6 replies to this topic

[fushionless]

Hello, firstly I am to this board but I am very happy to be part of this forum!
It is my first experience with nootropics and I am here for some advice before start my regimen.

Background information:
I am 23 years old male, I weigh 130 lbs and my height is around 165 cms.
I need to take a very important medical exam in August.
I plan on studying every night for around 3-5 hours.
Studying for this exam requires a lot of comprehension, memorization, and concentration/perseverance. (My main use for nootropics)

What I currently have:
Piracetam (800mg)
Choline Bitartrate (500mg)

Questions:
1. For memorization, would you recommend Huperzine A or Galantamine (and why)? And what would be the dosage for each, for someone of my stature? (Ex: For Huperzine A, I've seen reports from 50 micrograms to 400 micrograms daily, and other sources say that it is dangerous to be taken at a daily basis, and we should only use it a few times per week or per month.)

2. Will taking Huperzine A or Galantamine interfere with Piracetam? Should I alternate between Huperzine and Piracetam from one day to another? Or should I take Piracetam in the morning and Huperzine at night?

3. What should the attack dosage be for me (with regards to my height and weight).

4. This question may be stupid, but different sources have different numbers so... How much Piracetam should I take on a daily basis after the attack period, and what about Choline Bitartrate?

5. Is it a bad idea to take antidepressants at the same time? (namely SNRIs)

6. Finally, should I forget about all this, and go directly for the Get Smart by smartnutrition? Seems like they have everything in one capsule!

I know some of you might think these are really stupid questions, and I apologize. But I would like to hear your input/advice before putting anything in my system. Thank you very much for your experience and expertise!

Fushionless

Edited by fushionless, 29 March 2010 - 05:05 AM.

[LabRat84]

Hello, firstly I am to this board but I am very happy to be part of this forum!
It is my first experience with nootropics and I am here for some advice before start my regimen.

Background information:
I am 23 years old male, I weigh 130 lbs and my height is around 165 cms.
I need to take a very important medical exam in August.
I plan on studying every night for around 3-5 hours.
Studying for this exam requires a lot of comprehension, memorization, and concentration/perseverance. (My main use for nootropics)

What I currently have:
Piracetam (800mg)
Choline Bitartrate (500mg)

Questions:
1. For memorization, would you recommend Huperzine A or Galantamine (and why)? And what would be the dosage for each, for someone of my stature? (Ex: For Huperzine A, I've seen reports from 50 micrograms to 400 micrograms daily, and other sources say that it is dangerous to be taken at a daily basis, and we should only use it a few times per week or per month.)

2. Will taking Huperzine A or Galantamine interfere with Piracetam? Should I alternate between Huperzine and Piracetam from one day to another? Or should I take Piracetam in the morning and Huperzine at night?

3. What should the attack dosage be for me (with regards to my height and weight).

4. This question may be stupid, but different sources have different numbers so... How much Piracetam should I take on a daily basis after the attack period, and what about Choline Bitartrate?

5. Is it a bad idea to take antidepressants at the same time? (namely SNRIs)

6. Finally, should I forget about all this, and go directly for the Get Smart by smartnutrition? Seems like they have everything in one capsule!

I know some of you might think these are really stupid questions, and I apologize. But I would like to hear your input/advice before putting anything in my system. Thank you very much for your experience and expertise!

Fushionless

I'll answer what I can.
1. I'd like to know the answer to this. I don't think any of these will help much with memorization. Memory also involves dopaminergic and NMDA receptors. Cholinergics help with cognition and focus, although can help with memory too.
2. No they won't, but you should double up on your choline to avoid headaches. Galantamine and Huperzine A both give me headaches if I take them without choline.
3. Dunno. Probably double or triple the regular dose?
4. There are polls about this.
5. No. SNRIs don't affect the cholinergic system. I'm on an SSRI and Adderall and have been taking racetams, galantamine, and choline almost daily for the last few weeks.
6. There's another thread on this. About half the ingredients in the mix are present in amounts way below the recommended dosages. For example, 4mg is normal for a starting dose of Galantamine, and anything less than 2mg is an absolute joke. One serving of Get Smart has 300mcg.

