I'm using an RS-4i Stimulator

[massagedoula]

Hi..
I just got my "zappy machine" today from the PT...I thought it was going to be a TENS, but it is this RS-4i thing. I cant wear it like a TENS (Ive never seen a TENS but I heard about them on this board) but this is cool, it has a pain setting that I use on the front on my bladder and then a muscle setting that is much stronger that I use on my back where the bladder nerves come out. Has anyone used this machine before?
:biglaugh: :idea:

[jrowley]

http://www.rsmedical.com/ (http://www.rsmedical.com/product_rs4i.asp) Thats the link that talks about it and it looks like a good thing to me, I wish I had one to use when times are tough. Have fun I hope it helps

[shennan]

i have heard of remedical.com.

i was going to get their machine, but i wanted something to use to go to the grocery store. i get terrible spasms in the muslces that hold the kidneys, so i opted for the empi.com tens unit. it works well.
the rep. for texas is nice.
the little unit has two batteries that are rechargable.

i do understand that the rsmedical machine is good, too.
it has more pads then a carry tens unit. doesn't it have 8 pads?!

good luck!
:kiss:
shenna

[massagedoula]

It has been a month now with the RSmedical unit. I really rely on it now. if i wake up in the middle of the night with pain, I go to the couch and put it on. Then I can usually fall back to sleep. I think it (for me) cuts the need for pain meds at night, which I took before I got it.

My perscription for it is only 3 months, so I am worried about what will happen when it is up. I feel like I want to have it always.

[Portia17]

HI

Massagedoula

I am interested in the rs-4i stimulator. I have a tens that I always wear

But did you say yoU CANT wear it because I do not know what to do if i could not wear it.

Is it better than the tens

Thanks

[massagedoula]

Hi Portia,
I read alot of your posts. I hope that you are feeling better, and are in less pain than usual.

The RS medical stimulator cannot be worn all the time. What it does is that it has a setting that is specific for pain, and then another setting that is specific for muscle. I put the pain setting on my front, around the pelvis/bladder area, and then I put the muscle setting on my back, around my sacrum/butt. The muscle setting causes muscle contractions, and it is not to be used on the bladder area. I never used a normal TENS so I dont know how different it is. I know that I was calliing my unit a TENS, and my physcial therapist said that the RS Medical is not a TENS, it is different. Maybe it would explain on the website. I know I had to get a perscription for it, and I might not be allowed to keep it, like a TENS.

[Portia17]

Thanks for your help

appreciate it

[Portia17]

massagedoula

I have been reading yours posts from February. Did you ever get an official diagnosis of ic.?

[massagedoula]

Nope! Nothing yet...I don't know what else it could be though. So far I have been told (this is all by different Drs) That maybe I have IC (a guess--not a diagnosis from my gyno), urethral syndrome, pelvic pain syndrome (from my urogyno) and the best one "a transient condition that will go away by itself" (I never went back to THAT Urologist again). I have more appointments with different uros coming up and a cystoscopy (in-office) and urodynamics test tomorrow with the urogyno. Maybe I will never get an answer, but I treat myself like I have IC anyway...I have something wrong..this is not in my head!

[Portia17]

massagedoula

I don't understand why they did not give u a hydro-cysto under anesthesia yet?

[Babs RN]

Massagedoula,
If it is working that well, get one of the docs to document it on your chart and have it sent to the insurance company or whatever kind of case management set up they have. They will probably buy it as oppose to lease it for you because in the long run paying for this may decrease their costs in other areas of your medical care. PM me if you want some exact details. Glad it is working.

Hugs,
Barb :grouphug:

[massagedoula]

I would like to know the details. However, I have to wait to do anythong w/insurance, b/c they are currently trying to screw me by saying that my bladder problems are pre-exisiting. They have denied all uro visits and everything else lke acupuncture and naturopathy that has to do with my bladder for this reason. They are idiots. They say that they saw on my patients notes from my gyno that I had a history of frequent urinationd and theya re so dumb that they think that it is the same as the IC pain I have now.

I am waiting on a letter from said gyno to be written so I can fax the supid insurance my appeals package. I would love to own my RS Medical. My perscription for it will run out in a month.

[Portia17]

Massagedoula:

I got one of those rs-4I stimulators like you did last week. They say it is stronger than the tens unit. What I don't like about it is you can't really wear it because it is strong sucks up the battery in an hour. My pain mgmt doctor told me it was only to be used by plugging in the wall as that is what is made for.

I told her well good thing I still have my tens unit, because I use that walking around.

How is yours working for you?

[massagedoula]

I like the Rs-4i stimulator. It is nice because I put it on the pain setting in front, and then I change it to the muscle setting for my sacral lower back area. I wish it was portable, but I think that they dont make it portable because it is so strong, you couldnt wear it all the time. My PT says it is the best there is...I'm glad you got one!

[littleQ]

Hi All,

Just some dumb questions about the Rs-4i stimulator...what is the muscle setting mainly used for? Do the Rs-4i stimulator also help with urgency and urethral pressure? I have been thinking about the TENS, but maybe I should also consider the Rs-4i stimulator. Thanks!

LittleQ

[massagedoula]

The muscle setting is for your lower back/sacral area, to massage the muscles that innervate your bladder nerves. I dont know about urethral pressure, because I dont have that symptom, but urgency it helps while it is on you. When I take it off, I always have to pee, but it is usually a larger amount than normal which feels satisfying.