I had DBS in October 2014 after a 12 year diagnosis with dystonia and early onset Parkinson's. The pain relief from the dystonia was insant. I am still getting "tuned" to work out some other issues. There was significant improvement in other symptoms, though. Movement was restored, no more masked face, hand movements returned ( I'm half Italian and always talked with my hands until diagnosed). I could roll over in bed, and get up and down with ease. I wish I had more of a support system in place. I thought I did, but didn't realize it was going to be so difficult to get tuned up. I felt like I was out here in the middle of nowhere with no one that could help me. Eventhough the improvements were phenomenal, there were times I regretted having it done, because I felt so alone. But things are improving after finding that depression can be seriously affected(and was) by DBS. I even sent an email to MEdtronic during one of my rages, that if they are going to promote this surgery, they need to have more people trained and in place who are able to program. But, I am now in contact with a knowlegable team and things are back on track.

I had DBS a month and a half ago. I’ve been having problems with falling to the left side. It just kind of happens and I don’t seem to be able to catch myself. I am not on any medication at this time. I was on 14 pills a day off of the pride Tyree that should be RYTARY. I have been off work now for almost a month. I was so tired I wanted to sit down and every chair I saw. That is so uncommon for me, because I’m always on the go. Still having a few tremors in the left-hand. Still working with the neurosurgeon on programming my DBS. It seems, however, that is soon as they turned the other side of the DBS system on, that’s when I started falling. It also seems, that when I did mention it to the neurosurgeon, that I was ignoring, will have to try with the nurse practitioner when I see her for tuning in a month. Good luck to you with your devious. I hope it works. I will say, as soon as they did to her in the DVR system on, I got a straight 14 hours of sleep the first night and 11 the second night. What a relief to finally get some sleep.

The Medtronic website states that depression is reported along with suicide. But before that I would just cry for no reason, not able to function, etc, A Dr. that I went to for a second opinion, because I was so frustrated with the team I had the surgery with, immediately had me admitted to another facility under suicide watch.

How did you find out that DBS can seriously affect depression? I know of someone who had DBS and is in the hospital with serious depression..

Recovery was virtually nonexistent, other than the scars on my head healing, which were itchy much of the time, but that's it.!! My improvement was significant!! It only took shutting down the generators a couple of times to quickly remind me how things could be. Of course, some of my meds were cut at the time which exagerated the symptoms I had before the surgery.. Weight gain (+25 lbs) is a majjor concern now.
I was told, matter of factly that "some people gain weight because they no longer have tremors or dyskinesias." To which I immediately replied "BS"!! I didn't have much of a tremor, mostly stiffness with dystonia, so I could move MUCH more easily afterward and therefore burn more calories. So that's my battle now. I've been thin my whole life, it's pretty hard to deal with.