(Part 3) Top products from r/StackAdvice

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's situation. As a fellow TBI sufferer who still deals with all the associated bullshit on a daily basis, and as a fellow son of a mother with less-than-ideal mental/cognitive health, my heart goes out to you both. Biiiiig post coming up. I know you frequent /r/nootropics and similar subs so sorry if I'm just telling you stuff you already know.

It goes without saying that it would be ideal if you could get her to consult a specialist about her condition, preferably a good neurologist and psychiatrist who can work together to develop a medication, supplementation, diet, exercise, general lifestyle etc. regimen tailored specifically to her. If you have the means to do so, make it happen.

First things first, it would obviously be incredibly beneficial if you could convince her to cut out or drastically reduce her alcohol consumption. It sounds likely that she's self-medicating for depression related to her head injury and its consequences (I was there for a long time), so you might see about getting her onto a prescribed antidepressant. (Side note: it is crucial that she see a good psychiatrist to discuss taking any prescription psychiatric medication. Despite being legally allowed to prescribed many potent psychoactive drugs, GP's simply do not have the expertise necessary to make a good diagnosis and prescribe accordingly. Chances are if you ask for an antidepressant they'll just give you whatever a major pharma company shill most recently gave them samples of. Speaking from experience.) If you don't want to bring in the "big guns" so to speak just yet, then bacopa monnieri might be a good place to start. Very mild, very well tolerated, with a host of nootropic benefits to boot - it's known to improve memory significantly after about 3 months of supplementation. I started taking it about a month ago and for me personally it's been amazingly helpful; I can't wait for the memory enhancement to kick in. If it keeps on working like it has been, I don't think I'll ever stop taking it.

If you don't think she'll ever be willing to go completely sober, then make sure she's minimizing the harmful effects of alcohol with MisterYouAreSoDumb's damage/hangover prevention stack. (mind that NAC should always be taken before drinking, not during or after.)

I recommend trying to get her to replace alcohol with something less harmful, maybe every second drinking day or something at first. The obvious recommendation is marijuana, though as you're undoubtedly aware there are a ton of possible downsides to weed use as well. In the long run though, from a cognitive health point of view, it's far safer. If you're able to, get a few strains with different cannabinoid profiles for her to try so she can decide what she likes best - a high CBD/low THC strain (typically indicas) is probably more similar to alcohol than high THC, though it's still very different. If you decide to go with weed, make sure she's actively endeavouring to replace alcohol with it, rather than just adding it to her usual booze usage. Make edibles, extracts, or get her a vape if smoking doesn't appeal to her.

Then there's Kava. Its effects are probably a little closer to alcohol's than weed (though again, quite different) and it's much easier to get your hands on as it's legal pretty much everywhere (and easy enough to get through customs if you're somewhere lame like Australia). A good, affordable "beginner's" kava that she can try to see if she likes the effects is Yogi Tea's Stress Relief Tea
, as it's heavily flavoured and thus masks the acquired taste/feeling of kava pretty well. To really get a "drunk" feeling from it though, you may need to use 3 or 4 bags. Brew it in coconut milk or half water/half coconut cream to make it especially tasty. Or, if she's willing to tolerate the taste, go straight for a high quality source like Hawaiian Kava and brew it traditionally. Just make sure that she doesn't have any alcohol in her system whenever she uses it, as apparently that's a dangerous combo.

Also, if she does decide to quit booze at any point, make sure she does so safely.

Now, as for things to take... I'm still trying to perfect a regimen myself.

Over on the NeuroTalk forum, home to one of the largest online community of concussion and TBI sufferers, the recommended stack, as put together by the granddaddy of the forum, Mark of Idaho, is as follows:

>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.
Niacin, 200 to 500 mgs
Some extra anti-oxidants, Vit C and Vit E
D3, plenty of this, 1000 to 5000 iu's
Omega 3 fish oil, with a proper balance of Omega 6 and 9
Calcium with magnesium, 500 mgs per day
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. I only take a half of a tablet.
a Costco High Energy multipack (7 pieces) in place of the multi-vitamin
I have recently added:
Cayenne capsules
Resveratrol, it is supposed to help the Omega 3 fish oil work better
Garlic capsules for cholesterol
L-theanine for GABA regulation

I don't know that it's perfect but it's probably a good place to start. I think he might be going overboard with the amount of B vitamins in there... As long as she's taking the full dosage of a good multivitamin like Source Naturals Life Force (gets pretty pricey at 4 capsules a day, my approach is to take half the recommended dose and then add in a sensibly-dosed B complex. Any complex that uses methylfolate instead of folic acid should be of good quality.) she should be all set for B vitamins. Curcumin to reduce any residual inflammation is probably a good idea too - it's pretty pricey though. Make sure to get pills with added piperine, and I've seen it recommended that you take it with a fat source as well.

