I'm sorry it's so hard for you. I don't know anything about VNS... other than what I saw on a documentary on tv. I wish I could help you. Is your pdoc going to be monitoring your progress on Wellbutrin XL closely? The reason I mention it is because Wellbutrin made me much, much more depressed than I was before I started taking it. So, it scares me. I don't want that to happen to anyone else. These drugs affect different people in different ways, but I just hope your doc is going to be there tracking your progress and making sure you improve rather than getting worse. I hope you find something that makes you feel better. It sounds like you've been through more than your share of pain.