Nootropics

Buy List

• L-Theanine & Caffeine

Various

• Citicoline, CDP Choline
• Rhodiola Rosea - Reduces fatigue and stress.
• Ashwagandha - reduce stress and anxiety, lower depression symptons, reduce inflammation
• L-Tyrosine - serves as the precursor for dopamine production
• Sulbutiamine - +Dopamine transeptors
• Alpha GPC - Another choline, might be better.

Misc

* Hacking Motivation with Nootropics
* https://ps256.blogspot.com/p/drug-half-life-list.html

* Magnesium L-threonate (aided in sleep quality)
* Creatine (more mental stamina, not as easily fatigued)
* "have you considered Sulbutiamine? It is said to be helpful for social anxiety,"

"Mr. Happy Stack is Uridine + Choline, I'm trying to regenerate my dopamine receptors. I was finding that stimulants were no longer really boosting my productivity, when I started taking this I got a big boost in motivation and overall mood"

• For energy

Specific Nootropics

Ashwagandha

"Ashwagandha is an herb from India with a history of use of over 3000 years. Ashwagandha seems to be a reliable anxiolytic (anxiety reducer).[89[90] Ashwagandha may also increase aspects of attention, but there's only preliminary evidence here.[91] Ashwagandha's mechanism of action isn't entirely clear. Ashwagandha seems to have GABA-mimetic activity, which may account for its anxiolytic effects.[92] Withaferin A, a major active constituent, seems to be a fairly powerful anti-inflammatory agent.[93] Ashwagandha may also improve subclinical hypothyroidism as well as worsen hyperthyroidism.]

• There is apparently KSM-66 which is a patented extract of Ashwagandha. Some poeple recomending it other claiming issue with libido.

• "Don't buy Swanson from Amazon, Swanson does not resell their product nor sell through Amazon. KSM-66 is a specific extraction of Ashwagandha that contains the advertised amount of active compounds. Although Swanson probably sources a good Ashwagandha product, it is unknown how much of it is actually useful."

• (swanson) ship internationally directly. Buy directly from them to ensure product quality. KSM-66 standardizes to at least 5% Withanolides, and entirely removes Witharferin A (the toxin that is natural to Ashwagandha). Sensoril, another standardized formulation, uses an extract of both the root and leaves, standardizes to 10% Withanolides, but has a slightly different effect due to compounds found in the leaves that aren't in the root. I can't find the % of Withanolides in powdered Ashwagandha root, but it seems to be a fraction of a percent. Any good standardized extract (such as one of those two) should be a far more effective dose in a much smaller size.

• "I switched from KSM to Sensoril and I like Sensoril much better. No irritability and much more consistent effects.", "I tried their Ashwagandha and it wasn't very noticeable. Sensoril is much better in my opinion.", "I tried Himalaya's Ashwagandha. But I did not get the same calming effect that I get with KSM66. So I discontinued it and switched back to KSM66"

• Negatives: Anecdotal claims of it either helping libido or causing a loss of it. Some claims of Rage other saying they where *too* calm to respond appropriately to urgent things. Causing anxiety instead of helping. Someone had an allaergy reaction (hives that went away).

Standard Dose: 300mg Ashwagandha root extract standardized to ~5% withanolides"

• One page says "Not recommended for people with Hashimoto's or Type-1 diabetes". Some say it could be used to treat Hashimoto's?. I think the warning was just because it might interferer with meds.

• [spring valley] brand is notorious for poor quality control." [1]

• "I've has very good results with L-tyrosine... I finally feel happy."

• People complaining about importance issues with it. Not sure how much of an issue it is really.

• "Ashwagandha is TERRIBLE for me. I’ve experienced rage, depression as well as derealization."

• "Ashwagandha is helping me modulate emotional responses, specifically my angry outbursts"

• "I took ashwaghanda for the entire year, It makes me more relax,better sleep and more energy,and it boosts my libido,I use it with curcumin and sometimes with rhodiola rosea or schissandra for better mental focus,and anxiety reduction"

• "I am also trying the “nightshade elimination” diet lately and I was surprised to see Ashwaganhda on the list... The theory is that Nightshades can trigger allergy-like auto-immune issues in some people. That might explain why some of us have a problem with it."

