How Creatine Can Help with Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury | Dr. Andrew Huberman

[@HubermanLabClips]

This clip is pulled from the "How to Stop Headaches Using Science-Based Approaches" episode of Huberman Lab. The full episode can be found on KZbin here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXjNlZqvZciqfc0

[@zahrakarimi7818]

Appreciate it! Thank you so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@jeanpauljeanpaul2530]

Had post concussion syndrome for three years. It nearly ruined my life. What worked for me was steady state exercise at an intensity slightly below a threshold of symptoms. I followed the protocol for the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill test, followed by the Blackhawks conditioning test to return to tennis. Rest is not always best after a head injury, if your CT is negative as is he case in 99%, don’t lie in bed for weeks on end, as this is associated with a negative outcome, and long lasting syndrome.

[@angieguss5556]

I did the buffalo test and maxed out with no symptoms. I get symptoms from very very light weight lifting. It sucks.

[@alexanderwindh4830]

CT?

[@jeanpauljeanpaul2530]

@@angieguss5556 weight lifting even very light is actually harder on your CNS. Continue with cardiovascular exercise and progress to Blackhawks conditioning test. If you can pass that, then there is something else going on.

[@jeanpauljeanpaul2530]

@@AsclepiusPress do not cocoon yourself in bed. This will make your recovery time worse. Start walking daily, and have a professional perform the Buffalo concussion treadmill test. Start immediately, you don’t want to have symptoms lingering for years.

[@nowinnc]

I have been struggling for 6 years now. Steady state exercise really helps, but for some reason my vestibular system loses its gains I make after vestibular PT after 6-12 months. Im back to being easily dizzy and it feels like my eyes suck. Found a functional neurologist and they treated some brain stem dysfunction 10+ doctors missed. Saw leaps in my health after that. Been doing thresholded aerobic exercise constantly but the progress doesn't stick if I overdo it. Feels like I'm in groundhogs day. Humbling my ego and starting thresholded aerobic exercise at square one again this week. Why do I keep backsliding? What could I be missing? At least all this suffering strengthens my soul, and I've made my peace with never doing contact sports again. It'd be nice to at least be able to run and lift again though.

[@bellajune320]

This is Amazing!! I am recovering from head injury and taking Creatine right now. Love it!! Thank you. L-leucine for dizziness and probiotics for nausea. Made huge huge difference in my daily coping. Brain Injuries are No Fun.🤕🤯😥

[@Cookiemonster-oo7xc]

Life long headaches from having a concussion as a child. Started taking creatine recently and noticed my headaches stopped. Decided to take a break for a few days and they came back. Couldn't figure out why...then it occured to me that I stopped the creatine. Decided to do a quick search on creatine and headaches and it took me here. Thank you so much for this information, not only for myself but for my 2 athletic teen boys who play football and basketball. Thankyou!!

[@brockbickers]

Can I ask your age?

[@janusklaplong2709]

I suffer from TBI since i was 14 y/o. I’m 37 now. I started a couple of months ago with 10mg day and i can see my muscles are much fuller. I do feel a difference in completing tasks, it really makes a difference! I did gain weight, about 3-4kilograms, but i take it for granted. I train hard, i do the morning routine e-ve-ry day, i can really recommend it to more of us(TBI). Feel less fatiqued, much better sleep..

[@PukeSkinwalker]

My guess is that taking creatine in the morning would be the best time to take it since your hormones and energy levels reset during that time. I think GInko Biloba and creatine taken together could also help a traumatic brain injury as Ginko pushes blood into your brain and if that happens with creatine in your system, it will concentrate the creatine into your brain helping aid in protein synthesis and removing of protein blockages that happen as we age.

[@bearclaw5115]

You should probably stop dispensing medical advice for what is a very serious issue. Concussions can cause dis-regulation of blood flow to the brain, both too little and too much. And for what it's worth the best way to absorb more creatine is too spike insulin with carbs following creatine administration. But this is unnecessary and the sugar could be problematic for concussion recovery.

[@PukeSkinwalker]

@@bearclaw5115 anyone taking medical advice on a KZbin comments section is not the best place. The best way to gain medical advice is to post something wrong and in the spare time a doctor will comment and correct you on the best practice. 😉

[@PukeSkinwalker]

@@bearclaw5115 Also you can suck it. I just did some research on google trends and there is a correlation between avocado popularity and cancer in terms of searches. When avocados have trended up in popularity, cancer trends down. So maybe just maybe we need to do some research into fats and fat intake to see if there is a correlation between low fat intake and cancer rates.

