Stress gobbles up a lot of vitamins, including the B family, which are often dubbed (along with many others) as "stress vitamins". Pain is stress, so it's no wonder that many/most chronic/intactable pain patients take ample/liberal dosages. Vitamin D is another that is now being researched and associated with chronic pain.

Some B complex caplets can also brighten urine, but that may be the result of dyes in their formulations and/or insufficient hydration.

Doc

I'm just taking Optimal Whey Protein shakes and Vit D3 5000.

I was doing spirulina & chlorella, but don't want to keep spending $ on them if they don't make a difference (and make me lose weight).

Trying to budget for a possible Neurofeedback (or something else) session.

Why are you supplementing with protein shakes Jeffrey?

Also, I am curious to see any scientific literature on vitamin supplementation as it relates to recovering from brain injuries. I see a lot of statements about vitamin this or vitamin that on this board being helpful for recovery, but I haven't actually come across any rigorous, non-animal scientific studies backing up these assertions. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Dr. Blaylock MD has used supplements for neuro injuries for many years. He is now retired and has his own line.
http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/
He has many YouTubes also, and they are worth watching.


But you don't have to buy his products, just see the ingredients.

I think Omega-3s are necessary for membrane repair. B12 also is a helper for remyelination of damaged axons. These two at least IMO.

I'd be leary of blue green algae products after this recent discovery that a toxin is in them that causes brain damage!
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ighlight=algae

I'm a bit over 120 lbs. I'm trying hard to gain weight so I can take bumps & mishaps better by having some meat on my bones. Despite utmost caution, coordination has been off since the TBI.

And being this thin can be dangerous- I've been like this my whole life, but it seems more of a problem since the TBI. Never been able to get much over 130 in my life.

Supposedly, the stuff repairs injured cells & helps w/the immune system.
$120 for a 3-pack, though. Hmm.

Hopefully this Vit.D is helping.

Not to completely derail this thread, but what are you doing for exercise Jeffrey?

I do stretching & go for walks. Sometimes 10 lb weights.

Don't want to do anything to extreme to trigger the head pain.

Don't have a car, so walking home w/2 bags of groceries is a good workout.

And taking the laundry up & downstairs, washing a lot of dishes by hand.

Hope everyone's supplements go well.

I'm thinking about Brain Repair Formula, but it coud be snake oil:

http://www.newportnutritionals.com/whats_in.html

You are wasting your money. You don't need the protein supplements.

At your activity level and if the rest of your diet is typical, all the protein from the supplements is probably ending up in the toilet. Excess protein intake is extremely hard on the kidneys as well.

Just eat (more) real food in a balanced diet if you want to get bigger, and exercise as much and as hard as you can without triggering your symptoms or otherwise hurting yourself.

Protein supplements may be useful when it is inconvenient to prepare and eat real food. For example, there is an alleged "protein window" that last for about 30 minutes after a hard workout -- the kind that leaves you sore for days afterward -- where your body is said to optimally absorb protein. So for someone interested in building muscle and who believes in that window, it's much easier to gulp down a protein shake right after a workout than to prepare and eat a real meal with the same amount of protein at the gym.

For sure, the protein intake requirements for a highly active athlete are much greater than for the average person, and it may be difficult to satisfy those requirements with real food.

But nothing replaces the nutrition you can get out of real, whole, unprocessed food in the end. Besides, real food tastes better and (I bet) calorie-for-calorie, cheaper.

If you can get the protein from a steak, ditch the protein shake.

Source: lifelong competitive athlete in weight-classed sports.

The Brain Repair Formula is way too expensive.

Start with some decent supplementation as I and others have posted previously. My whole handful costs me less than $1.00 per day. Dr Blaylock adds some other things but you should be able to get these others for much less. They may have value but the basic supplementation regimen should be your first start. Remember, it will take a few months before you start to notice a difference.

Your brain has to flush the toxins before it can start the repair process.

The past post about having greater body weight to better withstand impacts is hogwash. Despite what Dr Cantu said, body weight has no impact AT ALL on the damage done to your brain when your head is impacted. If you were to wear a heavy helmet, it would only work if the surface/object you were impacting your head against deformed more from the extra weight. It is a freshman college physics 1A question.

Dr Cantu may have some anecdotal evidence to back up his claim but he is likely misinterpreting the evidence

One way to add body mass so your body has more strength is to do weight reps at close to you maximum weight slowly. This creates a greater level of muscle cell tearing and strain thus causing the body to repair/build that muscle stronger. This will build muscle but not aerobic capacity.

Thanks for the input.

Since I don't have a regular income, I try not to waste my money.

Feel free to communicate w/my boss, though.

My housemate & boss who runs the house I live & work in told me I have to buy it. Wasn't my idea, and he told me to take it for the rest of my life.

But I'll try phasing it out when it runs out.

Not my house & kitchen, and I'm not a cook, so no steaks unless I eat out.

I eat all-natural large meals as often as possible.

Hope everyone's brain healing goes well.