What nootropics and vitamins have worked for you?

[deficiT]

Hey all, so I've dealt with the brain fog that accompanies depression, anxiety, ADHD, etc. for pretty much all of my life. Starting back on Vyvanse has been ridiculously helpful for me, but I'm still not quite where I want to be. I still stumble on words that I should know, freeze up when communicating, have a hard time with motivation, and otherwise struggle to get my points across.

I've been looking into some things, such as alpha-gpc and piracetam, but this is a field of substances that I am woefully uneducated on. I'm curious as to what's worked for you, and what seems to be most popular in the field, if you are better read on this topic? I have some money right now for once and I'd like to spend it smart. I'm also looking to try and get a regular multivitamin and supplement necessary things like vitamin d, zinc, magnesium, and such, so if there are any vitamins that have helped you out feel free to fill me in on those. As well if there's any herbal remedies you know of might as well include those too.

I might have made a similar thread sometime in the past but I can't really find it, so oh well, here's another. Any info is appreciated!!

 

[deficiT]

Also interested in how you feel about modafinil and friends, if you are familiar with them.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Wish I could be more help with the nootropics but I have never taken any. But someone will come along soon and give you some good suggestions.

One thing I can suggest to take vitamin wise is One a day brand formulated specifically for men. It has a lot of different vitamins and minerals that lower cost generic ones don't.

You also have to take into consideration that you take suboxone, gabapentin, baclofen, vyvanse and maybe phenibut daily. Could be that maybe a combination of those is slowing down the thought processes as they are all centrally acting up in our noggins. I know these are all helping you to recover and get your life back but the side effects of all these are no picnic. I'm just not sure that adding another substance is what you need. I want to see you in your own place and living your best life and you are getting there. Sometimes I worry that you are wanting to add whatever substance you can get away with because they won't show up on a UA without taking into consideration that instead of helping you they might instead set you back.

I really like you from what I know on here but I worry about you sometimes because I care. I worry that you will be on one too many chemicals and then when you get out of the halfway house and on your own and don't have to worry about UA.s that your mind will tell you that it's okay to add even more stuff.

I may be way off here and if I am just ignore this. There aren't many people on here that are REALLY trying to improve their life but when one comes along that posts often and is really wanting advice it's easy to add my two cents. And you are one that is indeed trying. I think the reason I care so much is you are the same age as my Son. I tend to be a bitchy Mother Hen on here but you already know that. Whatever you decide to order and consume just go easy my friend.

 

[telepathetic]

Modafinil, armodafinil, adalfinil, etc honestly were the only ones without serious side effects that seemed to do anything.

Oxiracetam is decent.

Lions mane always brings me clarity.

The rest, racetams, sublutamine, well known ones,, and such didn't seem to do much, or maybe I just took it for granted after years of using it on and off.

Then there are the really weird rc ones and some definitely work but have some side effects that made them not worth pursuing any further and are actually regrettable experiences

7,8-dhf seemed pretty good or it could have been placebo.

Some Russian drugs might be worth looking into.

 

[bingey]

Modafinil was good for studying for me

The racetams gave me a sort of clarity without stimulation but they had a noticable comedown.

Nowadays I just take magnesium, don't really know what it does in the brain, makes my poop soft

 

[fugme]

Per usual i'd first recommend more benign supplements, such as multivitamin with minerals (make sure to read reviews and see if it has additional plant extracts or other helpful things), omega-3 (if possible high in EPA, low in DHA), magnesium (mostly for sleep for me). I also take collagen (for skin/muscles/tendos etc - i've noticed quicker wound healing) and 5-HTP (helps with mood swings and recovering from irritable / neurotic situation and thoughts). GABA when i work out or cant sleep well. I would also recommend potassium supplement as most of 1st world countries have defficiency, however you should still take it irregularly, not daily, with some food. I also take quality EGCG extract when i take dissos from arylcyclohexylamine class.

