21 replies to this topic

[bacopa]

dfowler here,

I used to post on imminst asking for cognitive advice to reverse or stop what seems to be a decline in my intelligence.

First a background.

I was born with some degree of prenatal hypoxia, I found this out way after the fact like 2 years ago.

It most likely could have explained my extreme memory problems and mental health issues as a child through young adulthood.

In 2005 I reported hearing voices, thousands of political figures, celebrities were telling me they were "erasing my brain" with some kind of electronic weapon.

Obviously I know this was a psychotic break, and I no longer suffer from them. However the damage to my brain was ultra severe and never really reversed, it got better, but that was after I was talked into having 9 electroshocks inducing grand mal seizure convulsions, for those unclear what ECT is, it is "closed head injury" brain damage.

Many strong studies including a now famous widely cited one show brain damage happens to a substantial degree in all form of ECT, and to everyone who gets this "treatment."

In 2010, I was doing more, writing better, thinking quicker, and exercising a lot, but I still was very badly brain damaged.

Now i'm in dire straights. I can't sue the ECT doctor despite him admitting to all kinds of patients who lost 10 years of memory or more from it, and of course he was like a lawyer himself the way he defended this brutal practice.

I simply want to hope that I can get at least somewhat better.

Now I don't sleep hardly at all. Over the summer I was sleeping 1 night a week, or less, going into delerious states, not good. I had to go back to the same hospital again, Mcleans, "world famous" just to get knocked out with strong, brain damaging psyche medicnes. Yes I am all against the psyche industry, along with most mainstream medicine.

It is not even clear what I "have" or had if anything. Some doctors think the psychosis could have been from grinding on my amalgam mercury fillings. For those who believe like me, that mercury being one of the strongest toxins in ones teeth is downright dangerous in itself, I feel your pain. Trust me.

Now I'm all over the place, some days I can sleep a bit better, since a hospital abuse in feb of this year where they shot me up for nothing at all with haldol and ativan simply because I called 911 on my dad's health, useless to get into that, but that trauma seemed to exacerbate an already fragile mental condition.

I am scheduled to get my amalgams out with a reputable, i"m told one of the best, functional medicine dentists, who specializes in chelation and amalgam removal along with balancing diet, hormones, adrenals, practically all bodily systems that modern day science can or hopes it can at this point.

Like everything new and old in medicine there are ourageous claims of being cured, and look at us here at imminst, trying every nootropic experimenting on ourselves in dire hopes of bettering our cognition and physical health.

So although I tend to trust some of these functional medicine docs more than mainstream medicine at this point, I still think when it comes to the brain, someone like myself may be screwed. I could go on to some sort of traumatic encephalopothy from all the blunt, (ECT) and hypoxic damage, plus the damage from psychosis, depression, and psyche meds.

I have spent days reading the latest, like many here, on how to reverse cogntiive impairment, but the treatments for serious brain damage or nill. only casual anecdotal studies showing BCAA's, or the same catchcins, or antioxitants can stave of cognitive decline and dementia.

I live in often an amnesic state, which scores of former ECT patients I have networked with also complain of, some worse than me. Many of these people were muc hmore cognitively intact going into their shock treatments, and trust me, it's a huge deal, myself and some anti-ECT doctors, advocates, and journalists are trying to collaborate on a 60 minutes expose, or even later a documentary explaining how the patients are coerced, duped, even lied to about the "safety and high efficacy" of shock treatment.

I live my sad life in regret that my own father who is an electrical engineering wizard would allow his son, in a compromised state to do such a barbaric form of treatment.

So any suggestions please, I want this thread to be as long and well thought out as possible. I'm coming to you guys not knowing when I will spiral into full blown dementia...I've had days where I really do have symptoms that some would call delerium, I would call signs of potential dementia.

So think of this as a Will O' Rights thread, for now. And I have been thinking about Cryonics, and although my family could afford more than Bill, I might need some help with that, if Cryonics is even a feesible solution.

edit: I spent the entire last summer, just trying to sleep, I became so desperate that suicide seemed the answer, I read "Final Exit" to find the least painful and most effective ways to do oneself in. Using a plastic hood with helium was the preferred method for those who are forced to end such excrutiating pain. Trust me, I was having numbness in my head, convulsions or seizures as I was about to fall asleep, I could not read a clock, nor rememmberd whta I just did.

For now I'm more "stabalized" I'm sleeping more every other day still, and eating ok, taking lots of noots like Ginko, Bacopa, ECGC from Green tea, try to excercise when I can. I have tried cdp choline, ashwganda, which seems benign enough, and lots of amino acids, and anti oxidants, yes Goto Gulu tea, Quercetin. I'm also trying to pre chelate before my removal of fillings which I have no idea if it will help my brain.

Edited by dfowler, 11 November 2011 - 05:03 AM.

