Cranial electro-stimulation

[jyb]

Before doing RP and realizing that I was hypothyroid, I suffered from insomnia (still do). I tried a few things, including the SSRI drug called Mirtazapine (it's a bit different from other SSRI in terms of side effect) for 3 years (!), which really put me asleep every time I took it but left me drowsy the following day. I also bought a cranial electro-stimulation machine (bought online from bulletproofexec - a Paleo guy with some technology products). I only tested it on a few nights as I didn't like the feeling it gave me and didn't improve sleep, so can't reach any conclusions.

The machine I used is quite simple, it looks like an mp3 player: two electrodes that you fit behind your ears and the machine emits a small electric current. You don't feel anything except for minor ear twitching - so you know that current is passing through.

On Wikipedia: "It has been suggested that the current results in an increase of the brain's levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, and a decrease in its level of cortisol. After a CES treatment, users are in an "alert, yet relaxed" state, characterized by increased alpha and decreased delta brain waves as seen on EEG."

While some studies show that some conditions are improved, what is scary is the increase in serotonin which I now know is bad after reading RP. Your thoughts?

 

[gretchen]

I don't know. A week or so ago I watched a TED video about electroshock therapy. The man who gave the talk said it cured his depression. Upon some further googling, I read Peter Breggin, the paychiatrist who is against SSRIs, says electroshock causes brain damage. I don't think it's a viable therapy.

 

[Lofihi]

CeS and electroshock arent those two totally different modalities? CeS is medical microcurrent at much lower cycles a second and amplitude. It tried 2 months of it 40.minutes twice a day for my almost zero GABAhormone level and no luck...but recently talked to people who.say in some cases theyve seen rejuvenation after 2-6 hours ...and that a headache is common side effect in this dose.sh

 

[jyb]

CeS and electroshock arent those two totally different modalities? CeS is medical microcurrent at much lower cycles a second and amplitude. It tried 2 months of it 40.minutes twice a day for my almost zero GABAhormone level and no luck...but recently talked to people who.say in some cases theyve seen rejuvenation after 2-6 hours ...and that a headache is common side effect in this dose.sh

What did they improve?

Seems from reading articles that it does do some things to hormones. Question is, is it in the right direction or just an increase of serotonin, which can temporarily make you feel better?

 

[Lofihi]

For me, no results. I havent tried going over the 40 minutes. But for others especially heroin and xanax withdraw there have been remarkable results. Who musician pete townsend says it got him off heroin singlehandedly. I lost my ces.box so havent tried the over40 theory as of yet. Those going 1-6 hours often report of headache then relief

 

[miko]

Mirtazapine isn't a SSRI drug. It doesn't increase serotonin in any other areas beside hippocampus (as with it the research is various). This drug doesn't have blockade of SERT. It's mainly noradrenergic-dopaminergic drug, with increase of dopamine in prefrontal cortex I see as it's main mechanism of action in depression.