So what i do in the morning is:
1. drink about half a litre of water when taking supplements as you wake up dyhidrated which mimicks tirendess.
2. eat a banana, because some of these are better taken on fuller stomach
3. take multivitamin, omega-3, collagen

In the evening i take:
1. 200mg of pure 5-HTP extract
2. 100% dose of magnesium (BUT NOT ON DAILY BASIS), for sleep and after workout
3. Potassium (IRREGULARLY, less than magnesium)
4. Some sleep aid since i rarely sleep well. GABA would be a great recommendation if you workout and /or sleep badly.

 

[deficiT]

Wish I could be more help with the nootropics but I have never taken any. But someone will come along soon and give you some good suggestions.

One thing I can suggest to take vitamin wise is One a day brand formulated specifically for men. It has a lot of different vitamins and minerals that lower cost generic ones don't.

You also have to take into consideration that you take suboxone, gabapentin, baclofen, vyvanse and maybe phenibut daily. Could be that maybe a combination of those is slowing down the thought processes as they are all centrally acting up in our noggins. I know these are all helping you to recover and get your life back but the side effects of all these are no picnic. I'm just not sure that adding another substance is what you need. I want to see you in your own place and living your best life and you are getting there. Sometimes I worry that you are wanting to add whatever substance you can get away with because they won't show up on a UA without taking into consideration that instead of helping you they might instead set you back.

I really like you from what I know on here but I worry about you sometimes because I care. I worry that you will be on one too many chemicals and then when you get out of the halfway house and on your own and don't have to worry about UA.s that your mind will tell you that it's okay to add even more stuff.

I may be way off here and if I am just ignore this. There aren't many people on here that are REALLY trying to improve their life but when one comes along that posts often and is really wanting advice it's easy to add my two cents. And you are one that is indeed trying. I think the reason I care so much is you are the same age as my Son. I tend to be a bitchy Mother Hen on here but you already know that. Whatever you decide to order and consume just go easy my friend.

Thank you for the concern. In this case I'm really just looking for something that will help me get through school, in particular I have a mid term and a final for COMM101 where I have to talk in front of the class for 10 minutes each, which is incredibly daunting and I HAVE to do it well enough to at least pass the class. And I don't think I'm there yet, but I need to be there, and relatively fast. PIracetam and similar substances don't really have an addiction factor, they really do just help you with brain fog, anxiety, and communicating. A lot of people swear by these things. When I start talking about PCP and shit like that, then you might have some cause for concern lol.

 

[deficiT]

So I've already got some alpha-gpc on the way, as well as a multivitamin, from amazon. Waiting for my account to be approved so I can purchase everything my nootropic source lists.

Once that happens, my plan is to get some aniracetam, some f-phenibut and some n-methyl- cyclazodone (if you consider those nootropics.) I will possibly also add some adrafinil and some piracetam, but I'm not trying to break the bank as this is already over a bill from my source.

 

[deficiT]

Have been taking the alpha-gpc which i got a couple days ago. Not sure if placebo or what, but I've been in pretty good spirits and maybe a little more clear headed.

Went ahead and got some f-phenibut, n-methyl-cyclazodone, piracetam, and aniracetam so that should be here by next Tuesday. Definitely looking forward to that. Everything I've read about piracetam and aniracetam sounds like it will really help me a lot.

 

[fugme]

if i may interject but i wouldn't use phenibut or cyclazodone and their analogs as nootropics as they are IMO not. i'd sooner try all of the racetams before them. i have several *racetams but didn't bother to properly test them out, also their efficacy vary from person to person. Phenylpiracetam i have used many times and it's probably safer to use it (if it works for you) as a stimulant rather than some RC stimulant. Also i'd rather switch *cyclazodone and adrafinil (because its heavier on the liver iirc) with modafinil/armodafinil. I occasionally take amphetamine or 3-FPM, they're both good stimulants and work when you need them, but neither are nootropics! Good luck.

