[Gegatso]

Anyone on here ever try a CES device like the Alpha Stim or CES Ultra? A neighbor of mine uses one and said after about 2 weeks it worked like a charm. My doc won't write a script for one for me.

[Martin Reed]

Hi Gegatso – I split your post away from the 'Changing of the Seasons' thread to its own topic to give it a bit more visibility.

I am not hugely familiar with cranial electrotherapy stimulation devices. In 2011 I wrote a post over on the blog but I've not seen too much in the way of independent scientific studies. I would imagine that's also why your doctor won't write you a prescription – but please let me know if he or she gave another reason.

Did your neighbor find it effective for insomnia, or another condition such as stress/anxiety etc?

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[Grambo]

I havent heard of this kind of thing before. Is it specifically for curing insomnia? How does it work?

Gegatso, was your neighbor using this for their sleep? Does it work long term?

[Gegatso]

My neighbor uses it for insomnia only. They also help for depression and anxiety and from what I have found, there are over 1000 reputable studies dating way back showing the devices as effective. Not hard to find online.

My neighbor has had great success, so I got another doc to write a script and I got a CES Ultra. Am already feeling a difference after just two days. They say you notice a difference after about two weeks and full effect can take up to two months in some cases, but this is looking good so far. I'm sleeping with less waking, feeling much less depressed, and I believe my anxiety level is dropping. I'm a total skeptic so I really don't think this is any placebo effect going on. If this flops, I have a 60 day return policy. I can't believe a medical device like this – approved by the FDA is not more mainstream. I guess it is too simple. As my doc said, a cured patient is a lost client.

By the way, my psychiatrist would not write the script, but my GP did, no questions. The CES Ultra people will put you in touch with a doctor on the phone for free who will determine if you can benefit from the device and write the script, so basically anyone can get one.

Oh, I'm having dreams now, too. That has been a long time, and I have seasonal affective disorder, so this is really making me happy after all the drug failures I have been through.

[Gegatso]

'Grambo' wrote:

I havent heard of this kind of thing before. Is it specifically for curing insomnia? How does it work?

Gegatso, was your neighbor using this for their sleep? Does it work long term?

I forgot to answer all of this. I have done a load of research on these things lately and they are mainly for insomnia, with depression and anxiety secondary. It works by stimulating a nerve near the brain stem with a mild current of electricity that promotes chemical changes. One parer I read shows it increases serotonin as well as melatonin significantly, as well as a bunch of other good chemical changes. You use the device twice daily for starters, then as it works more, you can back off to just a couple of times a week. It is extremely easy to use, not uncomfortable – no feeling of being shocked or anything. I fell asleep a few times using it. You can not use it too much, and there are no contraindications with meds. I believe one of the papers I read has cautions if you have any electrical implants like a pacemaker, though.

Sorry for the double post.

[Martin Reed]

This is really interesting – thanks for sharing your experience so far with the CES device. Please keep us updated with your progress and long may the sleep improvements continue!

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[Krystle]

hi you guys,!

Martin apologize dearly for been so absent but do know its not because I want to be, its actually been by force and not choice. I'm sure you know as when this VERY UGLY AWFUL symptom like INSOMNA has been taking take a toll on you for so long you tend to feel just so hopeless or just when you have ran out of meds or something to take agian you are in for another episosde of NO SLEEP and you try your best to do whatever it is that you can that needs to be done or the most priority things possible. I currently have not had any sleep in 2 days now as I have ran out of my last rx meds(i do want to get off it's just so hard to find a solution) and today after just having just enough energy to go through my many emails and not worrying about doing any other things or even laying in the bed anymore to Not rest I seen there was an email that was placed on my heart to take the struggling time out to respond to for Martin. It was pertaining to something that I actually did a little reaerch on out of the MANY things since I've been struggling with this insomnia! So to you Gregasto I am someone who has also heard of cranial devices, I had found the “Fisher Wallace” brand online and i thought i may have mentioned that on here before but it's been so long since I've have logged on that i'm not sure. But anyhow i found and read about this device and it's purposes was also for the purposes of the one you have told us about and of course you also needed a rx. I was very interested but(VERY SKEPTICAL) in it when i read how helpful it said to be and even listen to some audio testimonies off of their actual website and becuase when you are tired of sufferiung with insomnia like me… of course you tend to try everything you are able to. The thing was I wasn't able to because it was $500-$600 dollars, you needed a rx and I thought if I brought that up to my doc's attention that she would have thought I was just that crazy and desperate and it was little knowledge about that thing online and so I didn't because I was at it again getting a rx for meds anyway sol later! PLEASE TELL ME HOW I CAN POSSIBLY TRY IT TO GIVE THIS INSOMNIA THE BOOT 1 IN FOR ALL!