This thread, though more specifically targeted at treating a brain injury immediately after it's happened, is a great resource. Anything that's good for the immediate effects of a brain injury is probably going to be beneficial in the long term as well.

Oh! Also, the uridine stack. I don't recall the exact theory behind it, but it gets a lot of buzz as a means of preventing/reducing dementia/alzheimer's/general cognitive aging, so much so that somebody turned it into a drink which they now make a buttload of money from.

I'm super tired so I'm gonna just wrap this up neatly now... Might come back to edit it, but you're probably sick of reading crap from me as it is! For your mom, neurogenesis is king now, pretty much. Help her give her brain what it needs to heal and grow, and keep it away from things that hinder or harm these processes (booze, stress, poor diet/lifestyle, etc.). Lion's Mane is a good start, but I'd highly recommend looking into Cerebrolysin (requires injection), possibly P21 (like a refined Cerebrolysin, but very new to the market, so kinda risky), Semax (typically injected but if you send an email to [email protected] and ask nicely they'll be able to hook you up with a nasal spray), Noopept (should be taken sublingually), piracetam (has been studied fairly extensively for post-TBI, seems quite beneficial), NSI-189, etc. Supplement-wise, this kind of stuff is probably going to be the most beneficial for your mom in the long run. I recommend checking out this post by user Rior on Longecity about recovering from brain damage. It's a thread about MDMA-related damage, but his advice is quite general and is based on his own experience with recovering from multiple concussions.

Whew! Definitely wasn't planning to write that much, haha. Really hope I've been of some help man. Best of luck to you and your mom.

It's controversial and you should be careful if you try it, but Kratom is very potent for relieving anxiety. It can also boost energy and relieve pain. It's very powerful but some people (not all) have dependency and withdrawal problems due to it.

IMO you've already got the important ones that work really well in your stack. You could try adding L-Theanine, especially if you consume any caffeine it definitely reduces anxiety/jitters from that. St. John's wort can be a very effective long term anxiety/depression treatment, just make sure to do your homework on it as it can interact with other things. St. John's wort will take 3-6 weeks before it becomes effective.

To add to your meditation I would highly recommend reading The Mind Illuminated and it's accompanying subreddit /r/TheMindIlluminated. It is IMO the best comprehensive, science based, no religion, no bullshit, step by step guide to improving your meditative skills and making them useful to you.

Wow, your experience sounds in some ways eerily like me. I made a throwaway so I could reply.

First, I'm sorry you've had to deal with all this. It doesn't sound easy at all. I don't think you're fucked up. You just have a harder hand dealt to you than most others. But you're clearly very resourceful, capable and self aware, and willing to improve yourself. That you have this attitude already is amazing.

I also have anxiety, have had panic attacks, and periods of depression. I had the worst time of my life the past few months being in a graduate program and some personal issues which intensified all those to the point that I couldn't function like you for months. I had brain fog for a while, meaning months. I'm still at a point where it's hard to do creative work, which is quite problematic. A friend of mine has the same thing after going through an accident and divorce within the same year. Im not sure if this is the case for you, but it might be a problem with your brain associating work with pain, like if you tried to do too much at once, or simply there being too much stress in your life. Are there any unnecessary stressors you can eliminate? Perhaps responsibilities you don't need, people you don't need to be around, etc. I haven't been diagnosed with bpd but I can relate to many of the symptoms and I've been self studying from a dialectical behavior therapy workbook - do you use it as well? I highly recommend it. Here's a link to the one I use.. Also, like you I'm also very sensitive to substances such as caffeine, drugs or medications.