[@emstonestreet]

Attia recently interviewed Micky Collins, who described post-concussion as (amongst other things) an energy crisis for the brain. It would seem creatine can help deliver energy to the brain. I recently had good results with creatine + potassium + walking after a relatively minor head bonk that made me a bit punch drunk. My wife gets migraines, which might also be linked to an energy crisis in the brain. If she takes ketones before the migraine develops, it helps mitigate it and prevent it from developing. FWIW.

[@Darknight526]

Great info!

[@Mrs.Adria-P]

Gosh! I wish I would have known this 4 years ago. I suffered a TBI and post concussion syndrome. The migraine and. Dizziness kept me down for almost 3 years. I’m now fully recovered. That’s to persistently improving my health, diet and exercise. I take creatine everyday and I can feel the difference.

[@karenhomer6066]

Thankyou My son has a TBI and has headaches dissiness and fatigue This is very interesting

[@fillamagilla]

I began supplementing my diet with creatine ten years after surviving a stroke. Mostly positives but no negative side effects so I will continue.

[@MrTachy0n]

I've been enduring concussion symptoms since March without overt treatment until trying 20g+ of CMH last night and I can honestly say my symptoms are what feel like 90% gone. This is incredible and not to be understated. My balance, memory, clarity, neck pain, etc all mostly clear after just first trial. Will update in few days thanks Andrew for not letting this go unnoticed!

[@budchap]

Any update?

[@MrTachy0n]

@budchap yes I dont do it daily. But couple times a week and when without for more than week or so it creeps back but easy regain with more. Also these states seem to be relative to itself/yourself reference points so while you notice sudden shifts they become less appreciable gains/changes until you dont touch it for a while.

[@jamiedeering854]

Any adverse side effects with large creatine dose?

[@MrTachy0n]

Been told if on meds or kidney challenged, which I am not, be careful but otherwise none just bennies from what I could tell.

[@jessicagerber1894]

What is CMH

[@BeastShortsMrYT]

00:06 Creatine can significantly reduce the intensity and/or frequency of headaches. 01:24 Creatine is effective for treating headache caused by head hits or traumatic brain injury. 02:37 Creatine administration after traumatic brain injury can help regulate calcium levels in nerve cells. 03:50 Creatine can be stored in brain tissue and is important for cognition and personality. 05:12 Supplementing with higher doses of creatine may reduce headache frequency 06:31 Creatine supplementation shows significant decrease in headache frequency after TBI 07:51 Creatine monohydrate supplementation may help with TBI symptoms 09:10 Creatine supplementation may help with headaches in people with TBI. Crafted by Merlin AI.

[@bellelacroix5938]

After a car accident I was diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury which 12 years later and still symptomatic I wouldn't have labeled it mild. I now have a chronic vestibular condition slightly improved but not fully compensated. But the worst part for me is I can absolutely no longer organize anything, especially paperwork. After so long a time I wonder if this would help me. No doctor has offered me anything pharmaceutically but sedation which isn't helpful mostly. I did benefit from physical therapy in that it gave me the confidence to leave my house but that's about it.

[@franciehalderman3618]

I feel for you! Similar situation, over a decade ago, but also complicated by development of POTS (which could have been caused by the TBI and/or a virus which was either "bronchitis" as diagnosed or early 2020 COVID case). Last year a great neurologist at U of Penn asked about a trial of Adderall. We started low b/c we didn't want to kick in tachycardia the POTS can bring on. We titrated up slowly 3x to a dose that has given me my life back. All benefit and no side effects. I'm still aware I have a TBI and benefit from some accommodations, but the med gave me cognitive stamina and persistence. Because fatigue is better, my balance is probably 50% better (and I had been told I'd maxed out on improvement in balance well before that). I also plan to try the creatine per Dr. Huberman b/c it makes sense to me the mechanism of that would help in a different way that the Adderall does. Wishing you all the luck!!

[@Pao-vr6ed]

Did you try it? If so, any results? Ty :)

[@piggot3462]

having post concussion symptoms since july. nothing has helped other than exercise. going to try creatine today and update soon

[@jsquire5pa]

Better yet?

[@piggot3462]

@@jsquire5pa Hi mate, here's the story from when I stared taking creatine. After about a week I felt some fatigue go away and less painful headaches. This was consistent for about a month then things got worse. I since been off creatine and felt very good. So from my experience I think the creatine helps the brain energy wise to repair, from that a side effect from creatine can be headaches from not enough water so probably that. But from before I started to when I stopped the jump was so much better!

[@hananrok]

got any change?

[@shawnhansen818]

Love this! I actually just wrote a systematic review on this for my capstone! (Hoping it gets published soon) we need to talk about this more so more research is conducted! Also, there should be a clinical trial on this topic being performed in Denmark soon which could be massive for concussion recovery!

