15 replies to this topic

[Ne0]

I have been on and off ssri's for years and am looking in to discontinuing my current ssri (Celexa generic) and taking nootropics. I have depression/anxiety and also a little bit of inattentive add. I am hoping nootropics will help with the depression/anxiety/add and improve memory, focus, etc to maximize brain potential and help with school.


Right now I am looking in to taking Power Drive, piracetam, dmae, and dha fish oil to start out once I am off my ssri.

I am fairly new to nootropics and would really appreciate any advice anyone has.

[outsider]

Good idea. There are a lot of option.

[Ne0]

Good idea. There are a lot of option.

How do you think that stack will work to start out with?

[humility]

Good idea. There are a lot of option.

How do you think that stack will work to start out with?

Hi ne0... You and I are on a similar path... below is my stack, yet to be posted to the forum. I, too, have suffered from anxiety and depression for many, many years. I'm working on it through exercise, supplements, etc. Here's my current stack that has been helping in the short term (I've only just begun):

bacopa - nootropic (takes 3 months to kick in); take at night because it's sedating
flax oil
cdp-choline - for piracetam
piracetam - nootropic
b12 (for cough)
b-complex
lion's mane - nootropic (takes 6 months to kick in)
ashwagandha - GABA-like effects
turmeric
PhosphatidylSerine - nootropic
creatine - nootropic, muscle-builder (especially for vegeterians)
L-theanine - synergizes with caffeine, nootropic, increases GABA; comes from tea leaves
guarana - energy; coffee/caffeine alternative
ginseng extract - energy, anxiolytic, motivation
Sulbutiamine - nootropic, memory, fatigue
Aniracetam - anxiolytic, nootropic
picamilon - anxiolytic
kratom - anxiolytic (but addictive); cycle this
kanna - anxiolytic
maca - strength, endurance, aphrodisiac
kava kava - anxiolytic
lemon balm - nootropic, anxiolytic
rhodiola rosea - motivation (tolerance builds quickly though - need to cycle or use sparingly); people report great energy when mixing with caffeine source such as guarana

[Ne0]

Good idea. There are a lot of option.

How do you think that stack will work to start out with?

Hi ne0... You and I are on a similar path... below is my stack, yet to be posted to the forum. I, too, have suffered from anxiety and depression for many, many years. I'm working on it through exercise, supplements, etc. Here's my current stack that has been helping in the short term (I've only just begun):

bacopa - nootropic (takes 3 months to kick in); take at night because it's sedating
flax oil
cdp-choline - for piracetam
piracetam - nootropic
b12 (for cough)
b-complex
lion's mane - nootropic (takes 6 months to kick in)
ashwagandha - GABA-like effects
turmeric
PhosphatidylSerine - nootropic
creatine - nootropic, muscle-builder (especially for vegeterians)
L-theanine - synergizes with caffeine, nootropic, increases GABA; comes from tea leaves
guarana - energy; coffee/caffeine alternative
ginseng extract - energy, anxiolytic, motivation
Sulbutiamine - nootropic, memory, fatigue
Aniracetam - anxiolytic, nootropic
picamilon - anxiolytic
kratom - anxiolytic (but addictive); cycle this
kanna - anxiolytic
maca - strength, endurance, aphrodisiac
kava kava - anxiolytic
lemon balm - nootropic, anxiolytic
rhodiola rosea - motivation (tolerance builds quickly though - need to cycle or use sparingly); people report great energy when mixing with caffeine source such as guarana

Have you been on an ssri/maoi before?

Good to hear that it is working for you so far, hope it continues to get better.

I want to start out with a small basic stack for now and then add to it later if I need to.

What changes have you noticed so far since you have been taking nootropics? Can you tell which ones have done what?

[outsider]

Hey Humility, is there something you cannot take because you don't feel right or something ?

[kassem23]

Why the hell were you put on Celexa? Horrible in comparison to Lexapro. Get on that one, and add a stimulant, preferably d/l-amphetamine or MPH, and in case you can't get that, try buproprion on it's own.

[Logan]

Why the hell were you put on Celexa? Horrible in comparison to Lexapro. Get on that one, and add a stimulant, preferably d/l-amphetamine or MPH, and in case you can't get that, try buproprion on it's own.

I agree with Lexapro being better than Celexa.

How about getting off an SSRI and starting a good SJW? That's what I'm doing now. I will see how things work out a month or so from now, it's only been 2 days on New Chapter's Serofin and 6 days off Prozac.

[stablemind]

Get on SJW (Pirka or kira)

Rhodioa Rosea also helps

[jeromewilson]

Be careful with piracetam, plenty of people claim otherwise but I found it to be very anxiogenic. Piracetam apparently improves the function of acetylcholine and people suffering from anxiety disorders maintain high levels of ACh, so there may be a connection.

I was in a similar situation to you a while back - trying to come off SSRIs after years of taking them (paroxetine and then escitalopram). In the end I've decided that, for me, my symptoms (anxiety and depression amongst other things) seem to fit very well with massive candida overgrowth (tested positive), although it's dismissed by most doctors. But that's another story.

Best of luck!

