3 replies to this topic

[gedanken]

Hey everyone, I posted this in the nootropics section, not seeing this sub-forum first. I'm just looking for some insight on my stack.

It's been awhile since I've tried nootropics but loved it while I was taking them. I felt though that I wasn't taking the optimal dosage for best results. I'm going to study some more upper division physics and math(?) again this semester and would like some advice on what to do with some stacks. Lately I've noticed my memory isn't what it once was before so I've decided to add galantamine into the mix as well. I know everyone is different, so I'll definitely do some experimenting. But in the meantime I'd appreciate it if anyone can give me some advice on what I'll be trying.

My first question is can/should galantamine be used everyday to get the best results on it from average?

I only have this class 2 days per week, but intend to study my material everyday and only want to take one stack per day. So I was thinking that:

days I have class (twice a week):
800mg Oxiracetam
500mg Alpha GPC
8mg galantamine
taken once for the whole day and maybe do some studying after class is finished.

days I don't have class:
1-2g Piracetam
8mg galantamine
.5-1g cdp choline
taken once before I study.

I was also thinking maybe I can add the 1-2 grams of Piracetam on top of the stack I take on days I have class if I choose to study afterward. Should I add anything else to this stack that would increase problem solving skills/logic (if there is such a thing). From the descriptions I've read Aniracetam sounds like it might be good for this.

I'll also be watching my health this year, which means I'll be getting my fair share of exercise and correct diet. Any help and/or further suggestions (different nootropics maybe?- I was thinking of adding Aniracetam) would be much appreciated

Edited by gedanken, 30 December 2010 - 05:48 PM.

[Cephalon]

Hi Gedanken,

I never tried Oxiracetam or Galantamine, so I can not give any input on this two.

From my personal experiance I need to dose Piracetam higher to work properly (in the 5g range).
I'm pretty happy with Aniracetam which I dose at traditional 750mg every 1-2 hours (w. studying)) without choline.
I experiance heart rythm abnormalties with to much choline so I use Alpha GPC only when I feel fogged from too much Piracetam.
You may not want to over do it with acetylcholine, I once took Donepezil with Alpha GPC and Piracetam and felt incredibly sick (mental/physical) for 2-3 day, beeing unable to go to work/ university.

Did you ever noticed any adverse effects with cdp choline / alpha gpc?

By definition you may want to aim for higher dopamine levels, though I have no experiance with that and can not give any advise.
There was a time where I used a 5g dose of l-tyrosine with good results, though I had to quite due to elevated blood pressure. I do not know if that (good&bad) was mediated through a higher dopamine concentration

On the second view I miss ALCAR in your stack, did you try this?

I had to work on some mathamatics myself yesterday. I noticed a greater problem solving thinking with 50mg Modafinil with 750mg Aniracetam and Green Tea, though I only allow myself to use this stack once a month or so.

As you mentioned the best long term solution will be optimising your diet, tracking your daily intakes, looking for any holes and filling those with suppelments, adding loads of berries, some nuts, maybe a fish-oil supplement, unless you do not use one allready. It took me two years of trying a varity of rx and otc stuff before I noticed that optimizing my diet is the very first step to improve cognition.

You may look into something like a ketogenic diet, a paleo diet, a cr regime ...


Are you from a German speaking country? I ask because of your user name ... just out curiosity

[gedanken]

Hi Gedanken,

I never tried Oxiracetam or Galantamine, so I can not give any input on this two.

From my personal experiance I need to dose Piracetam higher to work properly (in the 5g range).
I'm pretty happy with Aniracetam which I dose at traditional 750mg every 1-2 hours (w. studying)) without choline.
I experiance heart rythm abnormalties with to much choline so I use Alpha GPC only when I feel fogged from too much Piracetam.
You may not want to over do it with acetylcholine, I once took Donepezil with Alpha GPC and Piracetam and felt incredibly sick (mental/physical) for 2-3 day, beeing unable to go to work/ university.

Did you ever noticed any adverse effects with cdp choline / alpha gpc?

