Vitamin and Supplements Regimen
 

*Updated regimen linked @ bottom of post.*

Here is the nutritional regimen I have followed for decades. It was prescribed for me by a doctor back in 1982. I have fallen of the wagon from time to time. Each time, my wife notices a difference and gets me back on the regimen. I have added a few things over the years.

The injured brain needs to do two things, First, it needs to cleanse itself of the toxic remnants of the injury. Second, it needs to regain strength (heal) in the damaged areas. B vitamins are the most important. I suggest:

B-12 (500 to 1000 mcgs daily)
a B-50 complex, for all the other B's so you get a good balance of B's
a high potency multi-vitamin like GNC Mega Women?Men. Centrum and One a Day are too weak.
Some extra anti-oxidants, Vit C and Vit E
D3, plenty of this, 1000 to 5000 iu's
Omega 3, 6, 9 fish oil
Calcium with magnesium

I also have added
Curcumin (pricy but worth it) 950 mgs daily This is a Turmeric extract
DHEA, 25 mgs , a hormone that helps the body balance the other hormones, If your skin gets oily try 1/2 of a 25 mgs tablet
a Costco High Energy multipack (7 pieces) in place of the multi-vitamin

I am currently trying CDC Choline to review it for the manufacturer. It appears to be helping with less foggy brain but after only three days, this could be just a coincidence. I'll post a better review of CDC Choline later.


good meat protein for the amino acids, pork is the best or for vegetarians, there is a seaweed based spirulina extract that sounds pretty good. Most vegetarians do not like to eat the seaweed directly.
a good amino acid supplement including essential fatty acid and BCAA (broken chain amino acid). Vegetarian diets are usually deficient in these so they need supplements. Spirulina is suggested as comprehensive enough.
avoid trans fats.

No caffeine, alcohol, MSG, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, Nutrasweet, Equal, Splenda, sucralose), high fructose corn sweetener, and only moderate natural sugar.

We should also avoid aluminum compounds. The most common aluminum is found in antiperspirants (aluminum chlorhydrate). They should be avoided.

My regimen based on the above costs about $1.30 to $1.50 per day including some non-brain supplements (arthritis).

I was started on the brain basics by a psychiatrist 30 years ago as a way to treat PCS depression and avoid medication. It was very effective. I am tempted to replace my paroxetine with 5-HTP or L-Tryptophan but have not been able to find any conversion factors.

The B-12 and the folic acid in the B-50 is important for repair of the myelin sheath that protects axon and dendrite fibers. The rest are for improving brain metabolism.

This regimen needs to be a long term or lifetime discipline. It take 4 to 8 weeks to see improvements.

After using the regimen for a month or so, it is good to get a blood test for the D3, B-12 and folate to make sure your blood levels are adequate. B-12 should be about 1000 pcgs/mL and folate at about 20 or higher.


There are three valuable resources for you to check out.

The TBI Survival Guide at Traumatic Brain Injury.
Print it out (84 pages)

The YouTube "You Look Great" 6 part series
[1 of 6] "You Look Great!" : Inside a TBI - YouTube

The brain line 'TBI Lost and Found'
Lost & Found: What Brain Injury Survivors Want You to Know

Share these with your family and/or friends. And, try to find a TBI support group to attend with your family. They can be a great source of support and understanding.

Home made Ice pack

My recipe for a flexible/crushable ice pack is simple. One part rubbing alcohol with three parts water in a zip lock baggies. Freeze them, three is good, so you can alternate them and always have a frozen one. Ice frequently for 15 minutes on and 30 minutes off and repeat. If you get any stiffness of head ache, get the ice pack out. The upper neck easily gets inflamed cause symptoms. This should make a difference.

7/2016---- Updated regimen which appears later on this thread --post #101:
http://www.neurotalk.org/1106982-post101.html

Mark, I am curious to hear your observations. I have been on 528mg a day for 30 days now. It's so difficult to self evaluate, cognitively my concentration and focus had returned to near normal levels until a recent significant decline. Could be simply lack of sleep as the kids have been sick lately so it's so hard to say.

I'd like to know about dosage and if you take it in combination with anything else and time of day.

Thanks for the information.

I take one capsule with the rest of my regimen. If your family has been sick, it is likely that your immune system has been working overtime to prevent you from becoming ill with the same. That combined with your lack of sleep can easily be a cause of a recent setback.

Mark, your list looks good. I have only 2 comments!

1) blue green algae is being looked at now, as a possible cause
of neurological toxicity.
Here is an article about it:
http://thedartmouth.com/2011/06/28/news/ALS
There are many others on Google if you want to look around.
Even Dr. Weil is now coming out publicly and warning people not to use any blue green algae product.