[bacopa]

Other things I have explored. Lions mane, but like most noots there is not clear way to tell what is happening, but it can't hurt. I don't have the energy to research the best forms and extracting processes, and the best buy for the buck, so if anyone thinks I could potentially get some new neuronal growth from lions main, lithium, anything you may know more than me about please don't hold back on discussing. I have heard hyperbaric oxygen theories that can "cure" almost any cognitive brain diseases, but most are just scams, it may work for people who just had TBI's and given within hours. I even talked to some one at ICCI, the major stem cell research facility in the states, who said we are not close to being able to use stem cells on my type of long term brain damage, but they are more hopeful for fresh TBI brain damage. I am seeing neurologists at Mass General, the best Boston hospitals, and won't rule anything out....no one has confirmed I have dementia, sometimes I almost think if I have or am going to come down with something like traumatic encephalopothy, or frontal lobe dementia, (both I exhibit symptoms of,) most neurologsists with my psyche history would dismiss my memory problems as psyche related, and in fact that HAS been the case. So to be clear, I am positive my memory problems are from structrual brain damage, from studies I've read on ECT brain damage, and toxic brain damage, I have had MRI's that came out normal, but you can still have substantial brain damage on a cellular level that won't show up.

I'm thinking a good spect, pet, or MRA, FMRI, or other scan, even EEG might show more.

[Mind]

I am happy to hear you are still alive Devon. Keep on living! Every year we learn more about diseases/disabilities and ways to cure or cope. So there is some hope.

I am no doctor, but you have written some very cogent posts here which is a good sign, so I would suggest to keep track of what you ate or what you were doing on the particular days that you feel good. Try to see if you can develop a pattern to keep yourself on the healthier/happier side of life. Keep your eyes open for new or better quality treatments.

[sam7777]

I find your posts VERY cogent. You sound more lucid than most here. I can hear the desire to win and conquer over this, just as I have the desire!

Now you know more than the rest of these guys, all the more easily I can be of service!

Let me start off with a brief, brief introduction. I too, suspect that I may have suffered some prenatal hypoxia. But, it was not even that which I utimately believe led to my severe cognitive and affective problems throughout my adolescent years leading up to my age of 22 at present. I believe that much like the plethora of autism,add, adhd, M.E, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome patients, I had some sort of underlying genetic weakness that allowed this sort of disease to set in on me. So I suffer some health issues, but in my case it is about 80% psychological. I have no friends, no job, am trying to complete an extremely hard science bachelor's degree, and am basically hiding my illness, undiagnosed from everyone.

This summer was especially terrifying. I had always suffered depression, derealization, paranoia, messianic grandiosity, but I have never experienced intense memory loss, stupification, or debilitating brain fog and amnesia. Since late June I have battled this, variating back and forth between moments of very genuine lucidity as I had always had, and increasingly severe symptoms. So, I have become what I would say - successful or hopeful at re-mediating the symptoms. I have a number of books I intend to read after the end of my college term. I believe these books have the answers we seek.

My stepmother was subjected to this aweful ECT barbarism. I believe it precipitated her depression and the relationship between her and my father, that it ultimately led to her suicide/murder/ accidental death with a pain pill patch. I will save the gory details. It was two weeks later however that my father died in a trailer fire after her death. I do consider them victims, and my chronically debilitated mother who I live with, to be victims of the modern medical, psychiatric, and agri-business-food industries. Debilitated by unhealthy foods and medicines.

[bacopa]

that's the sad reality, I fought harder, and still am than most, heh trust me, I have pulled myself out of states of depression, delrioum, psychosis, etc. just to take a shower, to lobby at my state house in Ma, to talk to politicians, even well known ones. I once was active in SENS before realizing I could not contribute to such a cogntiively tasking effort, where there are no rooms for "screw ups."

There is nothing wrong with admitting you were bullied, victimized, dealt a horrific deck of cards, but one has to fight back. I am a boxer in mentality, I want to fight so much to beat this, that I sometimes realize I might actually become violent....which brings me full circle back to my underlying problems! I have some symptoms consistent with frontal lobe injury, or even boxer injuries, bascially brain damage, so if anything I have to control my anger....its a nightmare, im either on the couch with no energy, or I'm raging, at the world, my condition, trying to sue doctors, trying to get cryo preserved if it's even worth the effort.

People who don't know me have no idea what I've been through, and yes, modern medicine is probably to blame for the vast majoirty of my problems. Think hypoxia at birth, (I'm getting the results to see how long I was without O2,) plus a corrupt, decietful, manipulative, and authoritative mental health system that lumps all conditions together, and ends up damaging patients for life with psyche meds, that through my and others research really don't "do" what the hypothosized claims say they do, they do not up regulate, or down regulate, or this or that receptor site or neurotransmitter, and if they do they cause so much co cominant damage that you might as well shoot up heroin medicate, as I see very little difference between psyche meds, and street drugs, only street drugs make you at least feel good while youre destroying your brain.

