Non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation, or Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (t-VNS) is a therapeutic alternative with only minor side effects.
A systematic review of tVNS clinical trials, with a total of 1,322 patients, found the most common side effect to be skin irritation in 18.2% of users, however only 2.6% of users discontinued treatment due to these side effects.
In the rare case that skin irritation or discomfort occurs, it will usually disappear soon after stopping the stimulation. tVNS has been safe and well tolerated by research participants and end users to date.