12 replies to this topic

[dumbdumb]

Hello!

I've seen it written, on this forum and on other sites, that the two drugs commonly used to treat ADD can cause a loss of creativity and an impairment of smooth, sober, measured motor functions.

I believe that I suffer from several symptoms of ADD and wish to address them through use of medications or nootropics. Presently, the only alternative that I know if is Modafinil. Are there others? Which are the "cleanest?" Are there any that, in contradiction to ritalin and adderal, actually improve one's creativity and motor function?

Thanks very much for reading. Do consider replying, if you know something, please.

Bye


p.s. don't suggest meditation.

Edited by dumbdumb, 06 June 2008 - 08:57 PM.

[Zoroaster]

If you're thinking of pharmaceuticals there are a few options besides the usual Adderall/Ritalin. Straterra is a non-stimulant med that works for some people. Some psychiatrists also prescribe Wellbutrin for ADD. If you really think you have ADD then you should just go see a doctor about it. Your doctor can go through several options with you. It may be that your ADD is being caused by anxiety, insomnia, depression, or some other underlying condition. Also if you get a prescription from a doctor you can get your meds legitimately. And that's a lot safer and cheaper than ordering them from india.

[stephen_b]

Occasionally I take some citicoline and/or l-phenylalanine in the morning on an empty stomach. I don't even need to take it every day, and I find I have plenty of energy and no trouble concentrating.

Stephen

[yoyo]

ALCAR has some evidence, and S adenosyl methionine might be worth a try. tobbacco is also natural, you can get organic even.

[mentatpsi]

That really depends on the severity of your ADD... anyways

Ya, welbutrin works out for ADD, not exactly sure the creativity impact, but haven taken it a couple years ago, i didn't find it very detrimental... the focus is a bit hazy at times, but the main aspect of the medication is a good boost in motivation

hydergine also was pretty good, but there's a risk of fibrosis with taking it, not sure if it's exactly worth the risk. There's a lot of perception issues with it though, it may just give a sense that it's working, but i have found it to be quite beneficial in the past (especially when needing to study). Creativity is quite the opposite with this guy, still managing to entertain thoughts while giving a new level of focus to your thoughts. The effects it has on mood is remarkable, adding to another layer of sensitivity to music. Still it does tend to elevate ego a bit.

Piracetam also worked out during the initial use of it, quality was lost after awhile, but I believe that was mainly due to my own trials rather than the pure effects of the nootropic.

DMAE isn't very worthwhile; it's strange that a medication that should act as a precursor to ACh would decrease the life expectancy of Japanese Quails. Plus i found it reducing the amount of thinking that goes into an action, though increasing the strength of a thought.

Anyways, i hope that helps .

Edited by mysticpsi, 07 June 2008 - 06:36 AM.

[Rags847]

Modafinil: didn't like it. Woke me up if tired. Didn't do much else. Didn't like the sides at all. Headache. Mood rebound.

Adderall: didn't like. Felt like an intoxicant. High. Focus, yes. But short-term memory/multi-tasking impairment (made mistakes at work - just as did on Modafinil).

Dextroamphetamine (the classic original): Love it! Single isomer vs double isomer of adderall/ritalin. Smooth. Clean. Up mood, energy/stimulation, concentration/focus. Sides (dehydration, anxiety) dissipated in a few days. No intoxication/f'ed up feeling. No creativity impairment. Highly recommended. I've been on it for 2 1/2 wonderful months. Other testimonial here in a few threads (poster Variance, for example
http://www.imminst.o...o...st&p=231174 ) and over here at ADD Forum http://www.addforums...isplay.php?f=31


Piracetam/CDP-Choline: Awesome for thought-production and creativity enhancement. Just didn't help much with mood, enegy, focus/concentration. Needed Dextro for that.

Oxiracetam: eh. Edgy. Could concentrate real hard. But I needed the mood up and stimulation of Dextro to really concentrate/focus.

Aniracetam: Only tried a few times. Felt tired. Read it was pulled in Japan cause of neurotoxicity in animals worry.

Pramiracetam: tried a few times. Didn't feel much. Not impressed. Worry about NO overload.


So, Dextroamphetamine and Piracetam/CDP-Choline for me.


Only other one I was thinking of trying is Focalin (single isomer of the Methylphenidate family) since some think the methyl family mechanism (dopamine reuptake inhibitor) has less neurotoxic potential than the amphetamine family (pushes dopamine out of cell). But, I don't know.