Finally electroshock, I have 20 studies, thousdands of patient accounts, networked with patients doctors, journalists exposing the fact that shock therapy destroys brain tissue, like no other. The idea that its' still being done is shocking, and, it's voltage is higher than in the past! They LIE about this saying ECT is safer, because it doesn't break bones, etc. but the damage to the brain is most often times worse, with the exception of duration of shock, or type of shock used.

amnesia, life memories wiped out completely, decades, not rememembering ones friends or friens of friends., these are COMMON symptoms, as I have spoken googled, so many patient stories even "positive patient stories" came out mostly negative!

That's why I'm tyring to do a documentary, or 60 minutes episode exposing Electroshock. As for the harms of psyche meds, don't get me started on that, that's a whole other documentary, many are already working on. ECT, seemed to have fallen through the cracks more, because it is less used.

[bacopa]

last point on ECT. I am a member of Mindfreedom and anti psychiatry sites, where I and together we are really learning that the psyche medical pharam model that started to kick in 30 years ago, is basically a ponzi scheme, where our health is being abused to get big pharma and the mental health industrial complex rich off of our agony.

There are blogs out there, from so many people now chronically sick from years of psyche meds, ECT...heh we all laughed at Tom Cruise for coming down on the psyche industry, because he is not the smartest dude, and he aligns himself with Scientology. However everything he said was right. It's a tragedy that mainstream science defends its own misdeeds while it takes fringe cults to try to expose them.

So many of us psyche survivors, want mainstream science, psychiatry, neurology, cognitive science to start working together, to show what the real truths are, there is tons of studies showing brain damage from these drugs, all of them, SSRI's we go back and forth on.

The claims, for instance, that ECT induces neurogenesis, is true, because when an organ is wounded cells re generate especially in the brain. Is this the same kind of neurogenesis that we want from nootropics? hell no! I'ts basically saying hit me over the head with a lead pipe, I'll be brain damaged, but my brain will heal through neurogenesis....only it's with 1500 watts of electricity, a uniquely brain damaging thing that is in some way worse on memory than a concussive TBI, or even a series of them.

[sam7777]

I am currently seeking a variety of means to prove a way to treat cognitive decline. I am convinced that the same brain systems in terms of neurotransmitters and nueropeptides are all responsible for drive/motivation/social extroversion/charisma/logic/speed in thinking- quintessentially functional thinking. I cannot interact well at all in person, especially when suffering my brain fog bouts, but I am a gifted written communicator. I believe that the day I will be happy, non depressed and extroverted, the part of my mind responsible for highly logical things like heavy business/mathematics/workplace team coordination will also work. So we all know cognitive deficit and depression are one in the same. No joy, no comprehension.

I have found psych meds that are reputed to not be oxidative and damaging to the brain. Stablon/Tianeptine, Selegiline/Depreynl, Subutrex, and potentially even a substance such as Buprenorphine for the following reason

A clinical trial conducted at Harvard Medical School in the mid-1990s demonstrated that a majority of unipolar non-psychotic patients with major depression refractory to conventional thymoleptic antidepressants could be successfully treated with buprenorphine.^[26] See opioids for other (predominantly favorable) experiments with buprenorphine and other opioids for psychological relief. However, psychological distress, such as clinical depression, is currently not an approved indication for the use of any opioid, and legally it falls in to a "grey zone".^[27][28] Some doctors nevertheless are realising its potential as an antidepressant in cases where the patient cannot tolerate or is resistant to conventional thymoleptic antidepressants. Both mental and physical pain are regulated by the same chemical networks in the brain. Depression is commonly accompanied by comorbid pain symptoms. Endogenous opiates, such as endorphins and enkephalins, mediate pain perception in the body. In the brain, they are significantly involved in regulating mood and behavior, and decreasing the perception of pain and depression. Even a partial agonist at the µ-opioid receptor (like buprenophine) releases serotonin and dopamine in the CNS, but to a lesser degree than full agonists do. This slight release of serotonin and dopamine may contribute to the anti-depressant properties of buprenorphine, especially those with a pre-existing mental disorder.

And of course, I study the herbal remedies intensely. But the best way to understand the underlying means to regenerate the brain is to compare the synthetic and non synthetic. Here are some of the novel points I have been trying to point out.

1. Seek to address the mental issues with psychotropics. Do not band-aid the problem. Do not suffer in silence. Buy time. Use racetams and supplements as needed if they can be a benefit.

2. Seek things that can regenerate brain cells- Kudzu, Bacopa, Lion's Mane, Nearly all well researched medical mushrooms, schizandra, rhodiola, alpha-lipoic-acid, chlorella, spirulina, N-Acetylglucosamine, Astragalus, Aloe Vera, Frankincense Resin and E.O, White Pine Bark Extract, Pcynogelnol Maritime Pine Bark Extract, Slippery Elm, Burdock Root, Milk Thistle, Ginger E.O, Oregeno E.O, Calamus, Dill, Elemi, Basil, Nutmeg, Clove, Jatamansi, Valerian, Chrysanthemmum, Tansy, and an endless list of more powerful concentrated essential oil extracts.

