Topic: Anyone have severe cognitive and gotten better?
lyme in Putnam
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When you wake up to a foreign bed as not you living with strangers who are family, did u get better or relief? The anxiety is so great sometimes, I take klonopin, am still confused but not as anxious. Can't get your mind off of it when u live in it. Intellect ok, same. Is this cognitive or psychiatric? Both?
-------------------- He took u to it, He'll you through Posts: 2837 | From NE. | Registered: Apr 2007
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sammy
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For awhile I could not read. I literally could not process the words, comprehend what they meant, or even remember what I just read in one short sentence.
I can't tell you how scared and sad I felt about this. The progression happened quickly.
IV Tygacil + IV Rocephin + Factive + Malarone gradually brought my brain back to the point where I could read again.
I still struggle with memory and cognitive symptoms, everything gets worse when I'm tired and feeling sicker. I hope that they will continue to get better with time and treatment.
Thankfully, I've not struggled with obvious psych type problem like anxiety or depersonalization. I would guess that since cognitive and psych are both brain problems they should both get better over time with treatment.
Take care lyme in Putnam, hugs Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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LIP... but these symptoms from you are from the low salt, right?
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Brussels
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I could not even drive well, not even do very dumb counting (like how many coins I was supposed to receive back after buying bread), forgot names, faces of people, even where I was going.
When I finally reached the shop, I forgot my wallet home, had to come back to pick it. I even didn't laugh nor it scared me: I lacked understanding the whole dimension of the problem.
The only blank I have today is still related to the same period of my life, when the brain was shut. I believe, these events that happened during major brain problems (inflammation, toxins, infection, whatever9
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lyme in Putnam
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My salt is stable now, but mind isn't. When it's down. It's a whole different animal. Im physically anxious, to the point of scratching just to get help. Thats my indication salt is low.no machines to monitor it have to wait or bloods.m,there somehow a connection between the salt and Lyme.
-------------------- He took u to it, He'll you through Posts: 2837 | From NE. | Registered: Apr 2007
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Personally not yet but this morning I took 2 tablespoon of Virgin coconut oil. If it can cure Alz then it could help us if we went up to 5 tbs daily. www.earthclinic.com is very useful on natural remedies. I have started on also taking 2tbs of blackstrap molasses mentioned there and will also add coconut sugar. W
I have this book on order
From the book �Stop Alzheimer�s Now! How to Prevent and Reverse Dementia, Parkinson�s, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis and Other Neuro-Degenarative Disorders� by Bruce Fife ND, pages 257 � 258 and 260 � 261
Step 1 of the 8-step Alzheimer�s Battle Plan
�Ketone Therapy The first step in the Alzheimer�s Battle Plan is to raise ketone levels. You do this by consuming at least 5 tablespoons (74ml) of coconut oil every day. Please note that a tablespoon is a unit of measurement and equals 14.8ml of liquid.The tablespoon referred to here is not the same as the tablespoon commonly used for eating. The oil should be taken with food. It can be used in food preparation or taken separately by the spoonful like a dietary supplement. Two tablespoons of coconut oil should always be consumed at breakfast. In the morning, ketone levels will beat their lowest, so this step is very important. The remaining 3 tablespoons can be divided up between lunch and dinner in any manner you desire�.Just make sure you get at least 5 tablespoons spaced throughout the day. If a meal is skipped, it is a good idea to take a tablespoon of oil anyway to maintain ketone levels.
You can take more than 5 tablespoons of coconut oil a day. There is no harm in it but you will also be consuming other fats and oils in your diet as well. Be aware that consuming too much oil of any type can loosen the bowels, requiring multiple trips to the restroom.
Five tablespoons of coconut oil is recommended for treating those who have clear symptoms of neurodegeneration. For prevention, 2 � 3 tablespoons daily is adequate.
Taking 2 tablespoons of oil at one sitting can be difficult if it is not incorporated into a meal. Chapter 20 provides recipe ideas that make taking the oil relatively easy. See the Daily Dose of Coconut Oil section for ideas.
Before Starting the Program Get a Medical Checkup Regardless of your age or level of health, I recommend that you get a medical checkup before starting the program. The reason for this is partly to make sure you are physically capable of making a dramatic change to your diet but more importantly to get a record of your current level of health.
Record your blood pressure. Get your blood chemistries done so that you have a record of your fasting blood glucose level, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), triglycerides, HDL, Total Cholestrol/HDL ratio and Triglyceride/HDL ratio�..
