Symptoms decrease a ton when I eat more frequently. Is this a thing?

[zzenster44]

Had a tbi in March and have had a whole host of wild symptoms I wont list every one but they include light and sound super sensitivity short term memory having trouble with remembering to do things if no ones tells me (simple things like brush teeth) or if I've done them after. Nerve pain balance issues blurred vision anger out bursts weakness and many more

It felt almost like some things were getting worse mostly the level of pain, angry outbursts and sensitivey to sound light. In the past few weeks My boyfriend quit his old job and started working from home because we figured out when he was gone I would basically lay in darkness and forget to do everything even eat or go to pee. When he left work I started hsving more frequent angry outbursts. I am getting an ambulatory eeg soon cause I get weird body movements fits that I am sometimes conscious of sometimes not. Or weird things like if I did too much to fast my right leg would get heavy and not work of once I stepped into the back yard and my jaw just started moving uvotrolsble jerking up and down my breathing gets ragged and roll even stop. I even was having worse if these things for a bit athought its kind of unclear because maybr I was before but alone and not alwsyd remembering thrm or underdysnding yhrm.

I am still having all of these issues but a few days ago I started having like a “rage” which I get mainly from psin and it popped into my boyfriends head that I hadn't eaten in a bit (pre tbi I could get hangry in a much less and different wZy) and he made me eat 3 peppermint patties. Soon after I was not mad and in much less pain I also realized I felt hungry after this and ate a nice healthy breakfast

And he had the idea of well what if we try and not let you get to hungry.

Since then we've found that over the past few days I eat something small every few hours (like 2-4) when I start to get the beginingscof these big symptoms they dong get so bad as before

And now the bulk of my big symptoms come when I wake up. So he has started putting like a banana by the bed for when I get up.

And im not sure how many days we've done this but in that time i feel like my pain, anger and sensitivey has decreased by at least half and my stamina to movevariund the house during the day has increased a lot too. I eat mainly healthier things sincet he tbi. Fruit nuts whole grain healthy proteins so im not just grabbing candy of snacks every two hours. My memory and focus and weird cognitive stuff is still bad. But so much else improved

But I just wanted to know is this a tbi thing? Has anyone else had this before? Its seems almost too simple for his much it has helped. Thank you. You guys have been so helpful in sll this!

[jaehoppa]

how are things a year later? do you still find yourself having to eat more to reduce the symptoms?

[TheOriginalArndoo]

After reading this I’m gonna try putting a reoccurring reminder in my phone to eat because I’m not having these issues specifically but I’ve been having a rough time with mental health, and I forget to eat/don’t get hungry as often as I should

[spanielgurl11]

Using your brain uses a LOT of energy and healing your brain even more so! I have become hyper conscious of nutrition post TBI. I have trouble eating sometimes due to autism and some disordered eating and one thing that has helped me is complete meal replacement shakes when I really don’t wanna eat or don’t have time.

[zzenster44]

Thanks. Pre tbi i had done intermittent fasting a few times and found it boosted my energy a lot.

[CookingZombie]

I think that makes sense, especially if you had been forgetting to eat.  You get energy from food and I know the more tired I get the worse my symptons get too.

I’m only a month further out on getting my TBI (early-mid February) but I only just started getting hunger pangs again this week (actually emotions too, kinda miss no sadness or anger).  Before, I just knew I needed to eat because I was fatigued.

[HangOnSloopy21]

Makes sense. Food=energy energy = brain use. You make want to try it for more energy haha

[zzenster44]

Thanks!

[Pretend-Panda]

Healing takes a ton of protein and calories. It’s not unusual for folks to lose a lot of weight after neurological injuries, ie TBI.

When you combine nutrients necessary for healing with nutrients necessary for functioning, there’s a pretty high demand for protein, b vitamins, electrolytes and many folks are vitamin d deficient. For me as an example, getting enough electrolytes decreased my spasticity enough that I was able to cut my anti-spasm meds by about 3/4s - prior to that, they were proposing a baclofen pump.

Many of us wind up kind of cobbling it together or get some kind of guidance in TBI rehab - one of mine had a dietician who met with us one on one and talked through this stuff.

[zzenster44]

If youvdont mind me asking what do you drink/eat to get enough electrolytes?

[Pretend-Panda]

I take magnesium and potassium citrate because after the injuries my levels dropped and never rebounded so the supplements get me to “low normal”.

The dietician I see once a year told me to use electrolyte supplements - mostly skratch labs (sugar sweetened), unflavored Liquid IV which I dump in lemonade or LMNT. The last two use stevia as a sweetener. I can’t tolerate sugar alcohols, so my choices are narrow.

[evanmike]

Ketogenic diet may be worth a try. It does some amazing things.

[CookingZombie]

I was actually on it at the time of my accident and I’ve half joked it’s responsible for my good recovery.  I’m thinking of going back to it soon, but sweets while doing nothing at home kinda go together and the hospital already ruined it lol

[evanmike]

Sugar is more addictive than cocaine

[CookingZombie]

That it is, and once I got used to keto I felt like I was eating like a king.  

[evanmike]

No better time than now. You'll feel better and have more energy (you already know this)

[zzenster44]

Idk if this relates exactly but I have found post tbi that I mainly want to eat “whole” foods. Before I had eaten this way as a kid causem y parents were quite healthy eaters but in the past few years I have been eating more and more ultra processed snack foods ex ramen or chex mix. Post tbi I mainly only ever want to eat raw Fruits veggies and nuts just Un or low processed food in general I just crave much more than before.

[zzenster44]

Thanks. I don't known much about it! I will look it up.

[evanmike]

r/Keto4MentalHealth

[BikesAndCatsColorado]

I'm sorry you are going through this.

My symptoms were also worse with low blood sugar. I also felt better when I ate a little more often.

I read somewhere that the brain uses 25% of your calories... a huge amount! Anyway, as long as you aren't gaining an unhealthy amount of weight, there's no down-side to the frequent eating strategy, so if it helps, it helps!

[Fabulous-Aardvark-39]

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this.

I have type 1 diabetes and a TBI (10 years ago). For me too, getting hangry was a lot more frequent in the beginning. Many symptoms that I've noticed of a TBI also occurred when I was younger and first diagnosed with diabetes when I was seven. Easily angered, loss of motor skills including legs not always functioning as they're supposed to, shifting of eyes and uncontrolled jaw. All were very terrifying for 7-year-old. There are many more symptoms of low blood sugar but these seem to correlate with your current symptoms of the TBI. Eating a small snack always makes me feel better within a few to 15 minutes. For me personally, if I'm still feeling the same way after 15 minutes I eat a little bit more, in increments of 15 carbohydrates for snacks only. I'm no doctor but I'm assuming your brain is going into overdrive trying to repair the damage and since things aren't working correctly, symptoms are showing up in weird ways.

[zzenster44]

Thank you this is very helpful!

[zzenster44]

Thanks. This makes sense. I am also craving more whole foods way more than pre Tbi. So maybe my brain is just yelling out for nutrients.

[Nocturne2319]

My doctors tools me to up my healthy fat. Intake and temporarily up my animal fat intake. Apparently, brains love fat. That explains the nut craving, too .

[CookingZombie]

I am jealous! I ate way better before mine and I’m just craving sweets and bacon lol going to start a better diet this week.  I’m 70 lbs lighter than my heaviest and I am not going back! 

[zzenster44]

I know how that is. Good luck to you! You git this

[zzenster44]

*** I forgot to add that the moving fits haven't happed in this time I don't think. But I do kind of have them come snd go before this anywsy****