Strokes, Inflammatory Concussions, and Vagus Nerve Stimulation

The sudden lack of blood flow to a region of the brain that results in damage to brain tissue is referred to as a stroke. This concept is commonly understood by most patients and physicians.

But what is not widely known is that a stroke results in a wave of inflammatory stress throughout the brain that causes a secondary injury to brain tissue distant from the original stroke injury.

This is one source of brain injury that I often refer to as an inflammatory concussion.

The inflammatory stress throughout the brain results from a release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (chemicals released from white blood cells) and the abnormal activation of microglia (white blood cells in the brain), which culminates in the equivalent of a concussion.

Furthermore, many residual symptoms a person has after a stroke are from this inflammatory concussion and are now potentially reversible.

Suppose someone experiences a stroke that affects their motor system such that they have weakness on one side of their body. In that case, they commonly experience chronic symptoms that originate in another area of the brain that was not directly damaged by the lack of blood but was injured by the inflammatory concussion.

For example, poor memory, fatigue, dizziness, poor balance, and constipation are common symptoms after damage to the autonomic nervous system from a physical concussion.  These same symptoms often occur after the inflammatory concussion effect of a stroke.

Suppose the chronic weakness and immobility of an arm or a leg after a stroke are not bad enough. In that case, adding the autonomic dysfunction symptoms of poor balance, dizziness, and poor memory can substantially decrease the patient’s quality of life.

Fortunately, many of these secondary autonomic symptoms, along with a portion of the residual weakness from the stroke itself, are now potentially reversible with my patented science-based treatment program, The Nemechek Protocol® for Autonomic Recovery.

The Nemechek Protocol® consists of methods based on my medical consultative and treatment services for preventing, reducing, or reversing acute and/or chronic autonomic damage by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines. This encourages proper cell function, especially when combined with targeted Vagus nerve stimulation.

The vagus nerve is the autonomic nervous system’s longest nerve, and it carries most of the autonomic parasympathetic signals from the brain down to all the organs of the body. It also collects and transmits information that is gathered from throughout the body upward to the brain.

The body also primarily regulates inflammation through the signaling of the vagus nerve.  It is the restoration of one’s proper inflammation control that becomes particularly important to healing when dealing with residual autonomic damage after a stroke.

Vagus nerve stimulation, abbreviated as “VNS,” with a surgically implanted device has been performed for almost twenty years in individuals with treatment-resistant epilepsy and depression. It has proven remarkably safe and effective in reducing seizures and depression.

In the past few years, the ability to perform VNS has expanded as the vagus nerve can now be stimulated without the expense or risks of surgery. The vagus nerve has a small nerve branch that lies just below the surface of the skin in certain areas of the ear. This branch of the ear can be stimulated with an imperceptible electrical current, and this is proving to have the same clinical benefits as the surgically implanted device.

The vagus nerve stimulator is typically worn two to four hours a day while the patient goes about their routine daily activities. When combined with purposeful efforts and moving the limb affected by the stroke, the pathways involved with those efforts are preferentially restored, and limb function may improve.

I am an internal medicine physician, and my private office is in the greater Phoenix, Arizona, area.

For more information on the Autonomic Nervous System, call my office at 623-208-4226 or go to my website www.AutonomicMed.com.

The information in this post is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education and does not create any patient-physician relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Patrick Nemechek, D.O.

Patrick Nemechek, D.O.

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Itti
Itti
August 19, 2019 12:21 pm

Hi Sir, Good Morning! I have bought your book and gonna start NP for my 3.10 yrs old daughter who has been diagnosed with ASD. I am pretty hopeful that it will be miracle for us. I do have only one doubt which I will request you to clear away. In book you have said that inulin is used to feed bird bacteria in small intestine and very small portion of it goes to large intestines. But I have gone through lot of medical articles on how inulin works and almost all of them says that inulin passes through your… Read more »

Rahul jain
Rahul jain
August 10, 2019 8:40 am

My 3y 9m old asd son is on protocol since 2 mnths. 15days back he had fever and now hes more emotional nw Keeps on crying at all places including therapy center school and nw even started crying at home…full day…just want to go out rome in car stuff…keeps calm on vehicles and in car…..hes on 1/16th of inulin 1.25 ml fo 2840mg nordic naturals 5ml evoo california cooc approved From d start ….excellent gains in his awareness eye contact sleeps….and trying to speak wat we say…almost 20 words he repeats after us ….is it awakening or a relapse and… Read more »

