For those of us, pushing the years post stroke. I want to mention that with aging there comes its own set of problems. They may not be related to the stroke but they will conflict with prior stroke symptoms. It’s beneficial to separate what was stroke related and what is, potentially, new conditions. This is especially beneficial when coming to grips with brain damage long term. I have recently had severe nerve pain in my back, that pain causes my body’s sense of stability no end of drama. The nerve pain has nothing to do with the stroke but my brain can’t deal with the nerve pain in an ordinary way. The pain highlights all my stroke symptoms and, thus, makes my stroke symptoms more acute.
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Excellent reminder Rupert. This is something I often wonder about - the stroke related symptoms vs the non-stroke related e.g. the infamous fatigue/brain fog. I guess it must be hard to differentiate between the two especially if you are not aware what non-stroke age related things might happen.
I am not sure how easy it might be or even if it is possible, but I wonder if you can just treat stroke as another form of illness albeit a nasty one and then live life accordingly. Perhaps too simplistic or naïve of me to think this way, but why not?
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Especially because we’re aging, and requirements & demands therefore increase, we should try and give our body extra (or added) nutrients that specifically help nerves. Minerals are the most precious nutrients we can provide to our bodies, because pharma, stroke, aging deplete them severely. Recently I posted on the wonders of sulphur (that would mean an epsom salt bath) which stimulates repair of nerves
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A great reminder @Rups it is often easy to blame things in our stroked but we are of course as susceptible to other things the same as anyone else. Like you say though they are often a bit harder to copr with as the brain struggles to deal with it all at the same time.
Hope you are getting settled in your new place.
Ann
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I use Epsom salts with every bath. I buy them online, 5kg worth. Part of my bathing routine. I do enjoy a soak. In fact, I am one of these people who can spend well over an hour in the tub. Just having a bath in itself calms the nerves.
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The new place has been challenging but in a good way. It hadn’t been lived in for four years, so you can imagine the dust and what not. Having stuff to do everyday is a good distraction and when I want to distract myself from that, the voluntary distraction is better for my soul. Going up and down stairs again is good exercise and I now have a decent sized garden to tackle.
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You know, I haven’t had a cold in about three years now. Early on after stroke, the first year, I had a string of illnesses, things like Norovirus and Pityriasis rosea. At the time I enjoyed them because they distracted me from the stroke symptoms. I used to get exhausted before stroke, I used to feel flat and lethargic just from over-thinking about things, now that exhaustion becomes fatigue which can feel like a blunt, throbbing pain in the mind. I know I am aging because my hair lets me know, although I jest to people that I fork out a lot of money to have my silver highlights done at the salon, or I say, remember when my hair was completely white, have you noticed it is now slowly turning black. I like aging, in fact, when I was in my teens, I looked forward to being old, not middle-aged old but older than that, and here I am 
. The nerve pain is particularly troublesome because the part of my brain that got struck plays a key role in the central nervous system. So, when the nerve twangs, it sends my cerebellum into a whirl. My brain damage is a mental illness and, interestingly, cerebellar stroke syndrome has some parallels with other brain conditions like autism, OCD, schizophrenia &c. In fact, many of those illnesses show disruptive features in the cerebellum.
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Sounds like you have a lot to do but good that you are enjoying the challenge. It’ll definitely keep you busy for a while.
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great to know, Rups
and here’s how sulphur helps rebuild nerves
That’s a very insightful and advanced question. The role of sulfur in nerve health is crucial, but it’s indirect and foundational. Sulfur doesn’t act like a “patch” that directly repairs a cut wire. Instead, it provides the essential raw materials and support systems that nerves need to maintain their structure, function, and—importantly—their ability to repair themselves. The key sulfur-containing players in nerve health are amino acids and antioxidants. Here’s a breakdown of how sulfur helps in the maintenance and rebuilding of nerves:
- Building the Insulation: Myelin Sheath
The most important way sulfur supports nerves is by helping to create the myelin sheath. This is the fatty, insulating layer that wraps around nerve fibers (axons), much like the plastic coating on an electrical wire.
What it does: Myelin allows electrical nerve impulses to travel quickly and efficiently. Without it, signals slow down, get disrupted, or fail entirely (similar to a short circuit).
Sulfur’s Role: Sulfur is a key component of certain lipids (fats) called sulfolipids that are integral to the structure of the myelin sheath. The sulfur helps stabilize the membrane and is involved in the complex process of myelination, which is carried out by cells called oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. Adequate sulfur is necessary for these cells to do their job effectively.
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Providing Structural Support: Amino Acids
Sulfur is a critical component of two amino acids that are vital for all proteins, including those in nerve cells:
Methionine: An essential amino acid, meaning we must get it from our diet. It is a fundamental building block for protein synthesis throughout the body, including in neurons and the supporting glial cells.