Many of this information on essential oils and the powerful compounds in these seemingly unpromising plants can be found here http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/

3. Seek to illustrate the importance of route of administration and bioabsorption. Pharmaceutical companies do not want you to know that there is a reason plants like Jatamansi, Basil, Mhyrr, Frankincense were always considered so holy. The essential oils of these are very very powerful pharmalogical agents. They do everything from deworm the body, clean the liver, to creating spiritual trips, and yes, healing and repairing the brain, balancing the endocrine system. Cultures over the years have known, and have used these types of plants specifically to treat severe psychological problems because the plants balance the underlying physical problems leading to the brain problems.

4. Seek to explain to multiple forum communities that psychological problems can be treated with non psychotropics, and physical problems can be treated with psychotropic medication. See the big picture, see the grand scheme of the elaborate body for what it is. Realize that if you treat a dysfunctional heart or endocrine system or liver, the said organ will stop exerting stress and oxidation- in other words - potential cell death on the brain. Healing the body begins by controlling mental problems, and as those are lessened they will allow the brain time to heal. If the body is bore down by heavy metal toxicities, a toxic diet, and it has led to complete endocrine dysfunction, i.e, the endocrine hormones will exert their effect on receptors in the brain meant to detect those hormones, create inflammation with the brain, and ultimately alteration.

5. This is why pain is not good, This is where the myalgic encephalitis arises in CFS. The body wide pain always correlates in its intensity with the intensity of cognitive impairment and depression.

6.The next step would be an unknown source for systemic inflammation control as well as opioid function. Schizandra is pretty good, but I think Kava or Kratom might be a better opioid. The whole challange however in this post is - getting away with using pro dopaminergics and opioids without inducing tolerance. Healing and reducing and alleviating damage, disease, inflammation, and getting off the medicine, rather than bandaiding it.


Frankly, I have to point out that most psychoactive stimulants heavily release PEA at some point - leading to mu and delta opioid receptor agonization. Ultimately, they all carry risk of tolerance and crash, but as I quote above this is IMPERITIVE in bringing a halt to inflammation and damage to cells! This is how these herbal essential oils work! Frankincense/kudzu/Elemi, etc HAVE narcotics in them! But they do not do to a person what a street drug does. That is because these plants are esquiset and graceful in how they work.

High states of dopamine/acetylcholine/adrenaline are impossible to sustain because of neuroendocrinological negative feedback mechanisms.

This is why all attempts to address medicine at one organ of the body fail in the long run! Heal the body singularly and wholistically from toe to scalp.

[sam7777]

These are all critical to this thread's ideals with this being the most important

http://www.endotext....enalframe27.htm

http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1
http://www.holisticp...iction-recovery
http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1
http://www.cpn.or.kr/
http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1

http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1
http://www.longecity...cs/page__st__20
http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1
http://www.chocolate...hocdefence.html
http://www.longecity...__fromsearch__1
http://drlwilson.com... Types 1104.htm
http://herbs.maxforu...ndorphin/#post5
http://drlwilson.com...OXIC METALS.htm
http://herbs.maxforu...s/page2/#post32
http://www.drlwilson...C DOMINANCE.htm
http://www.drlam.com...enalfatigue.asp
http://www.drlwilson...DEVELOPMENT.htm
http://phoenixrising...tioning-theory.
http://groups.google...e8b83f5749c8871
http://user.xmission...es/norepin.html
http://www.gilbertss...om/symptoms.php
http://www.neuroendo...ent/view/31/11/
http://www.benthamsc...uroej/index.htm

[bacopa]

woah, I literally can't sort through all of that. I can't keep throwing darts at a complex problem. I'm seeing a functional medicine doctor to get my amalgams removed, as well as do some newer types of all encompassing tests, for food allergens, toxicities, adrenal etc.

I cannot sort through a database of thousands of medicinal herbs, oils, I just don't have the cogntiive capacity, as in lack of storage. I think of the ECT as being a huge damager to memory, short, long, and working.

I really appreciate this help though! I agree with your mind and body holistic approach for lack of a better word. I WOULD greatly appreciate if you could list some basic alternative treatments, including mushrooms, herbs, oils, and as for the opioid targeted psychopharm drugs, it is frustrating to figure out if it's worth the money, and my insurance certainly would not allow for anything that progressive to be prescribed.

I have medicaid, and my dad's budget, and SSDI, which sucks, but I'm not giving up. I have schizandra, and cordyceps, and reishi. there gets a point where one is just throwing supplements, herbs, drugs into one's body, hoping for a good synergestic outcome effect, and there is plenty of evidenced based research against that approach, while I'm also aware there probably has never been a single study where people consume hundreds of herbs, supplements, psychotropes, antioxidants, to see what the outcome is like.

imminst,/Longecity seems to be the great experiment, and I've heard good out comes where people feel "alive and like geniuses,"
but also plenty of dis-satisfaction.

Because I'm a believer in science, I do believe there are people doing really well on some regimens, but at this point, I need some kind of disiplined regimen, I have like 50 supplements, I don't even have a good system for why I take what and when.

