is amazing to be back at work...and I honestly don't think I would be doing as well as I am at work without tDCS affecting all the other things.

The other things I am still using/doing along with tDCS. I still use the rolling walker, use a cane to get up and down stairs, take hot baths with epsom salts once or twice a day, wear the TENS on my ankle, wear Lidoderm patches on my arms if I know I will be doing any heavy lifting or very physical work (besides just walking), and am wearing the clonidine patches. I ran our of clonidine patches and went a week without them. The blurry vision and dizziness returned...so it looks like these will continue to be necessary. I am also still following the 4 Fs diet as much as possible. It's a little harder now that I am back at work but I would say that I still only cheat very rarely...once a week...sometimes twice. But I'm staying away from all the bad things...including caffeine and coffee...no easy thing now that I am back at work. :-)

Hope everyone else is doing well and if anyone has any questions, please let me know.