Cysteine: This amino acid is particularly important because it can form disulfide bonds. These are strong chemical bridges that help determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins. The proper shape of a protein is critical for its function. Cysteine is also the rate-limiting ingredient for making the body’s master antioxidant, glutathione. -
Protecting from Damage: The Antioxidant System (This is HUGE)
Nerves are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress—damage caused by reactive molecules called free radicals. This is because the brain and nervous system have a high metabolic rate (using a lot of oxygen) and are rich in easily oxidizable fats (like those in the myelin sheath).
Glutathione: This is the body’s most powerful and abundant endogenous antioxidant. It is often called the “master antioxidant.” It is a tripeptide composed of three amino acids: glutamate, glycine, and cysteine.
The Sulfur Connection: The cysteine molecule in glutathione contains a sulfur group (a thiol group). This sulfur group is what directly neutralizes harmful free radicals and toxins. Without adequate sulfur (from dietary cysteine or methionine), the body cannot produce sufficient glutathione.
How this helps nerves: By neutralizing oxidative stress, glutathione protects nerve cells (neurons), their mitochondria (energy producers), and the delicate myelin sheath from damage. This protective function is a form of preventative maintenance. It creates an environment where nerves are less damaged and are better able to carry out their own repair processes.
- Supporting Detoxification
Glutathione, again thanks to its sulfur group, is a primary agent in the liver’s detoxification pathways. It binds to toxins, heavy metals, and drugs, making them water-soluble so they can be excreted. By helping the body remove neurotoxins (substances poisonous to nerves), sulfur indirectly protects the nervous system from harm.
Summary: The “Rebuilding” Process
When a nerve is damaged (e.g., in Peripheral Neuropathy), the “rebuilding” process involves:
- Clearing Debris: Removing damaged parts of the nerve cell.
- Rekindling Growth: The nerve cell must reactivate its growth programs.
- Regenerating the Axon: The nerve fiber must grow back to its target.
- Remyelination: Schwann cells must wrap the new axon in a fresh myelin sheath.
Sulfur supports every stage of this process indirectly by:
Providing the building blocks (amino acids) for new cellular structures.
Supplying the components (sulfolipids) for the new myelin sheath.
Protecting the delicate regenerative machinery from oxidative damage via glutathione.
In conclusion, sulfur doesn’t directly “rebuild” nerves like a construction worker. Instead, it acts as a vital supplier of high-quality materials (amino acids, antioxidants) and a security team (protection from oxidative stress) that enables the body’s own intricate repair crews to do their job effectively.** A deficiency in sulfur-containing amino acids can impair these processes, highlighting just how fundamental sulfur is to neurological health.
Schwann cells?
Of course! Schwann cells are absolutely essential glial cells that play a starring role in the health and function of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The peripheral nervous system includes all the nerves outside of your brain and spinal cord (which are the central nervous system, or CNS). Think of a nerve fiber (axon) as an electrical wire. Schwann cells are the specialized workers that handle the installation and maintenance for these wires.
Here are their three most critical jobs:
- They Create the Myelin Sheath (The Insulators)
This is their most famous function.
What is Myelin? Myelin is a rich, fatty substance that wraps around the axon in a tight spiral. This creates a layered insulation, similar to the plastic coating on an electrical wire.
Why is it Important? This insulation allows electrical nerve impulses (action potentials) to travel along the axon much faster and more efficiently. The impulse “jumps” between the gaps in the myelin sheath (called the Nodes of Ranvier) in a process called saltatory conduction.
The Analogy: Without myelin, the signal would travel like a slow-burning fuse. With myelin, it travels like a lightning-fast electrical pulse. This is crucial for everything from moving your muscles to sensing touch.
- They are Crucial for Nerve Regeneration (The Repair Crew)
This is perhaps their most remarkable job and is a key difference between the PNS and the CNS. Nerves in your arms and legs can regenerate after injury; nerves in your spinal cord and brain generally cannot. Schwann cells are the main reason for this difference.
When a peripheral nerve is cut or crushed, here’s what Schwann cells do:
- Clean-Up Crew: After the injury, the Schwann cells downstream from the damage change their shape. They digest the dead axon and myelin debris, clearing the path for new growth.
- Forming the Regeneration Tunnel: The Schwann cells align themselves into long, neat columns called bands of Büngner. These bands act like guiding tunnels or “railroad tracks” that direct the re-growing axon tip back to its correct target (e.g., a muscle or sensory organ).
- Pumping Out Growth Factors: Schwann cells in the repair zone secrete chemicals (like Nerve Growth Factor - NGF) that actively encourage and stimulate the axon to regenerate.