All of these measurements are needed in order to establish a baseline for comparison. After several weeks on the program you will have your blood work done again so you can compare results and evaluate your progress. This step is very important! It will provide you with the proof that the program is improving your overall health and that the increased fat you will be consuming is not causing you any harm, but is promoting better health. It also provides documented proof you can show to your doctor or to anyone who is skeptical about this program. These records will also help to encourage you to keep with the program and continue progressing and improving.
A common concern about replacing carbohydrates with fat and protein is how it is going to affect cholestrol levels. If you have read Chapters 12, 13 and 14, then you know this is not a problem. Cholestrol numbers will improve. All blood markers will improve. Memory will improve�
Once again, I (Megan) am astounded at, and grateful for, the wonderful information available to us. My mother had Alzheimer�s and is was very disturbing to watch a vital vibrant woman deteriorate like that � especially in the earlier stages when she showed quite clearly that she knew she was deteriorating and experienced the resulting frustration at not being able to express the words in her mind etc. Even though this information came too late for my mum, I feel comforted that I know how to stop this, and other awful diseases mistakenly credited to aging, from having any further hold in my life and my family.
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As I mentioned she underestimates for some reason the amount of coconut oil you need to take. 5tbs
Lots of coconut testimonials on earthclinic.com
W
Brain fog - poor memory, difficulty thinking clearly etc From DoctorMyhill Jump to: navigation, search Contents [hide] 1 Introduction 1.1 What I mean by brain fog 2 Good Energy Supply to the Brain 2.1 Good fuel and oxygen supply 2.2 Good mitochondrial function 2.3 Myelin sheath function 3 Brain fats and oils 3.1 Oils to treat foggy brain and dementia 4 CFS, alcohol and foggy brains 5 Treatment of the foggy brain 6 Are you being poisoned? 7 Is there pathology? 8 Vitamin B12 by injection 9 Related articles 10 References
Introduction What allows the brain to work quickly and efficiently is its energy supply. If this is impaired in any way, then the brain will go slow. Initially, the symptoms would be of foggy brain; but if symptoms progress, one will end up with dementia. We all see this in our everyday life, with the effect of alcohol being the best example. Short-term exposure gives us a deliciously foggy brain - we stop caring, we stop worrying, it alleviates anxiety. However, it also removes one's drive to do things, one's ability to remember; it impairs judgement and our ability to think clearly. Medium-term exposure results in mood-swings and anxiety (only alleviated by more alcohol). Longer-term use could result in severe depression and then dementia - examples include Korsakoff's psychosis and Wernike's encephalopathy. See Wikipedia:Korsakoff's syndrome and Wikipedia:Wernicke's encephalopathy. Incidentally, these two examples also illustrate how most drug side-effects result from nutritional deficiencies!
What I mean by brain fog Poor short term memory Difficulty learning new things Poor mental stamina and concentration � there may be difficulty reading a book or following a film story or following a line of argument Difficulty finding the right word Thinking one word, but saying another Good Energy Supply to the Brain A normal nerve will pass a nerve impulse in 75 microseconds. The slower the time, the more we �lose it�. Reaction times are slowed with alcohol. If this interval extends to 140 microseconds, one has dementia; longer than that and we go unconscious - as exemplified by the effects of a general anaesthetic.
What allows good energy supply to the brain is:
Good fuel and oxygen supply good blood supply - Arteriosclerosis - what causes it and how to prevent it adequate amount of blood - Anaemia - not enough blood - symptoms and diagnosis of sufficient blood pressure - Low cardiac output state sufficient oxygen - Shortness of breath - the causes of sufficient fuel - Hypoglycaemia - the full story. Good mitochondrial function One then has to be able to convert this fuel and oxygen supply into energy that the brain can use, namely ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) . See CFS - The Central Cause: Mitochondrial Failure, but this is only part of the story!
Myelin sheath function There is a further interesting peculiarity with respect to the energy supply to the brain which is different from that used by the rest of the body. Although the brain weighs just 2% of total body weight, in use it absorbs 20% of the body�s oxygen requirement and 25% of its fuel needs! This cannot be explained by the number of mitochondria in the brain (there are not enough), which means there must be another energy-generating source. Brain cells are also very different from normal cells. They have a cell body, and very long tails - or dendrites - which communicate with other cells. Indeed, if a nerve-cell body from the spinal cord that supplied one�s toes was sitting on my desk and was the size of a football, the tail would be in New York! These tails (dendrites) are too small to contain mitochondria, but it has been suggested that the energy supply comes directly from the myelin sheaths themselves. They too can produce ATP and it is this that supplies the energy for neuro-transmission. Myelin sheaths are made up almost entirely of fats, so we need to look to oils and fats for improved energy supply to brain cells.
