Vagustim Reviews 76

The business model here makes you buy the device (expensive) which doesn't work properly so you have to big the app. It prays on sick people to charge a fortune for indirect access to an app which is inadequate.

The earpieces are very uncomfortable. Even after a 15 minute session I don’t want to do anymore because I know my ear is going to be sore for at least an hour. I can pay 56$ for a comfortable aftermarket part supposedly. The original earpieces should never be sent out and I will not put another penny into this product. Non refundable it’s only been 2 weeks

I’ve been using this device for three months and it has made a significant difference. I have celiac disease which has led to serious motility disorders. I had severe regular bloating and esophageal pain managed by strong meds. The meds are vagus nerve related so I thought this could work. It has. My severe bloating has all but disappeared allowing me to slowly normalise my diet (from a low fibre, fodmap-adjacent diet). I sleep better, I feel less stressed, have less pain and have much better energy. I notice if I don’t use it,
Yes, learning to get the ear pieces in is tricky initially. They felt awkward and sore at first. The gel does irritate my ears a bit. I got the premium app but tend to use one of the pre set programs so didn’t need to. The HRV measurement is interesting but not sure it’s accurate and sometimes it is buggy. It’s goes through batteries rapidly. But all of this pales next to the benefits to my health which are only increasing the longer I use it.

I have had gut issues for years, and while this is not a miracle cure, I have noticed a big difference. Less bloating, fewer cramps, and just a general feeling of things working better down there.

I’m shocked that this company sells a very expensive product and doesn’t tell you that it is virtually worthless unless you buy an additional subscription tgat kets you use the device as it was designed. Its like buying a Ferrari and finding out you can only use it in first gear unless you pay for a subscription. Dishonest

My daughter has dyautonomia. This seems to help. She trialed a Stim device that was worn for 24 hours for 5 straight days. That worked better. The reason for the 4 stars is you need to purchase the $100 app if you want to wear it more than 15 minutes. Also, you can only wear it 30 minutes at a time. It doesn't allow more
minutes.

Update: Contacted by the company. I didn’t need to purchase the $100 app to gain more time. Daughter is successfully wearing it daily. It has kept her nausea away.

Vagustim's customer service was really difficult to get a hold of, but once I managed, they were very receptive, helpful, and thoughtful. They do have to correct on their website that they have 24/7 customer service. I have only tried the device a few times. It was relaxing, but Efi mentioned that they are coming out with a new style of ear piece that is easier to work with, and I am looking forward to the new ear model, as mine tend to fall out of my ears easily. I only gave a three stars as I need more time using them to decide.

The device came quickly and well packaged. It synced easily with the app. The sales staff have responded to my questions quickly. I have been using the device for 3 weeks, and I think it might be helping, but not sure yet.
The instructions that came with the product were not very clear about how to attach device to ear and I had to ask for clarification. I was disappointed that the standard app only supports 15 minute sessions, although 30 minutes are recommended after 7 days. I find the container for dispensing the gel to be awkward and increasingly difficult to dispense as the bottle gets used.

I have been struggling with insomnia and nervous system issues for years. I believe I can really use a device such as Vagustim and was super excited to try it. I even paid $50 for a video consultation. I was so disappointed when realizing that the device frequencyranges from 0 to 100 but you can only access up to 10 without purchasing an upgraded app which cost at least $100 a year. Even with the free version, I could get the frequency reader to go up to 3 and then it looked like it would not go any higher. I felt nothing in my ear nor any benefits. Knowing that there are other high rated and less expensive vagus nerve stimulator’s on the market, I decided to return it. The email that I received from my return request was a generic response. There was no offer for consultation or further inquiry to address my concerns. I am disappointed. I had hoped for a better experience with a higher priced device. A generic experience deserves a generic price. I know this is a newer company and I believe they just have some learning to do. Instead of charging $350 with surprises, just charge $700 and make it a supportive experience for your customers where their needs are addressed. Folks are buying this device because they have a particular health concern or chronic pain. The company should be helping people address their specific concerns with specific settings on the device. Just put the reflective price upfront and don’t hide it. I am returning it and will try something else on the market.

Useless. The earpieces are too big and awkward and do not fit/stay in my ears, despite lots of troubleshooting. I emailed them several times for help and when they finally responded, they gave me options for a meeting several days from now between 1:00am and 8:45am. Now they are not responding. Very disappointed with this purchase.

Pure garbage. The ear pieces are clunky unwieldy and impossible to reliably place and wear.
This product was supposed to reduce my stress?
How is that gonna happen when it takes 20 min of struggle for a 15 min session.
Two thumbs down.
Do not recommend.
Save your dollars.