By definition you may want to aim for higher dopamine levels, though I have no experiance with that and can not give any advise.
There was a time where I used a 5g dose of l-tyrosine with good results, though I had to quite due to elevated blood pressure. I do not know if that (good&bad) was mediated through a higher dopamine concentration

On the second view I miss ALCAR in your stack, did you try this?

I had to work on some mathamatics myself yesterday. I noticed a greater problem solving thinking with 50mg Modafinil with 750mg Aniracetam and Green Tea, though I only allow myself to use this stack once a month or so.

As you mentioned the best long term solution will be optimising your diet, tracking your daily intakes, looking for any holes and filling those with suppelments, adding loads of berries, some nuts, maybe a fish-oil supplement, unless you do not use one allready. It took me two years of trying a varity of rx and otc stuff before I noticed that optimizing my diet is the very first step to improve cognition.

You may look into something like a ketogenic diet, a paleo diet, a cr regime ...


Are you from a German speaking country? I ask because of your user name ... just out curiosity

I Appreciate the reply Cephalon.

Unfortunately since it's been awhile that I've taken any kind of nootropic, much less a stack I don't remember the specific details of how much I was taking. Nor do I remember the schedule of it.

I remember however that I was combining:
Oxiracetam 800-1600mg (102 capsules from relentlessimprovement)
Piracetam come to think of if I was maybe taking 4g
Alpha GPC 500mg (one tablet from relentless improvement, maybe 2)
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Arginate 300mg (again 1 maybe 2 capsules from relentlessimprovement)
L-Huperzine 200mcg
pyritinol- don't remember the dosage, I think 500mg though but didin't notice any of the extreme side effects some have from it.

I also had Pramiracetam, but never took it at the same time as Oxiracetam. It definitely had a positive effect, but I didn't feel it was that much different from Oxiracetam. What difference do you see with Piracetam vs Aniracetam? I don't want to rise using modafinil because I'm worried of the side effects it may cause due to me sometimes having high anxiety.

This was all in one stack. Now it worked well, but I think if I started slowly, step by step I'd know what was working or not. I did notice brain fog from time to time however, and an occasional headache. I'm about average build as well: 6'0 180lbs. I don't want to make the same mistake again, and would like to be more certain with what I'm getting myself into.

I'm from the United States and I am not even partially fluent in German. Gedanken is actually a term people used to describe thought experiements in physics. I believe that it became a popular term due to Albert Einstein.

[Cephalon]

Hi Gedanken,

As far as I can tell, your stack looks great. I use a slighly higher dose on ALCAR, about 1-2g a day, but that is me.
To be honest I prefer Piracetam over Aniracetam but this depends on the situation.
Piracetam gives me long term mental clearness, Aniracetam seems to be better for a short lived mental boost.
Both taste really bad ... I would take the Aniracetam with food (or 1-2 fish oil gel caps)and the piracetam on empty stomach.
Piracetam leaves me a bit moody when the effects wear off. Though the racetams should not do that, Aniracetam sometimes makes me jittery which makes it even more difficult to concentrate.

I think it is wise not to go for Modafinil, since the side effects sometimes out weight the possitive effects. Pro is that it makes me so motivated, nothing could bring me of learning, otherwise I get a guilty feeling I normally do not have, that might show as a kind of anxity in others. You are right on Modafinil I use to worry so much more about stuff, after learning, I would go check my bank account, invoices, tax papers, calender ... Con is, that it can cause much worse sideeffects, like Steven-Johnson-Syndrom and skin rash in general.

Isn't Aniracetam known to have anti anxiety properties? That way you could get two for one.

I definately know what you are talking about when supplementing too much substances at a time you loose the idea what is doing what. Yes you should take one substance after another, ideally with at least 2 weeks inbetween, if you can efford that. But like I said your stack looks well balanced (I can not tell for oxi and l-huperzine).

Do you want to substitute galantamine for huperzine?

Hey interesting, then you know where Einstein got the word Gedanken from (German for "thoughts")


Good luck with you stack! / Hopefully you will get support by one of the better educated people on this board as well