LONGECITY

What kind of nootropics will specifically help with memory?

This is the largest area that I struggle with and I feel I could do significantly better with minor improvements in memory. I do not really have troubles with focus or with "brain fog".

Right now I own, but do not have a regular protocol for:
Piracetam
Tyrosine
Soy Lecithin (1x and 3x)
Egg Yolk Lecithin
DMAE
NOW Coenzyme B Complex (with 50mg ALA, 50mg Choline Bitartate) http://www.iherb.com...60-Tablets/4270
NOW Alphasorb C (with 100mg ALA) http://www.iherb.com...0-Tablets/11838
ALCAR 500mg (588mg alcar hcl)

Piracetam effects seem to vary enough that I'm not willing to take it at critical times anymore.
I threw-out my Choline Citrate powder because I couldn't deal with the smell/taste
5-HTP made me feel strange in numerous ways and is a no-go

I'm 22/M and about to finish undergraduate studies. I do not have a huge budget. Diet and exercise are under close control
Edited by zm3thod, 13 January 2010 - 03:45 PM.

There are lots of topics here dealing with this matter that can be found using the search function.

Cheap substances that I've heard been discussed include Huperzine A (acetylcholine esterase inhibitor) and vasopressin (hormone) but both are dangerous if used in excessive amounts. The use of Huperzine A in excess might lead to hypercholinergic state that is characterized by racing thoughts and severe depression that can be hard to get rid of. The use of vasopressin in excess combined with water consumption can lead to water poisoning and death as vasopressin controls urine production in addition to memory formation. However, both are safe in my opinion if the consumer knows what he is doing.

What kind of nootropics will specifically help with memory?

This is the largest area that I struggle with and I feel I could do significantly better with minor improvements in memory. I do not really have troubles with focus or with "brain fog".

Right now I own, but do not have a regular protocol for:
Piracetam
Tyrosine
Soy Lecithin (1x and 3x)
Egg Yolk Lecithin
DMAE
NOW Coenzyme B Complex (with 50mg ALA, 50mg Choline Bitartate) http://www.iherb.com...60-Tablets/4270
NOW Alphasorb C (with 100mg ALA) http://www.iherb.com...0-Tablets/11838
ALCAR 500mg (588mg alcar hcl)

Piracetam effects seem to vary enough that I'm not willing to take it at critical times anymore.
I threw-out my Choline Citrate powder because I couldn't deal with the smell/taste
5-HTP made me feel strange in numerous ways and is a no-go

I'm 22/M and about to finish undergraduate studies. I do not have a huge budget. Diet and exercise are under close control

CDP-Choline is the best substance I've found so far, but I'm experimenting with others. Memory is also my primary focus. Declarative memory in particular.

Thanks for the tips so far.

I'm aware of the search function, and have tried to read lots of the topics on nootropics here and on other websites over the last few months. The problem for me is identifying which ones specifically affect memory, which is compounded by everyone experimenting with stacks or giving general anecdotes.

Huperzine A definitely looks viable, but I'll have to try it in isolation to make sure I don't get any negative interactions. I'm not comfortable with vasopressi, both from what you said and a little preliminary research

I will definitely try CDP-Choline. Declmem, what dosage works for you?

Thanks for the tips so far.

I'm aware of the search function, and have tried to read lots of the topics on nootropics here and on other websites over the last few months. The problem for me is identifying which ones specifically affect memory, which is compounded by everyone experimenting with stacks or giving general anecdotes.

Huperzine A definitely looks viable, but I'll have to try it in isolation to make sure I don't get any negative interactions. I'm not comfortable with vasopressi, both from what you said and a little preliminary research

I will definitely try CDP-Choline. Declmem, what dosage works for you?

250mg in the morning. Don't take it past noon, or you'll get insomnia. I use Life Extension's brand, btw, though I bought Jarrow and plan on trying it out, since its cheaper.

