4 replies to this topic

[reclamation]

Hi all, I started taking Piracetam about three weeks ago. It's the 1fast400 powder, I've varied between 2 & 3 teaspoons per day since I started. A few days before it got here, I started supplementing with the GNC brand Choline Bitartrate 250mg & DMAE 100mg. I varied between 4 & 6 tablets each per day, when I got the Piracetam, I would take 2 of each one everytime I took a teaspoon of the Piracetam.

This seemed to be working fine for the first week or so. I do believe that I was seeing a positive difference in my concentration, mood, memory, and general problem solving ability. A little over a week ago, I ran out of the GNC Choline & DMAE, and both were out of stock there, so I went to Vitamin World to replace them. They didn't have a straight Choline Bitartrate supplement, so I bought the Vitamin World brand Choline Birartrate 250mg / Insitol 250mg tablets, and the Twinlab DMAE 100mg capsules. I also grabbed some triple strength Lecithin (Phosphatidyl Choline 420mg) softgels, and a bottle of 10mg Vinpocetine softgels.

It took this stack about 2 days (1 or 2 pills each with the Piracetam), and I noticed that I had become almost a madman. I must have been unbearable to be around. I was flipping out on everyone. I first suspected the Vinpocetine was causing this, so I dropped it, but I was still "negative and angry" about everything, so I dropped the DMAE a day later still not so good. At that point I dropped the Choline Birartrate 250mg / Insitol 250mg tablets, and picked up 400mg SAMe tablets, and kept taking 2 lecithin softgels with each dose of Piracetam. It was a complete turnaround. Nothing could tick me off, but I didn't really care about anything and felt like a complete idiot all of the time too, I swear it numbed my brain. I dropped the SAMe last night, and thought I'd try to go back to the DMAE, by this afternoon with 2 100mg doses in me, I was becoming impatient with everyone and everything again. I do think it is the DMAE, I took the Inositol choline tabs over the weekend (and after I dropped the SAMe) and was OK, it wasn't until I started back on the DMAE that the anger / aggression started back up. I haven't had any DMAE since this morning now, and I seem to be fine since after I ate dinner. Anyway, here are my questions:

* Has anyone ever had similar results with DMAE? (It is odd that I had no issues with the GNC brand, but can't get near the twinlab at the same dosage....)
* How about the dopiness with SAMe?
* Could the Inositol be screwing with the other supplements or affecting how I react to them?
* Is the dose / type of Choline in the lecithin too much and is somehow intensifying the DMAE?

Any help would be appreciated. I started all of this because I've totally lost interest in my career (and feel guilty about it), and as a result I cannot concentrate on problems or solve them at the same level that I used to perform at. I can't tell if I'm slipping mentally, or if it is just time to move on to something new because of boredom. Thanks in advance...

[quarter]

I found DMAE made me very irritable. Like something in my brain was annoying me but I couldn't figure out what, it went away when I stopped DMAE.

I am a tight-arse and don't like to waste things I've paid for, but I ended up having to throw away my DMAE.

[Advanc3d]

I found DMAE made me very irritable. Like something in my brain was annoying me but I couldn't figure out what, it went away when I stopped DMAE.

I am a tight-arse and don't like to waste things I've paid for, but I ended up having to throw away my DMAE.

i too had this same problem with dmae
it made it feel not right in my head

but then again it only made me feel like that when i took dose of more than 300-800mg a day
i stick to around 200mg or less

[david ellis]

You might want to consider if the SAMe might have been some of your problem. In a recent thread, SAMe was suspected of causing mania.

[flatline]

James South wrote the following about Centrophenoxine, which is a modified version of DMAE, and a potent choline source:

Centrophenoxine is a powerful enhancer of brain and peripheral nervous system acetylcholine levels, and too much acetylcholine can cause problems. Excessive acetylcholine levels can lead to headaches, neck, jaw and shoulder muscle tension, insomnia, irritability and hyperexcitability, agitation and restlessness. If any of these occur, simply discontinue centrophenoxine for a few days and then try a reduced dosage.

That said, it may be that your choline supplementation is too much, regardless of the type of choline. I recommend you stick to one source of choline, and start with a low dosage, moving up very gradually (think in terms of several days, or even a week) until you find the right amount.