Anyway, the point of me sharing that information is that I can empathize with at least some of your issues, and perhaps can suggest some things that might help. Specifically for nootropics, I sometimes use L-theanine, especially if I have caffeine, and valerian root if I have trouble sleeping. That's it. Honestly, nootropics are only the icing on the cake for larger issues, and the first things that must be in order are: sleep, exercise, diet, therapy, and medication (if you use any - I don't though I also have benzos for emergencies, only had to use it once.) It seems like you have most of these in order, so kudos! That is awesome! It's hard to build and maintain those habits but you'll see a difference once you do.

However if you have panic attacks and general anxiety, I strongly recommend you stop taking caffeine. Learn to function without it. It might take a few weeks to adjust your sleep schedule and exercise routine, but is it really worth it to have heightened anxiety? In my opinion, no. Or, you could try taking less or only on days when you truly need it. Also, why modafinil? I took that once and also had an intense panic attack. Is it worth it?

I must say that two of the things besides therapy that have helped me the most is 10 minutes of meditation a day, and practicing self compassion. I use the Calm app on iOS for meditation. I have a gift subscription for a year, you can pm me if you think you're interested in it. Meditation and being mindful of my environment for a few minutes a day, every few hours, keeps me grounded. And people have started noticing, so it isn't just my own analysis either. :P

About self compassion, I took a few weeks workshop through my schools counseling center. It was basically like group therapy and very helpful to me. You can read about it by googling Kristin Neff. I suspect that you, like many high achieving people, are way too hard on yourself. That might give you way more anxiety and suffering than you already have, which you don't deserve. At least, this has been my own experience, and I've finally learned, to a large degree, to stop beating myself up for things I can't control. I can't tell you how weird and new that was.

Anyway, I hope this helps a bit. It's one perspective, at least. Good luck to you. Feel free to pm me if you ever want to talk btw.

I think the memory improvement is from other stuff I am taking at night before I go to bed. The modafinil is strictly a caffeine replacement for me, which also helps me avoid sugar, in the energy drinks.

AM

• 100mg Modvigil Modafinil - modafinilcat - when I wake up, takes about 30 minutes for me to notice the effects
  These next two are for muscle health, taken in the morning with 32 ounces of water
  
• 750mg Creatine Monohydrate by NOW Link: http://amzn.com/B0018OADEA
  
  
• 750mg Beta-Alanine by NOW Link: http://amzn.com/B001AWSR34 ( I like the way this makes my skin tingle )
  
  
  PM
  
  
  
• 2000mg Now Foods Glycine 1000mg, Capsules, 100-Count by Now Foods Link: http://amzn.com/B00UNH0TO2 - helps me sleep and is supposed to help your body process stored fat cells, in other words it should help burn fat
  
  
• 200mg Now Foods L-Theanine Veg Capsules, 200 mg, 120 Count by Now Foods Link: http://amzn.com/B00GQV9YX6 - helps with sleep, and calm clear thoughts
  
  
• 100mg Douglas Laboratories ® - Chelated Magnesium - 100 Tabs by Douglas Labs Link: http://amzn.com/B0013FVLIQ - apparently according to my dr, and chiro the modafinil can deplete magnesium from your system and cause sore muscle or bone aches, I take this to counter that and dont have that issue anymore with the modafinil
  
  
• 1 Now Foods True Calm Amino Relaxer by NOW Link: http://amzn.com/B0006U6IMI
  
  
• 1 500mg NOW Foods Choline and Inositol, 100 Capsules / 500mg by Now Foods Link: http://amzn.com/B001F0R65Q
  
  
• 0.5 Rainbow Light Men's One Multivitamin by Rainbow Light Link: http://amzn.com/B0007YCC7S - I take a half at night otherwise I get an upset stomach and I feel like I am peeing it all out if I take the whole thing.
  
  
  
  If anyone could suggest changes or something I might add, I am welcome to suggestions. I mostly made this list for myself so I can see what I am taking each day.
  

Our current stack looks like this and is still a work in progress. Please comment as to what might be better options, thanks!.