As far as I can tell, the DMAE you are already taking and CDP choline would largely overlap when it comes to effects they have on memory. I like CDP choline very much so I'm not trying to discourage you trying it, just trying to be helpful. I myself am thinking of switching to DMAE because it is so cheap compared to CDP choline.

Dorho's right, I should have mentioned that you would probably want to stop using any other choline sources.

Personally, no other choline source has done anything for me but CDP-Choline though.

What are your thoughts on Bacopa or Gotu Kola for memory improvement?

What are your thoughts on Bacopa or Gotu Kola for memory improvement?

Neither did a thing for me, but lots of people here use them. At least they didn't appear to hurt anything

What are your thoughts on Bacopa or Gotu Kola for memory improvement?

Neither did a thing for me, but lots of people here use them. At least they didn't appear to hurt anything

Same here, haven't noticed any memory enhancement from bacopa or gotu kola.

Out of the two, bacopa has more science to back up it's effectiveness. One study that is considered as evidence of bacopa's memory enhancing properties showed statistically significant improvement in one psychological test out of eleven total: the delayed recall of word pairs task. Tasks that didn't show statistically significant improvement were 1) a questionnaire about everyday memory performance; 2) Immediate recall of a short story; 3) Digit span ¾ forward and backward; 4) A speeded coding task involving either directly copying each letter presented, 5) writing the next letter in the alphabet or the previous letter (as described by Neubauer and Knorr 1998); 6) Three trials of learning six unrelated word pairs; 7) A visual span task requiring tapping a sequence of blocks in correct order - forward and backward; 8) A general knowledge test of 20 questions (selected from Nelson and Narens 1980); 9) Delayed recall of a short story read earlier; 10) The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (Lovibond and Lovibond 1995).

http://www.nature.co...l/1395862a.html

It's really up to you whether you think that's a good result or not. Folks say that bacopa shows it's effectiveness after 120 days of use. I have used it about six weeks.

What are your thoughts on Bacopa or Gotu Kola for memory improvement?

Neither did a thing for me, but lots of people here use them. At least they didn't appear to hurt anything

Same here, haven't noticed any memory enhancement from bacopa or gotu kola.

Out of the two, bacopa has more science to back up it's effectiveness. One study that is considered as evidence of bacopa's memory enhancing properties showed statistically significant improvement in one psychological test out of eleven total: the delayed recall of word pairs task. Tasks that didn't show statistically significant improvement were 1) a questionnaire about everyday memory performance; 2) Immediate recall of a short story; 3) Digit span ¾ forward and backward; 4) A speeded coding task involving either directly copying each letter presented, 5) writing the next letter in the alphabet or the previous letter (as described by Neubauer and Knorr 1998); 6) Three trials of learning six unrelated word pairs; 7) A visual span task requiring tapping a sequence of blocks in correct order - forward and backward; 8) A general knowledge test of 20 questions (selected from Nelson and Narens 1980); 9) Delayed recall of a short story read earlier; 10) The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (Lovibond and Lovibond 1995).

http://www.nature.co...l/1395862a.html

It's really up to you whether you think that's a good result or not. Folks say that bacopa shows it's effectiveness after 120 days of use. I have used it about six weeks.

That doesn't look good at all. I had set my hopes on this stuff, thinking that it could help me out a bit. I don't understand how I could have missed this study. Also, I have just bought 4 pots of it. I am feeling so disappointed that I am almost thinking of throwing it in the trash can.

Best things I've found for short-term memory are CDP-choline, and huperzine-A, IME they work from the day you take it, YMMV, although effects are more powerful when taken continuously. I take 250mg CDP-choline and 100-200mcg huperzine-A in the morning, usually 5 days/week. Herbs/supplements can work in favourable tandem, and synergy, - IIRC for example you can enhance the action of huperzine on memory with the polyphenol EGCg (and drink green tea!), and make sure you get enough B vitamins to produce ample choline.

