16 replies to this topic

[GaDoomZ]

I have been getting strange headaches a few days after starting back on my Stack. (Was out of the country for a few months and haven't taken any thing with me)

My Normal Stack is
10,000 IU D3
10,000 MG Fish Oil (3g EPA/DHA) (split into 5,000MG in the Morning and 5,000 MG at night)
Alcar - 2 Grams (1gram morning, 1 gram night)
Piracetam - 2 Grams (1 Gram Morning, 1 Gram Night)
Choline - 2 Grams (Same as above)
Gingko - 150MG (75mg in the Morning, 75mg at night)
Cissus (for joints) - 3 Grams (1.5 Grams in the morning, 1.5 Grams at Night)

I also supplement with 200mg Caffeine and Vitamin B complex before the Gym.

The thing is I do not get the headaches until either the next day or if I haven't taken my stack. So it has to be the one of either Alcar/Piracetam/Choline/Ginkgko and the Cissus interfering with each other. Once I take my stack for the most part the headache goes away. Any suggestions on what it may be?

The pain occurs on the right-side of my brain, towards the back from a top view, it feels like a liquid is shifting a certain part, which I believe is the parietal lobe

Edited by GaDoomZ, 09 February 2013 - 01:27 AM.

[ta5]

Alcar gives me headaches. That combined with the choline may be too much.

I hope you had your vitamin D levels checked and know that 10K IU is what you need. Otherwise, you should cut that way back.

Try cutting out half the items, for a day or two. If the symptoms go away, you know it was one of those. If it doesn't go away, you know it's one you're still taking. Keep cutting things out, or reintroduce things one, or a few, at a time until you figure it out. It can be very time consuming and frustrating. Once you're convinced you know what caused it, you might want to re-challenge with it and make sure that was it because you would be surprised how often you can be wrong where it turns out it was just a coincidence and it was actually something else.

[Johnyha]

Eat some salt. Most of the headaches on nootropics are caused by sodium deficiency in brain.

[protoject]

Dude it's definitely the Ginko. It's a vasodilator and is known to cause headaches. Let me know how it goes once you remove it. BTW, personally I think your regimen has excessive doses, maybe consider going much lower than that because I'm almost absolutely sure you're taking these every day.

[GaDoomZ]

Alcar gives me headaches. That combined with the choline may be too much.

I hope you had your vitamin D levels checked and know that 10K IU is what you need. Otherwise, you should cut that way back.

Try cutting out half the items, for a day or two. If the symptoms go away, you know it was one of those. If it doesn't go away, you know it's one you're still taking. Keep cutting things out, or reintroduce things one, or a few, at a time until you figure it out. It can be very time consuming and frustrating. Once you're convinced you know what caused it, you might want to re-challenge with it and make sure that was it because you would be surprised how often you can be wrong where it turns out it was just a coincidence and it was actually something else.

I'm 100% sure it isn't the Vitamin D, I have tried the Vitamin D and Fish Oil as a standalone. I think it may be the Gingko in combination with the ALCAR. I might have to take them at different times.

Eat some salt. Most of the headaches on nootropics are caused by sodium deficiency in brain.

Did not know this. My diet is pretty low in sodium, except for the occasional v8 drink.

Dude it's definitely the Ginko. It's a vasodilator and is known to cause headaches. Let me know how it goes once you remove it. BTW, personally I think your regimen has excessive doses, maybe consider going much lower than that because I'm almost absolutely sure you're taking these every day.

What is excessive about it, I thought these were standard dosing?
Also yeah I'm beginning to think its the Gingko and Alcar combined.

[ta5]

I'm 100% sure it isn't the Vitamin D, I have tried the Vitamin D and Fish Oil as a standalone.

That's nice. But, my comment about vitamin D wasn't about your headaches. You're taking too much without knowing your levels.

[protoject]

I think it may be the Gingko in combination with the ALCAR. I might have to take them at different times.

Dude it's definitely the Ginko. It's a vasodilator and is known to cause headaches. Let me know how it goes once you remove it. BTW, personally I think your regimen has excessive doses, maybe consider going much lower than that because I'm almost absolutely sure you're taking these every day.

What is excessive about it, I thought these were standard dosing?
Also yeah I'm beginning to think its the Gingko and Alcar combined.

Yeah you definitely have a hunch for both the ginko and alcar combined. Also honestly with alcar 500 mg is really the max a person should need to dose, [IF that.] though I'm sure you could get away with even less than that. The other thing you might wanna consider is that since you are getting the headaches the next morning that it could possibly be caffeine withdrawal, so if it goes away when you take that then you know it might be the problem.


You might want to re-research all your doses for every supplement you're taking because they are all mostly too high. Save for a few things. Like piracetam dosage is just fine. Mostly everything else is excessive, save for choline maybe but I dont see a reason anyone should be taking grams of it, it's probably harmless. But i really think it's the Ginko because I get headaches from ginko all the time no matter what dosage it is. Also that thing you said about the headache being in the corner of your head reminds me of an alcar headache.

Edited by protoject, 09 February 2013 - 03:05 PM.

[niner]

What is excessive about it, I thought these were standard dosing?

The D and Fish Oil are five to ten times what I'd recommend, and the Alcar dose is double. Don't know about the rest.

[GaDoomZ]

I'm 100% sure it isn't the Vitamin D, I have tried the Vitamin D and Fish Oil as a standalone.

That's nice. But, my comment about vitamin D wasn't about your headaches. You're taking too much without knowing your levels.

I have been taking 5000 IU for the past year, and recently started on 10,000 IU now. Do you have any research articles that suggest that It may be too much? I read that Kidney problems start to occur around the 50,000 IU mark.

I think it may be the Gingko in combination with the ALCAR. I might have to take them at different times.