[@Stampedby__bonetti]

Do you know if other forms of creatine work in a similar aspect that Monohydrate does? Specifically, Creatine HCL (Hydrochloride). Specifically in regards to cognitive benefits. In all of Mr Huberman’s videos, he says Creatine Mono. So simply curious

[@rostamr4096]

Thank you, Andrew.

[@gaff8028]

One possibility Thank-you. serious head injuries since 18 months. Lead poisoning . 7 days unconscious at 7yrs old. More concussions than anyone could believe. Without thinking im lying or looking at me like something really wrong g with me. Then coma for a month. , noone heard of such a miraculous recovery from fractured skull and 2 hemhorages. Difficulties yes still. But history of injury i think I s what saved me. Thank God for every day More concussions thN

[@aphysique]

Tbi survivor here....Very interesting data

[@davideisenhower1342]

I had a hardcore concussion when I was about 10, and my personality completely changed. It’s still rough to think about who I could’ve been.

[@Daland9]

Sorry to hear that man. I can relate a bit. I had an hardcore concussion when I 24. Had amnesia for a couple of weeks and took months to recover. While I don’t think my personality changed because the hit (took the back of the head). The subsequent memory issue and cognitive performance issues really humbled me. Learning used to be easy for me and that definitely changed and now every time i forget something important I wonder.. is it because of the brain injury? Or is it normal/human to forget these things. Also makes me afraid for potential cognitive issues down the line.. so I feel you. Best not to speculate too much. They say expectation is the mother of disappointment. Or something along those lines. Speculation could be worse.

[@davideisenhower1342]

@@Daland9 I agree brother, best not to dwell on what could’ve been. Thanks for your reply, I think a lot of people experience some kind of serious damage they have to recover from at some point. Almost no one is unscathed. You have to experience lows to appreciate the highs of life, so it’s not so bad. I’m starting to feel like full recovery is very possible though, just have to make the right life choices and watch out for your health man. Diet is very serious stuff, and easiest to manage, check out Deep Nutrition (book) if you’re interested.

[@dstilstil88]

Sometimes it’s just dehydration. Maybe they take more water as well trying to consume creatine. I hat I am trying to say is that you should start from the simplest possible solution before adding anything (even if creatine is relatively safe).

[@franciehalderman3618]

Great input, especially because TBI or concussion can sometimes cause a condition called POTS (often undiagnosed) and keeping hydrated and kicking in some extra salt is essential.

[@bearclaw5115]

You don't have a clue.

[@angieguss5556]

I just started it taking creatine yesterday. I was not going to try it since I have lymphatic issues. I started the loading phase at 15 grams. I'm 10 pounds heavier today and feel like a fluid filled mess. I drink enough water close to a gallon. It really affected my lipedema and my clothes are so tight I can barely get them on. I'm so disappointed as nothing works for me. I tried light weight lifting and have moderate eye pain, migraine headache. I have tried everything to assist my pcs. I have to stop taking creatine due to the fluid gain alone. I did not consume enough calories to warrant such a weight gain. This is miserable as I feel like swollen mess.

[@miamiwalking]

I cut my Creatine intake to under 1 gm a day for overall wellbeing, since the 5 gm dose was causing me all sorts of other health problems, like feeling bloated. I was taking it for mood enhancement, not headaches.

[@angieguss5556]

I was not taking it for wellbeing though. The water weight was not due to dehydration. I was more than hydrated.

[@anotherjewishsharpnicholas9425]

I have chronic migraines with aura and I find creatine helps with the fatigue that results from it. I do also think it helps some with the head pain.

[@Tryinghard2022]

Thank you! Would love to see your thoughts on treating disrupted brain-gut connection after TBI. There is not enough information about that on internet so probably you could share your thoughts :)

[@fitfighting]

Uyy! Que esperanzadora y estupenda noticia, gracias por compartir ❤

[@morten_lillelund]

My understanding is that this study is from around 2008 - correct me if I'm wrong. But if the prospects of this is to promising, how come it isn't more common to try creatine before getting amitriptyline and so on?

[@KristinCooperstock-pe7mx]

I run a large TBI/Whiplash/Concussion Group for the last 5 years. I had severe tbi with 24/7 migraine for almost 4 years. I reversed 99% of my migraines (I had every type and at 10+ on the pain scale, more like seizures near the end as my brain was dying). The number one thing that helped me rebuild and reversed the migraines and dozens and dozens of other symptoms was finding a great Atlas Orthogonal-certified chiro and doing the work (posture training and safe isometric muscle building exercises and a few other therapies including supplements). Ao chiro are our specialists. They specialize in us.

