May 18, 1996

RE Alpha-Stim 100 and Fibromyalgia

I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I am very aware of the skepticism and controversy there is regarding Fibromyalgia  and to be very honest, I have to admit that there are days when I wonder if this is what I really have. Whether I have Fibromyalgia or some other "syndrome", I only know that for the past few years I have had more bad  days than I have had good days as far as feeling good goes. I am not talking about pain so bad that I can't function, but bad enough that makes it hard to function. When you wake up in the morning and feel like you have the flu  enough mornings, you have to realize that something is not right! These flu-like symptoms can last from several days to two weeks or so. In addition to the flu-like symptoms, my body is also very tender. If I accidentally walk into  something - or if someone accidentally bumps into me - the pain can be tremendous. I also feel extremely exhausted during these times - walking up one flight of stairs not only makes my legs ache, but also wears me out! It's hard  to have to continually say to your children, "I'm not feeling well today, maybe we can do that tomorrow." I am not the only one that is affected by this - my family is also affected.

On a recent visit to my  doctor, I was told about the Alpha-Stim 100 and asked if I would like to try it. I was skeptical at first, but I used the ear clips for 20 minutes and left the office with very mixed feelings. First of all, I felt better -- not a  lot better, but definitely somewhat better. Secondly, I wondered if my feeling better was "in my head." Thirdly, I felt excited -- what if this really did work? I wasn't too optimistic, but I was so tired of feeling sick and achy that I decided I wanted to try it for a longer period and asked my doctor to write a prescription so that I could try it for awhile. The day I brought the Alpha-Stim 100 home, I was having very bad neck and upper back pains - which I have lived with for almost one year. So I placed the electrodes on my neck and upper back for ten minutes that morning and repeated the procedure two more times that day. By night, I noticed an improvement. In addition to the electrodes, I used the ear-clips for 20 minutes. The next morning, I woke up with just a bit of neck pain (could this be possible!). I applied the electrodes three more times that day and used the ear-clips that evening. The next day, I had NO neck pain. Was this just a coincident? Could the pain I had been having in my neck for months and months just be gone like that? It was hard for me to believe! At the same time, I noticed that I was not feeling like I had the flu. I had to try this again! But with no pain, I had to wait. Several days went by and I felt quite good. Then I woke up with "the flu." My neck wasn't hurting though. I used the ear-clips for 20 minutes that morning before I went to work. That afternoon I started feeling better but still not as good as I had felt the last couple of days. So I used the clips again that evening and I woke up feeling fine the next morning!  I understand this sounds bizarre and I don't even understand it --I just know that it works! I went for almost two weeks before I had any more neck pain OR flu-like symptoms. Since the flu-like symptoms would always come and go - but would usually last for at least three days (normally seven - ten days) - I was very curious as to what would happen this time. After two days of using the ear-clips, I once again felt fine!

Overall, I have to say that  the past two months that I have used the Alpha-Stim have brought much pain relief to me. Instead of feeling achy for days and days, I have been able to reduce these bouts to one-two days. As soon as my neck begins hurting, I apply  the electrodes and the pain goes away quickly. A big plus for me is that I now feel like exercising. Before, walking on my treadmill for one mile at a moderate pace would leave me achy and breathless. I am now walking two - three  miles at a time. I have also just joined a jazzercise class that runs two days a week. I would not have been able to do this two months ago - I wouldn't have even considered it!

While I can certainly live without an Alpha-Stim 100, I don't want to! Just knowing that I can relieve the pain within a day or two when it returns makes such a difference in my life and my attitude. I truly feel that my bouts of flu-like symptoms have decreased and my neck pain is almost non-existent anymore. And being able to exercise has so many pluses that we are all aware of. Also, not having to take medication for my pain is another positive result of the Alpha-Stim. Most pain medications I have tried either cause nausea or don't seem to help.

Whether it is Fibromyalgia that has affected me all this time, or something else, I can't really say. The bottom line is, I have found something that helps me a great deal on  the days that I need it!

Patti Landreth
Spokane, Washington

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