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I'm a medial student... The electrodes can be implanted in different parts of the brain. The target is selected by the doctor according to your particular symptoms, because each patient has different severities, and different sites are more useful for controlling particular symptoms. Side effects are quite common in my experience - but can usually be managed by reducing the voltage or other settings; basically they are caused by the stimulation spreading and affecting other unrelated nearby parts of the brain. The type of symptoms you experience will therefore depend on where your leads are, so may be different to other people's experiences if they are implanted in a different place. Furthermore, even if they are in the same place, the side effects can be extremely variable because each person is different and highly variable (even a difference of a few millimetres could make a big difference). Adjusting the position of the electrodes is the last port of call- fiddling with the stimulation settings will probably help to get rid of your ringing ears. Get them to just try different settings with you; changing the voltage and perhaps the reducing the poles used along the electrode (usually there are 4 and the doctor chooses to stimulate between 2 of them, so by using two poles closer together they stimulate a smaller area). This may help, its all about weighing up the pros and cons-maximising the benefits whilst minimising the side-effects. Hope this helps, Mark -----Original Message----- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of E.J.Bryan Sent: 07 February 2002 03:10 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: DBS adjustment side-effects >I had bilateral DBS surgery done in 1999. Since then the devices have been >very effective in controlling tremors of my head, neck,hands and upper >torso. I have an appointment for an adjustment of the voltage in order to >see if this would reduce the amount of medication I am taking. > >The last time the voltage was adjusted, I experienced electrical shocks >between my fillings and my lips whenever I touched the stainless steel >sink, and my ears began to ring. I returned the next day and they dropped >the settings back to where they were before but the ringing in both ears >remains on a 24/7 basis. The shocks stopped though. Has anyone out there >had any reaction like this to adjustments of the DBs voltage packs? Could >it be my doctor or should I accept the fact that it's just me. Just checking! EJB "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn