Make your own Vagus Nerve Stimulator

[JoeSponge]

I decided to try stimulating my vagal nerve by massaging the tragus and cymba.

At some point- gastroperesis sets in. Maybe just the odd coincidence. So then: I stopped. Just in case.

Just thinking... Right ear or Left ear?

I asked a friend about the vagus nerve, and left-side/right-side. She said that it's kind of like they head in different directions (or that's as best as I can explain it)... afferent nerves vs efferent nerves?
I haven't looked up yet, but it kind of strikes me like affect and effect... Affect causes effect.

I seem to recall several documents mentioned LEFT side, and at least one specifically mentioned NOT doing the Right side.

 

[raghav]

Left ear only

 

[Yohan]

I have a lot of health issues and tVNS seems like an affordable option. Can someone Please tell me which Tens unit you have that allows you to set the parameters required for the vagus nerve?

I'd also like an answer to the question above.
I'm still looking for info on what TENS unit will work best for this vagus stimulation. A friend has a unit
(Comfy Stim Digital Combination Unit CE 0434, distributed by Madi-stim inc Wabasha MN55981) but she says there are so many warnings about using it on the head that she won't lend it to me. Can anyone tell me if this might work?

 

[Hipsman]

@Yohan You still need to have ear clip electrodes for this (tutorial)
Dr Nemechek used TENS 7000 for tVNS.
Edit: just bought this one.

 

[Chris]

Jim Deuchars leads a group at Leeds UK that has published a good series of papers on this stuff (against a background that tells us that parasympathetic drive is low as we age, and is low in ME) that I found useful. I bought a Body Clock TENS unit, and they also make auricular clips, but they need to be modified to clip onto the tragus, and Jim Deuchars (look him up on PubMed) sent me a neat leaflet in PDF form that showed how to make a two sided clip to ensure the current actually passed through the tragus. He uses 30hz and 200 pulse width, very close to the figures Joe Sponge cited above. I have been using this for quite a while for 15minutes before bed, and find it does seem to help my sleep.
I could probably find that PFD, but hesitate to send it without his permission. I admit that I am also now (since a few weeks) a PEMF mat, which I think helps a bit too, but costs much more (I am using a relatively cheap OMI unit).