[@Jasminesk8ergirl]

Can you do a video going into the studies done on women supplementing creatine during pregnancy?

[@csillatalamasz196]

I wonder if any current research on the use of creatine as a cure for childhood/paediatric TBI?

[@miyaa.1742]

Low dose Adhd meds help with some of the cognitive issues and might help you not lose your job. It might slow down healing but we all have to work and losing your job and income because of a TBI is worse to me than a slow recovery. You just need to find the right one for you and give it a month not less before you stop.

[@pavlove100]

What's the best source of creatine, and where do we get it?

[@bearclaw5115]

Creatine monohydrate powder. Personally I trust Creapure, found in many brands. Amazon, health food stores.

[@georgeton4991]

Fish....

[@farhat5325]

Does creatine help with memory ? Or What is the solution to improving memory ?

[@raamizeineddine8384]

I’ve heard of a study that says it does help with memory but it was just on elderly people so I’m not sure if it will help younger ones. I also heard of a study that it can help treat depression.

[@farhat5325]

@@raamizeineddine8384 thanks, yes I have seen those studies but was wondering if huberman has something to share on the issue.

[@miyaa.1742]

Good quality Omega3s are good for memory and a must for concussion. And memory exercises just like body workout.

[@georgeton4991]

Quality magnesium likely to help.

[@thedreambaltini]

I am dealing with post concussion symptoms. When I take 10g of creatine, I get diarrhea. I weigh 75 kgs, so I should take 30g (per video recommendation). Can I take it throughout the day, at 5g a serving to be effective?

[@shatnuu_]

heal your liver first

[@thedreambaltini]

@@shatnuu_ Could you elaborate?

[@avopeac6300]

creatine messed me right up, still have double vision 2 months later

[@julianperry4242]

That’s weird. You’re definitely an outlier lol.

[@avopeac6300]

For sure.

[@miyaa.1742]

How?

[@bearclaw5115]

You're full of it.

[@angieguss5556]

So I get my post concussion symptoms from actually exercising, not due to heart rate but rather weight lifting. I have a hx of weight lifting so when I went back after my concussion we are talking using 3 to 5 lb weights. I had migraine, feeling fuzzy several hours after. Would creatine assist with this type of exercise intolerance? Thank you!

[@chrissie.0864]

Can creatine mono phosphate help increase bone density ?

[@raamizeineddine8384]

Does anyone know where we can ask Dr. Hubberman questions where he would actually reply? I just want to know if creatine causes hair loss. I know someone personally who lost his hair after taking creatine so I’m afraid to make matters worse on my self lol

[@johnrickster1556]

The link is far too loose to claim causation. CMH raised DHT but doesn’t significantly change testosterone.

[@bearclaw5115]

Creatine does not cause hair loss, my god.

[@MXS369]

Time to snort creatine

[@Shashanka325]

😆

[@ethimself5064]

🤣🤣

[@theshaaf23]

HIMdrew Doberman back it it

[@slightlygruff]

why you say anxiLYotic rather than anxiolytic ? doesn't it come from word LYSis

[@memastarful]

Hello Andrew ❤

[@memastarful]

@MrSagarcool14 oh I totally realize that. I wasn't expecting him to reply. He to busy and preoccupied not to mention not interested

[@memastarful]

@MrSagarcool14 I didn't think it was him

[@danchallas5158]

I'm 115 kg is like a dosis of 45 grams of creatine not a bit dangerous or something, I mean it 10 x more then recommended

[@JedionEarth108]

4 to 5 grams not 45

[@danchallas5158]

@@JedionEarth108 start at 5:50 he says, that it would be 40 grams per day.

[@miyaa.1742]

A Naturopath told me about the 0.5 per KG. But he said to use 3 weeks and stop. The Sports Med doctor said not more than 5g everyday. I’d say start with 5g a day and see. Creatine needs high water intake and shouldn’t be used indefinitely.

[@bearclaw5115]

@@JedionEarth108 No, .4g per kg of bodyweight is about 46grams/day for this person.

[@georgeton4991]

@@bearclaw5115 crazy surely likely to highly stress the kidneys.

[@Tony-m3p1v]

🙏✝️🤴🤴🤴🤴🤴🤴🤴👏👏👏👏👏

[@dennish8552]

First😊

[@mr_green33]

First

[@azsunburns]

It helped with mine! I take 5 grams a day & it has helped tremendously

[@user-zd1rb6hn7d]

What type of Creatine do you take?

[@catcat9582]

Did u find one for yourself?