Hey all. I'm Pike. I started this log over at BrainMeta, but seeing as that forum is dead, unenthusiastic, and not sexy-like, I decided I'm going to continue it over here, because this forum looks much more lively.
SO, without further ado, here is the log thus far from BrainMeta in a nicely packaged copypasta.
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Hello all! I'm Pike, a newly made nootropic-enthusiast. I stumbled on the world of nootropics when looking for natural treatments for my ADHD (to which I currently take Adderall) and have become enthralled. I've been looking and doing personal study into these "smart drugs" for about a couple months now, and was quite skeptical of all the results until I found all of the studies shown in the "Cognitive Research" section of this forum (after which, I was convinced). Since then, I have decided to begin a schedule of nootropics and, rather than just tell a kindly Soandso or make anecdotal posts, will be logging my first-hand experience into the benefits of them in this thread.
So, my background information (for those who may find it helpful, or whom are roughly the same as me):
Male; age 19; 5'11; 160 pounds, very fit physical condition (engage in roughly 2 hours of aerobic exercise daily); full-time student with prospective double-major in business administration and psychology.
Physical- & Cognitive-health related hobbies:
- I am a dancer and have been dancing for over 4 years now in the style of Popping, which I practice for 2 hours a day (preferably)
- I've recently started a practice in lucid-dreaming, though rather unskilled at it (I began it the same time I discovered nootropics)
- Was once an avid practitioner of NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) and meditation; hoping to get back into it.
Goals for my nootropic use:
- Increased motivation (really need this)
- Expanded memory (short and long term)
- Expanded creativity
- Increased attention span
- Elevated mood
- Quicker thinking (response time? I suppose "wittiness" would be the word)
- Eventual elimination of amphetamine treatment (for ADHD)
Current supplements and drugs taken:
750mg DL-Phenylalanine
500mg L-Tyrosine
50mg Vitamin B6
250-1500mg Magnesium (depending on Adderall intake)
1000mg Fish Oil (w/300mg of EPA+DHA omega3)
60mg Zinc (occasionally before bed for ZMA combo)
ADDERALL – 25mg XR and 10mg IR
I have ordered the following for myself:
Piracetam – 700g bulk powder from BulkNutrition (the best deal I could find)
Centrophenoxine – 50g bulk powder from CognitiveNutrition
L-Huperzine A – 100mg x60caps from CognitiveNutrition.
To start my regimen, I will begin with an "attack dose" of Piracetam that will be double (100mg/kg) my regular dose (50mg/kg) for exactly 1 week, and complimenting it with a Choline source of Centrophenoxine at 200mg per 900mg of Piracetam (making 800mg a day, 1.6g on attack dose).
My nootropic schedule will be as such:
ATTACK DOSE:
Piracetam: 7.2g for 7 days straight (split among 4 administrations)
Centrophenoxine: 1.6 for 7 days (ditto)
>>Afterwards, my regimen shouldbe:
Piracetam: 3.6g daily split among 4 admins
Centrophenoxine: 800mg split 4x
I will be including a new nootropic into my schedule once every 2-3 weeks, in this order [order of introduction open to suggestion/change]:
Sulbutiamine – 400mg split 2x (bulk powder from Nutraplanet)
Idebenone – [RECCOMENDED DOSE?] (bulk powder from 1fast400)
Vinpocetine – 20mg split 4x (10mg Cognitive Nutrition capsules split in half) [any bulk vendors of this?]
Aniracetam – 750mg 1x
Pyritinol – [RECCOMENDED DOSE?] (bulk powder from CognitiveNutrition)
SCHEDULE NOTES
>>L-Huperzine A >> not sure if this should be part of a regular schedule, if so I'm including it as a "once-in-a-while" consumption.
>>I'm thoroughly interested in testing out the following: Prami- & Nefi- racetams, Galantamine, Vasopressin and Oxopocetine, but I either cannot find a vendor for such, or an affordable vendor. If anyone comes across one, please let me know.
>> If anyone knows whether any of these nootropics will interfere with my ADDERALL or ADDERALL XR, please let me know ASAP.
So theoretically, it should take me from about 3 to 5 months to have my full regimen down, however, if anyone has suggestions about order/administration/dosages/substitutes/spacing/whatever, PLEASE voice your opinion or drop some knowledge so I can adjust the schedule accordingly. Also, if there are any questions, feel free to ask.
To make my first log more interesting, I will be logging it in times of the day when the observation is worth noting.
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Day 1 - December 25th, 2008 (Christmas Day)
7:00am - I wake up, totaling last night's sleep at a little more than 2 hours. I am exhausted. I consider taking one of my Adderall XRs for the sheer sake of the wakefulness it would give me, however, I'm on a "medication holiday" of sorts at the moment, and don't wish to take them until Jan 12th (beginning of winter semester).
-I mix my first of 4 attack doses (1.8g pi + .4g cent) in a blender with 1 cup of milk, and am immediately convinced I will need to find a better flavor-masking agent than milk.
8:00am - I get out of the shower (still exhausted) and get dressed for breakfast with some extended family members. I don't notice any sort of physical change in my body yet; however, I notice I am experiencing a strange, peaceful kind of "mental clarity." I seem to be more observant, and notice things a little more quickly when observing/listening to something. However, these sensations could just be a placebo effect.
8:30am - At the moment, I am experiencing quite a sensational paradox. Physically, I am drained and don't have much energy to move around (no sleep and empty stomach), however, mentally, I seem to be quite sharp and "aware." I no longer doubt whether the mental clarity experienced beforehand was a placebo effect, as the same sensation has magnified quite a bit since previously recorded.
9:00am-2:00pm - I put my next dose in a miniature plastic bag and take it with me to my Aunt&Uncle's house, where I mix it (while nobody is watching) with a cup of Colombian-supremo at around 11:30ish. Note to self: coffee is a fantastic drink to mask the horrible taste of Centrophenoxine. During this time span, I seem to transform from an introverted kid (normally) into a social butterfly around my family. Witty remarks seem to roll off my tongue and I even manage to make my ex-marine-corps Uncle let out a few chuckles. We leave at roughly 2pm for home. The trend in magnifying mental clarity continues.
3:30pm – Magnification of mental clarity seems to have reached a plateau.
5:00pm - Third is taken with a cup of decaf-coffee. I plan to use coffee quite often for my mixtures from now on.
11:00pm – Last dose for today is taken mixed with some carrot juice. Mental clarity has managed to stay present throughout the day.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS
- The Piracetam + Centrophenoxine stack seems to be quite effective, and I vividly experienced the boost in creativity through a sudden blessed fluidity of witty words.
- Centrophenoxine tastes terrible.
- Coffee makes for a fantastic flavor-mask
- Experiencing a pleasant mental clarity that I have not yet read of in any anecdotal reports
- The nootropics seem to have a slight ability to "pep" me up when tired.
- Unsure, but excited about the future benefits of these nootropics. That said, I will have to keep in mind this excitement, and make sure any future sensations are not simply an excitement induced placebo effect.
- This system of recording observations based on time seems rather fun, so I will continue posting like this for a while. But I don't imagine I will be making daily posts into this log.
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Day 2 - December 26th, 2008
Nothing new worth noting today; the same mental effects as yesterday were experienced. However, today I purchased some bulk Idebenone and some bulk Sulbutiamine from 1Fast400 and NutraPlanet, respectively. I thought I'd make mention of the purchase because BOTH are on sale right now, and NutraPlanet's sale of Sulbutiamine is on a clearance sale for something like $13, so I took the opportunity to nab it while it was still carried, and let you all know of it as well.
Edited by Pike, 03 January 2009 - 05:37 AM.