Theres' got to be a simpler way to break down such a complex problem, or the problem is unsolveable at this point, or I have to just wait, for more promising ways to fix a broken brain.

As for depression, I am open to your ideas of what to take that might help. I'm currently dealing with a shwag psychopharm who is from the stone age. I am hoping that the functional medicine doc will be able to work with me and perhaps prescribe some things that normal psychiatrists cannot.

But I'm at a point of sheer overwhelming. I have been an imminst member from the start, my brain has taken crazy turns for the worst with a psychotic episode that devastated me, and then ECT, as well as antipsychotics. I smoked cigarettes just to relax me, as I was as bad as it gets, if I had heroin that would probably have been a safer option.

I'm sorry I have no energy to read all of the links. But I would like to continue to dialogue with you, and others!~

[bacopa]

quick reply, I am all about exploring ways to reduce inflammation as that was my problem, I suspect this summer, my insomnia must have caused some degree of inflammation, I was sleeping one night every 6 days CONSISTENTLY.

I started to have pressure in my head, and loss of oxygen feeling, everything went dim. I'm probably mercury, poisoned, and being hypoxic at birth was always sensitive to toxins. It's addiction to smoking which I had stopped doing, that probably made this kind of toxic accumulation/poisoning worse.

I am not smoking much, but after this summer, I saw little hope in recovery, I thought I'd just stop torturing myself.

However I am still lucid, not demented, not yet, heh, and I believe in neurgenesis, synaptic creation etc. you are far smarter than me at this point, so consider yourself lucky in that way!

Anyway, I'll do anything, I take curcumin, I heard not to take ALA until amalgams are removed as that dumps more mercury in the brain, as it's a chelator, and I take bacopa, and High DHA, just bought uridine 300 mg, and I take CDP choline, ashgwnda, thinking about methylene blue. blah blah balh.

I have a great diet, let's keep this thread going, maybe we can diagnose myself, and find some kind of answer, without me paying more money than I already have!

[bacopa]

Perhaps if others who have been really "brain damaged" who have made a remarkable recovery, if you could recommend diet, supplements, tests, that would be most helpful.

most neurologists have no clue about brian trauma, they only look for the classic dementias, or mental illness, when it comes to amnesia from shock therapy or toxin damage, or any kind of cumulative brain damage, they do nothing, excpet you can take neuropsyche tests and show how retarded you are, and then they blame that on the mentla illness.

Again a good brain scan, spect, long duration MRI, Pet, etc. would definiately show damage, my insurance might not cover it.

[QuantumTubule]

Inflammation is the cause of all neurodegenerative disease. Increasing cellular energy production is key as this helps fight inflammation.

[sam7777]

By no means would I expect you to absorb all that information. I had to get that stuff out there before I lost my train of thought, as I am sure you can relate heh! You may have 50 supplements, scatter shot, but about 10 of those at least are still going to continue to be part of the game plan.

What I will do, and should have done, is pointed out about three of those links that ARE something you should read first. As an organized jumping off point.

You are RIGHT to seek the functional doctor, and do the methodical tests, and checks, because you need a concrete game plan. I am VERY chaotic and unorganized. This is because I have a messed up frontal cortex and a really overactive rest of the brain, I surmise. Short term memory is also very lapsy. I remember ideas and impressions, but never concrete details mostly.

There is curezone. I do not know how familiar you are with that. There is a guy on there in particular, well a couple, I want you to read his posts. He has done just about every test under the sun and he is very methodical, well spoken/written, organized, level headed- he stands out as an ideal case study of someone in our boat to do. He is way ahead of me because of those tests, in that regard at least. But, It is just that I have taken on this whole experimental route, because that sort of reflects my personality/mentality. Then there is the barefoot herbalist and herbal book 1. This is one of the books I plan to read. This is some radical stuff though. A lot of people will run the other way. You notice I am not afraid to mix in hard, heavy hitting biochem medical science with alternative and even spiritual things like ayurvedics, TCM, and alternative holistic healing based on ..less conventional scientific parameters and studies. And you will see, in science, that there are two ways to skin a cat, and more. I really have no firm arguement over or against the barefoot herbalists doctrine as of yet. Ultimately a great deal of the healing process comes down to observation, common sense, and intense self discipline. This is how I lost all my weight in the first place. I was 340 lbs, and let me tell you that has plenty to do with my psychological health issues. Now I have been 175 for 2 years. I did not understand any science when I lost that weight. I just used gut instinct. Now I am finding that without that gut instinct, just quoting, wielding, copying, and pasting these pubmed and nih studies is very risky to seeing the "entire picture".

So I am going to try to point out some of the starting points in a handful of those links after I get some sleep. But these links can be saved in the book marks, and this topic/thread as well. I intend to use this as a reference.

