Iontophoresis - Pulsed current. New-ish technology.

Cezar · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 42

Hi ESFB

I've been using an Idromed GS machine for 2 years. I've got HH on the hands and feet. I'd class it as extremely severe.

It's worked for me on/off, basically depending on how diligent I am with the treatments. I've noticed that my feet are always able to tolerate a higher current (25mA) than my hands.

I think my case of HH is extremely stubborn because I NEVER seem to notice much improvement when I do my hand treatment with current less than 10mA. However when I up it to 15 and do longer treatments it tends to control the sweating. Long story short, I think for severe sweating a stronger current is needed in contrast to someone whose sweating is not as bad.

Anyway, I've noticed that www.iontophoresis-device.com now make a PS device which they advertise as a new product, basically claiming that it can provide the same treatment with far less pain/irritation. They make the analogy that 5mA on this PS device would be the equivalent of doing 25mA with the GS device which uses direct current and not a pulsed direct current. In theory, it should reduce irritation and burns which I've been getting when I do the treatments. The usual retort to that is to "bring the current down" which then means less efficacy for me as my sweating is so bad that it only works with higher currents.

I ordered mine last night, I'll keep you posted. FYI I asked around other manufacturers, RA Fischer told me that they do not make a machine with pulsed current, STDPharm never got back to me, I'm presuming there's is a direct current also.
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2 year user of the Idromed GS machine. Currently waiting for the Idromed PS machine. Please see my post re: Pulsed Direct current.

Pinker · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 503 Location: England

Hey Cezar

Did they reply to you in an email saying the '5mA on the PS device would be the equivalent of doing 25mA with the direct current device'? I was aware they had the device for children who can't tolerate the current but I wasn't aware it could actually be more effective compared to the same current on another device.

I've found about 10mA works pretty well for me with the idrostar, but I think my feet respond better with about 13-15mA. 13-15mA is probably better for my hands too. Problem is I get a bit of eczema on the top of some of my fingers which is triggered by the ionto, and obviously the higher the current the more it burns, so I end up covering it with loads of vaseline..

Cezar · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 42

It's a poorly designed website and the English is terrible but if you click on the "click here to order" link it opens a whole new page containing FAQs and other useful info.

Pinker · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 503 Location: England

It certainly looks interesting Cezar. I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback on it!

I think they mean having it on 25mA feels like it would on a setting of 5mA on another machine.

Cezar · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 42

Hi all

I'm really sorry for not providing any feedback. There has been some delay in shipping the machine from Germany to Australia.

I am anxious to give this a try so I hope it arrives soon. I will definitely keep you all posted.
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2 year user of the Idromed GS machine. Currently waiting for the Idromed PS machine. Please see my post re: Pulsed Direct current.

Cezar · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 42

Ok this is now getting ridiculous and I am getting worried. I paid $1,000 Australian dollars on 11 July. It has now been 3 weeks and still no sign of the machine.

To his credit Markus from the company has responded promptly to all my email enquiries but the language barrier is very difficult to get by. He insists that it was sent on 11 July, Australia Post say they have no record of it. Some of his emails are just repeats of previous ones, asking me to trace it back to Australia Post, despite me saying that they do not have it.

I really hope it gets sorted out soon.
_________________
2 year user of the Idromed GS machine. Currently waiting for the Idromed PS machine. Please see my post re: Pulsed Direct current.

Pinker · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 503 Location: England

If its going by air maybe it has to go through lots of checks and stuff before it can be allowed in/out of the country? Someone said American authorities dont even allow the idrostar machine in Confused

Fingers crossed!

Cezar · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 42

I've got it!

Markus did send the pack immediately the first time around, but there must have been problems with Australian customs or similar. When I told Markus how worried I was, he posted a second machine, this time paying for premium postage out of his own pocket which I got 4 days after he sent it. Very good service. He said that if the first machine gets to me, to simply reject it so they return it to sender.

I can't wait to try it out and I will let you all know how it goes.
_________________
2 year user of the Idromed GS machine. Currently waiting for the Idromed PS machine. Please see my post re: Pulsed Direct current.

Cezar · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 42

Ok Day 1. First problem I had was that the tubs were broken, they must have been broke in transit. They work but they can not be attached together so I can not use it as a handling case to put the contents in when packing it up. Shame.

Anywa, I used the machine. It definitely can back up the claim. I used 19mA setting for my hands and treated them for 25 minutes without reversing the polarity. Instead of reversing the polarity mid-treatment, I'll just alternate where I place the positive/negative leads say every 3rd treatment. With my older GS machine which used direct current, it was a struggle to tolerate 13mA.

I got mild redness on my wrist which is where the water line is, I'm sure I can alleviate this by coating it with vaseline before I do treatments from now on.

The only thing that worries me though is the manual states that the highest setting for hands should be 15mA and in my experiences, only currents higher than 15mA at prolonged periods really work on my excessively sweaty hands.
_________________
2 year user of the Idromed GS machine. Currently waiting for the Idromed PS machine. Please see my post re: Pulsed Direct current.

seekinghelp · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 3

Hey Cezar, I'm glad the PS is gentler on your hands.

I have the GS version, and it's worked wonders for me. I have palm/feet HH, and it ranges from moist-wet (when I'm just doing the day-to-day tasks) to dripping-wet (when I get anxious over something, like thinking about sweating to being late). In short, my HH is moist to wet the majority of the time.

Yes, I agree with your original post. Those will with super extreme HH will need to increase the amperage and/or treatment time. My initial 10 day treatment was 10 minutes @ 10mA for the hands, and the feet @ 18mA for 10 minutes. At those currents for moist-wet HH, I was able to stop the sweating. If you're going up to 19mA and finding success, then by all means do it. I would think the 15mA is safety factored but regardless, you said you have extreme HH so you're going to have to increase amp/treatment time.

Anyways, best of luck w/the new machine. I hope you'll be able to achieve superb dryness.