Condition

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury ranges from mild concussion to severe damage, and after the first blow, inflammation, oxidative stress and energy failure keep harming the brain for days to weeks. Creatine has the clearest finding so far, as dizziness eased in a small pilot study of people after head injury. With only 35 people in one study, the evidence is limited and larger trials are needed.

Sources: PMID 18053002

Supplements studied: 5
Graded outcomes: 2
Trials: 6
People studied: 220

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

5 supplements

Creatine

Creatine: outcomes studied for Traumatic Brain Injury
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Dizziness Moderate Improvement	Improves (the measure goes up)	Moderate effect	1 study	35 people
Studies that measured dizziness Prevention of traumatic headache, dizziness and fatigue with creatine administration. A pilot studyActa Paediatr · PMID 18053002
	Fatigue Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)			35 people
	Headaches	Improves (the measure goes down)			35 people

Pramiracetam

Pramiracetam: outcomes studied for Traumatic Brain Injury
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Cognition Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect		4 people
	Memory	Improves (the measure goes up)		2 studies	4 people
Studies that measured memory Placebo-controlled study of pramiracetam in young males with memory and cognitive problems resulting from head injury and anoxiaBrain Inj · PMID 1786500 Memory training and drug therapy act differently on memory and metamemory functioning: evidence from a pilot studyArch Gerontol Geriatr · PMID 18653001

Vitamin D

Inflammation: improves

Vitamin D: outcomes studied for Traumatic Brain Injury
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Inflammation	Improves (the measure goes down)		2 studies	35 people
Studies that measured inflammation A prospective randomized controlled trial of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular disease riskPLoS One · PMID 22586483 Investigating the Effect of High-Dose Vitamin D3 Administration on Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Iran J Med Sci · PMID 39449769

L-Carnitine

Brain Injury Symptoms: improves

L-Carnitine: outcomes studied for Traumatic Brain Injury
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Brain Injury Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	40 people
Studies that measured brain injury symptoms A pilot trial of l-carnitine in patients with traumatic brain injury: Effects on biomarkers of injuryJ Crit Care · PMID 29454227

Phenylpiracetam

Fatigue Symptoms: improves

Phenylpiracetam: outcomes studied for Traumatic Brain Injury
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Fatigue Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)			56 people

Key findings

DizzinessCreatineImproves (the measure goes up)
CognitionPramiracetamImproves (the measure goes up)

The Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Support protocol

2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements

Omega-3 Fatty Acids3–4 g EPA+DHA daily (higher DHA ratio for brain support)
Vitamin D2,000–4,000 IU daily (target 40–60 ng/mL)

See the full protocol

Studies cited

1 study from PubMed

[Use of phenotropil in the treatment of asthenic syndrome and autonomic disturbances in the acute period of mild cranial brain trauma]Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova · PMID 18689001