[longevitynow]

I think you can have good results with nootropics vs SSRI's. SSRI don't work that great and have lots of side effects. But go off the SSRI's very slowly. I find 5-HTP works as well as SSRIs in most cases, but their mechanism of action is different (5-HTP actually gives you more serotonin, SSRIs just trick your brain into thinking there is more serotonin, while quite possibly depleting natural serotonin levels). So go off slowly, as you have at least temporarily changed your brain. For me, Piracetam can be both stimulating and relaxing. It's GABAergic effects give me a stress resistant effect, while I am frequently stimulated verbally in voice or pen. I typically take it once in the morning and once mid-afternoon. Frequently with a little tea as a mild stimulant. I also like deprenyl as a stimulating anti-depressant. It improves my mood, motivation, sharpness. But I can only handle a low dose in the morning, otherwise my sleep is affected.

[Ne0]

Yea I've been on Lexapro in the past (also Zoloft and Prozac), eventually I would just stop taking them because I didn't feel like they were doing much. I would really rather not continue taking prescription medications though after researching and learning more about them.

I'll look in to trying St. John's Wort.

Yea, I've read mixed results with Piracetam, for some people it helps with anxiety, for others it makes it worse.

I'll look in to adding 5-HTP to the stack.

Just to give a bit more information on where I'm at now:

I have felt "fine" on citalopram, things have been going my way lately but it is hard for me to tell if that is because of the citalopram or if I have truly just been feeling better and my environment has been good. Depression has been under control, it has helped with anxiety a little bit but it is still a problem. The add-like symptoms I have are: having a hard time focusing on anything to do with school (paying attention during lecture, studying, writing papers), motivation and procrastination with school, slow test-taker/reader.

The reason I first started looking into to nootropics was to help with school and the add problems I have. After also reading more about the negative part of SSRI's and that people have had success using nootropics to treat depression and anxiety I thought I would taper off of my SSRI and start taking nootropics.

I am of course a little bit worried that after I am off the citalopram I will start feeling worse and the nootropics won't do what I was hoping they would.

So I guess there are 4 basic possible outcomes:

1. I get off the SSRI, start nootropics, depression remains under control, anxiety reduces, add symptoms increase... I feel happier overall.

2. I get off the SSRI, start nootropics, don't feel any different, either try different nootropics, quit taking them, get back on SSRI, don't take anything.

3. I get off the SSRI, start nootropics, feel noticeably worse, either try different nootropics, or get back on SSRI.

4. I continue taking the SSRI, depression remains somewhat under control, anxiety and add are still a problem.


Any input on the stack I mentioned in my first post?

I have noticed that most people recommend getting off an SSRI before taking nootropics, would anybody recommend staying on the citalopram but adding certain nootropics to help with anxiety and add without having bad interactions?

[Logan]

I recommend switching to Lexapro if you stay on an SSRI. I really would not be too concerned about any ill effects of SSRIs if you feel fine on them without any unwanted side effects.

If you try SJW, Serofin, Perika, or Kira would be your best options.

Did you say you are taking fish oil? If not, I would add it in no matter what you do.

I don't think there are many nootropics that are dangerous to combine with SSRIs. Some may disagree though.

[Ne0]

Ok, I have tapered off of citalopram, cut it down by 5mg's every 3 days or so. I haven't taken any for about 48 hours now. Withdrawal symptoms have been pretty low.

Don't know if I should wait for longer until I think the citalopram is totally out of my system before I start taking some nootropics of if I can start taking them now. From what I've read it doesn't appear Piracetam and DMAE would have any harmful interactions with the SSRI and people have taken them while on an SSRI anyway. But this Power Drive supplement has Tyrosine in it which appears to raise serotonin so idk if I should take that yet.

Any advice?

[kassem23]

Ok, I have tapered off of citalopram, cut it down by 5mg's every 3 days or so. I haven't taken any for about 48 hours now. Withdrawal symptoms have been pretty low.

Don't know if I should wait for longer until I think the citalopram is totally out of my system before I start taking some nootropics of if I can start taking them now. From what I've read it doesn't appear Piracetam and DMAE would have any harmful interactions with the SSRI and people have taken them while on an SSRI anyway. But this Power Drive supplement has Tyrosine in it which appears to raise serotonin so idk if I should take that yet.

Any advice?

Okay, seriously, try a lower dose. Preferably 2.5-5 mg, IIRC, there's about 95% inhibition of the serotonin transporter -- anything beyond that is just side-effect area. That and add a stimulant and you're set.

[Suirsuss]

Just posting here since the topic is likely to be searched in the future. Ive been off flouxetine for ~1 month cold turkey (obviously without consulting psychiatrist I dont recomend anyone follow suit unless on low dose of prozac.. horay for extremely long half lifes!)
Im looking to find out if I can forego supporting big pharma and avoid going back to heavy GI probems. Honestly I may have only needed the ssri for making the transition away from my old ways moving forward. Just more than one year ago I'd been abusing substances for 10 years straight half of which was chronic habitual abuse.

So anyway im not sure if the ADHD diagnosis from preteens was accurate or if its some OCD or depressive social anxiety but I aim to find a low toxicity solution.

Currently using sunifiram, CILTP of forskolin+artichoke, omega3s from fishoil and ground chia, 500mg alcar BID ,occasional rhodiola of course the multi (1 tablet of the 2 per day from LEF)
- looking to give kanna a go instead of artichoke CILTP for the anxiolytic/ssri reported effects as well as very interested in getting St Johns Wort extract

Ultimately for anyone who might search out this thread that isnt afflicted with attention issues... some omega3s, magnesium, gaba, rhodiola, and most importantly exercise! ...would have SJW at top of list but dont have 1st hand experience.

Edited by Suirsuss, 22 May 2013 - 07:23 AM.