Some fascinating work by Dr Mary Newport shows that coconut oils can cure dementia - see What If There Was a Cure for Alzheimer�s Disease� and No One Knew?. The key ingredient is medium-chain triglycerides. This suggests to me that these are an essential part of this process. MCTs are an excellent energy supply to the brain which also likes to work with short-chain fatty acids or ketones. You can see an interview with Dr Newport on You Tube Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
My guess is that the myelin sheath membranes have to be of just the right consistency to allow ATP to be synthesized. If this were the case, it would explain how general anaesthetics work � presently no-one really knows! If GAs upset the consistency of myelin-sheath cell-membranes enough, then the energy supply to nerve cells would be switched off; the nerves would cease to work and... bingo! � not just foggy-brained but unconscious! See Wikipedia:Theories of general anaesthetic action
Do not be concerned about dietary fat and cholesterol causing arterial disease! The results of some studies of Polynesian peoples for whom coconut is the chief source of energy should put your mind at rest.[1]. My guess is that statins, by reducing the cholesterol that the brain loves, are contributing to our current epidemic of Alzheimer�s disease. Certainly it is rare for my CFS patients to tolerate statins � nearly always they are made ill by them.
So, adding coconut oil to the regime of anyone with symptoms of foggy brain to dementia is likely to be helpful, partly by improving fuel supply and partly improving membrane function.
Brain fats and oils Humans evolved on the East Coast of Africa eating a diet rich in sea food. It is suggested that the high levels of oils, particularly DHA (Docosahexanoic acid), allowed the brain to develop fast, thus allowing humans to outstrip other mammals. So Homo Sapiens came to have bigger brains allowing intelligence to develop. There is lots of research showing that essential fatty acids are indeed "essential" for normal brain function; so oils that would be helpful in addition to coconut oil would be omega 3 (fish), omega 6 (evening primrose) and omega 9 (olive), together with lecithin (which is phosphatidylcholine � i.e. the main component of all cell membranes).
Oils to treat foggy brain and dementia A suggested regime to start off would be:
Lecithin - one teaspoon (5 ml) twice daily (raw material for basic building blocks of membrane). Coconut oil - one dessertspoonful (10 ml) twice daily (perfect fuel for brain cells). Hemp oil which has the right proportion of omega 6 to 3 (4 to 1) (ensures membranes are of perfect consistency - not too stiff, not too elastic). See Phospholipid exchange for the correct proportions. Hemp oil is near enough perfect with a ratio of 3.8 to 1 of omega 6 to 3. However there are combinations of other oils one can use in case allergy gets in the way!
Ideally, all these oils should be organic. A very delicious way to take coconut oil is first to melt it in a warm place, then stir in organic cocoa powder (eg Green and Black's), possibly a teaspoon of D-ribose - allow to cool and go hard - and hey presto! - perfect chocolate! You may have to vary the ingredients according to taste; but what I like is 1/3 pot (150grams) coconut oil with 1/2 pot cocoa powder (60grams) and a teaspoon of D-ribose!
Throughout life, the brain creates a million new connections every second! This means there is huge potential for healing and repair; it is simply a case of moving things in the right direction! But the brain has to have the optimum energy supply to allow this process to happen!
Also see Phospholipid exchange
Research done by Professor Caroline Pond at Milton Keynes has shown that the immune system, like the brain, is also fat-loving. Wild animals, if they have a food glut, will first deposit fat around lymph nodes where energy is needed for immune activity. This may explain why people who are apple-shaped are more prone to heart disease compared to those pear-shaped. Fat deposited around the gut indicates inflammation there (possibly allergy or fermenting gut) and inflammation results in arterial damage.
CFS, alcohol and foggy brains Alcohol intolerance is almost universal in CFS. This has always puzzled me! It could be partly explained by poor detox, but clinically there seems to be some direct effect on the brain, like a hypersensitivity. The above explains all! Alcohol readily dissolves fats and would be excellent at changing the consistency of the myelin sheath cell membranes. It works just like a general anaesthetic � and, indeed, many CFSs are intolerant of anaesthetics. My guess is that the more fat-dissolving a chemical, the greater its ability to produce foggy brain in CFS. This could also apply to a range of prescription medication.