2) Curcumin is not well absorbed orally, but there are some brands now with improved absorption. Curcugel-500 is one (also available at LEF foundation), and LongVida makes one. It is unfortunately quite expensive still.
http://www.longvida.com/index.php

Please keep reminding people to take B12 on an empty stomach. It won't be absorbed well, orally when food is present.

I have been taking about 300-400 mcgs of B-12 on a full stomach for years and have good blood concentrations. My suggestion is take enough to get the blood concentration to about 1000 pcgs/mL.

I mention the spirulina because many vegans/vegetarians claim to get all they need from their normal vegan diet. Studies show some serious deficiencies in the vegetarian diet.

You are lucky.....you must still have some intrinsic factor activity.
This however can be blocked in many people who use acid blocking drugs for heartburn, or who have poor acid levels in the stomach due to genetic errors in intrinsic factor activity, or who are older. The presence of food in GI tract (small intestine) tends to absorb microgram amounts of certain drugs like digoxin and thyroid hormones. Studies have found poor absorption of microgram type doses.

There is a study done by a doctor measuring absorption under ideal conditions...of B12 and it is very small. About 13mcg for a dose of 1000mcg, on an empty stomach.
So unless everyone gets B12 tests periodically, they will never know if they are absorbing properly unless they take it on an empty stomach.

Here is the paper...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2532799/

and the link to his table with doses:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...able/T1/#TF1-4

In the younger age groups who post here, it is less common
to have low B12 unless the person has a terrible diet or is anorectic, or has the genes for pernicious anemia.

But for many of the posters on NeuroTalk, the empty stomach is
important.

Also another point... about 10-30% of the population has been found to be unable to methylate B12 and folic acid. This failure means that cyanocobalamin form will not work for them.
They require methylfolate and methylcobalamin for supplementation therefore. The 23andme website has now lowered its price again for DNA testing for this genetic error, and it is now $99. (for those interested.)

Those with Celiac and/or gluten intolerance, and those with inflammatory bowel diseases, malabsorption of B12 does occur.
So B12 is not a simple thing to supplement when all these factors may be present.

Mark - do you take your supplements at a certain time of day? I take mine with breakfast and have always wondered if that is ideal for the PCS brain or if it should be spread out over the course of the day. I take a Multivitamin, Vit C, D3, and probiotics.

Thanks :)

I take my full regimen after breakfast. I sometimes will eat half a banana after to push any stragglers down. Some tend to get stuck in my esophagus going down.

Musiclover, You regimen looks very weak. Most multi's are based on the RDA and are very weak on B's and folic acid. You also need strong minerals.

Hi guys! Mark, as an avid fitness enthusist and gym goer, I like the supplement list that you have posted in the first post. I take most of these on a regular basis :)

Hey guys, just to add on to Mark's first post, If you do a google search for NOW Foods supplements they are made with the highest purity, no filler products, and are very cheap.

For multi-vitamin: NOW FOODS ADAM
For Chlorella: NOW FOODS CHLORELLA
For Spirulina: NOW FOODS SPIRULINA

I have never taken the second and third product ever. But I have ordered some and just received them. I am going to start next week. I stumbled upon these products because I had 3 CT scans for my head in a span of four months. Two of those three were 7 days apart. I am worried about all the radiation that I have absorbed and apparently taking chlorella + spirulina absorbs and takes away a good amount of the negative effects of the radiation if taken over time. There are good research articles on google where these products were given to children of the chernobyl incident and within a few months their radiation levels dropped significantly.
These two supplements are also considered detoxing agents and people in the supplement reviews on various supplement websites have reported having more energy and feeling young and rejuvenated again. I will try to post my experiences with them after I have taken them for about 90 days or so.

I have a few questions
 

You have Magnesium with calcium.....I have been taking Magnesium 250-500mg alone at night...My calcium is in my multi vitamin I take at breakfast...Do you think this is a good amount of Magnesium? and is it ok without the calcium? And do you not take Melatonin?If not just curious why?

My psychiatrist told me when I brought all my vitamins that the DHA is a Hoax?What are your thoughts on this?Thank you and appreciate your time greatly:D

The mag at night is fine. I take an anti-seizure med at night and have never considered melatonin. I have melatonin for head ache relief. Many find the melatonin supplements help them get to sleep but not stay asleep.

The DHA is not a big deal, either way.

Mia, Please use the post reply at the bottom left. It does not quote the previous post so it saves us from excessive scrolling.

The magnesium in most multivitamins is magnesium stearate.

