Chapter 13: My Brain Scans; Inside Active View

I have been off clonazepam for 15 days.  I am still taking extra Neurontin for the anxiety, I am more irritable, but I am sleeping well.  I visualize my brain healing, and I am starting to get excited about being able to start the last part of my medication treatment plan.  As soon as the anxiety calms down I will begin taking Wellbutrin.  It is important for me to wait until the anxiety calms.  The 100 milligrams of Luvox I am taking per day is helping to calm the increased activity in the deep limbic system.  The 1200 milligrams of Neurontin per day is helping calm the anxiety in the basal ganglia.  Wellbutrin will help increase the activity in my prefrontal cortex.

Here are SPECT scans of a healthy brain when it is active.  This is a 3D Active rendering, looking at the most active 15% of the brain where fluid (Ceretec) injected into an artery reached the tissues.  A normal scan shows increased fluid in the tissues of the cerebellum, with all else being relatively quiet.  Pictures are from the Amen Clinic.
                                    

                                    

                   Here are my SPECT 3D Active rendering scans after rest:  R=rest.

These are my SPECT 3D Active rendering scans after concentration:  C=concentration

                           

                                                                           

My SPECT Study Findings Report from the Amen Clinic is 4 pages long.  Here is a brief overview of what was found on my scans.  The most significant finding is decreased activity bilaterally (both sides) of the temporal lobes on the rest and concentration studies. 

Decreased activity was found in the following areas:

• Bilateral inferior orbital prefrontal cortex, worse at rest.
• Bilateral parietal lobes, worse at rest.
• Medial parietal lobe, on both studies.
• Left and medial dorsal prefrontal cortex, at rest.
• Bilateral occipital lobes, at rest.
• Anterior medial prefrontal cortex pole, on both studies.
• Internal cerebellar activity, worse at rest.

Increased activity was found in the following areas:

• Thalamo-limbic system, worse on concentration.  The basal ganglia are a group of large nuclei that partially surround the thalamus.
• Anterior cingulate gyrus, on both studies.

Below are pictures of the anatomy of the brain.  PFC=prefrontal cortex; FC=frontal cortex; TL=temporal lobe; PL=parietal lobe; OL=occipital lobe; BG=basal ganglia; ACG=anterior cingulated gyrus; PCG=posterior cingulate gyrus; R=right; L=left.  These photos were included in my notebook from the Amen Clinic.

                                                              

I am not well yet, but I am making progress toward feeling better.  Having SPECT scans done did not cure anything, but they gave my psychiatrist at the Amen Clinic more information which helped him write a treatment plan that is working for me!

Chapter 12: I Hate Clonazepam, Supplements

I have been off clonazepam for 10 days.  I would not want to go through the withdrawal symptoms without the help of Neurontin and the supplements recommended by my doctor at the Amen Clinic.  Going off the drug caused increased anxiety, irritability, and not being able to sleep as well.  I went back to taking 300 milligrams of Neurontin four times a day.  Increasing the dosage from 1200 mg a day to 1500 mg a day made me so dizzy it was hard to function.  If the anxiety gets too uncomfortable, I open a 300 milligram capsule of Neurotin, put a little bit in an empty capsule and take it.

These are the supplements that have been extremely helpful to me:

Restful Sleep: Serving 4 capsules   4/bedtime
Vitamin B6 10 mg, Magnesium 100 mg, Melatonin (immediate release) 2.5 mg, Melatonin (controlled release) 2.5 mg, Valerian 600 mg, GABA 100 mg.

Neuro PS:  Serving 1 capsule   2/bedtime
Phosphatidyl Serine 120 mg, Phosphatidylcholine 72 mg, Phosphatidylethanlamine 54 mg, Phosphatidylinositol 30 mg.

Brain Vitale:  Serving 2 capsules   2/morning
Acetyl L-Carnitine 500 mg, GlyceroPhosphoCholine (GPC) 200 mg, Inositol 200 mg, Phosphatidylserine 120 mg, GinkgoSelect Phytosome 90 mg.

I have continued with the diet changes I talked about in Chapter 7.  I am also taking the supplements Dr. Mark Hyman recommends in his book, The UltraMind Solution.  I believe giving my body the nutrients it needs will help it heal.  This is what is included in the The UltraMind Solution Essentials Kit.