The starting point is getting in bed by 10 pm with 100 mg of 5-htp in your belly and getting 8 hours of sound sleep. Tough for an insomniac. But crucial. Next is the rest of the supplements and the diet. Diet is a pain. Diet is why you need the functional, and why you need to read the posts about this guy in curezone I am mentioning. He has it figured bettered than I do. I still have gut bugs, and no tests. I just poison my gut bugs, and hope for the best. We can do better though, scientifically. I have considerably poor means myself to deal with doctors and tests. I am OK with money on supplements, but that is because I am in control. I go to the doctor, and all the sudden I am getting ripped off. This guy on cure-zone had insurance, he got good service. That is critical. My lack of access to insurance is what has driven me to be so self diagnostic.

The standards in terms of supplements.

Gotu Kola, Ginkgo, Ginsing Panax (less than 400 mg a day), schizandra, all medicinal mushrooms Agarikon, Agaricus, Maitaki, Shitaki, Cordyceps, Hen-of-the-Woods, Turkey Tail, meshimakobu, Reishi, Chaga, are all medicinal mushrooms. Example of one of many brands: http://www.iherb.com...blets/1472?at=0

Rhodiola

I like this highly absorpable tyrosine - turns into dopamine and thyroid hormone http://www.iherb.com...psules/237?at=0

This is the supplement I rely on a great deal Relora, http://www.iherb.com...blets/1437?at=0
Ultimately I would try to get off the prescription benzo's and replace it with this. And ultimately this is a supplement that you would only want for extenuating circumstances. Taking it everyday is just too sedating. But it just demolishes stress and hypertension and epilepsy. I think it has saved me from having seizures caused by experimenting with too many stimulating herbs mixed with coffee and tea.

EGGC Green Tea extract is another biggy, along with ALA and Cholorella. And lately I have tried this combo for antioxidants in one supplement and it seems to have a kick to it. http://www.iherb.com...blets/1388?at=0

There are about 5 essential oils I recommend starting off. Frankincense, Valerian, Oregeno, Lemon, Lemongrass. Cedar and Citronella are OK, but do not get caught up on the details for those two.

E.O.E oregano: as it is referred to by barefoot herbalist, essentially the one supplement you pick over all your other supplements. You got a dollar to your name it goes to this basically. Just a couple drops a day in a capsule.

Lemon: This is a mild mood enhancer, just by the smell even, it is FDA GRAS, 10 drops a day is a decent start.

Lemongrass, Valerian, and Frankincense: are all sedative and balancing and uplifting at the same time. They are very, very powerful and I reccomend you just google each one + essential oil and read one of this dinky little herbal website descriptions lol they do a better job than I of describing the ancient history. But I speak from experience, they are very, very balancing. I have come in dozens of times over the last 8 weeks in a totally distraught unstable mood at the end of the day, and dosed out these and my fish pills and some dinner. After about 45 minutes, you just start to feel normal and OK. Nothing crazy, just you feel better and alright. And they can help you sleep most likely I would bet. Valerian and Lemongrass in particular.

I assume you take some sort of multivitamin and minerals. But Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, zinc, and the more readily absorbable types of b vitamins stand out in my mind as essentials. Also a high quality chromium supplement. I have to say, I am not as good at these as I am the herbs. I have a knack for herbs.

I really recommend you get the "encompassing tests" That should definitely consist of a thorough thyroid assessment, the mineral hair analysis, potentially stool analysis.

[canz]

Good information.

[sam7777]

This Thread, this post, this topic starter in this link are a really really must look at for starters Devon

http://curezone.com/...asp?i=1876066#i

Look at the other guys posts if you can as well.

[Luminosity]

I'm sorry you have had to go through that. Sounds like you've been through a lot. You would seem to have a high I.Q. I like some of the herbs you are using.

I am concerned about the smoking. Many people with serious mental illnesses smoke and I think it is a contributing factor. I would encourage you to take good care of yourself. There are Chinese herbs and acupuncture to help with mental illness, and smoking, for that matter. I have a thread about Chinese Medicine that tells how to find a good acupuncturist. You could find it if you wanted to.

I have no idea if self-expression helps you but I have some self-expression threads on the forum here called "Unrelated to Life Extension." You are welcome to post there.

Edited by Luminosity, 14 November 2011 - 02:11 AM.

[sam7777]

Self expression and outlets (for me these online forums are an outlet) are very important.

On a side note, but importantly. I think that researching the nature of diseases like autism and CFS could yeild insight into a lot of the new theories that gut pathology and diet and certain types of viruses such as XMRV play in causing the type of illnesses we are discussing in this topic.

For me dietary complications, chemical, and food allergens and sensitivies are a make or break thing. I stay debilitated purely from poor dietary choices.

I eat the wrong time of the day, I get sick. I eat an orange at the wrong time of the day, I get sick. I eat a quarter sized peice of processed bread/butter/sugar I get very sick. Dairy can keep me sick for 8 or more days before I get ahead with the detox I need to deal with it.

You could see how this would demand some insight and research into alternative causes of these diseases, primarily parasite/bacterial/virulogical and gastrointestinal related pathologies.

