New (to me) Cefaly info

I just read on migraine.com that the Cefaly device sold in Europe has three settings -- treatment, preventative, and relaxation--but the US device has only one setting--preventative. Is that true? I bought mine from the manufacturer in Belgium, so mine has all three settings. I had no idea the US device has only one. I use the "treatment" setting whenever I have a migraine, and it reduces the pain considerably; twice, it has eliminated the pain. I use the "preventive" setting every day. (I rarely use the "relaxation" setting, although it has made me feel better at the end of a long migraine day when the pain is gone but the anxiety or other side effects remain.)

It infuriates me that Americans can't get all three settings, especially the "treatment" setting. Were drug companies behind this? Did BigPharma object to a competitor--one that actually works (for me, anyway)? Why do you suppose this is?

The site goes on to state that Americans may have a difficult time getting one from Europe via mail now that Americans have to have a prescription (Europeans don't). I didn't have a problem getting mine, but maybe that's because I got mine in March, and it didn't become available in the US until April (?). In any case, I feel sorry for those of you who ordered Cefaly and got only the preventive setting.

Mine only has one setting. You press the button and it ramps up slowly. You press the button a second time when it is at a "comfortable level". It goes automatically for 20 minutes. You can certainly vary the intensity based on when you press the button. So I seems ok to me for both treatment or prevention.

It took about 1 month to get it. I did have to send over a prescription from my doctor. Thank the FDA.

Yes, mine does that, too, for each of the three programs. But the programs are very different from each other; their differences aren't due to intensity, but rather in the parts of the brain that are stimulated/relaxed and how that's done.

This is really good to know. I was thinking about getting one, but now I'll try to get one outside of the country. Does anyone know if the Canadian one had 3 settings or 1?

Does the Canadian Cefaly web site have that info?

I just read on a migraine Facebook page that the Canadian version does have three settings. I'd check it out on their web site, though, just to be sure.

I was also reading about it online and found in several places that it has three settings. I guess only the American one is limited.

I also found this really great blog by a Doctor in NYC, where he mentions Cefaly http://www.nyheadache.com/blog/?s=cefaly

Very interesting. I did not know they were different. I would have picked one up in Europe if I had known that. I am sure the difference has to do with the FDA. It takes quite a lot of testing and reviews to get FDA approval. Likely this earlier version got the approvals. The newer model with multiple settings has not yet gone through the testing and approval cycle here. So they sell the one that had been approved.