Cefaly review

[Zara-LouiseD]

Apologies for the sideways photo - but it will not load it the right way up!

I have just purchased Cefaly 2 and was using it on the preventative setting for 3 days, before getting a migraine today and using the treatment setting.....so I thought I would share my initial experience for anyone else thinking of purchasing one.

The intensity can be altered - which is a good job as it is quite an odd sensation to get used to. It can feel like vibration, tingling or massage in my experience.....but the worst thing for me is that I get some degree of pain whilst using the device (mostly on the right side of my forehead)

Obviously 3 days is not enough to prevent a migraine (I only had one that ended 4 days ago which was a 5 day event) but I live in hope that this device is going to work.

I tried it on the treatment during migraine setting today and the 10 mins that I managed at lunch time was not too traumatic and did make my migraine subside for the afternoon. I put it back on when I got in from work and oh my it was a horrendous experience! Bearing in mind that the intensity increases as the treatment proceeds (I think its 40 mins for treatment)....about 15mins in I ended up ripping it off my forehead as I could not bear the sensation any longer. It felt like an alien was attached to my forehead trying as hard as it could to suck my brain and eyes out of my head! It was intense and painful.....

I am unable to move my eyes much - especially to look upward when I am using the device. Once I closed my eyes on treatment, I couldn't open them for pain! I don't know if it is normal for it to affect your eyes at all (theres nothing in the literature) but I position the device as shown and I get vibration and tingling in my eyelids and eyes as well as in my forehead - on treatment the sensations go up over the top of my head too.

I am still pretty headache free (it feels like the day after a migraine at the moment) so maybe 40 mins of brain twisting torture is worth annihilating a 3 to 5 day migraine.......only time will tell!

[Cally01]

Oaft Zara i do 20min sessions. Definitely can't read a book or go about your business with it on !!

For me number 3 helps me sleep better but 1&2 OMG....someone slowly boring a hole between my eyes and the pressure in my eyes is aweful.

Like tiny little fists neading your brain! !

Good luck!!

Had mine for 1yr.

[Zara-LouiseD in reply to Cally01]

I'm glad it's not just me lol

I've just been reading some Amazon reviews about the original Cefaly and it would appear that a lot of users experience pain when using it......although their leaflet says we are in the minority! ( and these people were praising its effectiveness not just moaning reviewers)

Do you find it gets rid of your migraine?

I've got to say it makes my ears ring after I've used it too!

[Cally01 in reply to Zara-LouiseD]

Oh nooo...not just you. I came accross a woman reading a book on level 1...there's no way she even had it on!!!

I think migraneurs have high pain tolerance and I'd definitely say i do but i find cafaley to be bordering on torture! Just when you think it's subsiding off it goes again haha!!

On a serious note....number 3, if you can do 20mins, let it get to the end, it will help you sleep. My head, eyes and temples go numb!!

Numbers 1&2 i persevere both as a prevention /treatment but I've yet to find a difference.

I fell off the wagon for a while but back on it again.

Using it twice a day for 3 months now, I'm a bit of a bad case for it, i get jaw migraines and aura migraines so I'm focusing on aura to see if there's a deduction or effect on severity!!!

None yet!!!

Good luck 😆

[Shawnie]

Hi Zara. Thanks for the post. I suffer from chronic migraine and have been seriously considering buying the cefaly 2. My migraine specialist feels that it might be worth trying. I was not expecting such strong effects (they sound very unpleasant!) and am a bit worried about the eye pain in particular as my migraines (almost daily) already affect my right eye pretty badly. I hope that you soon feel the benefit of the machine and hope too, that you will post an update? Take care Shawnie.

[Zara-LouiseD in reply to Shawnie]

Hi Shawnie

It is pretty awful but my migraine went away after the torture session and it hasn't come back today - which is a miracle!

You can alter the intensity so you don't have to experience the full force of it, but apparently the higher the intensity the more likely it is to work.....

I think I might need the hypoallergenic electrode pads too as part of my sensitivity might be due to the gluey pad affecting my skin (I'm allergic to allsorts)

You can send them back within 60 days for a £200 refund in the UK (apparently they withold £49 to dispose of the device!?)

I hope you get some relief soon x

[Shawnie in reply to Zara-LouiseD]

Thanks for replying Zara. It has been good to hear from someone who is using the device and I am glad that it is helping you. I am tempted to try, especially with the possibility of an almost full refund if it is not suitable ...or doesn't work. I feel that it also shows that the company isn't out just to make money....all positive! Thanks again.

[Hidden]

Hi all,

Really interested reading your feedback. I have a Cefaly, didn't know they were about to update it when I got mine.

I also found it like torture and had to sit still or lie down when using it. It does get slightly more bearable the more you use it. But the refund time isn't long enough to assess it properly.

Unfortunately, it didn't work for me now thinking of selling it to pay for some more acupuncture....

[babs1234]

Please let us know how you get on

[Zara-LouiseD in reply to babs1234]

Will do!

I am really impressed with the result from the first 'treatment'

My migraine did not come back today - which is unheard of for me! I do have some ringing in my ears though.....but I feel great apart from that 😁

[Cally01 in reply to Zara-LouiseD]

Hey Zara- have you noticed your forehead and temples are totally numb after your cefaly sessions?

I can't even feel my fingertips on my head 😆.

[Zara-LouiseD in reply to Cally01]

Hi Cally01

No I haven't noticed any numbness? I do get a lovely red mark on my head from the electrode pad......and it's even worse from the hypoallergenic ones I just bought!

I'm getting less pain from the unit now on preventative mode.

I can't believe how flimsy and poorly made it is for the money they cost!

[Cally01 in reply to Zara-LouiseD]

I've been using level 3 at bed time, intense but helps with sleep.

My head is totally numb😕.

Yip, i have a lovely dry patch, the shape of the electrode patch . Doesn't matter how much moisturiser you use it just gets worse, and itchy!!

I agree, sooo flimsy but i suppose it reduces weight? That's if you want to sit and read a book while using it 😂😂 no chance ha!!

Will keep going.

My aura migraines have definitely reduced though.

I still get jaw migraines daily but specialists are working on sorting those 😆

[Lingiz]

How are you getting on now? Have you persevered? I bought one this week and have used it four times now on number 2 setting though not yet at full intensity. Just getting used to it and the weirdness of it. Hopeful

[Zara-LouiseD]

Hi Lingiz

I haven't been using it as frequently as I should really - I tend to use it if I feel tension or if I start to get a migraine.

It doesn't always help if I already have a migraine apart from when I'm wearing it.....so I often leave it on and put it on a few times in a row swapping between program 1 and 2. I mostly don't use it every day because of the cost of the electrode pads....

It does seem to have reduced the intensity of my migraines - I'm not sure about frequency because it was going well but then I had a couple of months with loads of really bad migraine (with vomiting) - I have only just come out of that and managed 4 weeks migraine free and only used cefaly maybe 4 times during that period.

I hope it works for you - let us know how you get on with it x

[Lingiz]

Hi I have been using the Cefaly just over a month and find it helps. Used programme 2 daily and programme 1 on a few occasions when a migraine was threatening and it got rid of it.

I bought some tens electrode gel from Amazon which has helped extend the life of the electrode!

[Zara-LouiseD in reply to Lingiz]

I got some of that too but it leaves sticky gel all over my forehead!

I'm finding that Cefaly is helpful whilst im using it during an attack but it's not making it go away once the program finishes.

I'm glad it's working for you