Updated 8/30:

Protein Smoothie - Garden of Life, 1x/day in am
https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Vitamins-Probiotics/dp/B007SYT7LO/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1503340441&sr=1-4&keywords=garden%2Bof%2Blife%2Bprotein%2Bpowder&th=1#customerReviews

Green Drink - Garden of Life, 1x/day in am w/ prot smoothie
https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Vegan-Superfood-Powder/dp/B00FB1S988/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1503340620&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=garden+of+life+green+superfood+powder&psc=1

Multi - Centrum Silver then changing to Pure Encapsulations, 1xday in am w/ breakfast
https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Encapsulations-Multivitamin-Essentials-Hypoallergenic/dp/B00CBYG1L0/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1503339918&sr=8-4&keywords=pure+encapsulations+multivitamin

Lecithin (phos choline) - Moms Organic Market sunflower<br /> no link<br /> <br /> Fish Oil - Nordic Naturals, 2x/day in am/pm<br /> https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Naturals-ProOmega-2000-Lemon/dp/B017UTEA4K/ref=sr_1_30_s_it?s=hpc&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1503340380&amp;amp;sr=1-30&amp;amp;keywords=nordic+naturals+fish+oil<br /> <br /> B12 - Jarrow Forumla Methyl, 1x/day in am<br /> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VE9B9II/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;amp;th=1<br /> <br /> Ginko - Moms Organic Market, 2x/day in am/pm
no link

L-theanine/Gaba - Allergy Research Group, 2x/day in am/pm
https://www.amazon.com/Allergy-Research-Group-Vegetarian-Capsules/dp/B000GU4TXI/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1503340983&sr=1-5&keywords=allergy+research+group

Melatonin - Moms Organic Market, 1x/day in pm<br /> no link<br /> <br /> Digestive Support - Trifal Ayush Herbs, 1x/day in pm<br /> https://www.amazon.com/Ayush-Herbs-Herbal-Supplement-Trifal/dp/B0012ZY6VG/ref=sr_1_11_s_it?s=hpc&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1503341173&amp;amp;sr=1-11&amp;amp;keywords=ayush+herbs<br /> <br /> Magnesium - Mega Mag Moms Market, 1x/day in pm
no link

Aloe Vera - Solaray, 1x/day in pm - plan to discontinue when done
https://www.amazon.com/Solaray-Aloe-Vera-Gel-capsules/dp/B00014FGHW/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1503341317&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=solaray+aloe+vera&psc=1

Vitamin C - Viva Naturals, 2x day in am/pm
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6C3GCY/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

DHEA - Zhou, 1x day in am
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UXLUFJ2/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Phos Serine - Doctors Best, 2x day in am/pm<br /> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036FWOJQ/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;th=1<br /> <br /> Alcarn - Natures Trove, 2x day in am/pm
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NCOTSWG/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

CoQ10- Garden of Life Raw, 1x day in am
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JAT54S/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

B Complex - Garden of Life Raw, 2xday in am/pm
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0098U0SQO/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Current on order:

Turmeric/Curcumin - Key Nutrition
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWA6WO8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1ILK2NFE4Q1Q1&th=1

PQQ - Health Through Nutrition
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SA2JLBY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=AP6P3N856MFIS&th=1

Resveratrol - BRI Nutrition
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LPW9X32/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A196A8GC0YNHR&psc=1

Alpha GPC - VitaMonk
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K13ACDA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A3PSSFJH9JG29L&psc=1

Alpha-Lipoic Acid - Doctor`s Best
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004O672ES/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

Bacopa Monnieri - Pure Mountain Botanicals
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S02A1UO/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ashwagandha - Nutra Herbs
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GZALWGO/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Bacopa will be replacing Ginko and Alpha GPC will replace the lecithin. Any other suggestions are welcome, the stack in its current form is a bit unmanageable however it helps to empty the capsules into the protein smoothie in the morning and into a blueberry keifr milk smoothie in the afternoon or early evening.

Yes. there is a book (link below) called "It's starts with food." It's basically a hardcore Paleo diet. You don't necessarily need to read the book. But it does a pretty good job explaining how and why it works. And how your body (and mind) respond to what you put in it. I found that informative, helpful and motivating. YMMV

https://www.amazon.com/Starts-Food-Discover-Whole30-Unexpected/dp/1628600543

The biggest challenge is having the right foods available all the time. I just dedicated my Sunday afternoons to shopping, prepping and cooking food to have for the week.

For meditation, I prefer tech-assisted styles that use binaural beats. Things like the iAwake Profound Meditation Program, or the stuff from Centerpointe. Also this: https://www.amazon.com/Awakened-Mind-System-Jeffrey-Thompson/dp/B0011ZRTCU/

If you're just starting out, guided meditations can be really helpful, and there apps Buddhify and HeadSpace give you a ton of options for that.