Jo
Jo
August 6, 2019 2:38 pm

Dear Dr Nemechek,
I still have quite a bad headache, six weeks after finishing Rifaximin. I was wondering if this is something you were familiar with or if you might have any suggestions. Thank you –

Jo Marshall
Jo Marshall
August 11, 2019 8:58 am

Thank you – yes am doing the VNS and the oils for two months already

tia
tia
July 16, 2019 4:22 pm

hey Dr. Nemecheck ! I’m just curious why you don’t do autonomic spectral analysis test for kids to discover the severity /stage of autonomic dysfunction. ???? I would love to know what stage my 9 year old is?
Thank you and keep up the noble work. You are loved around the world.

Keoni Z
Keoni Z
July 15, 2019 8:00 am

Hi Dr. N can we take Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 30ml a day? Will it interfere with NP? Thanks.

Daniela
Daniela
July 13, 2019 5:56 am

Hello Dr. Nemechek! My son 3,5yrs old and he is on the protocol for 7 months now. Current dose of Inulin 1/8 tsp, 2ml ProOmega NN (2840mg) and EVOO (California Olive Ranch COOC) in food. My son a month ago started with intensive burping all day long and I’m not sure does he has reflux. Can this be connected to Inulin or fish oil and what we should do? This is what we change in the same period, we switch from Ultimate Omega capsule 1280mg (2 per day) to ProOmega and we increased Inulin slowly from 1/16 to 1/8tsp. I… Read more »

Ricky hui
Ricky hui
July 8, 2019 12:41 pm

Hello Dr.. i have son 7.5year old has autist. He can verbal but didn’t want much communication.. i will start to do protocol but still worry cause my son have G6pd alergy.. how about NP protocol, it’s save for G6pd case??? Thank a lot Dr…

Hannah
Hannah
July 1, 2019 8:10 pm

Hello Dr. I am 49 and started a round of Rifaximin two months ago. My tinnitus has increased so much. It is hard to mange it as I have this ringing in my ear all the time. I also react to food (especially raw greens) much more. I get IBS symptoms much more. In general I feel worst that what I was before I started Rifaximin. I heard so many positive changes from others after taking rifaximin and I am wondering if rifaximin is not right for me? Could you please let me know as the ringing in my ear… Read more »

Linda Mgweba
Linda Mgweba
June 30, 2019 12:17 pm

Hello Doctor. My ADHD 12 year old is on inulin the lowest dose less than 1/4 of a teaspoon. Today we are on 9th day on inulin. I realised that he farts a lot since he started inulin. Is it normal? We still struggling to get the.script for Rifaxim in South Africa

Леся Черникова
Леся Черникова
June 29, 2019 3:41 am

Hello! I want to thank you so much !!! I’m from Ukraine. I have been conducting a protocol for my child for a year. The results are amazing !!! It is very gratifying that the choice of olive oil with a COOC certificate is getting bigger. Tell me please, I can hope that this oil will appear on the iherb. It is very difficult to arrange delivery to my country from the USA. Thank you so much !!!

Joanna
Joanna
June 23, 2019 8:08 pm

Hi Dr Nemechek, I’m a 41 year old woman in the Uk and I’m on your protocol, including Rifaximin. I’ve had chronic fatigue syndrome for ten years and so therefore feel that I will need Vagus Nerve Stimulation. However, I live in the Uk and can’t afford to come to Arizona. I’ve located a Neurologist here who seems to be an expert in VNS – but for migraines and cluster headaches. I am going to try to go and see her and persuade her to give me VNS. I was wondering if there was anything in particular I need to… Read more »

Jo Marshall
Jo Marshall
June 25, 2019 2:58 pm

Thank you Dr Nemechek! Have a great day

Arla
Arla
June 20, 2019 12:19 am

Hey doctor my son is 3,5 years.He is on the protocol from February.
1/8 inulin , 2ml fish oil and olive oil in food.
He doesn’t have much appetite lately.
He is aggressive and crying very easy.
He was very fussy and he is.
I am thinking to reduce fish oil. What do you think?
His speech improved amazingly.

