Taking myself out of the hustle and bustle of life for a few minutes of Pulsetto each day was a treat. They are applications like Apple’s Breathe they have been prescribing for years the benefit of a moment to relax with deep breathing and forced relaxation.
During the first sessions with Pulsetto I couldn’t really tell you what, if anything, it was doing for me. I soon got used to the buzzing in my neck, but I didn’t come away from a session feeling different. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he certainly wasn’t finding it. However, I was enjoying the stolen moments of peace and quiet, regardless of the device itself.
Eagerly, I soon began experimenting with the intensity level and found the difference between levels 5 and 7 to be quite significant. Anything above 7 was too much for me, but at higher rates I at least started to feel some effects.
I didn’t suddenly become the Dude, but the sensation reminded me of experiments with CBD oil. Annoyingly, I intensely dislike the effects CBD oil has on my mind and body, making me feel dizzy, with hints of nausea. Dizziness is one of the common side effects of Pulsetto, along with local pain, muscle spasms, headaches, and tingling.
After a session, it is true that the most intense ones, it often took a few minutes to feel normal again. Yes, the more I used Pulsetto, the more I got used to post-pulse dizziness, but I could never marry these feelings with being less stressed or anxious. Maybe I need to work more on myself.
But is it working? Apparently, stimulating the vagus nerve regularly for three to four weeks can also cause a drop in heart rate and an increase in HRV (heart rate variability). According to the people of Howl, my HRV (as a 45 year old man) should be between 35 and 60. Based on my Apple Watch health data, I range between 38 and 40. Fairly healthy, but not an athlete. So the question remains, without altering my routine, would the Pulsetto improve my HRV?
Sadly not. For a month or so (hands up, I missed a few days here and there), there was no upward trend in my HRV data, which continued to fluctuate slightly like it’s supposed to. Whoop suggests that minimizing alcohol consumption, getting more sleep, and exercising more may also increase HRV, but he wasn’t about to add any sadistic variables to this test.
Verdict
According to Pulsetto, “80 percent of clients see a substantial improvement in their stress and anxiety levels after 3 to 4 weeks. The time it takes to see a difference varies from person to person and can range from 1-2 days to 4-6 weeks.” Well this was not the case for me.
After my initial doubts, I really wanted Pulsetto to change my life. I wanted regular daily use to lower my heart rate and increase my HRV. I wanted to emanate calm and radiate well-being. There is no such luck. If I were wracked with anxiety and desperately needed a better night’s sleep, I’m pretty sure spending time on myself would go a long way. While adding Pulsetto to this mix might help somewhat, in this particular case, after a month of testing, I can’t help feeling that a foot massage might do the same.
Then there’s the bigger issue at stake here. Over-prescribing of drugs is a serious matter, as time-pressed doctors (certainly in the UK) often quickly prescribe blood pressure pills to win easily, rather than suggesting to patients that they should eat better and Do more exercise. And despite not being drug-based, Pulsetto really isn’t any better, offering a supposed quick fix to symptoms of stress, sleep problems, and anxiety, without even addressing the root cause of the problem.