Alpha-Stim

Date: March 31, 2009
Author: Tamara

Location: Not Given

Indications:

My son is a nine year old child who has been diagnosed with Other Pervasive Dev Disorder, Active; ADHD, Mood Disorder, Stereotypic Movement Disorder, and Urinary Incontinence NOS. He was seen by Dr. Michael Chez MD., a pediatric neurologist, for treatment in Sept. 2008. He was prescribed Risperdal .5 mg to treat his many symptoms.

While taking the Risperdal, Trevor was far more calm and controllable; however, his cognitive ability and social activity appeared to be adversely affected. In December of 2008, Trevor’s urinary problems escalated to the point that he was requiring 3-4 clothing changes at school per week due to “accidents”. Fearing an adverse reaction to his urinary system, we decided to discontinue the use of Risperdal. Soon after, Trevor became so uncontrollable and so completely unable to focus on his school work that he was sent home the week prior to Christmas vacation for home study. His teachers even tried to place him alone in a darkened room to do his work and all he could do was “rock and sob”.

Trevor’s hyperactivity was out of control, and he would have a full body tick which would occur many times per hour. These ticks would last upwards of three hours long of full body movement. Trevor was also prone to rages and acting in very inappropriate ways such as being extremely defiant towards anyone in authority and throwing food at the dinner table. He was also acting very physically aggressive.

A friend recommended the use of the Alpha Stim® device as she heard that it often had a calming affect and was successfully used to treat anxiety and depression. She allowed me to use her Alpha Stim® for Trevor while visiting. I had Trevor use the device 3 times daily for durations of ½ hour. His ticks immediately slowed down in frequency and length. He became less aggressive and more cooperative. I was extremely encouraged by this positive response and had hope for my son for the first time in a very long time.

Initially, I attempted to have Dr. Chez prescribe the Alpha Stim® unit for treatment for Trevor. This Dr. felt at that time that the Alpha-Stim® device would not be of any significant help and wanted to prescribe Abilify for him. My daughter had an adverse reaction to this medication when she took it for anxiety so I declined it for my son for that reason.

I then consulted Dr. Ramos about my ongoing Fibromyalgia. I requested that he write a prescription for the Alpha Stim® unit for treatment of pain from this condition. He had no problem with this and gave me a prescription which I promptly had filled.

I began treating Trevor on my own with the Alpha Stim® device. We started with sessions of ½ hour long three times per day. Eventually, we settled upon a schedule of a treatment in the morning and evening for one hour each. These treatments started just as Trevor returned to school. Initially, his teachers noted that he was more controllable but was still not functioning well academically or socially in a school environment.

As Trevor’s Alpha-Stim® treatments continued, his academic ability and social skills began to markedly improve. He went from producing consistent “D” and “F” grades to consistently earning “C” and “B” grades with occasional “A” grades. During this time, Trevor also came out of his shell and became a willing participant in class discussions. He now often raises his hand to ask and answer questions according to his teacher. At the beginning of the year, Trevor was a passive observer of playground activity during recess. Now, he actively engages with other children. He also has developed a wry sense of humor to the amusement of all around him.

As his mother, I have also noticed other extremely important changes. My son is no longer prone to rages and physical aggression. He is MUCH LESS defiant. It was very difficult to control my son before the use of the Alpha Stim®. Now, Trevor is cooperative with me most of the time. He may occasionally have a moment of defiance, but these are far less intense and more in keeping with what one would normally expect from a nine year old child.

Trevor has progressed in other ways too. Before being treated with Alpha Stim®, Trevor had virtually no interest in anything. He didn’t care about TV, movies, toys, pets, etc. He did like to go out and travel and he liked Chinese food. He had a brief interest in photography. But really that was about it. As we continued his Alpha Stim® treatments, it was like watching a bud come into full flower. Trevor started to care about things. He wanted to watch cartoon movies which may not seem like a big deal. But he went from enjoying them as a young child to hating them because they “gave him the creeps”. Now, he is able to enjoy them again. And, he has rediscovered his toys. He is playing with them again. He makes jokes and engages in intelligent conversation. His vocabulary and reading ability have really spiked and he is showing interest in history and science. He often makes shrewd scientific observations. For instance, he spontaneously discussed wave activity in terms of amplitude and frequency and related this to observations he personally made in the environment. I can only assume they discussed this in school?? He is independently using the computer to surf the internet. It is like having a different child.

I have included Trevor’s medical records, school tests from before and after use of the Alpha Stim® device, his IEP records and standardized test results. Trevor also just earned the honor of “Most Academically Improved” award at school and that certificate is also included.

Alpha Stim® has also been successful in reducing the duration and amount of ticks Trevor experiences. He rarely has them when wearing the device and their frequency and intensity have been significantly reduced. Trevor still suffers from urinary incontinence at night but all day time accidents have ceased since using Alpha Stim®.

It is my sincere hope that other children with the problems Trevor has been diagnosed with can likewise benefit from the use of Alpha Stim®.

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