Hello,

I have PCS and researched a long time to find the right supplements. I decided to buy the following supplements, but I'm not sure how much I should take. It would be great if someone who is more experienced in this, could help me here. Keep in mind please that I want to find the best dose to heal my brain injury.

1. Acetyl L-Carnithine 400mg per pill(4 recommended)

2. R-ALA 300mg per capsule(1 recommended)

3. OPC 300mg per capsule(4 recommended)

4. BCAA 150mg Valin, Leucin, 300mg Isoleucin per capsule(6 recommended)

5. Quercetin 600mg per capsule(2 recommended)

6. B12 2000mcg per pill(1 recommended)

7. additional question - some of the supplements may contain traces of milk,soya, egg protein and gluten. Is that a problem? The BCAA contains Magnesium Stereate and titandioxide, what about that?

Besides that, I also take Omega 3, B-Complex, D3, Calcium and Magnesium. There was enough info in this forum to find the right dose for them.

Welcome RickO7a.

Hello Rick,

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

I also wanted to let you know that there is a
Vitamins and Supplements Regime

thread at the top of the

TBI/PCS Forum if you need that as well.

take care.

Thank you, Kitt and Lara.

I've seen the thread in the TBI sub-forum. There is indeed plenty of info, but I thought it would be a better idea to post it here, as more users are likely to see it.

You can start at one capsule of acetyl carnitine to start and raise it by one cap a week, to the recommended 4. Most people don't need 4 of those a day. It should be taken in divided doses, as absorption is not great for it.

Is your R-lipoic acid the new solubilized one? It is called NaRALA... and should say on the label. This is better absorbed than the old R-lipoic so a lower dose is often enough... 100 or 150mg.

You should take the B12 on an empty stomach, with no food for about an hour... this assures some passive absorption, which does not occur when food is present.

Magnesium stearate and titanium dioxide are flow enhancers...and are basically inert and not absorbed. But some internet sites get frantic about them. I wouldn't worry about them at this time.

New labeling requirements from the FDA require the soy, gluten, protein comments, by law because of the risk to those with certain food allergies.

The BCAAs will appear to be a high dose, but remember, they are a food, and the amounts we need for food nutrients are higher than for vitamins and minerals.

Make sure your magnesium is NOT oxide form.

High calcium intake today is being looked at as a trigger for plaque build up in arteries. Especially if you take Vit D. So you may want to keep calcium at 600mg or less a day.

MrsD, thanks for your help.

What dose of Acetyl L-carnitine is sufficient for most people? I'm not planning to take 4 a day, as I would run out of pills very quickly(and they were expensive)

The ALA capsules do not contain the new form. I couldn't find such a product(I'm not from the US). Is 300mg of the old R-ALA fine?

I take B12 on an empty stomach. You've posted this many times, I've already seen it somewhere

I take BCAAs especially because of the newer studies, claiming that it can improve the healing faster.

The magnesium I take is in citrate form(500mg). The amount of calcium I take is momentarily about 1000mg. I could easilly reduce the dose if it would be usefull.

So the older ALA would need to be higher in dose. It also should be taken on an empty stomach too (the NaRALA is absorbed so fast--as it is solubilized--food is less of an issue).

There is a study showing older ALA supplements' absorption can be reduced by 30% if food is present.

Start at just one acetyl carnitine then. Body builders use high doses and so do the AIDS patients because of a physiological demand --but if you have neither, you don't need massive amounts. It is expensive, I agree.

So you are good to go then...

Since I take the regimen, I occasionally notice inreased heart beat and higher blood pressure. What pills could be responsible for this?

It is difficult to say..

Stop everything for a week ... start them back one at a time.
Start with the B12...take it for a week only and add in the next one for one week. Eventually you will find the culprit that way.

But there is no supplement in my list, that is known for influencing the heart in special?

It could be also due to elavil. I stopped taking it only a few days ago.