Recovering from a Traumatic Brain Injury

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a sudden trauma damages the brain, such as when the head is violently hit by (or hits) an object or when an object pierces through the skull and into brain tissue. There are many types of TBI’s, the most commonly recognized is a concussion, which tends to be a milder form of TBI, although a concussion can be a serious injury, particularly if a patient experiences repeated concussions.

In the short-term, common side-effects of a TBI include headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, photo (light) sensitivity, sleep problems, impaired judgment, problems with thinking or memory, mood swings, and increased aggression. TBI’s can also have significant long-term effects including chronic headaches, memory challenges, difficulty concentrating, brain fog, increased depression, increased anxiety, and PTSD.

If your or a loved one have a TBI (or suspected TBI), ALWAYS see a doctor for an evaluation. TBI’s can be serious and life-threatening, and should be evaluated by a medical professional. The following recommendations are ways to support recovery from a TBI after you have been evaluated by a medical provider.

TBI Recovery Tips

There are several important practices to engage in when recovering form a TBI - we’ve listed out the most important ones below.

• Minimize visuals - Keep your eyes closed as much as possible to minimize strain on your brain. Instead of watching TV or scrolling social media, try listening to podcasts, audio books, or music to help pass the time.

• Hello darkness, my old friend - Bright light can exacerbate symptoms of a TBI and slow the brain’s healing. While you recover, keep lights dimmed in the home and the blinds drawn as much as possible.

• Practice deep-breathing exercises - After experiencing a TBI, a person’s resting heart rate is often elevated. Deep breathing exercises can help to slow your heart rate, supporting your healing and helping you to feel more relaxed (there’s a reason rest & recovery are so often paired together). Box breathing is one of the easiest and most effective breathing exercises: simply breathe in for a count of four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, keep your lungs empty for four seconds, and repeat a few times until you feel calmer.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for support or accommodations - Recovering from a TBI is a difficult and non-linear process, it’s okay to need extra support or accommodations. Asking for help tracking symptoms, grocery shopping, or anything else you need to minimize the strain on your brain is encouraged. If you’re cleared to return to work or school, consider asking for accommodations from administration - minimizing screen time, extensions for projects or assignments etc.

Support Recovery with Targeted Supplements and Medications

Supplements:

• TBI Daily Packs: Containing supplements selected by Dr. Sage Wheeler, the Medical director of SageMED, this is a pill pack that comes with convenient AM and PM supplement packets. The key ingredients are omega-3essential fats, Magnesium, Omega+CBD, Omega+Curcumin, Activated B-Complex, and Memory Support (Ginkgo, Bacopa, phosphatidylserine), and glutathione.

• Activated B-Complex: One of the primary roles of B-Vitamins are to help repair damaged neurons, making Activated B-Complex an excellent addition to your TBI recovery regimen.

• Neuro Calm Magnesium powder or capsules: This supplement helps to reduce emotional overstimulation, excitability, and irritability that are common after brain injuries.

• Optimized Glutathione: Glutathione is one of the most potent antioxidants in the body, and is essential for optimal recovery.

• Ultra Omega +CBD: CBD has been shown to help soothe overexcited nerves and has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. WiseMEDS combined it with high quality omega fats to improve absorption.

• Ultra Omega + Curcumin: Curcumin is a natural anti-inflammatory that reduces inflammation associated with oxidative damage that’s common with brain injuries (especially concussions). It’s also combined with omegas to improve absorption.

• NAD+ Gold by Quicksilver: Emerging research shows that it can be an incredibly powerful tool to help keep struggling neurons alive and functioning when under stress. Unfortunately, the FDA recently decided that it works too well to be available over the counter. It will soon be banned from over the counter use despite no significant evidence of harm to the public. Discuss with your doctor if you are in need of a prescription to continue using NAD+.

• Natural Lithium Orotate: Lithium Orotate (not to be confused with lithium citrate, the prescription drug) is a natural mineral found in the soil. It is one of the only nutrient found that can reduce the amount of harmful Tau proteins in the brain. This would be more appropriate for those with chronic brain injury from multiple concussions (such as football players with CTE).

Prescriptions:

There are multiple prescriptions that can support individuals recovering from a TBI. These are three of the most effective, but of course you should consult with your doctor to determine which (if any) are the right fit for you.

• Testosterone: Testosterone is a powerful tool for repair and recovery! That’s why some athletes risk their careers to use and abuse it. If you have a brain injury, be sure to ask your doctor to screen your testosterone levels and get treatment if they are low.

• Progesterone: This is the mother hormone from which all other hormones are made. It is very safe and provides a specific antiinflammatory effect on the brain. Most research is done on progesterone given during the first few days of an injury, so don’t delay getting good care and ask your doctor if they are familiar with it’s use for TBI treatment.

• Methylene Blue: this is a powerful antioxidant that gets it’s name from it’s vibrant blue color. In fact, it’s so vibrant that it is often used as a medical dye for staining tissues. It is sometimes prescribed as a mild urinary antiseptic. A 2011 animal study showed that it may also have a significant effect on mitigating brain injury. Given it’s strong safety profile, it would be reasonable to ask your doctor to consider off- label use for brain injury.