12 replies to this topic

[8lu3]

I take the majority of my noots in powder form and mixed in blueberry juice.

Would it be possible to mix up the nootropics and add to a capsule and take several caps a day?

How would this affect the dosage?

Thanks

[Introspecta]

I would think the dosage would be screwed up. Just do them separately and it would be more accurate.

[8lu3]

I would think the dosage would be screwed up. Just do them separately and it would be more accurate.

I thought as much.

Thanks

[niner]

If the compounds are chemically compatible, and most noots are, then there is no problem with mixing them, providing you weigh the individual powders so that you know the ratio, and mix well. After capping, you can weigh the filled caps, then subtract the weight of an equal number of empty caps. Multiplying by the fractional amount gives you the weight of the substance. The only way this would go south is if the powders are not well-mixed. I've not seen this to be a problem in practice, though I base this on the visual homogeneity of mixtures of different colored powders, and not on a chemical analysis.

[nito]

It's so hard to measure up using a spoon. For example i have ani, alpha and sulbutiamine. Are you meant to use heaped spoon or not? I also have 2 different sized tea spoons. One i think is perhaps a dessertspoon so the smaller one is maybe the teaspoon. I mind aswell just buy a scale or something.

[8lu3]

If the compounds are chemically compatible, and most noots are, then there is no problem with mixing them, providing you weigh the individual powders so that you know the ratio, and mix well. After capping, you can weigh the filled caps, then subtract the weight of an equal number of empty caps. Multiplying by the fractional amount gives you the weight of the substance. The only way this would go south is if the powders are not well-mixed. I've not seen this to be a problem in practice, though I base this on the visual homogeneity of mixtures of different colored powders, and not on a chemical analysis.

I'll give that a try.

Thank you.

It's so hard to measure up using a spoon. For example i have ani, alpha and sulbutiamine. Are you meant to use heaped spoon or not? I also have 2 different sized tea spoons. One i think is perhaps a dessertspoon so the smaller one is maybe the teaspoon. I mind aswell just buy a scale or something.

Defiantly invest in some scales.

A tea spoon should hold 5ml of liquid but as you say some teaspoons are slightly bigger or smaller. The best way if using a teaspoon is to use the plastic measuring spoons that come with liquid medicine, as they are 5ml size exact.

[longevitynow]

Get a set of accurate measuring spoons, preferably 1/8th teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (I have seen a set with spoons down to 1/64th of a teaspoon--a good investment for the powdered supplement user). Know how much of the supplement is contained in a certain measure (say 1 tsp) and add in the total quantity of each substance you want in the mix. Put in a plastic bottle/jar large enough to hold significantly more than the total mix and shake aggressively for 30 seconds to one minute. You should have a homogeneous mixture in most cases. A big problem is particle size, but the biggest factor is clumping. If you have clumps of one substance you really need to pulverize them. You may be able to do this with shaking the individual substance in a container or with a spoon, but I would recommend an inexpensive electric coffee grinder (perhaps dedicated to this particular task). In a few seconds, any powder is quickly reduced to about as fine of a powder as possible. Then when you mix the ingredients together, you have a high probability of a homogeneous mixture. You will have previously calculated your ratios, so then using your accurate measuring spoons you will have a pretty good idea of the quantity in a giving measure. A 00 capsule is about .95 ml, so if it is full of water it would weight 950 mg. In practice it will hold 500-1000 mgs of powder depending on density, typically 600-800 mgs for almost all powders. If you have a tamper you can get significantly more powder in each capsule.

[chrono]

The methods described here will give you a close approximation, but why not just get a Capsule Machine ($20) and cap everything separately? Will obviate all of the concerns here. The only thing this doesn't work very well for is powders you need to take less than about 300mg of (an uncompressed 0 cap), but as the required dosage decreases, so does the permissible margin of error in measuring the dose. At some point it just makes more sense to shell out $50 for a milligram scale.

[8lu3]

The methods described here will give you a close approximation, but why not just get a Capsule Machine ($20) and cap everything separately? Will obviate all of the concerns here. The only thing this doesn't work very well for is powders you need to take less than about 300mg of (an uncompressed 0 cap), but as the required dosage decreases, so does the permissible margin of error in measuring the dose. At some point it just makes more sense to shell out $50 for a milligram scale.

I have a capsule machine and mg scale but then decided it was a lot easier to weigh out the powders and mix with juice and consume.

However I am due overseas soon and would like to take my noots with me.

I have some empty size 00 caps, so I thought it would be easier to fill them with a mixed substance.

I will weigh out a days supply and mix in a large tub and sieve several times so that the mixture has a good chance of a near perfect mix. I will then see how many caps that will fill and hopefully that will suffice.

[chrono]

Ah, I gotcha. Not sure how much putting it through a sieve will do. I would grind it together in a mortar/pestle (or at least a bowl and soup spoon) to try to get the particle size homogenized, before mixing it up by shaking.

[8lu3]

Ah, I gotcha. Not sure how much putting it through a sieve will do. I would grind it together in a mortar/pestle (or at least a bowl and soup spoon) to try to get the particle size homogenized, before mixing it up by shaking.

I was thinking of the principle of when you work with flour and sieve it, the flour aerates and mixes with other dry ingredients as it passes through the sieve and falls lightly into the bowl.

I will defiantly pulverize the mix.

[niner]

why not just get a Capsule Machine ($20) and cap everything separately?

I have a Cap-M-Quick machine. It's a brilliant device, and it beats the old method they teach in pharmacy school of "punching capsules". That involves pressing the cap into a pile of powder; it's really crude and time consuming. However, every time I use my "machine" (which has no moving parts), I start thinking about two things: The first is a real capping machine, that has moving parts and fills the caps automatically with the powder fed from a hopper, and how cool it would be to have one if it didn't cost thousands of dollars. The second is that I can really understand why people spend so much more to get things already capped. You see, as brilliant as this "machine" is, it is still a PITA. I have to unscrew 50 caps by hand, put fifty cap bottoms in the machine, spread the powder, lower the block, then put 50 cap tops back on the 50 cap bottoms. This is fine for a specialty chemical, but if you take a lot of stuff, it's a hassle. I can totally understand why one would want to mix powders; in fact, that's exactly what I do for some things.

[chrono]

^^ You might want to think about grabbing a Capsule Machine. It's only about $8 more, and it holds the capsule tops in a rack, which you press onto the bottom rack to seal them all up at once. Seems much less fiddly (and time-consuming) than re-attaching them all by hand when they're full of powders.

I might invest in one of the Capsuline machines this year. You can get sheets for each capsule size (all sizes), and I think it holds 100 at once. About $100-150 per set, IIRC. Though requiring a faxed copy of your driver's license makes them appear a little too eager to comply with the DEA's tracking requirements.

Edited by chrono, 25 September 2010 - 05:05 PM.