Hello everyone!
As the title suggests, i'm looking for advice on what i could possibly use to combat the negative brain side effects of both Finasteride and Amitriptyline.
I'm a 34 year old male from the UK and have been using 1mg of Finasteride to halt hairloss (which has been very successful so far) for 3 years, and have been taking 30mg of Amitriptyline for nerve pain in my abdomen due to IBS for about 9 months (also successful)
First of all i need to point out that i am a complete amateur in regards to brain health, cognition, and Nootropics, so i feel a bit cheeky coming on here without fully researching the topics but there is so much to consume it is quite overwhelming, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I have known for a while that Finasteride quite probably has negative effects on the brain, as one of the side effects is brain fog, and when i found this out i naturally attibuted the medicine to any kind of brain fog i get day to day (as we all get from time to time) so i read a bit and went out to buy as much as i could from my local health store that is good for the brain, i came back with and have been taking per day for around 1 year -
Acetly-L-Carnitine - 1000mg / 200mg Lipoic Acis
Rhodiola 200mg
L-Theanine 200mg
Vitamin D3 2-3000iu
Fish oil
Biotin
Vitamin B Complex
Turmeric
Magnesium
Zinc
Multivitamin
Apologies as i forgot some of the doses. Anyway, i am also aware that the Amitriptyline will be having some sort of effect on the brain especially acetylcholine, although i'm told by my doctor that 30mg is a subclinical dose and is nothing to worry about, and that it is only acting on the brain at doses if around 100-150mg.
So my aim is to keep my brain and memory as sharp as possible whilst being on these meds, and also obtaining everything easily from my local store (Holland & Barrett) as Noots in the UK are hard to get hold of. The Alcar initialy made a very big impact on my verbal recall and sharpness and it felt great, i do feel it has diminshed somewhat though and maybe plateau'd. The Rhodiola definitely relaxes me, and the L-Theanine i can't feel it doing anything.
Is there anything else i should be taking or at least looking into? Does anyone know anything about the effects of Finasteride on the brain? And do i need to be taking a Choline supplement if the Amitriptyline is "Anti-cholergenic" ?
I rely on my fast wit and creative thinking at work and in social situations, but i'm thinking about it that much that i tend to stumble my words and it takes me longer to find them on the tip of my tongue.
I was thinking of trying Bacopa...
Thank you