[bacopa]

I more than feel your pain...I'm having a cognitively "good" or better day, but I still have lost so much...I'm on a high uridine, choline, dha, plus other noots, probiotics, greens, and lean protein, diet, so high sulfer foods, so far don't seem to hurt me, or foods high in thiol.

However, I remain kind of scared that this won't be sustainable. I'm getting my consult with holistic dentist Groton Wellness, tomorrow, they will steer me in the right direction.

The most painful cognitive symptom I have is feeling like I have "no mind." I don't have a depth of consciousness, or a feeling of "space" in my brain...as if it was a concrete block, with just much less activity going on around this block. This is my subjective best attempt at explaining what this feels like.

I'm def quitting smoking...I only started up again because I was in torture, and now it's more manageable. My hope is when I get the mercuries out, I can chew on nicotine gum, should I have cravings.

The problem is I used to really enjoy feeling a good beer buzz, or nicotine buzz, it got me through my anxiety, and horrible problems growing up, now obviously at 35 I'm trying to protect what I have, and stave off any further brain damage, or gasp dementia....I hope I can successfully reverse some of this!

I have to keep busy with healthy habits...retrain my brain, for instance i went to the gym for an hour, and bought healthy foods, etc.

If I could tolerate a few beers I would love to relax at a bar and have a few, it used to do wonders to relieve anxiety and bring out my personality, until it became clear that I was scaring people do to saying impulsive, aggressive not socially apropriate things, not because of a "mental illness," but because of brain damage...or maybe they are part of the same kind of problem.

I think mental illness can definitely affect the brain like brain damage, and sometimes it can cause brain damage. This is the mystery that has yet to be figured out. For instance long term depression can kill neurons in viatal parts of the brain like the hippocampus, but one psychotic break can do even worse grey matter devastation, both contributed to my present problems.

If only I had been warned against ECT...it pains me deeply knowing i had this procedure because it seriousloy can destroy people's brains who do not have pre exisitng brain damage, or even serious chemical imbalances.

I'm hoping for the best. I bought brewers yeast, good stuff! I like the energy it gives me...

[sam7777]

It is my scientific opinion, that all depression involves a type of brain damage or cell oxidation of some sort. The body gives off symptoms and pain for real reasons after all. Then you have doctors saying that people with hypochondria or neuralgia have false pain.

NO SUCH THING AS FALSE PAIN.

Your body's way of letting you know something is horribly horribly wrong.

[bacopa]

I copy pasted this from the uridine thread I mistakenly hijacked. Basically I'm dealing with a multifacted brain damage, including psyche drugs, ECT, (which I could go on about and have,) mercury poisoning from grinding amalgams, anoxic brain injury at birth, which has only been researched more "aggressively" recently, but still very few Neurologists know anything about, and I live in Boston home of the "best" neurologists, Mass General. Of course it's an oxymoron because the best hospitals also do incredibly damaging treatments to the brain. shock therapy is the worst brain damager besides getting multiple blows to the head, and I have extensively studied this, etc.

So I have actual amnesia, all the sleep doctors, neruologists, psychiatrists have denied that chronic sleep deprivation can brain damage you. The bullshit is piled so high in the medical field, it's beyond words...basically it depends who you talk to. The very docotors that claim shocking the brain at 450 volts, .9 amps of current is "safe" say depression can "destroy a brain," while I talked to other doctors who outright deny sleep deprivation causes brain damage. I tried to sue for the ECT, but it's impossible, one of the biggest horrors of the psyche industry, besides lobotomy, where an article just came out that families of the lobotomized also never got compensation...the trend continues...

Im all over the place. I lack the ability most of the time to do things methodically and in an organized fashion, and I have no idea what is affecting what, and at this point my science ability to reason, (yes I can't remember so much it's an amnesic type of forgetting)

but I take, so many supplements, I'm probably doing more harm then good. At this point not being able to pin point even what diet does to my memory, it's immensely frustrating. So I litererally have a pharmacy of supplements, mushrooms, super green powders, amino acids, anti oxidants, I was taking whey protein then found out foods high in thiol is bad for mercury poisoning, which i have from amalgam grinding.

I need some organization. I used to be smarter, by far, and knew not to mega dose. Certainly the knowledge here at imminst is far better than any doctor, as the one who is taking my mercury out was a f'ing idiot when it comes to knowing how to supplement, and seemed to not even be aware of contraindications.

I literally cannot begin to list all of the supplements. But noots I have bacopa, ashgwanda, lions mane, uridine, PS, cdp choline, coconut oil, lithium orotate, 5 mg.

Piracatem is terrible for me, and supplements that stimulate me like the racatems, are worst for my condition.

I have DHEA, and pregnenolone, but don't want to go too high, nor think it's safe to mix the too.

I was exercising until I got acutely delirious. My neruologist, being an idiot like all doctors told me it is only insomnia, and that it's "hypomania" that is keeping me from not sleeping. total bullshit. I have some serious brain damage, feels like either my head is clogged with concrete, or I am brainless, "empty mind" kind of feeling, like air.