Bacopa, now where did I put that bottle? :-/ AChtually I was about to begin a course of that again; if only I could find the damn bottle.. .
Edited by kenj, 15 January 2010 - 12:35 PM.

--
It's really up to you whether you think that's a good result or not. Folks say that bacopa shows it's effectiveness after 120 days of use. I have used it about six weeks.

That doesn't look good at all. I had set my hopes on this stuff, thinking that it could help me out a bit. I don't understand how I could have missed this study. Also, I have just bought 4 pots of it. I am feeling so disappointed that I am almost thinking of throwing it in the trash can.

Hey, it's definitely worth giving a shot if you have bought four pots. The anecdotal evidence in favour of bacopa in this forum is so strong that it must help some people.

Best things I've found for short-term memory are CDP-choline, and huperzine-A

When I combine CDP choline with huperzine A, my comprehension speed rises very noticeably and memory as well as concentration improves too. I do get a bit stressed out though.

That doesn't look good at all. I had set my hopes on this stuff, thinking that it could help me out a bit. I don't understand how I could have missed this study. Also, I have just bought 4 pots of it. I am feeling so disappointed that I am almost thinking of throwing it in the trash can.

Hey, it's definitely worth giving a shot if you have bought four pots. The anecdotal evidence in favour of bacopa in this forum is so strong that it must help some people.

You are probably right. I think I will double my initailly intened dosage. Indian medicine nicknamed bacopa as Bhrami -- The God of the Universe... so it must have some potency, at least.

I posted a thread a while ago about combining CDP choline and Hup A and the unanimous reply was that it was a bad idea. But you people are saying you've had good results?

I posted a thread a while ago about combining CDP choline and Hup A and the unanimous reply was that it was a bad idea. But you people are saying you've had good results?

I guess that you can use them both as long as you are carefull about not getting an acetyl-choline overflow.

Alright ordered Hup A and CDP Choline based on the advice for memory enchancement. Also ordered Vinpocetine and L-Theanine. I'm going to try them all separately before combining them; hopefully something will work for me
Edited by zm3thod, 20 January 2010 - 04:52 AM.

Green+ Daily Detox and Modafinil ( prescription or online pharmacy, canadian Alertec is cheaper ) is to be considered. Healthy diet and physical exercise is also a must. Everything mentioned above is good but i would add fish oil. Can take it as a supplement of Omega-3 but what i do is i eat a can of sardines everyday. Don't forget a good B vitamins intake. If you are unable thru nutrition then go for a Vitamin B complex in pills or sublingual if you need better and faster absorption. Vitamin D could be a must if you are lacking sun exposure... Basically you need stuff that will increase your glutamate levels and alertness. Pharmaceutical way to go is indeed Modafinil and Piracetam.

Best regards,
M4

Green+ Daily Detox and Modafinil ( prescription or online pharmacy, canadian Alertec is cheaper ) is to be considered. Healthy diet and physical exercise is also a must. Everything mentioned above is good but i would add fish oil. Can take it as a supplement of Omega-3 but what i do is i eat a can of sardines everyday. Don't forget a good B vitamins intake. If you are unable thru nutrition then go for a Vitamin B complex in pills or sublingual if you need better and faster absorption. Vitamin D could be a must if you are lacking sun exposure... Basically you need stuff that will increase your glutamate levels and alertness. Pharmaceutical way to go is indeed Modafinil and Piracetam.

Best regards,
M4

Man i took b complex pill powder under my tounge (sulingually) and it was so disgusting. My whole mouth was orange afterwareds lol.

That doesn't look good at all. I had set my hopes on this stuff, thinking that it could help me out a bit. I don't understand how I could have missed this study. Also, I have just bought 4 pots of it. I am feeling so disappointed that I am almost thinking of throwing it in the trash can.

