[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. This is my personal experience with a supplement. Please consult your own stroke physician before trying anything new, especially if you take blood thinners or other medications.]
If you identify with the fundamental post-stroke imbalance of too much excitation, too little inhibition (depending on where you find yourself on your personal stroke journey), then here’s a little overview of a supplement I am taking. Please be sure to research it yourself if interested, and be aware it thins your blood, so be careful if you take blood thinners!
Recently I started taking phosphatidylserine (PS). To understand how PS works, you need to understand the chain of command for cortisol release:
- Brain perceives stress (work deadline, intense workout, lack of sleep).
- Hypothalamus releases CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone).
- Pituitary Gland releases ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone).
- Adrenal Glands release Cortisol.
- Cortisol travels back to the brain, telling the hypothalamus and pituitary: “Enough, shut it down” (this is the negative feedback loop).
PS primarily acts at step #5. It makes the brain more sensitive to cortisol’s “shut off” signal. For example, I recently felt a bit underpowered during a walk, but I was hoping to blunt my cortisol spike on an upcoming stressful day.
Magnesium and PS work synergistically. Together, they address the fundamental post-stroke imbalance: too much excitation, too little inhibition. These two supplements do not conflict. They complement each other perfectly.
- Magnesium: Works primarily on the GABA receptor (a protein). It calms the response to a signal. It says, “Even if excitatory signals arrive, don’t fire as hard.”
- Phosphatidylserine: Works on the cell membrane (the physical environment). It reduces the production of the excitatory signal (cortisol, overactive PKC). It says, “Don’t send the signal in the first place.”
Think of your brain as a car:
- Magnesium is the brake pedal. You’re pressing it constantly. That’s why you might feel drowsy but safe. It’s working.
- PS is the mechanic who quiets a stuck accelerator. It addresses the root cause of why you need to press the brakes so hard in the first place.
By taking both, you are attacking the excitation problem from two different, non-overlapping angles. This is far more effective and sustainable than taking more of either one alone.