Brain Fog is likely mast cell and glial inflammation.

[Who Me?]

@rebar. Do you know you have to put an @ in front of someone's user ID so they get an alert that you mentioned them? See how I did your name and its underlined? Now you're alerted if your settings allow it

 

[Remy]

Since we are on the topic of brain fog, I wanted to share with you guys another substance that I've been getting A LOT of positive feedback on lately: intranasal insulin.

It's been tested in over three dozen human trials and has been repeatedly shown to enhance cognition without affecting blood sugar or insulin levels.

The reason it works is that intranasal administration of insulin bypasses the blood brain barrier and activates insulin receptors that are especially prevalent in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex.

It increases brain energy levels (ATP and phosphocreatine), significantly reduces neuroinflammation, and protects against neuronal oxidative stress by restoring antioxidants and energy metabolism (my post has citations for ALL of these).

Sounds like an amazing trifecta against brain fog to me!

I talk about how to buy it legally over the counter without a prescription for $25 and make it at home here: http://www.lostfalco.com/intranasal-insulin/

I also extensively discuss safety in the post because I know insulin triggers a lot of warning bells in people's minds.

Understandably so!

The blog post is still under construction (technically, I'm remodeling it) but I wanted to go ahead and share it with you guys because you can try it today if you want to and I think it has tremendous potential to help with brain fog (of course, nothing works for everyone).

I think this is especially true for those who feel like they've tried everything but nothing has worked.

Here are a few recent testimonials I've received (all quoted with permission):

“I have been using intranasal insulin for the past week or so, and am honestly shocked at its effectiveness. It seems to reduce the brain fog and neuroinflammation associated with my Sjogren’s syndrome.” -Sean P.

"I've been using intranasal insulin for around two weeks now and seeing very good results. Subjectively, my memory has improved so much in such a short amount of time that I can hardly believe. I say this as someone that has tried hundreds of nootropics." -Hormesis

"I've been taking INI for about 2 weeks now at 4 10IU doses a day. I've tried quite a few nootropics including some of what I consider to be the stronger/more noticeable ones like semax, selank, bromantane etc. INI has been the most noticeable so far. After a few days I noticed my mood leveling out, and I was waking up more refreshed from sleep. I feel like my memory has improved, but I haven't tested it to know for sure. It has helped improve my anhedonia though for sure." -Thoarke

I genuinely hope it helps you!

Leave it to me to live in the only state that doesn't allow OTC sales of insulin. . Apparently they changed the law last year.

 

[Lostfalco]

Leave it to me to live in the only state that doesn't allow OTC sales of insulin. . Apparently they changed the law last year.

That stinks, Remy! Are you in Indiana? http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...insulin-without-a-prescription-but-should-you

 

[Remy]

That stinks, Remy! Are you in Indiana? http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...insulin-without-a-prescription-but-should-you

Yup.

 

[Who Me?]

@Lostfalco can you start a thread here about the nasal insulin?

If people don't come here they won't know about it. (Reading your blog now and have questions).

Also last year I got a bunch of the glass nasal sprayers for $10 or something. Total I'll have to hunt that down.

I just found on eBay a set of 3 for $10.95 free shipping.

 

[Remy]

That stinks, Remy! Are you in Indiana? http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...insulin-without-a-prescription-but-should-you

Turns out we're not too too far from Ohio and KY though!

So I got the insulin and now just waiting on the sprayer doodles.

 

[Lostfalco]

@Lostfalco can you start a thread here about the nasal insulin?

If people don't come here they won't know about it. (Reading your blog now and have questions).

Also last year I got a bunch of the glass nasal sprayers for $10 or something. Total I'll have to hunt that down.

I just found on eBay a set of 3 for $10.95 free shipping.

Hey Who Me, your wish is my command. =) http://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/the-benefits-of-intranasal-insulin.4820/

 

[Lostfalco]

Turns out we're not too too far from Ohio and KY though!

So I got the insulin and now just waiting on the sprayer doodles.

Nice! I hope it works well for you Remy.

 

[Who Me?]

Hey Who Me, your wish is my command. =) http://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/the-benefits-of-intranasal-insulin.4820/

I think it's something others will find interesting. Like @Veet

 

[Veet]

I wondered if anyone has tried DHEA, as I've been reading it has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, and positive benefits for the immune system. So DHEA may have some effect on mast cells / glial cells.

I've been using DHEA 25mg for years. I don't think it has any effect on my mast cell issues, although since I always take it, I can't be sure. During the past 2 weeks, when I've been having a strong MC event in my nose, I've skipped a couple days of DHEA while waiting for next batch. This has not appeared to make my problems worse.

 

[Veet]

I agree Remy, a separate topic.