This has genuinely improved my sleep and reduced my anxiety

I'm a physician with treatment resistant depression (TRD.) Invasive vagus nerve stimulation was suggested to me by a psychiatrist. Never having heard of this I dove into the medical literature. Bottom line: I'm not sick enough to pursue this invasive procedure with still fairly limited evidence of clinical efficacy. I did come across info. on the transcutaneous approach in the medical literature so I dove into that data. There are several studies using various proprietary devices, none of which I would have access to outside a clinical trial. The treatment parameters concerning strength of stimulus (mA) and pulse width were many and varied in these studies. It seemed that stimulation of the VN through the ear would be the optimal approach so I started looking online for something I could try. Having realized it's unlikely I'd find something efficacious at all I decided to try this because it was under $500 and I'd already done all this research on optimal device settings for the treatment of depression specifically. Well turns out, if you want to be able to change the settings, you have to pay $9.99/month to upgrade to the "pro" service. Otherwise you are using "one size fits all" hardwired parameters. This strikes me as "bait and switch" as the website does not reveal this.

On to the device itself: kind of a cheap feel to it, reminds me of a transistor radio from the 1960's. I've been using it for about a month 30 min./day and the two AA batteries that came with the device have run down. I'm hoping that a new set of batteries will last longer but so far I'm not impressed with battery life. I think they tried hard to get the ear pieces right but, for me, I can only get the left one to stay in. I have to hold the right one pressed in my ear or it will pop out. Ear anatomy is remarkably diverse. I would have preferred a simple on/off device that I didn't have to pair with my phone every time but that would have defeated the purpose of allowing it to be programmable and the whole point of getting us to pay $9.99/month for this service.

More info if you're interested. The Turkish MD/PhD associated with this device definitely has published in the medical literature so he seems legit to me. And I can't blame someone who has as good idea and tries to make it available to others to try for a price. I just feel like I was duped about the ability to program different settings.

If you want to read on about TRD: invasive VNS was approved by the FDA way back in 2005 for the treatment of TRD. Why hasn't it "caught on" you ask? Well, a surgeon has to dissect down into your neck and find the area where the vagus nerve is very near to your carotid artery (on the left side only) and attach an electrode which runs to a battery pack left tunneled under your skin, much like a pacemaker or the more recent device for sleep apnea called Inspire. There are potential side effects such as hoarseness, cough which may or may not subside with time. The batteries have to be replaced periodically (about every 8 years) which is a small surgical procedure. Having such a device implanted limits your ability to have an MRI done in the future, should you need it, though even folks with pacemakers can get special MRIs done. In the future this may not be an issue but it scares me right now. If the efficacy of this implanted device was a slam dunk I'd try it. But unfortunately it's not. The company that makes the device my psychiatrist friend suggested just completed a 5 year study which failed to meet primary endpoints. This study has yet to be published and there are undoubtedly some folks who have been greatly helped but I can't ignore the science at this point. If I were so sick that I couldn't function I might chance it but, for now, it stays on the back burner. Hope this helps someone else.

My review is purely on their customer service. I purchased on 24th July and received my package on the 30th. Everything was well packaged and the device was simple to use. Unfortunately, the small size electrodes were still too big for my ears so I requested to return the device along with everything that came with it. I received a timely response from the sales team who were helpful throughout the refund process. Overall, I had a pleasant experience with Vagustim.

I'm a new user, meaning I've been using the Vagustim daily for 15-30 minutes per day for about 10 days. I think I am experiencing a decrease in my depression symptoms. I'm interested to see how longer use will impact my depression and anxiety symptoms. Only concern is that it appears that the app is a subscription, which makes this device not as cost effective as originally billed. $99/year for an app subscription feels a little high for me. Overall I'm satisfied.

This is a great device. Love how easy it is to work.

I did a good deal of research on taVNS as a mode of treatment and devices available. I reviewed dozens of published research data from prestigious institutions. I was amazed to see the cornucopia of conditions being treated with taVNS. For me, insomnia, anxiety, depression, tinnitus, and autonomic disfunction (confirmed by a study at Mount Sinai Hospital) were critical and in that order. My research showed me that all of these conditions are being treated and researched along with many other conditions such as, stroke rehabilitation, inflammation, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, pancreas, stomach / intestines and pain. Now came consideration of the devices. This was very easy for me because as research shows, the Vagustim electrodes are by far and wide the most relevant and comfortable to the precise application of stimulus to the anterior of the tragus and the cymba conchae. Now comes the best part. After three months of daily thirty minute treatment using a range of intensity, frequency and pulse width, I have literally cured my insomnia and anxiety. Completely. I highly recommend the Vagustim device for these reasons as well as terrific customer service.

Using vagustim it has really helped me with self regulation, my sleep has also improved.
The customer service has been great too especially around the new app.

Since I started using Vagustim, I've experienced a notable improvement in my digestion. My stomach feels more settled. It's been a great addition to my wellness routine.

I’m a specialist in Neurology and Complementary Medicine, and I’ve recently started using this treatment for patients with Fibromyalgia and Depression. I’ve tried it on five patients so far, and the results have really surprised me. The first thing I noticed was a reduction in their swelling, and now I’m able to manage their pain without any medication. One of my patients even has their chronic allergy under control without needing any meds.