I had the VNS, and it helped bring the amount of seizures back down to one a month. I am rare, though; I had seizures as a child and got them back at puberty. This is why the VNS did not stop the seizures for me. I finally had brain surgery, and I am now more than 10 years seizure-free. Never give up

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member
I used to have the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). I didn’t have any luck though. Every time it turned on the vibration would tickle my throat, mess up my speech and make me cough. I ended up getting my (VNS) removed. I’m sure others have had better luck though. I’ve had epilepsy for over 30 years

Mentioned Users

A MyEpile...

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member , The DBS ( deep brain stimulation ) is similar to the VNS , but the DBS lead wires are inserted in different area of the brain. The VNS wire is twined around the Vagus nerve, just below the brain.. but they both send an electric pulse to the brain , to help reduce the seizures. .

Let me know if you want deeper info on the DBS. I myself have the DBS .

Mentioned Users

A MyEpile...

First keep in mind everyone has different results to this .

I tried the VNS in 2005 and the stimulator lasted for about 5 years for me. While doing the VNS , it didn’t work well in my case. My seizures never reduced. After about 5 yrs using the VSN , the power box ( stimulator ) died and stopped working.

By 2022 , I tried the the DBS . It has similar principles as the VNS , but the electrode wires are placed in a different area . I still have my DBS and it has helped reduce my seizures by half.

What is a DBS