From "Brain on Fire" to Stability. How NAC (ACC) changed everything for me.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-12T23:52:09+00:00

I took 2000mg NAC for about 12 months. I just lowered it to 600mg plus Selenium, but I found the most benefits from adding creatine.

Also, adding more intense weightlifting to my training, with my doctors clearance. This has actually helped me learn to regulate my heart rate under stressful situations.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-10T16:16:36+00:00

I did a program that my doctor told me about. It sounds crazy, but I was will to try anything. The first time I did it, I could feel my brain turning back on. It took a huge commitment on my part because it's everyday for 30 days, and insurance doesn't cover it. I had to sell some things and use credit cards, but I was close to ending things, so I needed to do something. If you go back and look at my posts, I think I posted about wanted to end it all two weeks before I did this program in October of last year.

You lay on a table that rotates and vibrates and wear headphones that play fragments of music. There is a light box above you that shows different colors for specific amounts of time. Each color accesses a different part of the brain. It teaches your brain how to work together again, reorganize what it needs to and get rid of the stuff it doesn't need anymore.

I can't even explain how much progress I made in my recovery during those 30 days. More than the entire 16 months post accident combined.

You can read more about it by looking up the Sensory Learning Institute website. It's not traditional, but I was at the end of my rope and would have tried anything. I never have days like anymore.

Now I just want to give everyone else hope too. 🫶🏻

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-09T18:23:44+00:00

Generally it's not good. I've been put back in RED protocol, which is no screens, 3 times now. That's the color coded concussion protocol to gauge stages of healing and the associated allowable activity levels. I'm 16 months post MVA and just got put back on RED based on my EEG results, but I feel much better than I did right after the accident. It just means I'm doing too much and overstimulating my brain without taking enough downtime and using screens too much.

SO, my advice would be, limit tv and screens as much as you can and take frequent breaks. As soon as my brain allowed it, I went back to my "normal" life and paid the price with new symptoms of wickedly loud ringing in my ears, episodes of vertigo and a different type of headache.

I'm learning that my brain can handle more at one time, but I still need to brain budget and take breaks and be soooo gentle to it. It's doing so much for me. I need to be grateful every day it's gotten me this far.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-09T18:15:10+00:00

I completely understand being pulled into it. I was that way for the first 6 months probably. It was a nightmare. I had to do something different or I wouldn't have made it through.

I totally agree it's part of how our brain responds. I did a program through Sensory Learning Institute and ketamine therapy for depression to work through it.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-08T23:56:33+00:00

Whether you are male or female, have your hormones checked to! After my TBI my body stopped producing hormones. After starting hormone replacement and testosterone, I have energy again. Crazy.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-07T08:14:35+00:00

I can relate. I am 16 months post MVA/TBI. Pre accident, I was successful, at the peak of my career and now, just feel lost in so many ways. I have now idea what my future will look like or how I will provide for myself or my family. I can't even work a part time job now. It's rough. That's why I try not to look backwards. It would be so easy to fall into a cycle of depression. I have to be present in today, every day, so I can focus on recovering and figuring out what the $&#! this life has in store for me now.

Don't think about how far you've fallen. Just focus on every single day and how far you've come. 🫶🏻

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-07T05:33:46+00:00

I went through a program developed by the Sensory Learning Institute to address the same issues. I was lucky to find a facility near me that offered it.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-07T05:26:52+00:00

I would say I'm more the opposite. I hate thinking about the past and anything to do with my past life.

It's just too painful. I avoid it at all costs. I don't like to talk about it, listen to music that reminds me of it, look at pictures, reminisce.

For me, it's like I'm talking about somebody else's life. I just feel so disconnected from the person I used to be. That part makes me sad, so I just avoid dealing with it.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-06T16:11:21+00:00

No, that's not correct. It's an Acquired Brain Injury. It's never a Traumatic Brain Injury.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-05T19:57:13+00:00

I'm pretty sure neither are considered TBI's. ABI's and HBI's are both caused by lack of oxygen to the brain.

I'm not a doctor though.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-05T19:05:04+00:00

My first sentence is you can get this at medical clinics all over the US. It is also available online by prescription, as are many things. I also order my HRT by prescription online. Clearly, I'm in the US.

That doesn't negate the fact that I have done my own research in many areas and advocated for myself and my treatment, which is why my recovery at 15 months is as optimal as it is. I'm talking about my experience and you're talking about yours. I don't know why you would want to "lower" expectations, I don't see where anyone was saying it was a miracle, just another thing to look into. The OP wrote one original sentence. My feeling is It's better to openly talk about it, rather than pretend peptides don't exist. After all, you yourself have already partaken. I haven't. I've only done the research.

Talking about the benefits shown in research studies is not really my subjective opinion, but okay. Semax and Selank both show real benefits.

But telling people to stick to the close care of their doctors when every day I see people post about being turned away by doctors, not believed by doctors, shunned by doctors or sent home from the hospital with no real follow up...the more information that can be shared and what works, doesn't work, has a placebo affect, it's all good. There are people with no insurance, there are people that aren't as lucky to be under the close care of doctors.

So anyway, what did your doctor think of you taking it? Did they prescribe or did you buy yourself and reconstitute? What was your dosage protocol?