This is an INsoluble form that is used as a filler to make the total
product move thru the pressing machines without sticking.

It is not absorbed and provides no magnesium to your body.

This is my magnesium thread: it explains how much and what type to choose. It also has food sources so you can decide to improve diet so that more magnesium will be available to you.

Magnesium in mixture products like cal/mag...is often magnesium oxide. This type is very inexpensive and historically was always provided. But recent studies have shown that it is not absorbed much either. So now it is mostly a laxative and is
found in Phillips tablets today (as advertised on TV).

So read labels carefully before you take a magnesium product so you will choose one that works.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html

The world of supplements is very complicated. Not all are equal in quality, by any means!

Magnesium at night is a good idea, as it is relaxing. Many of us on
the PN forum use a topical lotion for it, and rub it on at night. It will
calm you down and facilitate sleep. Some people are sensitive to the laxative actions of all magnesium products so the topical avoids that side effect.

You can also bathe in epsom salts in a bath tub. This is very relaxing and some magnesium does cross the skin and get into your blood steam that way. Do NOT use hot water... lukewarm only. About 6 ounces to a bath tub and soak at least a 1/2 hr.

Dhea
 

What about DHEA, Mark?

Is it safe? What do you use it for ,exactly?

Did you see any objective improvements by taking it?

In Canada i think it is considered a steroid and therefore impossible to find because of safety reasons...

Pepa

Thanks for this Mark
 

Mark,
Thanks for this. The link to the video was great. Yeah we look good but we are not good. My mom always says that she thinks that is why I was denied disability because I look too good. I have been very sick for a long time though. To me, I don't look good. I can see the toll this has taken. Black under my eyes etc. I guess others don't notice, they are only changes we can see.
Thanks again this was helpful and I am trying to get a good vitamin plan going. I pretty much have to use what is here in the house as I am broke and can't afford to go buy the kinds I need.
Hope you are all having a good day or hour or minute.
Love,
Brain :hug:

Mark

Thanks for posting this, and repeatedly promoting it. It should surely be a sticky in here?

I have just ordered everything suggested at a cost of £70 (no turmeric extract though). This should last 3 months minimum.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Here is a new video on vitamin B12 issues. It only touches on the methyl form near the end, and that is its only weakness.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread85103.html
This thread will provide that information where the video leaves off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEiz...ature=youtu.be

My Vitamin Regimen
 

I'm not sure if I should post my own vitamin regimen here. So please feel free to delete . Anyway, my own vitamin regimen is based off of Mark's. Thank you Mark for the guidelines! I will be seeing a Chiropractic Neurologist next week and see what he says as well with regard to my regimen.

I've only started on them for a week and I think I do need to refine it and maybe i'm taking too much. So please feel free to reply with your opinions. Thanks for your support.

Daily Vitamin Regimen

Omega 3 Nature Made 1200 mg x 4
Garden of Life Vitamin Code Multi x 4
Vitamin C 1000mg x2
B Complex 100 x2
Vitamin Dry A 10000IU x2
Vitamin D3 5000IU x2
Tumeric Supreme (Gaia Herbs) x2
New Chapter Organics Cal Mag Health x3
Garlic Tablet x1
Probiotic x1
Zyflamend (New Chapter) x2 (I'm not sure if this will help but it says it will help with body inflammation but maybe more for joints? Just saw it at Whole Foods and decieded to try it)
Arnica Montana x5 twice a day (Homeopathic)

Just picked this up today : Jarrows NeuroOptimizer (Havan't tried it yet. But it says it promotes brain health and functioning but not sure if it's for my more specific migraines) Also picked up SuperNutrition Anti Oxidant Power. There are so many antioxidant formulas out there but this one seemed more complete. Is an antioxidant formula helpful for PCS? Not sure! I need guidance! Thanks

Feverfew (read that it's good for migraines) as needed.

I'm not sure if Brand of Vitamins actually makes a difference? I'm thinking of switching my Fish Oil brand to the Garden of Life Mor-O3 (Minami Nutrition) which describes itself as a supercritical O3 Fish Oil in Triglyceride Form.

Anyway please comment! I'm not really too sure about my dosage levels as well. My dosage levels are all according to recommended serving size except for the fish oils and vitamin C which i'm doubling up on. Thanks.

As well should I be taking a separate Magnesium Citrate? (read it's good for migraines)

Thank you for your support.

I've bolded an item in your list, blue, that seems excessive safety-wise to me.

Is this betacarotene form A or real vit A (retinol)?