Multivitamin/mineral, ProThera, MultiThera 1 Capsule Formula: Serving 6 capsules
2/breakfast  2/lunch  2/dinner
Vitamin A 10,000 I.U., Vitamin C 750 mg, Vitamin D3 800 I.U., Vitamin E 400 I.U., 
Thiamine 50 mg, Riboflavin 25 mg, Niacin 100 mg, Vitamin B6 25 mg, Folate 800 mcg,
Vitamin B12 200 mcg, Biotin 300 mcg, Pantothenic Acid 150 mg, Calcium 250 mg,
Iodine 150 mcg, Magnesium 250 mg, Zinc 15 mg, Selenium 200 mcg, Copper 2 mg,
Manganese 10 mg, Chromium 200 mcg, Molybdenum 150 mcg, Potassium 50 mg,
Boron 2 mg, Vanadium 100 mcg, Choline 100 mg, Inositol 25 mg, para-Aminobenzoic Acid 50 mg, Citrus Bioflavonoids 100 mg.

Calcium/magnesium, ProThera, OsteoThera Capsule Formula: Serving 2 capsules
2/breakfast  2/lunch  2/dinner
Vitamin D3 200 I.U., Vitamin K 200 mcg, Calcium 250 mg, Magnesium 100 mg,
Boron 0.5 mg, Silicon 3 mg.  I have an extra bottle of this formula delivered with my kit to get 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day.

Vitamin D3, Pure Encapsulations, Vitamin D3 1000 IU: Serving 1 capsule   2/breakfast
I am also taking a 50,000 I.U. capsule of vitamin D every month.  My vitamin D level is at 45, and should be between 50 and 80.  I am looking forward to warmer weather so I can be out in the sun more.  Too much vitamin D can be toxic, so it is important to have my level checked by a blood test every six months.

Methylation, Designs for Health, Homocysteine Supreme: Serving 2 capsules
1/breakfast  1/dinner
Vitamin B2 50 mg, Vitamin B6 50 mg, Nature Folate Blend 2 mg, Folinic Acid 400 mcg,
Vitamin B12 1000 mcg, Zinc 5 mg, Magnesium 10 mg, Trimethylglycine 500 mg,
Choline 100 mg,Serine 100 mg, N-Acetyl-Cysteine 100 mg.

Omega-3 fats, Metagenics, EPA-DHA Extra Strength Enteric Coated: Serving 2 capsules
2/breakfast  2/lunch  2/dinner
EPA 600 mg, DHA 400 mg sardine, anchovy, herring.  I have an extra bottle delivered with my kit because I am taking 6,000 milligrams per day.

Probiotics, Metagenics, UltraFlora Plus DF Capsules: Serving 2 capsules
1/breakfast  1/dinner
15 billion live organisms: 50-50 blend of Lactobacillus acidophilus & Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07.

There are days this seems like a lot of supplements to be taking, but I am starting to feel small glimpses of feeling better!  Being sick has motivated me to give my body the nutrients it needs.  The UltraMind Solution is a comprehensive guide to helping your body and brain be healthy.

Mark Hyman, M.D. states the following in his book, The UltraMind Solution.  "The most powerful tool you have to transform your health and improve your mood, mind, and metabolism is your fork!  Use it well and you will thrive.  Choose poorly and you will suffer."

"The varied components of a whole-foods diet not only taste better, make you feel better, and prevent disease, but they are literally medicine.  Mounting scientific evidence points to the power of food as medicine.  These "medicinal" foods are simply the foods our bodies evolved eating---fresh, unadulterated, slow-burning, high-fiber, vitamin- and mineral-rich, omega-3 plentiful, and phytonutrient-dense foods."  (Chapter 14, page 292)

"Think of nutrients as fertilizer for your brain.  Think of them as little helpers that improve communications and connections.  In a perfect world, no one would need supplements.  But given the stress of our modern life, the poor quality of our food supply, and the high load of toxins on our brains and bodies, we clearly need a basic daily supply of the raw materials for all our enzymes and biochemistry to run as designed."  (Chapter 15, page 304)

How to Optimize Your Nutrition for Vibrant Health

The path to better health is simple-and agreed upon by almost all scientists. In this week's UltraWellness podcast, Dr. Mark Hyman explains how to optimize your nutrition and which supplements are crucial for vibrant health.  This podcast is very good and I'm sorry I wasn't able to embed it in the post.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ultrawellness#p/search/2/QNX--ZqCOQU