This knowledge is very useful clinically. Those people who are intolerant of alcohol need brain fats and oils as above. Indeed, as we age, intolerance increases - indicating our greater need for the correct fats and oils as we become metabolically less efficient with the passage of time!
Treatment of the foggy brain The general approach to maintaining and restoring good health. The best test for generalised arteriosclerosis is one's ability to gain fitness. All normally healthy people should be able to gently jog one mile without distress. See Arteriosclerosis - what causes it and how to prevent it and Ischaemic Heart Disease - what really causes it?. To improve fitness see Exercise - the right sort Can this supply of fuel and oxygen be translated into ATP - the energy for brain cells to work? See CFS - The Central Cause: Mitochondrial Failure Is there a steady supply of sugar to the brain? See Hypoglycaemia - the full story Coconut oils likely to be very helpful - the brain works well on short chain fatty acids and ketones which are in abundance in coconut oil. These must be pure cold-pressed organic virgin oils which are semisolid at room temperature - not hydrogenated oils which are hard at room temperature. Allergy can certainly cause foggy brain. Wheat is a common cause of brain fog. Many religious groups will fast for several days in order to �clear the brain�. Food allergy usually causes more than one symptom � often several. Sleep - are you getting enough good quality sleep? During sleep, healing and repair takes place, and without these one gradually ratchets downhill. Sleep is vital for good health - especially in CFS Hormonal disturbances - see Hypothyroidism - diagnosis of and Adrenal Gland - the gear box of the car (DHEA and cortisol) � underactive Iodine deficiency . See [1] Physical and mental activity is vital. If you don't use it, you lose it! There is a desirable balance between physical and mental activity. Often the best �treatment� for mental stress is physical activity (rather than watching TV!). Foggy brain is often accompanied by Depression and Anxiety, but these are just symptoms which should be investigated by finding the cause. Are you being poisoned? From within the body:
Gut fermentation - fermented foods result in alcohol, D-lactate, hydrogen sulphide and other toxins being produced. Any tendency to constipation will make this worse. This may explain why colonic irrigation allows a "clearing" of the brain. Caffeine in the short term is a mental stimulant. This can be helpful if you have to �perform�, so long as you can rest and recover afterwards. If you are having more than 3 cups a day (tea, coffee, coca cola), then it is probably having an overall deleterious effect. As a result of a detox regime - which mobilises toxins which have been previously dumped in fat. From outside the body:
as a result of diet - again, alcohol is also a neurotoxin. If you are drinking more than one glass of wine daily, then you will be thiamine deficient. Thiamine is essential for normal brain function. Prescription drugs often have profound effects on the brain, especially in older and younger people Chemical poisoning? Look at a check list of possibilities! Chemical poisons and toxins - the more you look for it, the more you see! Is there pathology? Progressive brain symptoms always need investigating with an MRI scan to exclude tumours and other such anatomical lesions. See:
Prion disorders: Alzheimer's Disease; Parkinson's Disease; Creutzfeldt-Jacob's Disease & Motor Neurone Disease Multiple sclerosis - the environmental approach to treating Vitamin B12 by injection This is an excellent treatment for foggy brain! There are many possible ways in which it may be helpful - see CFS and B12 - rationale for using vitamin B12. Indeed I was interested to hear that when the top chess grand Masters are competing they inject themselves daily with B12 for improved performance. My organophosphate poisoned farmers love B12 as do many CFSs!
Related articles Recipes for increasing oils in the diet Energy supply to the brain via myelin - Ravera 2009 The science behind oils and fats being so important for energy supply to the brain Scientific American article - ATP is also a neurotransmitter - fascinating insights into how ATP is necessary for other neurotramitters to work! Poor energy delivery could mean depression and neurological disease References 1.↑ Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1981, Vol 34 (8): 1552-61
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Coconut Oil Touted as Alzheimer's Remedy By Lorie Johnson CBN News Medical ReporterThursday, January 05, 2012RSS Podcasts29 Comment(s)
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Embed: Link: Ad Feedback TAMPA, Fla. - An estimated 5.4 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and that number is expected to increase exponentially as baby boomer generation enters their golden years.
But for some people, coconut oil has proven to slow the progression of Alzheimer's and may have even prevented it.
One of those people is Steve Newport, whose Alzheimer's has slowed considerably. Some of his symptoms even reversed, thanks to the unlikely treatment prescribed by his wife, Dr. Mary Newport, a physician who runs a neonatology ward at a Tampa, Fla., hospital.