If real vit A, I'd suggest you reduce the dose to no more than 5,000 IU a day. Excess Vit A in retinol form has been linked to increased CSF pressure in the brain, called pseudotumor cerebri. People with a head injury don't need anything to increase that pressure.

You can safely take betacarotene however, as this has to be activated in the liver, and that is done as an as needed basis.

Right now I am taking two Mega Men Sport (GNC Brand) Multi-Vitamins twice a day along with two fish oil capsules. I try my best to live a healthy lifestyle and eat lots of fruits and vegetables for additional vitamins and minerals.

Danger
 

Two GNC Megamen Sport multi-vitamins twice a day has 800 mcgs of Selenium. The maximum daily intake is suggested at 400 mcgs per day. The needed daily amount is only 80 to 160 mcgs maximum.

Actually the recommended selenium levels are falling now.

In the past 200mcg/day was considered okay. Today is more like 100mcg to be really safe. That is up to the user however.
Excess selenium is toxic, and also implicated in some Type II
diabetes. But the latter is only so-so in studies.

When you take a multiproduct vitamin, you risk getting too much of some things. Especially the minerals. But retinol Vit A may also be involved. It depends on the formula.

Today I went to Costco and picked up some additional vitamins to start taking. I picked up Nature's Bounty B-12 (2500 mcg), Nature's Bounty B-100 Complex, and Kirkland D3 (5000 IU).

Currently I take 2 caplets of GNC Mega Men Sport Multi-vitamin/day along with Kirkland Omega 3 Fish Oil 1 Capsule/day. I am planning to add the vitamins I bought today into my regimen until I can afford to get the other vitamins on the list. I wanted to get the B-vitamins and the D3 and it seems those are the most important. I also have some Kirkland Vit C laying around that I'll start taking too.

I have also upped my vegetable intake GREATLY recently. I am eating raw spinach, kale, celery, cauliflower, carrots etc multiple times/day to try to get more vitamins and nutrients into my body.

my 18 year old son
 

Hi there,
My son is in post concussion from headbagging. It's been six months now he's gotten better but still has headaches, in the front of his head, eye's hurt every now and then, depressed, anxious and angry. He's add and really spaced out even more than before. Been to the docs a bunch of times. He couldn't sleep at nite and took melatonin, he's can't take a tums without a reaction and boy did he have a wild crap you pants reaction, during the day awake, no more of that "natural" sleep aid!

I see Mark does the vitamin route, we were at the doctors yesterday and my son was low on vitamin D, so the doc suggested D3 1000 iu's. I'll call the doc on the other vitamins suggested but is there anyway I can help him get out of this funk? He got lost running around the block? I bought one of those standard peddle exercisers but he didn't like. His attention is horrible for he spends lots of time alone. If anyone has a suggestion it would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Mom

Hi mom

So sorry to hear about your son. I too am suffering PCS from a snowboarding accident back in January. A lot of the symptoms your son is having I also am experiencing. I don't think my confusion is as bad but I can definitely relate to the anxiety, depression, and spacey feeling.

Luckily for you you have came to the right place. This forum is filled with experienced individuals who have great advice to offer along with tons of support.

As far as the vitamins that Mark recommends, I have just recently added some of them into my daily diet. Hopefully I will be able to add all of them soon when my budget allows it. Before I even found this thread I was taking the GNC Mega Men Sport Multi-vitamin along with fish oil. Since about a week ago I have added in 2500 mcg of B-12, a B-100 complex, and 5000 IU of D3.

In a short weeks time I have noticed some differences. Definitely the biggest and most obvious thing I've noticed is that my sleep has improved. I no longer wake up multiple times in the middle of the night and when my girlfriend gets home from work late. I am sleeping 7-8 hours straight and feel so refreshed in the morning. I also started sleeping with a sound machine (ocean waves, waterfall, etc) and I believe that in combination with the newly added vitamins has GREATLY helped my sleep.

I have also noticed that I am less groggy in the morning. I wake up and have energy. My mood has slightly improved. I am experiencing less mood swings, less irritability, and less unhappiness. My anxiety has improved, and I don't feel as depressed as I did before. All these changes are slight. I know Mark said it takes 4-8 weeks to really notice changes, so I am excited to keep heading in this direction.

If you have a subscription to Costco, I'd recommend going there to get the vitamins. That is where I went and I was very happy with the price. Like I said, I have only added a B-100 complex, B-12, and the D3 in addition to the Multi and Fish oil. I am really hoping to add in the calcium and VitE soon when I get the extra money. But I'd say the most important are the B-vitamins and the D3 along with the fish oil and Multi.

My suggestion is to give this vitamin regime a shot. It's worth a try. I know it helped me and I'm very excited to see how I feel in another month or so.

