Anyone used Alpha-Stim cranial electrotherapy stimulation device?

[pinknsparkly]

Have any of you lovely people ever used an Alpha-Stim (or similar) device for mental health purposes? Did it work? Was it worth the money? Would you recommend it? I've had to stop taking St John's Wort, which I started taking after my GP insisted I come off antidepressants and am looking for an alternative drug/supplement-free solution. This device seems almost too good to be true, and at £600 would be a pricey mistake to make!

Website for anyone who's interested and has never heard of it before:
www.alpha-stim.com
It's FDA approved (so available as an approved medical device on prescription in the US) and freely available to purchase by anyone in Europe

Don’t think I’d waste my money
100 trials in 5 years, that’s nothing !

Why as the gp stopped you taking AD and St. John wort?
Seems drastic

Hi GranadaGirl,

Thanks for you response. My GP practice (I don't have a Dr as such, I see a different GP every time I go) were just generally against letting me stay on antidepressants - I really had to fight with them to stay on them as long as I did. There were no health issues as to why I couldn't stay on them.

They've told me to come off SJW as we're hoping to start trying to conceive in the next few weeks and SJW shouldn't be used during pregnancy.

I'm actually quite scared of spiralling downwards into the dark again - I've fought so so so hard to get to the point I am now and don't want it to all be in vain!

Hi
I have been signed to a Gp at my practice by them, but I never see her because I don’t like her!
I generally pick the one I like and mainly online practice app, does yours have one?
That way I get to see what days/times she as available.

Do you think it’s because you told them you were trying to conceive
They wanted you off them ?
There are a small few you can take safely in pregnancy like
Citalopram, Prozac sertraline duloxatine and venlafaxine
I think there being very cautious, lots of women take them. I think I’d go through all the gp’s there and ask each one why there not prescribing them to you, especially if you were ok on them.
We’re they for depression or anxiety or both?

I can 100% understand where your coming from re being scared going back into that dark space again, that’s normal thinking. You may never go there again !
I’ve had anxiety leading to depression on/off since 23 now 61 I think I’m prone by stressful life events, it’s the pits, and very frightening.
If you’ve never had it, then nobody understands why your like that

Thanks for your understanding GranadaGirl, it means a lot. Sometimes I genuinely think I'm going crazy - my husband tries his best to be supportive, but having never struggled with these feelings he finds it really difficult as he simply wants to find the straightforward solution to the problem!

No, they didn't want me to come off antidepressants because we were trying for a baby. We've only decided to TTC in the past few months and they basically wanted me to come off antidepressants as soon as they put me on them (so several years ago), despite how much good they were doing me! I've only ever been prescribed citalopram, and that was for both depression and anxiety. I've just switched from my previous GPs who were useless and kept losing my prescriptions and the GP at my new practice that I saw last week (who advised I stay off SJW after the operation and see how I feel) was lovely and I can see myself building up to trusting her, so fingers crossed!