 

[deficiT]

if i may interject but i wouldn't use phenibut or cyclazodone and their analogs as nootropics as they are IMO not. i'd sooner try all of the racetams before them. i have several *racetams but didn't bother to properly test them out, also their efficacy vary from person to person. Phenylpiracetam i have used many times and it's probably safer to use it (if it works for you) as a stimulant rather than some RC stimulant. Also i'd rather switch *cyclazodone and adrafinil (because its heavier on the liver iirc) with modafinil/armodafinil. I occasionally take amphetamine or 3-FPM, they're both good stimulants and work when you need them, but neither are nootropics! Good luck.

Thanks, yeah the phenibut and nmc are really just for more occasional use to help with anxiety and motivation, the only reason I lumped them in there was because they are usually all sold along each other.

 

[fugme]

yeah i get it. if i had to suggest more "everyday" stimulants to get some work done i'd suggest:

- something with caffeine like guarana and taurine / B6 vitamin / magnesium / ginseng etc. basically energy drink in powder / pill form
- phenylpiracetam (works decently)
- modafinil/armodafinil (work decently)
- nicotine (not smoked; i used nicotine chewing gums which are less addictive (no addiction potential in my case))

if i'm not mistaken there should be no or very little cross-tolerance between these 4 drugs.

i'd use heavier stimulants on rarer occasion (every few weeks maybe) when you really need to get shit done / ace it.

that's a tricky combination of mental issues because one remedy might exacerbate another and imo i've them too except anxiety. I would give 5-htp a try if you can. How is your sleep? For anxiety (if its not too strong), on top of my mind i'd rather use quality GABA pills in few grams range, there are also plenty of other options but i don't remember them due to brain fog :D

 

[G_Chem]

Lions Mane and Magnesium l-threonate are two that have been big for me.

Lions Mane helps with cognition and memory, the magnesium with mood and endurance.

-GC

 

[deficiT]

Have been dosing the Piracetam + Aniracetam the past few days. They seem to be helping to keep my head pretty clear, my understanding is that they boost oxygen flow to the brain, and well, that's pretty much what it feels like. No miracle stuff yet but they are definitely helping! Been dosing each at 500mg 2x a day.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Yeah, the racetams are some of the most effective nootropics, if you tolerate them (I don't, they increase tension and anxiety in me). 5-htp is as effective as a SSRI antidepressant but comes with serious nausea because like 95% of it is metabolized in the stomach to serotonin and doesn't reach the brain - you'd need to stack with some peripheral carboxylase inhibitor like carbidopa but good luck sourcing them. Only available together with L-DOPA (which is the active ingredient in mucuna pruriens - never tried it but guess it won't be bad).

What else do we have - ashwagandha, worthless imo unfortunately. Tianeptine tends to be sold by nootropic vendors but it's an opioid. Then we have the new brains vendor selling some straight stimulants like cyclazodone (worthless) or prolintane (very good and addictive). You might consider kava, it will take the edge off the amphetamines like Vyvanse or Adderall. For me the stimulants remain the most effective "nootropic" so far - oh, combining amphetamines with racetams will be done with great caution as they potentiate each others side effects.

 

[JTemperance]

I don't know if this counts, but the combo of selegiline 5mg + PEA 500mg used to give me a very intense stimulant rush, too extreme for "productivity," not to mention the weird sensations it induced -- mostly I remember a feeling that my brain was full of buzzing electrical wires...which might've been threatening to overload the circuit.

Otherwise, most of the usual suspects (modafinil, piracetam, rhodiola, picamilon, glycine, niacin, etc.) didn't do a whole hell of a lot that I could notice. Things like phenibut or memantine, I don't put in the same category...maybe because I actually feel the effects. The only thing I'd be interested to go back and try again would be chelated magnesium, since a lot of people seem to report that it's effective for some useful things.