[GMan]

Have been using this type of device for a little over 30days for insomnia. So far it has not helped much and it does have a return policy of sixty days. Don't know if I will keep it or not. Am getting only about

3 1/2 hours of sleep now nd that has not changed since I started using it. I am on a taper for a benzo and a AD so don't know if tht has interfered. It is supposed to be helpful with serotonin and melatonin levels in a manner to restore natural sleep. We will see.

[Gegatso]

I would not consider myself an expert on this by far, but all the sleep specialists as well as MD's, psychologists, psychiatrists all say only to switch one variable at a time with sleep. That said, it is probably a trick to get an adequate assessment when you are tapering off a benzo and an AD while using the device.

From my experience so far, using the device twice a day for 30 mins each is working best for me. Also, you want your evening session to be no less than three hours before you try to sleep since your seratonin is raised and that will keep you awake. It does also raise your natural melatonin 25% which is better than a pill as we all know. These numbers and others are all on the stress.org site under a study from 2011 using a liss ces device. Not what I am using but I am happy so far with the results. They are cumulative and I'm giving it 60 days before a real opinion. I am a total skeptic though, but changes are happening. Sleep is a minor change so far but everyone I'm friends with are seeing me as less depressed as well as far less anxious.

I don't work for any of the ces companies or am trying to sell anything to anyone. I'm presenting this for information only. If this helps me sleep even a bit better, it's worth it to me. So far so good.

[Krystle]

So Gegatso are you saying that since you've have been using this device you haven't seen improvement in your sleep?

[Gegatso]

I have seen improvements. I am not waking during the night at all and when I wake early, I am yawning and tired where I used to be fully awake. My overall sleep time has increased as well. Like medicine, using this has to be tweaked to work for each person though, so I'm not through experimenting. We are all different. The lady who introduced me to ces only uses it once a day in the evening for 30 minutes and was sleeping better in two weeks. After two months she sleeps through the night every night.

[GMan]

I am using the Fisher Wallace brand. According to what they said as well as on this site, medication should not have any effect on the utilization of this device. It is for brain stimulation which is the reason that I tried it. I can usually go to sleep but wake up very early after about 3 1/2 hours of sleep. I do take some supplements with the usual sleep ingrediants that most contain. Nothing has helped so far. While I am not skeptical, this device so far simply has not worked yet. If it takes two months for me, then I have a decision to make before thinking about returning it. I have tried that various settings up to the maximum so far. It has been on the market since 1992 and is FDA approved. I wish more results were forthcoming. The company does advertise that it helps more than insomnia and I don't feel any results with that either. The price would be worth it if it would help and I certainly woujld advise anyone who sees results to keep doing it because I don't think it is mind over matter. Correction of a chemical imbalance is the prize here and for obvious reasons to all of us who suffer from insomnia. Hope this helps.

[Krystle]

so GMan i take it that you have been using it close to a month or so?

[GMan]

Yes, about five weeks. The session is for 20 minutes, four levels. I do it twice day. The only regret I that I wish that I was drug free before I tied to use it. The basis is for brain reaction and stimulation. I have come to the short conclusion that the brain must be free to have the device work as it should. As an example. since I am tapering from Xanax now, a benzo affects 12 different spots in the brain and I think that causes interference despite what the device is trying to do. Add in AD taper and it is too much. I am likely to return it since I simply don't know if it actually will work but I at least tried. I am using sleep, stress and anxiety files from Insomnia land nightly for about a month also and will continue to do so. Hope the this helps.

[Krystle]

I hope it does as well, Good luck! And what is an AD taper?

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