Wellbutrin. Never tried it. Read about the side of hazy focus/making mistakes issue. And there are threads here discussing it being a down regulator of ACh, downstream.

Rags

Edited by Rags847, 07 June 2008 - 08:09 AM.

[mentatpsi]

...
So, Dextroamphetamine and Piracetam/CDP-Choline for me.
...

So you're trying out the combination? How is that going along?

[Rags847]

...
So, Dextroamphetamine and Piracetam/CDP-Choline for me.
...

So you're trying out the combination? How is that going along?

Been concentrating on the Dextro for the last 10 weeks, so I really haven't explored the combo. But I want to this summer before I go back to school in the Fall. I have a week off work on 6/16 - I'll probably try it then. I'll keep you posted.

Edited by Rags847, 07 June 2008 - 04:16 PM.

[mentatpsi]

I forgot to mention this (go figure), I have found that the combination of ginseng and gingko go a long way. There was a study awhile ago that showed that the combination of gingko and american ginseng reduce the signs of ADD, the gingko was about 60 mg for the study from what i remember.

Anyways, i myself take around 240 mg of standardized gingko, and about 800 mg of American Ginseng with approx 3% Ginsenosides. The ginseng i take is actually a combination of American and Panax Ginseng and Siberian Root Extract. Still a warning they do have an effect on the heart. I find effects similar to adderall, yet both social communication and sense of well being goes up. I recommend it, though be wary of dosage.

[dumbdumb]

Just writing to thank everyone for their replies. I'll be exploring some of your suggestions the next time I place an order for supplements/nootropics.

[yoyo]

I forgot to mention this (go figure), I have found that the combination of ginseng and gingko go a long way. There was a study awhile ago that showed that the combination of gingko and american ginseng reduce the signs of ADD, the gingko was about 60 mg for the study from what i remember.

Anyways, i myself take around 240 mg of standardized gingko, and about 800 mg of American Ginseng with approx 3% Ginsenosides. The ginseng i take is actually a combination of American and Panax Ginseng and Siberian Root Extract. Still a warning they do have an effect on the heart. I find effects similar to adderall, yet both social communication and sense of well being goes up. I recommend it, though be wary of dosage.

have you tried these individually to see what each is contributing to the stack?

[mystery]

I don't really care for meditation. I just like to do nothing and relax, and sometimes take a nap. After a short nap or just relaxing physically and mentally for a short while, then my attention and focus improves very drastically to work on a task for an hour or two. It's like my brain just needs a recharge much more often than what's considered normal. If I try meditating, then that requries using my brain to do something which I've found to be detrimental. Relaxing improves creativity, in addition to helping attention, focus, and motivation.

Exercise: no substitute for relaxation, but can help a lot in motivation. May help creativity and motor function.

In terms of supplemnets, the best that I've found is a small portion of a multivitamin or multivitamin/multimineral. I am very sensitive to supplements, so even a multivitamin makes me anxious and irritable, and can cause muscle tension. I found I could get more of a benefit with less. This may hurt creativity in me some.

I have also experienced some benefits in terms of focus, attention, and motivation from:

B vitamins in combination with caffeine - not very sustainable, but the effect was pretty significant. I could get a big boost in focus and motivation. If you throw some taurine in, then that is a common energy drink mix. I don't think there was any loss of creativity, and motor function was not hurt as long as I kept the caffeine to 25 mg doses.

Kava Kava - not very sustainable, but still helpful taken occasionally. I feel an improvement in motivation, and focus. Creativity wasn't hurt short therm, but maybe long term.

Huperzine A: short term it was beneficial at boosting brain processing speed significantly for motivation. After a couple of days focus and attention was poor because it interfered with sleep. I'd say it's worth a try, as this is probably one of the most powerful supplements you can get for boosting brain activity. I will not try it again due to side effects. Long term, creativity was probably hurt.

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES): similar effect to Hup. A on a low frequency of .35hz. I could tailor the effect better to my needs than with Hup.A, so that if I used it for just the right amount of the in the morning, then I would get effects through the day that ended at night. Unfortunately, even though it boosted motivation, it may have hurt focus and learning. I think it's worth a try being fairly benign.

Edited by mystery, 10 June 2008 - 06:24 PM.

[mentatpsi]

have you tried these individually to see what each is contributing to the stack?

aside from those found in energy drinks... nope...