Edited by LabRat84, 29 March 2010 - 07:15 AM.

[zm3thod]

I have had bad experiences with Huperzine A. I would take a smaller amount to start, and take it instead of the Choline; it should work with Piracetam

[fushionless]

I'll answer what I can.
1. I'd like to know the answer to this. I don't think any of these will help much with memorization. Memory also involves dopaminergic and NMDA receptors. Cholinergics help with cognition and focus, although can help with memory too.
2. No they won't, but you should double up on your choline to avoid headaches. Galantamine and Huperzine A both give me headaches if I take them without choline.
3. Dunno. Probably double or triple the regular dose?
4. There are polls about this.
5. No. SNRIs don't affect the cholinergic system. I'm on an SSRI and Adderall and have been taking racetams, galantamine, and choline almost daily for the last few weeks.
6. There's another thread on this. About half the ingredients in the mix are present in amounts way below the recommended dosages. For example, 4mg is normal for a starting dose of Galantamine, and anything less than 2mg is an absolute joke. One serving of Get Smart has 300mcg.

Thanks for the reply. However, I thought that Huperzine A and galantamine are both memory enhancers, as they are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (which is the mechanism used to treat mild cognitive deficients or alzheimers!). And Huperzine is also an NMDA receptor antagonist. What kind of effect do you get with your regimen? (racetam, galantamine, choline, adderall..)

I have had bad experiences with Huperzine A. I would take a smaller amount to start, and take it instead of the Choline; it should work with Piracetam

What kind of bad experiences? Would you not recommend it at all? Should Huperzine not be taken in conjunction with Racetams? Also, should it only be taken occasionally?

[Perfectionist]

In regards to 6) one of the problems I had taking a "stack" was that I was not aware of all the side effects. I took this one .. and it gave me serious sleeping issues. I was tired all the time .. and it took me almost four days to realize that's what it was doing!

[fushionless]

In regards to 6) one of the problems I had taking a "stack" was that I was not aware of all the side effects. I took this one .. and it gave me serious sleeping issues. I was tired all the time .. and it took me almost four days to realize that's what it was doing!

Thanks for your response.

Anyways, I read many places that Huperzine A is very dangerous and should be avoided. Some mention that it should be cycled (whatever that means... on weekends? by month? ...). Gosh It's so had to find information about Huperzine A, and it's difficult to make decisions concerning it. (Take it? not take it? headache...)

Also, I was thinking of replacing Choline Bitartrate with CDP or AlphaGPC choline.

So, more advice from other users would be appreciated...

[Revolutionary]

In regards to 6) one of the problems I had taking a "stack" was that I was not aware of all the side effects. I took this one .. and it gave me serious sleeping issues. I was tired all the time .. and it took me almost four days to realize that's what it was doing!

Thanks for your response.

Anyways, I read many places that Huperzine A is very dangerous and should be avoided. Some mention that it should be cycled (whatever that means... on weekends? by month? ...). Gosh It's so had to find information about Huperzine A, and it's difficult to make decisions concerning it. (Take it? not take it? headache...)

Also, I was thinking of replacing Choline Bitartrate with CDP or AlphaGPC choline.

So, more advice from other users would be appreciated...

Try the piracetam with the bitartrate or GPC... I started off by taking 3.2g of piracetam first, felt like superman when I took that much... But now I take 1.6 g with 300/mg of ALPHA GPC.

Note: I notice better results when I increase my Alpha GPC intake; everyone is different.

But 1.6g / 300mg GPC is a good mix for me. And I dont even have to drink coffee with this small stack.

I am also pursuing medical school (I am assuming you are), and this is a great combo for something like the MCAT.

Try it out first, feel free to message me if you need any advice/help.

Sorry if this wasn't that informative, just got done with a 12 hour work day :P