Trans cutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation?

[energyoverload]

Has anyone considered using t-VNS as a treatment to increase parasympathetic tone, affect POTS, sleep etc? This German company makes them for use in treatment resistance epilepsy. All one would need is off label prescription. My tolerance to all useful symptom drugs builds up too rapidly even with medication holidays tolerance barely reduced. Need solution that does not lose much effect over time.

http://www.cerbomed.com/Main.html

 

[Hip]

I know one ME/CFS patient who tried auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS), and experienced some subtle benefits.

I made my own auricular t-VNS device, using a tone generator on my computer, and initially noticed an improvement in conscious awareness, and an improvement in self-awareness.

However, I found that I could not repeat these results.


You can also consider the Alpha Stim device, which passes a tiny current through the brain by means of clips placed on the ears. The Alpha Stim is supposed to have a mood boosting, antidepressant effect. It is a form of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES).

 

[energyoverload]

Interesting. I actually had an alpha stim device but it doesn't help much with POTS or sleep as too stimulating. In theory stimulating VN can increase GABA and acetylcholine release. When you say improvement in concious awareness what do you mean exactly? Cognitive enhancement. Odd how most things seem to loose effect.

@Hip did you try any nitrate based drugs as per Fluge et al. In the past I found L-arginine and Citrulline to be super stimulating worsening Sensory overload.

 

[Hip]

When you say improvement in concious awareness what do you mean exactly?

Before getting ME/CFS, I used be interested in mindfulness meditation, such as Zen meditation. This meditation helps you become much more aware of your environment, so that you pick up on lots of subtle detail and depth that you would otherwise have missed. You become much more perceptive, so that you will observe even a pin drop, so to speak.

What I notice about the ME/CFS brain fog state is that it takes the mind in the very opposite direction of mindfulness: with ME/CFS you become much less aware of your environment, and much less aware of depth or detail.

So I found that my initial few sessions of t-VNS seemed to make me more mindful and perceptive for several hours afterwards.

@Hip did you try any nitrate based drugs as per Fluge et al. In the past I found L-arginine and Citrulline to be super stimulating worsening Sensory overload.

I tried quite a few. The best effects for me were obtained by taking potassium nitrate 1.5 grams. It seemed to give more energy. Though there is a possible carcinogen question mark over potassium nitrate, as it is thought it gets metabolized into the known carcinogen potassium nitrite. Having said that, a glass of beetroot juice contains this sort of dose of nitrates.

 

[Snowdrop]

@energyoverload

There are a few threads on the subject of TENS of the vagal nerve if you're interested--they may have useful info.

 

[Rrrr]

Has anyone tried this Vagus Nerve Stimulation device?
http://www.cerbomed.com/Therapy-with-NEMOS-92.html

If anyone in the USA is interested in trying it, as I am, could you please contact me privately?