Nanna, trying your protocol and the immuno complex is hitting hard only after two days with symptoms of headache, brain fog, and insomnia. Should I layoff until symptoms subside and restart then?
Sure, if the symptoms become unbearable, then cycling (stop/restart) the Immuno Complex is an option. Unfortunately, most immune therapy's (i.e. IL-2 therapy) cause symptoms just from having a more active immune system. The symptoms are often a result of the immune cells correcting some problem (infection, cancer, toxin/allergen detox, wound repair, etc...). It's hard to know what problem is being addressed, but I would stay within personal tolerance/comfort limits.
In my opinion insomnia is a problem. You want to get high quality sleep because during sleep is when your immune system is boosted the most. I'm not sure which of your symptoms occurred first, but insomnia can cause headaches and brain fog. I personally did not experience insomnia with this supplement. I did experience brief headaches some times, but no sleep problems or brain fog.
The first thing I can think of that could cause this could be related to appetite and food intake. If the immune stimulation is suppressing your appetite, you may not be eating enough protein later in the day to stay asleep. The brain consumes protein (amino acids) and carbs when you sleep. The amino acid, tryptophan, is used make serotonin and melatonin. The amino acid, glutamine, is used to make GABA. The carb, glucose, is used for energy and to make adenosine. Your brain needs enough melatonin, GABA, adenosine to remain asleep. If you run low on these neurotransmitters, you will wake up. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I just eat a non-dairy source of protein and avoid blue light (smart phones, computer screens). That usually helps me go back to sleep.
The second thing that I think might cause those brain symptoms is that there is some thing in the diet (or being taken) after 6pm that causes wakefulness. Often times supplements and medications that affect dopamine or adrenaline levels are recommended to be taken earlier in the day (before 5pm) so that they don't suppress melatonin and GABA levels later in the day.
Also, if I don't feel hydrated, I will have a hard time falling asleep. So drinking water throughout the day helps me sleep better at night. Warning: drinking water while taking Immuno Complex could initially lead to more runny nose or watery eyes. But in my experience it only lasted a week. I hope this helps.