Don't throw it away!!! It works, though it is very mild. It's also a great anxiolytic and sleep aid. I took it every night for probably a year and a half and it was great for relaxing before bed. If you don't want it send it my way. Seriously, I'll pay for the shipping and everything.

What kind of nootropics will specifically help with memory?

This is the largest area that I struggle with and I feel I could do significantly better with minor improvements in memory. I do not really have troubles with focus or with "brain fog".

Right now I own, but do not have a regular protocol for:
....

Hi! I suggest you to use some techniques for memory improvement instead of taking nootropics.

For example:
ACRONYMS. You form acronyms by using each first letter from a group of words to form a new word. This is particularly useful when remembering words in a specified order. Acronyms are very common in ordinary language and in many fields. Some examples of common acronyms include NBA (National Basketball Associations), SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), BTUs (British Thermal Units), and LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). What other common acronyms can you think of? The memory techniques in this section, for example, can be rearranged to form the acronym "SCRAM" (Sentences/acrostics, Chunking, Rhymes & songs, Acronyms, and Method of loci).

SENTENCES/ACROSTICS. Like acronyms, you use the first letter of each word you are trying to remember. Instead of making a new word, though, you use the letters to make a sentence. Here are some examples:

* My Dear Aunt Sally (mathematical order of operations: Multiply and Divide before you Add and Subtract)
* Kings Phil Came Over for the Genes Special (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, Species)
More techniques you can find here

Can you guys help me build a stack or two to try out? Also, if you know how often (1x day, 2x day) that would be helpful. Not looking to necessarily take all of them, just whats best

I basically have all my classes on Tuesday and Thursday. Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday are my reading and work days

Piracetam (powder)
DMAE (250mg capsule)
CDP Choline (250mg capsule)
Huperzine-A (200mcg breakable tablet)
NOW Coenzyme B Complex (with 50mg ALA, 50mg Choline Bitartate) http://www.iherb.com...60-Tablets/4270
NOW Alphasorb C (with 100mg ALA) http://www.iherb.com...0-Tablets/11838
NOW Adam (with 50mg ALA) http://www.iherb.com...lti-120-Tablets
ALCAR 500mg (588mg alcar hcl)
Vinpocetine (10mg breakable tablet)
L-Theanine (powder)
Tyrosine (powder)

I'm taking the Now Adam and fish oil with meals
Edited by zm3thod, 26 January 2010 - 11:00 PM.

Half-Lives from Wikipedia:
Piracetam 4-5 hours
DMAE N/A
CDP Choline N/A (Did you know this is in 5-hr energy?)
ALA N/A
ALCAR N/A
Huperzine-A N/A
Vinpocetine 2.54 +/- 0.48 hours
L-Theanine N/A
Tyrosine N/A
Edited by zm3thod, 26 January 2010 - 10:56 PM.

Half-Lives from Wikipedia:
Piracetam 4-5 hours
DMAE N/A
CDP Choline N/A (Did you know this is in 5-hr energy?)
ALA N/A
ALCAR N/A
Huperzine-A 4-6 hours********************
Vinpocetine 2.54 +/- 0.48 hours
L-Theanine N/A
Tyrosine N/A

From what I've gathered, experiences with Bacopa vary dramatically with the brand which is used and there has even been suggestion that the ingredients responsible for positive effects on cognition are not Bacosides A&B. I've tried AOR's 50% A&B blend for 10 weeks with no detectable improvement, and found that this particular formula clouded my judgement and made me feel tired regardless of dosage. I recently decided to give Bacopa another try, and I'm currently taking a 20% formula by Planetary Herbals (10 days in). So far I am impressed, I find that one tablet delivers a nice calming sensation and perceive that there are subtle differences in clarity. I take my tablet(s) at night, and although I can not say conclusively if memory has been positively effected, I am sufficiently convinced such that I would like to continue with this product for at least 12 weeks to find out.