Straight up meditation (like Zen) is really hard and takes tons of discipline and support from teachers/community, so I don't recommend it right off the bat.

These other tools allow you to make it a habit, and THEN explore different styles. Also, 5 minutes every day is better than an hour once a week.

You absolutely must try Sensoril. I say this as someone who has ADHD inattentive type and bipolar disorder, and am on medication that literally makes me call hotsauce a hotdog and the couch in the living room a bench (lamotrigine).

Sensoril is amazing. Also, keep up on your water intake. Oh, and Sensoril is not KSM-66, they are different formulations. A study of Sensoril for improved cognition literally showed like a 30% increase in cognitive performance on certain tests. Google "sensoril cognition bipolar disorder study" and it should come up within a page or two (it's a bit hidden). I started taking Sensoril when I read about it in the book "Bipolar, Not So Much" by Drs. Aiken and Phelps, M.D., world leaders in the study of bipolar disorders, so they felt confident enough to put it in there by name.

Oh, and it's really inexpensive, too.

I take this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OESOL4/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Been slowly compiling resources on this as we get a lot of questions in the regard. Hope it helps.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick + sauna use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL7vVG_CFWA

Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast addressing protocol for dementia or Alzheimers: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2015/12/episode-340-full-transcript/ (see the 45min mark of the transcript for a listener question about protocol’s for Alzheimers)

Dr. Trent Austin - Natural Treatments for Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HTn8Xr3TGk

Olive oil + Alzherimer's: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170621103123.htm

Cognitive Decline Protocols: https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/wiki/cognitivedeclineprotocols

Lions Mane: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18844328


Books:

• Wahl’s Protocol: https://www.amazon.com/Wahls-Protocol-Radical-Autoimmune-Conditions/dp/1583335544/
  
• End of Alzheimers: https://www.amazon.com/End-Alzheimers-Program-Prevent-Cognitive/dp/0735216207/
  
• Genius Foods: https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Foods-Smarter-Productive-Protecting/dp/0062562851/
  
  Possible Products/Protocols
  
  
• lion’s mane mushroom
  
• THC/CBD
  
• Biotin
  
• Vitamin D
  
• Curcumin
  
• Fasting
  
• Ketogenic diet
  
• Fish Oil
  
• Bacopa
  
• Creatine
  
• Ashwagandha

PharmaGABA has always worked very well for me. I generally don't use any sleep aid too many nights in a row--I'm paranoid that the body can learn to tolerate anything when it comes to sleep--so I can't attest to how well it would work in a long cycle, but you'll wake up feeling great.

The best bang for the buck I could find is this:

https://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Multiple-Activator-Capsules/dp/B000GFPD0G

Highly bioavailable, good ratios, and cost-effective

Ah yeah. Address the posture and see if you still feel bad. It's likely you'll feel way better.

There are a lot of different things called qi gong. The kind I'm thinking of is stuff like that explicated in this fantastically 80s looking book. All jokes aside, that book works really well as a standalone guide to the basic practice, which works wonders if you do it for 15 minutes daily.

When and how should I take these? I just ordered Lions Mane. I have Lithium Orotate which I plan to take twice a day. Then there's the Bacopa. Should I take the Lithium, Bacopa, and Lions Mane all at the same time in the morning? I want to fit NAC in there too somehow, if it's not redundant.

And could someone clarify on Unlimitles stack? What are those, how to take them, the doses, the brands... Is that even reasonable to all mix?

I ordered some of this but haven't tried it yet, is this a decent supplement to use for caffeine?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OC3FD8/

CoQ10 is good for mitochondrial health, which get heavily messed up as we age. Same is actually true of ALCAR.

Spirulina powder is disgusting, you should stick with the tablets =(

These aren't too expensive, and they're actually cheaper on amazon but I dunno if they ship to canada. ALCAR is cheap in bulk from smartpowders too

if you think your cortisol levels may be high (you can have them tested) you should try ashwagandha [I felt a noticeable and significant [i.e. stress level from a 10 (chronic nausea and severe nausea after anything that increased cortisol levels) to a 1] difference after 1 dose and have continued to feel the effects after 6 months of use]
If you think you could have a hormonal imbalance (as a man or woman) you could try DIM (reduces androgen levels and total estrogen levels); DIM relieves anxiety in some people going through menopause or with PMDD