Dr. Newport became determined to help her husband after the severity of his disease was discovered through an Alzheimer's test in which the person being tested is asked to draw a picture of a clock.
Sign up for a free Fact Sheet: Fight Alzheimer's Disease With Coconut Oil
"He drew circles and several numbers just in a very random pattern, didn't really look anything like a clock," she said.
"And the doctor pulled me over to the side and said, 'You know, he's actually on the verge of severe Alzheimer's at this point, he's beyond moderate," Dr. Newport recalled.
"So that was very, very devastating news," she said.
Dr. Newport began learning everything she could about her husband's disease.
"It appears to be a type of diabetes of the brain and it's a process that starts happening at least 10 or 20 years before you start having symptoms and it's very similar to type 1 or type 2 diabetes in that you develop a problem with insulin," she explained.
Alternative Brain Fuel
In this case, insulin problems prevent brain cells from accepting glucose, their primary fuel. Without it, they eventually die.
But there is an alternative fuel -- ketones, which cells easily accept. Ketones are metabolized in the liver after you eat medium chain triglicerides, found in coconut oil.
Dr. Newport added coconut oil to her husband Steve's diet. Just two weeks later, he took the clock test again and demonstrated stunning improvement.
"I thought at the time, was it just good luck? Was it a lot of prayer? Was it the coconut oil?" she said. "And I thought, well, we're going to keep the coconut oil going."
Three weeks later, Steve took the clock test a third time and continued to perform better on it.
And it wasn't just intellectually, he also improved emotionally and physically.
"He was not able to run. He was able to run again," she recalled. "He could not read for about a year and a half, but after two or three months he was able to read."
"Instead of being very sluggish, not talking very much in the morning, he would come out in the morning with energy, talkative, and joking, and he could find his water and his utensils," Dr. Newport said.
She documented Steve's success in a book titled, Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was A Cure? Dr. Newport received many "thank you" letters from people whose loved ones were suffering from Alzheimer's. Each of the letters claimed their family member was helped after they followed Steve's diet.
Expensive Power Punch
And while coconut oil is encouraging, there's something much more powerful.
A team of biochemists, led by Professor Kieran Clarke at England's Oxford University, have developed a ketone ester that packs a punch ten times greater than coconut oil.
"It reaches quite considerably higher levels," Clarke said. "And you can get whatever levels you want depending on how much you drink."
The problem is, they need millions of dollars to mass produce it.
"It's very expensive. And so we can't make very much of it ourselves," Clarke said. "And what we would like is funding so we could actually scale up and make it."
"But of course there's no real profit in manufacturing stuff like that, and so people really don't want to fund that sort of thing," he said.
Coconut Oil Myths
So until a high potency ketone ester is available to the general public, coconut oil is still a good ketone source.
Just make sure it's pure, in other words, non-hydrogenated. Avoid any hydrogenated oil, including coconut oil, because hydrogenated oils are the same thing as dangerous trans fats. Check the list of ingredients for the word, "hydrogenated."
Some people are afraid to eat coconut oil because they think it's bad for your heart. But it's actually very healthy.
Dr. Beverly Teter is a lipid biochemist researcher at the University of Maryland and an expert in the area of dietary fat.
She said that years ago, coconut oil was criticized for raising cholesterol. But scientists have since learned there are two kinds of cholesterol -- LDL, the bad kind, and HDL, which is very good for you. HDL, the good cholesterol, is the kind that coconut oil raises.
"So they put out the message that it increased serum cholesterol," Teter explained. "But the truth of the matter is, it was helping the profile of the serum cholesterol."
"That never has been corrected in the public press, and I think that's the reason people have misconceptions about it," she said.
Defense against Disease
Not only does coconut oil improve cholesterol levels, Teter said the way it helps the brains of some Alzheimer's patients can even be extended to people with Parkinson's disease, ALS , epilepsy, dementia, even schizophrenia and autism.
Coconut oil also kills bacteria, making it a natural antibiotic without the negative side effects. Teter said because of that, it also helps defend against viruses like HIV and herpes.
"The coconut oil tends to keep the bacteria down so that if you're assaulted with a virus, your immune system can concentrate on the virus. It doesn't have to concentrate on 27 other bacteria that day," she explained.
As always, consult your doctor before making any dietary changes and ask about the addition of coconut oil to your diet.
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