Yes I take it in the morning, I'm already feeling better, I have a feeling it was the niacin giving me troubles.

[QUOTE=Mark in Idaho;945023]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.
Print it out (84 pages)

The YouTube "You Look Great" 6 part series


The brain line 'TBI Lost and Found'
[

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.

[COLOR="Blue"]edit 02/28/2015---- Mark has requested we link to his new updated post which appears further down on this thread --post #1[\QUOTE]


Mark,

This question is probably rather stupid but I still need to ask it. I'm young and I don't know much about vitamins but for the b12s mine on the box say for the heart? I don't know if I should take these of there are some other b12s I should be taking? (I have not started your regimen yet I am currently just trying to gather up all the vitamins).

Currently I'm taking Omega 3 fish oils 500 mg daily and some sort of B vitamin 500 mg daily.

B-12 comes in two forms, cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin. The methyl form of B-12 is better. You should read the back of the label. Any health claims are meaningless to this discussion. The "some sort of B vitamin 500 mg daily" is a good example. Which B vitamin is it ?

Please note that the Post Reply button at the bottom left will avoid making your post a long post by not quoting the previous post. The reply at the bottom right quotes the entire previous post.

The B vitamin is a "super b complex" says it supports cellular energy production and antioxidant support .

Are you taking a complex with 500mg of each B in it?
Can you put the name of it on here so I can look it up?
Who makes it?

One has to be careful with some B-complexes.... too much B6
can be harmful to some people.

As mrsD said, what matters is what is on the back of the label. It will list the B vitamins and the amount of those B vitamins. A Super B often has non-B vitamins also. The "supports cellular energy production and antioxidant support" statement is meaningless. It may list the ingredients as thiamine, niacinamide, etc. rather than by the B vitamin term.

The specific brand will help us find the ingredients.

It is made by "NatureMade" and here is everything on the back:


Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid) 150 mg
Thiamin 100 mg
Riboflavin 20 mg
Niacin (as Niacinide) 25 mg
Vitamin b12 (as Cyanoconalamin) 15 mcg
Biotin 30 mcg
Pantothenic Acid (as d-Calcium Pantothenate 5.5mg)

Thanks for those details.

You will need to take a separate B12... at least 1000mcg. Methylcobalamin. Take this on an empty stomach, for best absorption. Only about 13mcg get actually absorbed out of that 1000mcg dose.

Some stores now carry this....
example--Walgreens
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/nat...153365-product

You can chew them up and swallow with water... no food for about an hr after taking. Food will block absorption of the tiny 13mcgs.

Your product is quite low in dosing. I really like the Jarrow B-right...it has activated forms now for some of the vitamins.
http://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formula...ywords=B-right

Jarrow makes a methylcobalamin too. At one time it was difficult to find and Jarrow was the one we used. But now I get ours at Costco for huge $$ savings. It works out to pennies a day.

Do not buy any B12 that says "timed release". as those are useless.

Okay! Thanks so much for helping! I do have one final question...

What does Methylcobalamin do? Does it clear the toxins in the brain from the injury or does it try to heal the brain?

Methylcobalamin works everywhere in the body on EVERYTHING.

You cannot live without it. As far as the brain goes, it is part of a trio of B vits (B6 and folate) that are involved with making neurotransmitters by donating a methyl group to the chemistry.
It also is involved in fixing axons that have been damaged and remyelinating them. It is a cofactor with serotonin to make melatonin, the sleep hormone.

It is used by the bone marrow to make blood cells. It is involved with bone density in the skeleton. It is used by the muscles for energy production.

Because it moves by passive absorption(osmosis) into the central nervous system, having a high level of it in the blood makes it easier to get to the brain. So for specific healing jobs, it is best to have high levels of it. Some is stored in the liver for the future as well.