• "after long term use. I noticed that I was almost too chilled out. I started missing school assignments because deadlines would approach and I wouldn't feel any "stress" about finishing then on time. I had to discontinue my use in order to get that last minute adrenaline rush back for late night paper submissions"

• it can affect your thyroid hormone levels

• It can cause thyrotoxicosis. Only buy it from vendors that supply CoAs or patented extracts like KSM-66 and Sensoril.. Other people say they had libido issues with KSM-66 only...

• "I sleep well and it seems ash considerably reduces the hangover that Mel used to have on me."

• ""can cause anhedonia in the long term, be careful."

Rhodiola Rosea

"Its chemical pathway provides the same effect as L-Tyrosine, but it starts working on the opposite side of the spectrum. Instead of promoting synthesis of dopamine, it regulates the activity of cortisol, the stress hormone, also known as the motivation killer."

"Diminishing returns apply here as with most things, tolerance or something like it definitely builds up. I would not rely on high-dose rhodiola as a performance enhancer in the way you would use a stimulant.

Rhodiola is my fave supplement of all time, have been using it for over 10 years, but I guarantee that the effects diminish and you'll have to cycle off it eventually.

Once your body adjusts to the dosage, I'm betting that a high dose like that is going to just give you major anxiety and jitters. Definitely happens to me. When I'm using Rhodiola, I usually take a low dose, and take a higher dosage only if I'm really adrenally wrecked, sleep deprived, tired, hungover, etc. If you want to dose twice a day, one in the early morning and one before lunch is a good schedule, otherwise you may be overstimulated in the evening."

Brands: "I always feel like NOW has such varying quality. I usually have more success with Source Natural and Thorne. Right now I have Thorne Rhodiola and effects are noticeable."

"Ashwagandha combined with Rhodiola can cancel each other out, as one is sedating while the other produces mild stimulation."

"showing that it only increases BDNF for something like 7 days, then it actually lowers it below baseline. So it would seem the catch is that it doesn't work for long and needs to be cycled at minimum"

Bacopa Monnieri (memory)

"Bacopa is a supplement herb often used for memory or stress adaptation. Its chronic effects reportedly take many weeks to manifest, with no important acute effects."

"I was taking Bacopa Synapsa (less sedating than Bacopa Bacognize) and noticed I hardly felt any subjective effects of caffeine; the wakefulness promoting effect was still present, but the apparent increase in motivation, focus and mood disappeared." - There is a lot of other info about it reducing energy giving stuff.

Bacopa Monnieri is an herb which has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. It's currently one of the most well tested nootropics. A 2012 review of 6 trials on Bacopa Monnieri noted large and statistically significant memory enhancing effects in older adults.[27][28] Bacopa's primary mechanism of action is still unclear, it seems be an anti-oxidant, a weak acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and a cerebral blood flow activator.[29] In animal models, Bacopa Monnieri seems to increase cortical concentrations of acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin.[197] Bacopa Monnieri is likely to be one of the safest and most effective memory enhancers for older adults.

Standard Dose: 300mg assuming 50% bacosides once in the morning or 750mg assuming 20% bacosides

(Note: Bacopa Monnieri's memory enhancing effects appear with long-term continuous use, 8 weeks is a good minimum trial period)

"I just changed from Bacognize to Synapsa and i can confirm that Synapsa is much less sedative. With Bacognize there is that noticeable sedative effect but with Synapsa i dont feel any of that."

Warnings

Bacopa Monnieri may alter the metabolism of certain drugs by changing the activities of CYP3A4, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19.[232] This may reduce the safety and effectiveness of other drugs you are taking. Talk to your doctor if you're on any prescription medications.

Creatine

"Creatine acts as an energy buffer in the brain. It is converted into high-energy phosphocreatine in the body, which helps to create ATP. During times of activation the brain rapidly drains phosphocreatine to keep ATP levels constant.[19] Oral supplementation of creatine has been shown to increase brain creatine levels between 3.5-13.3% with the average being about 8%.[20] This additional buffer of energy may enhance performance on demanding tasks related to IQ.[21][88] For healthy young well-rested omnivores, creatine does not seem to enhance function in other domains.[22][23] For individuals who are sleep deprived creatine seems to consistently enhance executive function.[87] Although vegetarians and vegans seem to respond best to creatine supplementation, vegetarians and omnivores have comparable baseline brain creatine levels."

Standard Dose: 5 grams once in the morning with plenty of water. To increase the saturation rate take 20 grams for the first week.

