I just got off the phone with my VNS doctor. She said I shouldn't have gotten depressed going down to .5. Is this true?! I don't agree at all. Why else would I get depressed?! She said according to the latest info. that shouldn't happen because of the decreased VNS setting.

Now, I am upset again. I don't think this is true what she says. I told her I didn't agree with her at all. What do you guys think? <_<

Please write me back and tell me, as I don't agree with what my VNS doctor said. I'm getting really anxious that this VNS won't work for me, or I'll not be able to increase to .75. What am I going to do then?! That's the next highest setting for me, I hope I can tolerate it, now I'm worried that I won't be able to. I can't go back to 1.0 again ever.

Please write me back, as I am worrying now about this. :So Sad:

Sincerely,
Bonnie

HI Bonnie!

The way I understand this per the manuals is a person should be watched for depression with a setting change. Do I understand you correctly that you were at 1.0 and were bumped down to .5? If that's correct, why didn't they bump you down to .75?

Bonnie, I really hope you have luck with your VNS. Give it some time. It takes time to work, and each person is different in how they respond.

Dispatch B)

Dear Dispatch,

I requested to be bumped down to .5 from 1.0, as the nausea was severe. That was my request. I just wanted to be rid of the nausea, I guess I'll go back up to .75 and hope I don't get nauseous. I only got nauseous at 1.0 and that was a couple months on that setting.

Do you think I'll feel ok at .75? No way do I want to go back up to 1.0 ever again. I'm just upset after what my doctor said. I'm really anxious right now, and took some medicine for the anxiety. I still think that this bout with depression was related to the VNS setting being bumped down to .5. As in three days I was weepy & depressed.

What you wrote in your note to me was true. My nausea is gone, now the depression is back in a mild form with anxiety. I think the anxiety is worse at times than the depression.

Sincerely,
Bonnie

HI Bonnie!

My experience with VNS is I couldn't tolerate 1.0, but I did good at .75 regarding depression. My situation is different from yours since I wasn't a candidate with a TBI, so I still had severe nausea and vomiting at .75, but that was because the VNS messed with my brain injury. Labrat mentioned in another posting something regarding band width or pulse width???. :huh: I don't have any experience/knowledge with that, but I would think it would be worth talking to your Doc about. Labrat has done good, and she is way over 1.0, but she has the widths adjusted.

Hang in there Bonnie. I can relate to anxiety issues, and know it can be so rough. Anxiety and fear seem to go hand-n-hand.

Dispatch B)

What a strange world this would be if everything happened the way it "should". Is your VNS doctor claiming they have evidence explaining the mechanism by which the VNS effects the therapeutic result and they know exactly which settings work for every patient? :huh:

Quoted
For
Truth


Suppose this were another pill? Would this doctor still say that? If depression medicines are suppose to help then why do some people get more depressed or suicidal?

With all the controversy surrounding VNS and depression, I think your doctor needs to do more reserch instead of listening to the marketing sales pitches of the Cyberonics' detail men. I'd ask if she'e even LOOKEDin the physician's manual?

Mania, depression, suicidal idealization, abnormal thinking are all real and possible side effects of VNS and they can occur at ANYTIME during the treatment.

I totally disagree with her! I'm having depression because my pulse width can't go up. We will try again Tuesday. I was at 500 now I'm at 130 pulse width. My output currency is 2.25 and I am depressed. I really had to force myself to go to the store and get balloons and other things for my son's 21st birthday. I don't want to clean the house or get out of bed. Bed is my refuge.


So to answer your question HELL YES changing your setting can effect your depression. It did mine!

Thank all of you writing to me. My VNS doctor said that was the lastest research on the VNS. I don't know where she got her information. I told her I did not agree with what she said. As other people on this community said the same as me.

Thank you all for your feedback. I feel more validated now, and not crazy. She is a good doctor and has been doing VNS for a long time. My husband said I was still better on .5, than I ever was before the VNS was implanted.

Thank you all for writing, and the information & support. :bigarmhug:


Sincerely,
Bonnie

My output currency was set to 2.75 and I feel much better. That blows your doctors theory. That's back where I use to be.

Again, Labrat thank you for telling me this. I am going to blow my doctor out of her pool when I see her!

Labrat, YOU GO GIRL :D !!

Hugs,
Bonnie