8 replies to this topic

[mono]

Can someone here tell me how megadose of niacin effects glutamate and the nmda receptor?
I know it is a precursor in the synthesis of NADH and adrenaline, which I am sure must be linked to glutamate transmission somehow.

I am asking because I recently started 3g of nicotinic acid per day for schizophrenia and it is working already, I feel very similar to when I trialled glycine which is also an agonist at brain N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. I also feel an anxiolytic response to the niacin, as if it releasing or agonising GABA. There is a mild euphoric feeling, which I attribute to certainly a dopamine release. All this feels to me like an enhancement in glutamatergic transmission.

Any help in explaining this would be appreciated.

Edited by mono, 04 October 2018 - 01:23 AM.

[mono]

So I have read a that niacin is involved in breaking down glutamate so it may help significantly with glutamate toxicity in neuro degenerative disease. I’ve also that b3 is an important co factor in converting glutamate. So this might be one way to explain why I am feeling this way and how it helps with schizophrenia. Any thoughts on this?

[John250]

I think niacin is a mild Nmda antagonist.

[mono]

Oh really? Well I am not sure. Perhaps the adrenochrome hypothesis is the best explanation after all. It is just that at this dosage niacin reminds me so much of glycine, and even my cognition has improved, I thought it must have some action on glutamate?

Edited by mono, 05 October 2018 - 02:48 AM.

[Breakthrough]

mono how has the niacin regimen held up over time?  has the cognitive improvement sustained?

[mono]

No I'm sorry to say that it gave me terrible nausea for a number of days in a row. I was worried that it might damage my liver as nausea is a bad sign. 

[Breakthrough]

Sorry to hear that. The studies I’ve seen show niacin to be safe at high doses, but nausea is rough

[Pirateer]

Howdy all.

I take 1.5g Nicotinamide sublingually in conjunction with D-Ribose in the morning. I also have experience with Glutamate toxicity, as a result of trying pure MSG from an Asian Grocer in the past as a nootropic. This then made me extremely sensitive to Gluten as well which was odd. I ended up getting rid of the excess Glutamate by taking Calcium Pyruvate, which eliminated the Gluten problem also and have wondered since then whether Pyruvate could be used to counteract allergic reactions to Gluten and Crustaceans etc... as Crustacea are high in Glutamine and so are many things some people typically have allergic reactions to like peanuts. From memory the Glutamate was really hard to get rid of without the Pyruvate (I tried lots of things before that), so maybe it builds up in people's bodies or something and doesn't get naturally easily excreted.

Regarding the Nicotinamide, I have found no real impact on Glutamate, though I have found if I miss a dose I get some mild depression symptoms later that night.

Mono - I am extremely interested in your experience with Nicotinic Acid, especially if it helped with cognition. Maybe that would help motivation too. Phosphoric Acid, obtained cheaply and easily from the sugar free Sodastream Diet Cola flavour, is quite effective in controlling nausea. I have found that Metoclopramide (like in Anagraine) is widely available in Aus, as is Prochlorperazine (Nausetil/Stemetil). Could be worth taking those things with Nicotinic Acid and seeing if you get used to it over time in such a way that the nausea symptoms disappear. I'm going to try that myself anyway.

 

[mono]

Yes I also felt a motivation boost and I felt that my ability to socialise mainly, things needed for this like verbal fluency and working memory had improved. I was disappointed to stop as I had a friend say niacin greatly improved his schizophrenia symptoms and I wanted to try it at least for a few months to see how I go. The thing that most concerned me was liver toxicity and I know it is supposed to be safe but since I wasn't getting tests done I didn't feel comfortable continuing. I've heard it can sometimes raise liver enzymes too, so it might be best to be under the guidance of a doctor who can properly manage that and I'm not sure my doc would let me do that right now 

Edited by mono, 28 December 2018 - 05:34 PM.