Arla
Arla
June 21, 2019 1:46 am

Thank you so much Doctor. He doesn’t put on weight as well. I will check it.thank you for your help

Brit
Brit
June 19, 2019 4:06 am

I recently happened across your protocol and bought your book. I suspect autonomic issues may be the issue all the doctors have missed. My child was delivered at 38 weeks via c-section due to the fact that I was diagnosed with stage IV cervical cancer while pregnant. To make matters worse, she had a stroke in the deep left basal ganglia at birth and also suffered a hypoglycemic episode at that time as well. From the very beginning, she had digestive issues which have been dismissed by every single doctor she has seen. She was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, autism, and… Read more »

Brit
Brit
June 21, 2019 1:50 am

Wow, thank you for your quick reply! I will see if I can find anyone here to prescribe rifaximin. Hopefully, I will see a little improvement before I could attempt to make an appointment to come to AZ for VNS. You hear horror stories of people kids on a plane…She is one of those stories 100 fold with her sensory issues! LOL Thank you again, you have no idea how much I appreciate you!

Ana
Ana
June 18, 2019 5:09 pm

Hello,
It’s been 2.5 weeks we started the protocol and I notice my 2.5 years old son is mouthing /chewing his toys excessively. He also goes upside down on furniture to watch tv. He is currently on 1/4tsp inulin, 1/8tsp omega3 & olive oil used in cooking.
The only medication he was taking before which we stopped after starting the protocol was DMG & liquid zinc.
Should we stick with the current regime? Can I add DMG & zinc as his hair analysis shows he is low in zinc.
Regards,
Ana

May
May
June 18, 2019 5:45 am

Dear Dr. Nemechek Thank you for this platform and hope you give to so many families! My son is 1.7 y.o. Non verbal yet, ASD. For a few months i gave him evoo in food and 600 mg omega 3 per day. It was ok, no gains though. Last month we started with inulin candies recommended by protocol. We started from 1/4 and he started to sleep well from the same week. It was a miracle. After a few weeks i tried to give him 1/2 candy a day. After few days he started to shout a lot, (excitment? stimming?),… Read more »

Ruby Fields
Ruby Fields
June 18, 2019 4:24 am

My daughter is 11 with dual diagnosis of down Syndrome and Autism. She has been in the protocol for 11 months. We started with inulin and in January did Rifamixin and another round in April. We have seen some gains but it has been a roller coaster with her. She is still nonverbal and cries for no reason. One day she is fine and others like today her behaviors, elopment, no interest in being social, crying and stubbornness and aggression comes back. We are desperate, should we do another round of Rifaximin? She just started her period last week for… Read more »

Ruby Fields
Ruby Fields
June 20, 2019 4:47 pm

Thank you so much for reply. Yes, I believe she has improved compared to last year. I was worried as I saw more improvement with inulin but that was at the very beginning. Do you recommend another round of Rifamixin?

May
May
June 17, 2019 11:02 am

Hello My son is 1.5 y.o. Not verbal yet. We gave him Evoo in food and Omega 3 about 600 mg. a day for a few months and he was ok. No gains though. . Then we bought inulin in candies for him as well. We gave him 1/4 of candy and he started to sleep at night as nevere before. After 2 weeks we gave him 1/2 of inulin candy. After a few days he started to be much more hyper, much more vocal (shouting like excitment or stimming, not sure) and vocal tics appeared. What do you think… Read more »

May
May
June 18, 2019 9:40 pm

Thank you a lot

Linda Mgweba
Linda Mgweba
June 16, 2019 3:16 am

Hello Dr Nemecheck. I’m in South Africa. I have your book. My son 12 year old is Adhd. Started concerta three 3 months ago. I made him to follow this protocol but without inulin. Yesterday he had a seizure something he once had it when he was 3 years old. Is the oils or the concerta that has caused this?

Sara
Sara
May 30, 2019 11:53 pm

I’m in a Facebook group. For the protocol. They say no to yogurt on the protocol. I read the book. You state no probiotics. You also say you don’t limit foods on the protocol. You say you eliminate certain foods other than yogurt. I’m looking for a decision. Am I correct that my daughter can have almond milk yogurt?

Maryam
Maryam
May 30, 2019 11:00 pm

‏My nine-year-old son, he is autism and we began to apply the protocol with him a month ago. I read in your book the deficiency of oxygen and remembered what happened to my son when he was nine months old. Do you benefit from sessions of oxygen if the sessions are now provided by this age ?

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