Key Contrast: In the CNS, the equivalent cells (oligodendrocytes) do not perform these cleanup and guidance functions effectively after injury, which is a major reason spinal cord injuries are so devastating.
- They Provide Structural and Nutritional Support (The Scaffolding)
Even for healthy, uninjured nerves, Schwann cells are vital supporters.
The Neurilemma: The entire Schwann cell, including its nucleus and cytoplasm, surrounds the axon. This outer layer is called the neurilemma. It provides a protective covering and structural support for the nerve fiber.
Nerve Growth Factor (NGF): They continuously produce NGF and other nutrients that are essential for the long-term health and survival of the axons they envelop.
Summary Table: Schwann Cells vs. Oligodendrocytes
| Feature | Schwann Cells (PNS) | Oligodendrocytes (CNS) |
| Location | Peripheral Nerves (e.g., arms, legs, organs) | Brain and Spinal Cord |
| Myelination | 1 Schwann cell myelinates 1 segment of 1 axon | 1 oligodendrocyte can myelinate segments of multiple axons. |
| Regeneration | Excellent They actively guide and support nerve regeneration | Very Poor They inhibit regeneration and do not form guiding tracks. |
| Neurilemma | Present (has cytoplasm and nucleus) | Absent |
Bringing it Back to Sulfur
This connects directly to our previous discussion. For Schwann cells to do their job—especially building and maintaining the myelin sheath—they need raw materials. The sulfur-containing compounds (sulfolipids and amino acids like cysteine) are essential components of myelin. Without adequate sulfur, the structure and integrity of the myelin produced by Schwann cells could be compromised.
So, in essence, Schwann cells are the skilled workers that build and repair the nerve insulation, and sulfur provides some of the critical bricks and mortar they need to do the job.
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This again reminds me of how Mum always knew these things. At a time when doctors were telling her to change her diet, for example, cut out full fat milk and butter she always insisted that she needed these things. She always had half a pint of full fat milk with her evening meal and ate “foods” etc. And now, I am reading that doctors are recommending as we get older we should indeed eat more of the stuff they used to tell is was “bad for us”.
Funny old world we live in.
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Hey Roland - I have a confession to make…
You lost me at [quote=“pando, post:9, topic:44533”]
and here’s how sulphur helps rebuild nerves
[/quote]
Joking aside, your depth and breadth of knowledge is astounding. Seriously though, I enjoy the posts and exchanges you have with us and in particular when you and Rupert @Rups start bouncing things off each other 
I must make another confession here and that is sometimes a lot of what you say just goes way over my head But I take it that if it’s good enough for you then it’s good enough for me
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That’s just deep seek (AI) explaining how Sulphur helps nerves via Schwann cells (PNS) or in Rups’ case Oligodendrocytes (CNS)
Trust me, you’d want to know if you had a twitch in your peripheral nerves!
ciao, Roland
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we all do ; accept no substitutes !
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I’d like to print and keep “How sulphur protects nerves”. It’s too long for me to get it off the screen. Is there any way I could get a copy? Read it twice and am off to buy epsom salts. Thank you so much for the information.
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Hello Margaret - I have never tried to print from this forum and can’t see any options that suggest you can print.
Not sure how IT savvy you are but, assuming you are using a computer then if you do the following you should be able to print it. I just did it and created a PDF file which can be read at your own leisure or you can print it.
Here are the steps
- Go to the start of the post and hold down the shift key on your keyboard.
- Keeping the shift key pressed, scroll down to the end of the post.
This will select the text and highlight it
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With the text highlighted [Right Click Mouse button] - this will bring up a pop-up text and one of the options is Print
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Click on the Print and you can then save it as a PDF or print on your printer.
I hope this helps.
There may be an easier way to do it, but I am afraid I don’t know. I am sure someone else may know or you can ask the forum help desk.
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Hi Rups, I’m new on here, I had my stroke in February 2023.
I very much agree with your theory about stroke after effects and getting older, I just don’t know what to blame when my aches get going. One thing I definitely know is my arthritis has spread and it causes all kinds of problems but we’re alive, I may not be able to walk a straight line but I’m just taking one day at a time and learning to cope.
Keep well.
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Sorry I took so long to say “Thank YOU” both. I’m so slow I just don’t seem to be able to keep up with things. I understand the instructions. Have put paper in the printer so I’m about to gibe it a go.
Printing worked. Very easy, so again many thanks to Pando also.
That’s so good to know Margaret - now you can read it at your leisure.
No problem with timing of your response. Thank you not required, but much appreciated
I am sure that Roland @pando will agree the pleasure was all ours