I think I'm headed down a road to dementia some day, as horrific as that is to think about.

I have progressed this way since a feb PTSD trauma where I was mistreated in a hospital that I don't want to get into due to pride etc.

my autobiographical memory is shot, and I was reading up on life extension supplements to take for amnesia. So far I have not reversed this, and doubt I can, but I have to keep trying right?

Any other questions or ideas please offer. I have Creatine and may start taking it again.

This kind of complex brain damage may be just too "complex" to reverse at this point. My hope is chelating the mercury from my brain, may help, and I was much better just since last Feb, but still was very cognitively impaired.

Perhaps one of the biggest problems is I DON"t SLEEP! I was going one night a week, now I sleep every other night, this went on for the last 4 years....yea that bad.

I have never heard of this kind of chronic insomnia...and it FEELS like I have no brain matter left to sleep, as my dreams became whisps of demented flashes over the summer. So I would not be fully asleep more awake, and I started convulsing.

So this is beyond serious, now I can sleep but very lightly. My girlfriend was brain damaged from psyche treatments as well, and her spect or pet scan showed half of her brain had no blood flow, (according to her.)

my regular MRI came out normal, but that doesnt' mean squat, as there obviously is damage there that would be picked up with better scans....it feels very hypoxic, or like I said the kind of brain damage I have read about in acutely poisoned people.

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[bacopa]

I am happy to hear you are still alive Devon. Keep on living! Every year we learn more about diseases/disabilities and ways to cure or cope. So there is some hope.

I am no doctor, but you have written some very cogent posts here which is a good sign, so I would suggest to keep track of what you ate or what you were doing on the particular days that you feel good. Try to see if you can develop a pattern to keep yourself on the healthier/happier side of life. Keep your eyes open for new or better quality treatments.

thanks Mind, I literally went crazy this summer from sleep deprivation....we are in the most crazy century ever, due to so much knowledge, even the brightest can't possibly keep up....

It's even scarier to think that doctors because they are so manipulated by studies funded by big pharma, not only do they not have the time to keep up, obviously, with what we know, but it is my experience, and many others, that most doctors are so focused on the money, and thus become biased towards the findings that support drugs that will make them more money, even when those very drugs have proven to be horrific, but they just find a new study totally ungrounded in evidenced based science, and they pick and choose, and basically everything you and many here know already.

It's pretty horrible little world, isn't it? And I live in Mass supposedly a progressive state, the most in terms of medicine, but few good doctors are able to steer clear of just profiting from the staple treatments, but the FDA is now admitting that they are hesitant to even move forward with approving new and better, potentially, drugs and treatments because the current ones are killing people, literally.

But even these statements are merely political, to save their asses. This seems to be just another part of the 99% fury, when people are dying from the wealth of these institutions, caring solely for profit.

A terribly written post. my apologies.

[sam7777]

Want to heal the cellular damage? Think it is permanent? Might want to keep reading..

Well despite how these supplements should work on paper, they do not in advanced cases. I think it is safe to say that you devon, and I are in advanced states. There is a degree to which eeeeverything we have discussed in this topic is accurate. That is to say, the herbs are very important, when they are the right potency, fresh, and appropriate to the condition.

But I know I have a problem by taking so many herbs erratically. The amount of herbs should be pretty low, pretty precise to a particular stage of treatment, at the right time after the right amount of progress has been made.

I am about to go on a huge supplement holiday, and start doing a liquid juice fast and heavy exercise program for probably 40 days. I will probably have to break that fast several times, but overall I intend to hammer through the majority of it, because I feel my mind slipping badly as well.

I am NOT saying the things I posted are not relevant. This information is relevant, it is going to come back up, and it is going to be a part in your treatment, but not in a scatter shot approach and not overnight. They are in the right manner, when appropriate for someone who is not in an advanced state. When the health condition is really bad, the supplements and pills alone cannot do the job. It takes a combination of juice fasting, detoxification, hydrotherapy, behavioral and thought modification, meditation, circulation, tremendous amounts of exercise, and very precise very fresh very potent carefully chosen herbs.

These suggestions get rejected constantly! People are hell bent on ruling this approach out because they think it has no scientific rational basis. It is never well explained, just like the rest of the information in this post is poorly understood -worst of all by the medical community.

There is very, very compelling rational scientific grounds to support the above approach.

In fact, the science that explains why exercise does what it does to the body is probably the most justifying and damning of all the proof.

I could argue that devon, if you and I continue to not exercise like the natural healing ideology says one should exercise, we are not going to get better..

I know I am using my supplements wrong, bottom line. It takes too much precision to do it right, and my brain is not in the state to do that.
I am going to link two more topics I posted in that you should read so you can see how I outlined this information about detoxification, healing, and regenerating severe "permanent" damage.

http://curezone.com/...asp?i=1881176#i

http://curezone.com/...asp?i=1883946#i

Edited by sam7777, 27 November 2011 - 07:21 PM.