Traumatic Brain Injury Protocol

Whether your child is playing high impact contact sports or not, knowing how to effectively offset the downstream cascade of effects from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) should be an essential part of your at home treatment. Secondary to the initial event of TBI is potential secondary damage that results from inflammation, oxidative stress due to fee radicals, chemical imbalances due to cytotoxicity and high calcium influx to neurons, loss of circulation, and insufficient oxygenation. All of these lead to permanent tissue and neuron damage if left unchecked.

The causes of a TBI can range from violence, abuse, car or motorcycle accidents, and the most common cause in children and teens- athletic injuries. A traumatic brain injury doesn’t have to come from a blow directly to the head- while it can stem from this, it can also occur due too violent jolt to the body, such as whiplash in a car accident or a violent takedown in football. Shaken baby syndrome is the most common cause of a tBI in infants. An object that penetrates the brain, for example a bullet or a shattered piece of skull, can also cause a TBI. Traumatic brain injuries are diagnosed on a level of mild to severe, as well as the location of injury to the brain. TBI’s can occur with or without loss of consciousness- if a person seems dazed, confused, or disoriented after the event, even without loss of consciousness, a TBI is very possible.

Mild traumatic brain injury may affect your brain cells temporarily. Some signs and symptoms that a person has experienced a mild TBI can include physical symptoms, such as headache, nausea or vomiting, fatigue or drowsiness, problems with speech, difficulty sleeping, sleeping more than usual, and dizziness or loss of balance. Sensory symptoms are also common, such as blurred vision, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), a bad taste in the mouth, changes in sense of smell, and sensitivity to light or sound. Common cognitive or mental symptoms include problems with memory, focus, or concentration, mood changes or mood swings, and onset of depression and/or anxiety. None of these symptoms will necessarily appear immediately in the days or even weeks following a TBI, but can show up in the months or years following the event. A mild injury to the brain is still a serious injury that requires prompt attention and an accurate diagnosis.

More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the brain. These injuries can result in long-term complications or death. Common signs of a more serious TBI are loss of consciousness from several minutes to hours, persistent headache or headache that worsens, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, clear fluids draining from the nose or ears, inability to awaken from sleep, weakness or numbness in fingers and toes, and loss of coordination. Mental or cognitive symptoms include profound confusion, agitation, combativeness or other unusual behavior, slurred speech, and coma and other disorders of consciousness. These are symptoms more likely to be experienced in the first 24 hours after the event.

Infants and young children with brain injuries might not be able to communicate headaches, sensory problems, confusion and similar symptoms. If your very young child or infant experiences a traumatic brain injury, some differences you may observe are changes in eating or nursing habits, unusual or easy irritability, persistent crying and inability to be consoled, change in ability to pay attention, change in sleep habits, seizures, sad or depressed mood, drowsiness, and loss of interest in favorite toys or activities.

Patients who experience injury to the head are at high risk of zinc deficiency. Zinc loss continues long term after a physical injury, particularly a head injury, and the amount of zinc lost is directly proportional to the severity of the injury. Loss of zinc is one reason some patients with TBI experience a bad taste in their mouth and changes in their ability to smell. Zinc supplementation should be a first line of defense against long-term damage due to head injury. Ensuring that blood flow is increased to the brain in order to bring nutrients in is also key- a special type of Niacin (B3) combined with GABA, called Picamilon, used to be used immediately after and in the week or two following TBI. However, the FDA banned this as a dietary supplement in 2015 as it did not meet the definition of a dietary supplement. To get the same effect in the brain, GABA and Niacin can be utilized together (GABA helps to rebuild neural communication, and Niacin acts as a vasodilator, allowing blood flow to the brain). Glutamine, an amino acid typically made within the body and used for brain function, is necessary in higher amounts when the body is under physical stress. It should be used in high doses, temporarily, in a TBI protocol.

Any time the body experiences high stress, as in a TBI, specific micronutrients can become depleted including vitamins C, D, E, magnesium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. These need to be replaced for the body to be able to respond to the injury adequately and to encourage repair processes. Problems in cellular functioning as a result of concussion or TBI result in over-production of reactive molecules and free radicals, which may lead to metabolic stress and neuro-inflammation. To counteract these processes the body needs a good supply of antioxidants, like Vitamin C and E, as well as anti-inflammatories, such as Curcumin and Omega-3.

The following protocol should be implemented for two weeks after a TBI. After the first two weeks, if no mental or cognition symptoms have appeared, dose may be slowly tapered down to every other day, then every third day, then maintained at twice a week for 3-6 months. This protocol is intended to reduce or diminish the possibility of long term cognition and mental affects due to a mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury. This protocol is NOT intended to replace emergency medical care directly after an individual experiences a head injury. Anyone who experiences a possible Traumatic Brain Injury should receive emergency medical care and be properly diagnosed by a physician.

Protocol

GABA 750mg once daily (Pure Encapsulations, 1 capsule) plus Niacin 500mg (Life Extension B3, 1 capsule)*

Omega-3 Fatty Acids 5g once daily (Nordic Naturals ProOmega2000, 5 capsules)

Zinc glycinate 20mg once daily (MetaGenics Zinc A.G, 1 tablet)

Glutamine 1000-5000mg once daily (Vital Nutrients, 4 capsules)

Curcumin 300mg twice daily (Integrative Therapeutics TheraCurmin, 1 capsule twice daily)

Magnesium L-Threonate 3000mg daily (Dr. Mercola L-Threonate, 3 caps mid-day, 2 caps before bed)

Liposomal Vitamin C 2-3g once daily (Dr. Mercola Liposomal Vitamin C, 4-6 capsules)

Vitamin D 4000IU daily (Seeking Health Vitamin D Liquid Drops, 2 drops)

Vitamin E 400 IU twice daily (Integrative Therapeutics Vitamin E, 1 capsule twice daily)

*Do not use nicotinamide or slow release niacin. This reduces or eliminates the vasodilation property of niacin, which is what is utilized to optimize blood flow. Niacin flushing can feel uncomfortable, with red or itchy and feverish feeling skin in the face, neck, chest, and ears, but should only last 5-30 minutes if experienced at all.

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