Meta analysis seems to indicate it's useless...

Sulbutiamine

"Sulbutiamine is an enhanced form of Vitamin B1 (thiamine) shown to be incredibly bioavailable and cross the blood-brain barrier. After crossing the blood-brain barrier, Sulbutiamine gets to work on the cholinergic, glutamatergic, and dopamine receptors of the brain that influence mood, memory, concentration, and motivation. [6] More specifically, Sulbutiamine increases motivation by enhancing the dopamine D1 receptor density."

"It’s worth noting that sulbutiamine reports vary dramatically, and it seems possible that some people are thiamine-deficient and so would disproportionately; SilasBarta noticed little to nothing (like me), but Jimrandomh reports his life was transformed (and he suspects that his diabetes caused or exacerbated a deficiency)."

L-Tyrosine

"...it serves as the precursor for dopamine production in the body. Now, typically the body can make all the tyrosine it needs from the other foods you eat, but during times of illness, stress, or exhaustion, your body might not be able to synthesize sufficient tyrosine, which directly impacts dopamine production and subsequently motivation.

Supplementing with L-Tyrosine, or its cousin N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, can increase dopamine levels in the body, lowering stress, reducing mental fatigue, and improve creativity and motivation."

Panax ginseng

In response to Rhodiola: "Also, if you prefer, you might try schizandra, rhod's more mellow cousin and probably my favorite adaptogen. Or if you want to push on the energy side of things, go with Panax ginseng."

"Very powerful nootropic for people who are low energy/mentally sluggish. Quality varies immensely so you have to experiment until you find the right dosgage."

"8 weeks on, 2 weeks off. Been doing this for over 5 years, no tolerance built yet!"

Choline

• abnormally high levels of acetylcholine in the brain can cause depression and anxiety symptoms in mice.

Mr Happy Stack

• Alpha GPC and Uridine Stack

• "He forgot to mention DHA. That's the original thread for it. You also need B vitamins."

• "Mr. Happy Stack is Uridine + Choline, I'm trying to regenerate my dopamine receptors. I was finding that stimulants were no longer really boosting my productivity, when I started taking this I got a big boost in motivation and overall mood"

L-theanine

L-theanine and caffeine.

L-theanine appears to be both very safe and effective. It has a long history of use, an LD50 estimated to be over 1000 times larger than a standard therapeutic dose and no known contraindications with any food or drug. It may well be health-promoting. ref ref ref

The science behind the L-theanine-caffeine combination seems almost equally compelling. L-theanine seems to mitigate the negative aspects of caffeine, such as anxiety, increased blood pressure and diminished sleep quality, while improving upon the positive aspects. Its ability to enhance attention, over and above that of caffeine alone, has been repeatedly verified.

For beginners without a caffeine tolerance it's recommended to start with 50mg caffeine and 100mg of L-theanine. Once in the morning and once around noon.

Reddit Australia buying stuff

Reddit Nootropics L-theanine FAQ

Recommended by TekSyndicate Amazon - 22.31+7.60 shipping=$29.91 (Also get the spoons) - Ordered from here, got one close to expiry :(

BulkSupplements - Same company as the TekSyndicate Amazon one. But more pricey than others. - 2nd order from here...

PureBulk - Reddit recommended. Cheaper than Bulk

PowderCity - Also Reddit recommended, includes spoon. No 50mg, only 20mg and 100mg

"Studies on L-Theanine/caffeine synergy have been done with 100 mg L-Theanine and 50mg caffeine; you can get 50mg caffeine from about 1 and 2/3 tbsp of instant coffee or just a tad over 1/2 cup of drip coffee, but obviously experiment to see what ratio works best." - Ultimate cup of coffee (includes coconut oil)...

nootriment - "400 milligrams of L-Theanine and 100 milligrams of caffeine is a popular dose amount. For reference, the average cup of regular coffee has about 100 milligrams of caffeine."

• a Hint = 1/2 drop
• a Drop = 1/64 tsp (1/2 smidgen)
• a Smidgen = 1/32 tsp (1/2 pinch)
• a Pinch = 1/16 tsp (1/2 dash)
• a Dash = 1/8 tsp (1/2 tad)
• a Tad = 1/4 tsp

GABA

Apparently modafinl lowers this... Might be an idea to counteract it... powdercity