Hi all.
I'm a 28 year old student who is considering using nootropics to boost my mental clarity, improve my concentration, focus and comprehension. I have browsed this website, as well as several others that deal with nootropics and the like and have decided that I am quite interested in getting involved. I suffer from depression and anxiety which I believe are closely linked to my academic performance (I have failed and repeated two years at university) and as a final year student I want to ensure that my final couple of months go as well as possible. I generally feel unmotivated, have a poor self-image and feel like a failure most of the time. I know that I need to work, but I have serious problems with motivating myself, and usually find myself procrastinating on Facebook or elsewhere. I have always been a 'last-minute person', but the last few years at university have really knocked my confidence and I feel like I need a change...
I have considered taking the following regimen of supplements, combined with exercise and healthy eating. I am an occasional cannabis smoker (recently stopped heavy usage), I smoke cigarettes also, drink alcohol occasionally and consume caffeine.
I am considering taking :
Piracetam
Rhodiola Ashwagandha Ginseng Complex 60 capsules
Huperzine A 50mcg 60 Cap
Bacopa Monniera 90 capsules 500mg
Pharma Nord Bio Fish Oil 80 capsules 1000mg
5 HTP 50 mg, 60 capsules
Lions Mane Mushroom 60 capsules 500mg
I have also considered taking gingko biloba, and possibly DMAE.
Does this sound like a decent stack? Is there anything else that anyone could recommend? I am ordering most of these things from the UK, and would prefer to use a UK website - so if anyone could refer to supplements specifically available in the UK I would be greatful.
Thank you for your help in advance!
Hello and welcome,
Your stack looks very good to me. The only item that I am not fond of is the herb complex; you should try them seperatly first.
Perhaps it is a good idea to start of with only bacopa and fishoil.
Thanks for your input. I think I will start with the bacopa, the 5HTP and the fish oil and see how things go!
Any other perspectives?
I have heard some not so good things about 5htp. Also, a friend of mine and I did not have a very positive experience wtih 5htp. It seemed to hook us up at first, and then we would take a day off and feel more depressed and anxious than we did before we starting taking 5htp. This bothered us so we stopped taking it. We also felt like it was losing it's effectiveness and we had to use more to feel the same as we did at the start. This also turned us off.
If you want to treat your depression naturally, I would go with something like St. John's Wort. New Chapter's has 2 good brands. Then there is Kira and Perika. I may try New Chapter's SC27 as this only has the hyperforin part of SJW that does not cause phytoxicity in your eyes, making them susceptible to developing cataracts after long term sun exposure. The other New Chapter's brand is supposed to be very good also-it has hyperforin and hypericin. If you try this one or Kira or Perika and like any one of these, I would recommend wearing sunglasses as much as you can, especially on sunny days. Also, SJW works similarly to SSRIs and it may take up to 4 to 8 weeks before you feel it's full benefits, so you have to be patient. Remember, there is hardly ever a quick fix anyway.
Try it if you want. I would just go with bacopa and fish oil to boot and then add the rhodiola/ashwaghanda/ginseng complex 3 or 4 weeks later.
Then add Piracetam if you feel you need more help.
I'm not sure about huperzine A.
The Lion's Mane increases NGF(nerve growth factor) which may help but at your age you may not benefit from an increase in NGF. I've also read a few people's experiences on Lion's Mane saying that they had not noticed much if anything at all.
I would recommend that next time you have a list of things you try, you do as much research as possible(including asking questions on boards like Imminst and Mind and Muscle) before you go out and purchase everything on you list. This might save you some money.
You may not be receptive to this, but have you thought about going to see a counselor/therapist. You said you have a low self esteem and therapy could help you with this. Your university should offer you free counseling. I know there is a stigma associated with going to therapy and it is also scary to go talk to a stranger and confront your issues. If you don't want to do psychotherapy you can ask the therapist to try CBT or other forms of less invasive therapy.
What about diet and exercise? Do you eat well? Do you exercise regularly? Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your brain. And, if you get into really good shape, it may help you feel
Good luck with whatever you try and I hope you start to feel better.