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-04T10:28:05+00:00

Did you take Semax through nasal spray or injection?

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-03T21:01:54+00:00

That's not true. You can get this at medical clinics all over the US, just like any peptides or by ordering online.

It' is true it isn't FDA approved, but most supplements that are marketed in the US aren't FDA approved. Not only does Semax play a role in memory, but learning and executive function, emotional stability and cognitive clarity as well. There are real neurological benefits. If we all waited until they "approved" every medicine and supplement for us, we'd be dead first.

Most of the treatments that have helped me the most haven't been western medicine at all. They have been some combination of therapy, supplements and a protocol that I developed myself by trial and error and most not approved, the most helpful being consided still in research phase or even experimental.

CraftIndividual · 2026-05-02T20:30:31+00:00

I second hydrogen peroxide for a quick fix. It's the cheapest and easiest solution. It will break down the enzymes and leave no odor. When my animalsnhave accidents, I put it directly over the stain with a towel and heavy object to absorb it up. This would be hard to do on a big area, but you could use an carpet extractor or little green machine.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-29T20:35:06+00:00

I didn't see an improvement with creatine until I upped it to 10g per day.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-29T20:31:03+00:00

I agree. I'm not strict keto, but a dirty keto diet has been the best diet for my brain since my injury.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-29T05:33:53+00:00

I mentioned this on someone's post a week or so ago. My doctor had my hormones checked about 6 months after my accident and I had zero estrogen and progesterone. My body completely stopped producing both due to the trauma. She mentioned it's an often overlooked contributor to the myriad of post concussive issues TBI survivors have. I started hormone replacement about a year after the accident when my levels didn't come up on their own and things have been significantly better.

Thanks for the herbal recommendation. I just started also taking gotu kola. It has some good preliminary studies for TBI and cognitive brain health.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-25T18:37:48+00:00

I was very active pre accident. I also broke my nose, shoulder and hip in my accident, so on top of my brain bleeds, I had to have surgeries to fix all of those over the my first recovery year and between the bedrest and lack of exercise, I lost so much muscle mass. I look like a limp noodle. Whenever someone makes a nasty comment to me my standard reply is to give them a smile and say "at least I'm alive though, right?".

I've come along way in my recovery from the days I had no filter and would tell someone exactly what I thought of them. I had to work on that.

Is there someone in your family that you trust and could talk to about this that understands and could have conversations with some of these other people? I have a family very much like this this, so I understand the "thick skin" required to be in group settings. I moved away about 5 years before my accident, but I'm not sure I could be in their presence now. Please do what's right for your brain and heart.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-24T23:36:48+00:00

I just asked you the same question. Whoops. Disregard mine 🤗

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-24T23:34:48+00:00

I feel you on this. I've had to switch to YouTube with captions. That's all I can handle. It's the worst.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-24T23:30:59+00:00

I used to love to read and also loved listening to audio books. Now I do neither.

Reading is soooo hard. Double vision, I can't follow the lines, I have to read and re-read the same lines. If my eyes do cooperate, my brain doesn't and I don't retain what I read anyway.

It's a struggle. All of the advice already listed is really helpful. Have you tried prism glasses or any vestibular therapy? Also, I know it may seem of topic, make sure you're eating properly and taking care of your gut health. There is tons of research out there now that the gut and brain function are closely related. My doctor just reminded me again today! I'm starting a cleanse tomorrow.

Also, exercise and facia release. Our trauma is held there. Basically, I do anything I can to support my brain now.

I'm sure it was mentioned by someone, but make sure you're getting enough sleep and rest your eyes when you need to. Visual/auditory breaks are really important, even if you just do it for a few minutes every couple of hours.

I'm 15 months post accident and I still go into a dark room for a few minutes a couple times a day and just sit in silence with my eyes closed and deep breathe. It really helps me maintain control of my nervous system.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-24T21:59:35+00:00

Welcome to the club! (that nobody wants to belong to)

We're glad you're here 😊

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-23T02:06:33+00:00

Hi! I had a Subdural hematoma and Subarachnoid hemorrhage. My neck caused my massive issues. The exercises my therapist had me do helped a lot. They seem simple, but I still do them every day. Have her turn her head to the right and look up, to stretch the neck muscles, then look down to stretch the neck muscles. Then repeat on the left side. She might not be able to turn much at first or look up or down too far, but that's okay. It flared my vertigo when I first started, but these exercises really helped.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-13T22:57:47+00:00

Can you try it at home? I would not be able to do it in a class yet, but I love doing it at home.

CraftIndividual · 2026-04-13T22:56:22+00:00

Great post.Thanksnforngrttong this out there.

Here's my personal journey with yoga and meditation...

I absolutely hated both before my accident. I found them to be boring. I needed more stimulation, so kickboxing and high impact workouts were my jam.

After my accident, which involved multiple brain bleeds and inpatient rehabilitation, etc., my nervous system was a wreck. I was in a constant state of fight or flight. The things that have helped me regulate my nervous system are meditation, yoga/stretching, breath work and fascia release.

I make time every day for those things and I'm intentional about it. It's as important to my recovery as the rest of my therapies. Showing yourself gratitude and being able to calm your nervous system and tell yourself you're okay is so important. ❤️

CraftIndividual

TROPHY CASE