I do wish though we as a group could better stay on topic.

I appreciate that topics lead to other topics. Creating a new thread afterwards works for me.

 

[cherubim]

If anyone can be helped by this: Dhea is also involved with the inflammatory response (which I would think has glial cell involvement). I'm also researching Dexamethasone - which I believe affects the brain - which may help. Took me hours of research to find that.

During research, I read that any disorder can have low SOD levels, so I'm trying SOD - although I could not get away from it having wheat in it. A doctor stated every disease state he has seen has low glutathione levels. Any disorder probably has impaired antioxidant status - something to think about.

When I was reading up on another of Cort's posts, someone pointed out that they wondered if it's wise to halt glial cell activation, as that is what the immune system uses to fight infection. Unless it's a system that gets out of sync. It didn't stop me from trying the Ibudilast - but now I'm re-thinking everything. My doctor had told me that he's been trying to convince the CDC for years that there is a pandemic of Lyme - and I'm wondering if it's Lyme behind all of these 'mysterious' disorders. But I got well after taking Valcyte, which wouldn't make sense. The reason I got to thinking of Lyme again, was in a doc's office, I spoke with a young woman riddled with Lyme. She said it's been found in the brains of alzheimers patients.

 

[cherubim]

Caveat: Dexamethasone is used in meningitis, and causes damage in the HPA of rabbits: http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v60/n2/full/pr2006223a.html

I'm sick of researching. The more I read the more I realize how complicated a disorder is. Makes me wish I had went to medical school.

 

[Remy]

Makes me wish I had went to medical school.

It wouldn't have helped.

 

[Remy]

Caveat: Dexamethasone is used in meningitis, and causes damage in the HPA of rabbits: http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v60/n2/full/pr2006223a.html

I'm not sure where in that article it says it causes HPA axis damage but we are not rabbits and the dose they used of 1 mg/kg is ENORMOUS.

Dex will increase cAMP which is one way that it may exert effects on the immune system. Typically things that increase cAMP are thought to be beneficial but it would all depend on the person and the dose.

 

[cherubim]

It wouldn't have helped.

You're probably right. I would have been mis-educated.

 

[cherubim]

I'm not sure where in that article it says it causes HPA axis damage but we are not rabbits and the dose they used of 1 mg/kg is ENORMOUS.

Dex will increase cAMP which is one way that it may exert effects on the immune system. Typically things that increase cAMP are thought to be beneficial but it would all depend on the person and the dose.

I read so much that my brain doesn't work after awhile. I thought it said something like that. Don't know what cAMP is.

You're familiar with dexamethasone? Have you ever tried it? That was one of the next things I was thinking of trying. I believe it has some Nrf2 activation properties, which I thought might help. I found a good research paper on it on PubMed.

I tried an Nrf2 booster on Amazon - Antioxidant Boost. Probably everyone has some type of oxidative stress going on that needs to be addressed - this is what I gathered from research.

I'm wondering what inciting factor would cause a system to continue to pump out glial cells, when there was no need. Unless there was prolonged stress, and the normal shutoff mechanism wasn't working - in which event, meds like ibudilast are needed. I suppose it is hoped that when one's system is calmed, then the medications are no longer needed.

I wish I had some type of medical background so that I already understood the basics. Wouldn't it be nice to be a doctor to at least write your own prescriptions, instead of pleading with a doctor to try you on one?

God help us.

 

[Veet]

I tried an Nrf2 booster on Amazon - Antioxidant Boost.

How was it?

 

[Remy]

You're familiar with dexamethasone? Have you ever tried it? That was one of the next things I was thinking of trying. I believe it has some Nrf2 activation properties, which I thought might help. I found a good research paper on it on PubMed.

I am familiar with dex...I took a low dose of it when I was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency, but I've since stopped it.

It does not activate nrf2...if anything, it inhibits it.

 

[cherubim]

How was it?

It's too soon to tell. Something I did was working - but I wasn't carefully and scientifically recording what I took and my health status. I'm not better, but better than I was, which isn't that good.

From what I read, I thought, Nrf2 activators cause your *own* antioxidant systems to up-regulate - which would address the inflammation (glial cells) from another angle. I didn't know if Cort did an article on it - it may be something everyone may want to think of trying. From my understanding, any health problem has oxidative damage going on.

Protandim was used and documented on PubMed I believe, but I read some conflicting things on it, and went with a lower-priced product on Amazon: Antioxidant Boost. They are currently out of stock.

An inexpensive Nrf2 booster is sulforaphane - Swanson's is around $4.99. But I'd try to get something with multiple ingredients. Antioxidant boost has: Circuminoids, Quercetein, Resveratrol, sulforaphane.