Dude it's definitely the Ginko. It's a vasodilator and is known to cause headaches. Let me know how it goes once you remove it. BTW, personally I think your regimen has excessive doses, maybe consider going much lower than that because I'm almost absolutely sure you're taking these every day.

What is excessive about it, I thought these were standard dosing?
Also yeah I'm beginning to think its the Gingko and Alcar combined.

Yeah you definitely have a hunch for both the ginko and alcar combined. Also honestly with alcar 500 mg is really the max a person should need to dose, [IF that.] though I'm sure you could get away with even less than that. The other thing you might wanna consider is that since you are getting the headaches the next morning that it could possibly be caffeine withdrawal, so if it goes away when you take that then you know it might be the problem.


You might want to re-research all your doses for every supplement you're taking because they are all mostly too high. Save for a few things. Like piracetam dosage is just fine. Mostly everything else is excessive, save for choline maybe but I dont see a reason anyone should be taking grams of it, it's probably harmless. But i really think it's the Ginko because I get headaches from ginko all the time no matter what dosage it is. Also that thing you said about the headache being in the corner of your head reminds me of an alcar headache.

I took the Gingko out of my Regime for the past two days and I am headache free. But I also haven't taken caffeine that past two days as well. Maybe I have just become too sensitive to caffeine, or something that I am taking acts as an MAOI and amplifies the caffeine.

What is excessive about it, I thought these were standard dosing?

The D and Fish Oil are five to ten times what I'd recommend, and the Alcar dose is double. Don't know about the rest.

Vitamin D and the Fish Oil are some of the oldest supplements I've been taking. (3+ years now), I have slowly increased my dosage from 2000 to 5000 to 10000. For both. For optimal use,

Fish Oil Adequate Efficacious Dosing (Volume of Distribution):

<170 pounds: 2 grams combined EPA + DHA
170-200 pounds: 3 grams combined EPA + DHA
> 200 pounds: 4 grams combined EPA + DHA

To see any effect, up to 6g/day total EPA+DHA. Anything less than 2 does not affect body composition.

Furthermore I do not have any Gastrointestinal Effects so I am in the clear.

[niner]

I have been taking 5000 IU for the past year, and recently started on 10,000 IU now. Do you have any research articles that suggest that It may be too much? I read that Kidney problems start to occur around the 50,000 IU mark.

Vitamin D and the Fish Oil are some of the oldest supplements I've been taking. (3+ years now), I have slowly increased my dosage from 2000 to 5000 to 10000. For both. For optimal use,

I do not have any Gastrointestinal Effects so I am in the clear.

GI effects are far from the only marker of a problem.

The trouble with excess vitamin D

The trouble with excess fish oil

I'd recommend getting your 25-OH-D3 level checked. Your doctor should be able to order the test, or it can be obtained on the open market.

[zorba990]

i'd cut the caffeine first.

[Verne]

I'm 100% sure it isn't the Vitamin D, I have tried the Vitamin D and Fish Oil as a standalone.

10,000 IU D3

Don't take any Vitamin D3 for a day. I'd be willing to bet money that you wont get a headache.

Edited by Verne, 10 February 2013 - 01:05 AM.

[digik]

Try cutting a few of your supplement levels back to more moderate levels. If that doesn't abate the headaches, cut the caffeine; as your dosing schedule could be causing daily withdrawal. I suffered from a similar affliction until I removed caffeine from my diet.

[protoject]

On the point of vitamin D. I'm pretty sure its half life is like 2 weeks isnt it????????????

[GaDoomZ]

I'm 100% sure it isn't the Vitamin D, I have tried the Vitamin D and Fish Oil as a standalone.

10,000 IU D3

Don't take any Vitamin D3 for a day. I'd be willing to bet money that you wont get a headache.

Nah it's not the vitamin d, earlier in this thread I came to the conclusion it is either the Alcar/Gingko mixed or the Caffeine. I have been headache free for 3 days now and alternated between the Alcar and Gingko, and only Caffeine I got was from Tea.

I have been taking 5000 IU for the past year, and recently started on 10,000 IU now. Do you have any research articles that suggest that It may be too much? I read that Kidney problems start to occur around the 50,000 IU mark.

Vitamin D and the Fish Oil are some of the oldest supplements I've been taking. (3+ years now), I have slowly increased my dosage from 2000 to 5000 to 10000. For both. For optimal use,

I do not have any Gastrointestinal Effects so I am in the clear.

GI effects are far from the only marker of a problem.

The trouble with excess vitamin D

The trouble with excess fish oil

I'd recommend getting your 25-OH-D3 level checked. Your doctor should be able to order the test, or it can be obtained on the open market.

From what I read in the Vitamin D thread, there is a lot of controversy going back and fourth, with an optimal range being higher than what was expected. And the studies done on patients were geriatrics.

The fish oil thread, most studies linked to an optimal dose of 2-3grams of EPA/DHA, I get it on the higher side of 3grams. I get 10,000g of Fish Oil, but only 3g of EPA/DHA. I will continue to use the levels I am currently. But I do appreciate your concern. I eat a lot of Omega-6 Fatty Acids, so it balances out.

[Guardian4981]

Ginko gives me a headache if I take it for more then a day or two in a row.

[ta5]

From what I read in the Vitamin D thread, there is a lot of controversy going back and fourth, with an optimal range being higher than what was expected. And the studies done on patients were geriatrics.

The debate is over optimal serum levels. Intake is based on what you need to get the blood level you want. You can't predict what your intake should be without testing. Just because some people are safely taking 10,000 IU, doesn't mean it's safe for everyone. Me, for example. I had my levels tested and I know 10,000 IU would be too much. I only take 2000 IU, and that's plenty, maybe a little too much especially in the summer.