Hi
I’ve had my Beechband a few days now and was wondering, if you have one, what good effects did you get from it.
Contrary to that, anyone had any adverse effects?
The constant buzzing noise is doing my head in 
Cheers
D
2 Likes
Thanks for posting, Dusty68! We’d love to hear your thoughts on the Beechband and what other members of the community think about it so thank you so much for starting this thread.
Best wishes
Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team
1 Like
Hi @fkendall. Well it’s early days but I do feel as though it has a slight calming effect when I’m feeling a little anxious. The anxiety I get is nothing major but enough to make me feel ‘uncomfortable’, usually when meds are starting to wear off.
I wear it on my non dominant arm (wrist). It appears to calm things down. 
.
The only downside I’ve found is the buzzing noise it makes. Everyone in the room can hear it 
.
Oh, I’ve also found the strap a little tricky to fasten occasionally, otherwise it looks promising.
Cheers
D
1 Like
I have a Beechband on at the moment. It does buzz, almost a deep resonating sound, but I do not focus on it. Like many things, it requires management. It is a hungry creature, requiring a recharge every 3 hours, which takes 45 minutes. So I have a pair. The gadget, as I call it, has only recently been designed, so there is scope to improve it. I was diagnosed in 2016, I am 65, and the gadget had an immediate impact on me. Whether mentally or physically (right word?) I need more time to evaluate it. Go checkout the website for more information, they do not hide the issues. I hope to give a further update, in a few days.
2 Likes
A quick update. I noticed last night I was calm and relaxed when I had the BB on but, when I had to recharge, I felt the slight dyskinesia on my left side that I occasionally get. However, once I got the BB back on, the dyskinesia stopped within a few minutes! Coincidence? Who knows, but I’m remaining positive about this. In fact, my wife suggested a second one as a standby for recharging times .
Cheers
D
1 Like
I received my Beechband today! Charged it and put it on. Felt it improved my tremor so I could butter sandwiches for lunch but not completely gone. It’s intermittent anyway. The buzzing is a bit annoying.
1 Like
It may take a little while to make a bigger difference. I’ve had mine a week now. It’s definitely helping anxiety brought on by meds wear off. 
Cheers
D
1 Like
I have got a beech band now. I was very surprised that it is almost exactly the same as a metronome watch I bought a few weeks ago for £20 from Amazon. It is the same level of noise and same size. Is there a difference? I shall test both watches and see how they effect me. I do like the idea of a vibrating watch to help with freezing and anxiety and would like to see if it makes any difference to dystonia. I did try the Cue 1 but that made no difference that i could feel. Interesting to see if anyone has used a metronome watch or similar device and felt a difference between the two devices.
1 Like
@forest.
I’ve not heard of a metronome watch but I’m interested to see if you find any difference between that and the Beechband.
Cheers
D
1 Like
Hi forest,I ordered a metronome band after reading your comment which arrived today and as you said it was around £20 from ebay or amazon.It lists its for music or sports training so thought I would give it a go.Of course I dont have a beech band to compare lt to so just trial and error.My wife works for the NHS and she suggested setting it at normal adverage heartbeat rate to start with.I did hope it might be silent with just a pulse beat however it gives out a buzzing sound perhaps like a beech band. I will give it a go anyway and see if it helps with my shaking right hand.I have it on my left wrist and of course I am used to wearing my watch on that side so keep looking at it for the time and of course it only shows the beats per min!
1 Like
Just to clarify @birch , does the metronome watch pulse/vibrate? The BB has a decent vibration.
I’ve actually found it more effective just gripping it loosely in my hand. Saves fiddling with the strap.
2 Likes
Hello Dusty 68
Only tried it properly this morning walking to shop’s and it has a vibration with a noticeable pulse.The down side is it is quite audible and in a room or outside it would definitely be heard.I tried covering it up with another layer of clothing but that seemed to amplify the sound!
Looked online and the beech band works at around 60 to 100 bpm so set it around 70 to try it out.I am hoping it will help reduce my stammering as my walking is ok so it will be good practice for me explaining what the noise is while trying not to stammer!
1 Like
Just to correct my error I think a beech band work’s between 60 and 80 bpm and not 100 bpm. Sorry for the error!
Dave
1 Like
Hi everyone,
I have been using my beech band for 3 days, But I feel it,has made by symptoms worse. I feel very vague and forgetful, and extremely anxious.
1 Like
Hi @Marnie102,
Firstly, welcome to the forum. I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling like this. It’s really important to listen to your body - if the beech band seems to be making your symptoms worse, it’s a good idea to stop using it and speak with your Parkinson’s specialist or nurse, if you have one, as soon as you can.
You might also find this page helpful, as it explains how the device can affect symptoms.
Please know that you can also call our free, confidential helpline for support and advice: 0808 800 0303. Our trained experts and specialist nurses are on hand anytime between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and 10am and 1pm on Saturdays.
Take care 
Parkinson’s UK Moderation Team
1 Like
Thank you for your advice. I will give it another week. I may have been expecting too much too soon
2 Likes
Hi Marnie, how are you feeling now? And did you have other worsening symptoms?
1 Like
Hi Ed.
Have you tried the Beechband? I don’t know what the gloves are, can you describe them please? What makes them far more credible? When and who are ‘they’ planning to start making them?
Cheers
D.
1 Like
Ok, update.
I tuned in to one of Carl Beech’s Webinars recently. He suggested the BB should be worn for a good few hours maybe twice a day (roughly). He went on to explain that it has had a good effect on his symptoms, that he hadn’t had any need for meds for the last few days. He looked great, speech was fine etc. There were other people commenting that they were having to reduce their medication due to the effect the BB was having on them.
So, I followed his advice and increased the use of the BB.
Yesterday, to be honest there were times I didn’t feel so good. I took all my meds as usual including a prescribed overnight Caramet (Co-careldopa 50/200mg 3 x daily and 37.5/150mg 2 x daily. Also 50mg Opicapone at 9pm). However, this morning I awoke virtually completely ‘off’. Usually I feel good. I took my usual meds at 8am, but did not feel any better, or worse for that matter. I went for a lie down, napped until 11am and took my next dose of meds which was due. At that time, I was actually feeling a fair bit better, but within a couple of minutes of taking those meds, I felt ‘off’ again and feeling rotten! I’m writing this while lying on the bed again and feel very dyskinetic.
So now I’m thinking is this the beneficial effects of the BB, and my prescribed medication doseage is now too much, or is it a negative effect and it is somehow reducing the efficacy of the meds?
It’s now 2 hours after my last dose of meds and I’m just starting to feel better, and dare I say it, normal. Next dose is due in one hour but I’ve decided to see how long I can go before I start feeling ‘off’ with the hope my meds can be reduced and hopefully the side effects of the meds also.
Any thoughts?
Cheers
D
2 Likes
Thank you for sharing this. It’s so understandable to want to explore every possible option for managing Parkinson’s symptoms. It’s clear from the thread that the effectiveness of the Beechband can be very different from person to person.
The most important takeaway is to always consult with your medical team before starting any new treatment or device. Their guidance is essential for your safety and well-being. It’s great to see a thread like this where people can share their honest feedback and support one another in the process.