calling all iontophoresis techies, please help!!

[t02njp5]

Hi everyone, can I ask for your technical help with iontophoresis. This is a quite detailed post, sorry.

I should probably confess now that I am a Physics teacher, who probably should know the answers to her own questions, but I don't!!!!

I was using the Drionic device for a few weeks for hands and feet. It was frying my fingertips, so I took Sprawlings advice, opened up the back, pulled out the wires and attached them to two aluminium dishes. So far so good.

My curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know how much current the device was delivering. I checked with a multimeter and it was around 10mA for hands and 5mA for feet with an output voltage of around 7V using a fresh Drionic battery. That made sense as the current path for the feet would have more resistance. I was concerned as, looking at other posts, people report currents of 18mA using commercial and handmade devices and that a minimum current of 5mA is needed for ionto to work.

I decided to make a homemade device. I bought an AC/DC transformer with variable output from 0-12V, stripped the wires and added croc clips. I attached these to the pie dishes. With identical test conditions I only get a maximum of 0.5mA at 12V. Strange!!

Another test with identical test conditions and a fresh 9V battery gives a current of 0.4mA.

What's going on? I know that there is a difference in the treatments as I can only feel the tingling sensation when using the Drionic set up.

I was thinking about some kind of internal resistance issue with the battery and AC/DC adapter that is overcome with the Drionic electronics.

Has anyone got any ideas? I would really appreciate some feedback. If anyone has measured voltage and current for homemade devices that would also be great information.

On a positive note, the ionto is definitely working for my hands, but not for my feet. So glad that I tried this method after 30 years of the standard HH misery.

Thanks

 

[Sprawling]

I cannot answer the technical questions, yet I can share my experience with feet treatment. I gather you are doing the usual treatment for one hand, one foot for 15 mins and then switching polarities for another 15 mins, then doing the same on the opposite hand and foot. Do your feet separate in addition to the hand/foot treatment. Treat your Right and left foot, switching polarities for a total of an additional 1/2 hour treatment. Feet are stubborn and may require additional treatment.

This has worked for me over the years, especially during the warm months. It's a great feeling being able to wear flip flops with out your feet slipping and sliding.

I'm using the Fischer MD1a unit. I have the modified Drionic setup as a backup for when traveling or if the MD1a ever stops working.

 

[t02njp5]

Thanks for the quick reply Sprawling. I wasn't doing one hand/one foot. I am still following the Drionic set up of hand/hand and foot/foot.

Do you think its worth me trying the hand/foot combination as well?

 

[HH]

I use a idromed and I have the mA at around 7-8 which seems to be okay for me. Maybe use a higher mA for your feet as the skin is thicker than on your hands. For best results have your hands and feet flat on the metal plate, the moronic (sorry- Drionic) has areas which are raised so you can only treat certain areas of your hands and feet which is stupid.

 

[Sprawling]

t02njp5:
Try the one hand in tray, one foot in tray on your modified Drionic. Then as an additional treatment, foot/foot.

HH:
Yes the Drionic is awful, but it can be easily modified to work with 2 trays. It's a great option for people who cannot afford hundreds of $$.

 

[t02njp5]

Just a quick comment about polarity with the Drionic unit. I wired up an ammeter to the setup I use, to monitor the current. The current automatically switches polarity through the drionic circuitry, negative, positive, negative, positive etc.. I'm assuming that there is no need to change the wires around to the trays.

 

[Sprawling]

Just a quick comment about polarity with the Drionic unit. I wired up an ammeter to the setup I use, to monitor the current. The current automatically switches polarity through the drionic circuitry, negative, positive, negative, positive etc.. I'm assuming that there is no need to change the wires around to the trays.

Wow, didn't know the drionic was that sophisticated where it automatically changes polarity. This makes a modified drionic even more attractive than my MD-1A unit. I'll have to give my modified drionic a comparison test with the MD-1A unit.

 

[husky337]

Sprawling did you ever try the Idromed or Hidrex?

 

[Sprawling]

I have been using the Fischer MD-1A unit for six years. I used the modified drionic for a little while before I found a used Fischer really cheap. I have not tried the Idromed or Hidrex since I'm very happy with the Fischer unit.