My best to you and your son on his recovery.

Vitamins for post concussion
 

Hi Tpont21!

Thanks for your story, I know it's not fun having a concussion but I'm glad you feel a little better! I'll be calling my son's doc to check what dose is right for his weight and age, not sure if it matters or not. And yeh, I'm really glad there are people like you here for support! Hope to chat with you again.

Best Wishes!

Mom

Tpont21,

2 Mega Men Sport Multi's per day is more than you need and possibly too much for your system. If you add the others in my suggested regimen, you will only need the trace compounds in the Mega Men Sport. Even the B-100 is a bit much. A B-50 Complex or 1/2 of a B-100 should do you fine. The important B is the B-12. 2500 mcgs of B-12 should be doing you good.

Momwhocares,

Please start your own thread in the discussion forums so we can discuss your son's needs.

Too much discussion in the stickies makes it confusing for some, newbies especially.

So maybe I should start taking only 1 Mega Men Sport per day (which is half a serving) and take 1/2 of the B-100 complex. Would that be your recommendation Mark?

yes, a single multi per day

Mark,

It's okay to take everything at once right? I take everything in the morning bc usually I will forget later in the day.

Hi

Well I tried the regimen for a few days an after about 3 or 4 days I started to get diarrhea... Not pleasant.

Having done some research this is down to overdosing of non water soluble vitamins.

I guess I now need to work out which ones are water soluble and cut out the rest!?

Are you taking magnesium OXIDE in any of your products?

This is a laxative. Magnesium from OXIDE is not appreciably
absorbed.

Brick Top,

The only supplements than can cause diarrhea are the vit C and magnesium oxide. Mag citrate is better. You have to take a lot of vit C to get diarrhea, usually 4 to 10 grams a day. This is a vit C dosing check know as bowel tolerance. Some suggest taking vit C until you have reached your bowel tolerance than back off. I use a different system. I take enough vit C that I expel it in my urine. This shows that there is more than is being metabolized.

You also may just be shocking your system.

Are you taking a multi that has zinc in it ? Zinc can help with diarrhea.

You can start with the D3, B-12, B-complex, and Omega 3 fish oil. These will give your brain a start.

My best to you.

vitamin d3
 

Is there a better way to take v-d3 empty stomach or with food,thanks

I don't think it matters with Vit D.

vitamin d3
 

HI,thank you

Thank you Mark
 

I've finally worked out what I think is a good supplement regiment and it's making a world of difference. It's taken over a year and a lot of research to really find the right combination.

Your advise helped so much...Thank you for sharing.

Hi thanks for this thread. I heard that we should always look for multi vits without iron, zinc, and aluminum because these are linked to Alzheimers and Parkinsons. (therefore it makes sense not good for our brain in excess?)
I am also curious about the comments about veg diets since I thought the current thinking was that plant based diets are superior to the normal western diet? I am a near-vegan and I have noticed several improvements in health conditions since improving my diet and to my way of thinking there are more important factors in the diet (such as getting plenty of fruits, veg and other whole foods) than whether or not one eats meat.

The essential amino acid that are found only in meat protein are just that, essential.

Aluminum is a brain toxin. Zinc is needed but in a very small amount. Iron is needed for proper blood function.

It is rare to find aluminum in vitamins. There is no reason for it to be there. Aluminum is very common in antiperspirants. It is also used in vaccines as a adjutant to cause an immune system reaction to the vaccine.

The studies show a markedly smaller brain mass development in vegan and vegetarian diets.

Ovo-lacto-vegetarians can get a lot of what they need. Omega-3's are hard to find in a vegan formula. The algae based formulas have very limited potency. There have been strict rulings by the FDA and Canadian authorities about promoting algae based supplements due to their low nutritional value compared to their cost. If the cost per nutritional unit is high, the authorities consider it a drug and not a food supplement. Plus, the microcystin-related health risk has not been resolved even though microcystin levels have been found to be low.

Ground flax seed is a vegan source of omega-3s. Get a little coffee grinder, grind up 3 tbsp of flax seed, and drink it in juice in the morning. This is a daily dose of omega-3s plus tryptophan.

For more information on plant-based diets, see the documentaries Vegucated and Forks over Knives. Both are available in the USA on Netflix Instant Streaming.

help
 

New to the forum. Still working of finding my way around. I have a TBI from a blast injury-explosion. Haven't had much help on getting the proper info on supplements and dosage. I wrote some things down from earlier posts, but would someone help me thru them again please. I get confused by the info on the posts. Or point me to where I can get good information. Thanks for the help.