In terms of other supplements which I have had success with; For me personally, I've found that Centrophenoxine and Alpha-GPC are far more effective than CDP Choline, especially for exams. I've found that both strongly facilitate declarative memory, while of the two Centro seems a bit smoother. I've had a lot of success pairing these with Idebenone (45mg to 150mg, 2 to 3 times a day), ALCAR (250mg to 500mg, 1 to 2 times a day), and Piracetam (500mg to 1g, dissolved beneath the tongue 2 to 3 times a day).

Interestingly... Another thing which I've found can help a lot with recall/mental energy is raw-cocoa nibs, especially taken directly before/during an exam. I've also found Chewing gum with Xylitol during an exam helps a lot with focus.

Hi! I suggest you to use some techniques for memory improvement instead of taking nootropics.
....
More techniques you can find here

Thanks for the tips, but for what I'm studying and at it's volume, those type tricks don't help as much. ex What links Adam Muller and Alexander Hamilton? What does it mean to have equal marginal rates of transformation, and what does it have to do with price-taking behavior? What is the significance of Baker v Carr?

.... I take my tablet(s) at night, and although I can not say conclusively if memory has been positively effected, I am sufficiently convinced such that I would like to continue with this product for at least 12 weeks to find out.

In terms of other supplements which I have had success with; For me personally, I've found that Centrophenoxine and Alpha-GPC are far more effective than CDP Choline, especially for exams.....

I'm not really interested in experimenting with Bacopa right now, since it may or may not be effective over time, and I'm done mid-May (not planning on going to law school yet this fall nor take the GRE). Unless my plans change I'd rather not mess with Bacopa

What doses Centro and Alpha-GPC work for you? Compared to what dose CDP Choline?

Did you have a look at the thread Ten Months of Research? He says that his regime have made him able to remember vast amounts of information, and that is actually what you want, right? I would suggest trying it out, if you haven't already.

Did you have a look at the thread Ten Months of Research? He says that his regime have made him able to remember vast amounts of information, and that is actually what you want, right? I would suggest trying it out, if you haven't already.

I've read it a few times, it's a great thread. I think the special B vitamins might be more helpful for Bmud due to his history (assuming this based on other posts he has made). Lion's Mane is too expensive and experimental for me. I spent a lot on the products I am testing but am trying to figure out what works best for me; the costs are relatively cheap in isolation. Also, much of it focuses on his experiences, and I am trying to field those from other members that relate to memory.

What kind of nootropics will specifically help with memory?

I'm convinced I've had significant effects from phosphatidylserine. I'm currently taking 100mg twice a day (though three times daily is common in most studies), multiple studies have shown improvement in 50-90 year olds with a range of normal to severe cognitive impairment. Of 12 double blind human studies, 11 observed benefits to memory, 8 of which also observed improvements in other cognitive functions.

I'm 22 and after 3 days of taking PS I noticed distinctly improved recall of long term memories. I wasn't expecting anything noticeable so it was a great surprise and I'm now convinced that PS is effective. I can't be certain, but I think short term memories are also easier to recall; it's hard for me to tell right now since I'm currently revising for exams and making considerable effort to remember information anyway.
Edited by viltro, 28 January 2010 - 06:47 PM.

What kind of nootropics will specifically help with memory?

I'm convinced I've had significant effects from phosphatidylserine. I'm currently taking 100mg twice a day (though three times daily is common in most studies), multiple studies have shown improvement in 50-90 year olds with a range of normal to severe cognitive impairment. Of 12 double blind human studies, 11 observed benefits to memory, 8 of which also observed improvements in other cognitive functions.

I'm 22 and after 3 days of taking PS I noticed distinctly improved recall of long term memories. I wasn't expecting anything noticeable so it was a great surprise and I'm now convinced that PS is effective. I can't be certain, but I think short term memories are also easier to recall; it's hard for me to tell right now since I'm currently revising for exams and making considerable effort to remember information anyway.

What brand are you taking?