 

[deficiT]

I don't know if this counts, but the combo of selegiline 5mg + PEA 500mg used to give me a very intense stimulant rush, too extreme for "productivity," not to mention the weird sensations it induced -- mostly I remember a feeling that my brain was full of buzzing electrical wires...which might've been threatening to overload the circuit.

Otherwise, most of the usual suspects (modafinil, piracetam, rhodiola, picamilon, glycine, niacin, etc.) didn't do a whole hell of a lot that I could notice. Things like phenibut or memantine, I don't put in the same category...maybe because I actually feel the effects. The only thing I'd be interested to go back and try again would be chelated magnesium, since a lot of people seem to report that it's effective for some useful things.

Interesting. I've heard of a friend getting really weird effects like that from PEA. Sounds kinda uncomfortable tbh.

Yeah, the racetams are some of the most effective nootropics, if you tolerate them (I don't, they increase tension and anxiety in me). 5-htp is as effective as a SSRI antidepressant but comes with serious nausea because like 95% of it is metabolized in the stomach to serotonin and doesn't reach the brain - you'd need to stack with some peripheral carboxylase inhibitor like carbidopa but good luck sourcing them. Only available together with L-DOPA (which is the active ingredient in mucuna pruriens - never tried it but guess it won't be bad).

What else do we have - ashwagandha, worthless imo unfortunately. Tianeptine tends to be sold by nootropic vendors but it's an opioid. Then we have the new brains vendor selling some straight stimulants like cyclazodone (worthless) or prolintane (very good and addictive). You might consider kava, it will take the edge off the amphetamines like Vyvanse or Adderall. For me the stimulants remain the most effective "nootropic" so far - oh, combining amphetamines with racetams will be done with great caution as they potentiate each others side effects.

So far I really like piracetam and aniracetam, seem to be very effective. I have some experience with tianeptine. Definitely great as an antidepressant, and a solid opioid too. If I wasn't already on Suboxone I'd probably be taking it tbh.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Oh, picamilon is actually nice if you take enough, it's a precursor to GABA which permits the blood brain barrier. Glycine and niacin etc. are just supplements. Rhodiola worked for me exactly once and then nothing even when tripling the dose. It's speedy while on a stim though.

Never tried PEA yet but sounds like I have to. Weird that it's uncomfortable when it's basically our endogenous amphetamine ... maybe need dose more carefully?

Seems like I have to order aniracetam. This racetam is seemingly the least anxiogenic one.

Tianeptine addiction must be nasty and worse than bupe or morphine. Maybe because it's also a delta agonist, on paper with negligable affinity but who knows about in vivo. I probably hit kappa effective levels with morphine on 600mg/d (strange stuff like acoustic hallucinations) so with high tianeptine doses one will hit delta for sure.

 

[JTemperance]

Oh, picamilon is actually nice if you take enough, it's a precursor to GABA which permits the blood brain barrier. Glycine and niacin etc. are just supplements. Rhodiola worked for me exactly once and then nothing even when tripling the dose. It's speedy while on a stim though.

Never tried PEA yet but sounds like I have to. Weird that it's uncomfortable when it's basically our endogenous amphetamine ... maybe need dose more carefully?

Seems like I have to order aniracetam. This racetam is seemingly the least anxiogenic one.

Tianeptine addiction must be nasty and worse than bupe or morphine. Maybe because it's also a delta agonist, on paper with negligable affinity but who knows about in vivo. I probably hit kappa effective levels with morphine on 600mg/d (strange stuff like acoustic hallucinations) so with high tianeptine doses one will hit delta for sure.

To get the uncomfortably intense effects, you need to take something like selegiline (a selective MAOI-B) beforehand, to keep the PEA from being metabolized by monoamines....On it's own, PEA was pretty subtle IME; but when selegiline is taken first (even in a low dose), the transformation is "night and day" (to coin a phrase).

 

[Skorpio]

Just want to say that pea + MAO b inhibitors is a relatively risky combo. If you are already taking stimulants probably no real gain.