I thought I'd post this log since there's not a lot of empirical or anecdotal discussion available of noopept with SSRIs. I'm not a biochemist so if anyone has anything to add regarding drug interactions and breakthrough knowledge of racetam mechanisms that would be useful. The SSRI discontinuation is incidental, but might be of interest. I have not been taking them for a long time and of course YMMV. Speak to your doctor, etc.
I'm not saying that sertraline and noopept definitely don't go together; but when I added the noopept I was quite sick. Maybe I just had a stomach ache for some other reason, but cutting the number of pills going into my body will make it easier to determine the influence noopept is having. It's been an excuse to do something I've wanted to do for a few weeks now.
I waited a week to post this to see how it went with the sertraline, so the first 7 days is below and I'll update within another week to let you know how I'm doing; I hope to have stopped completely by then. Though I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still experiencing side-effects from SSRI treatment a few weeks after. I also I hope I'll have an indication of anything beneficial from noopept.
Background
I've been using piracetam for 3 years and found it very effective. Modafinil (as required, typically 50-100mg week days) for 2 years, again, very effective. I've been on SSRIs for 18 months, Sertraline for the past 9.
I have been using Primaforce Piracetam for the past 3 years. I am buying future Nootropics from MindNutrition.
I started SSRIs due to increasing OCD behaviour, supposedly due to generalised anxiety disorder. I only agreed to go on SSRIs to maintain a diazepam prescription for "bad days". Piracetam can cause hyperacivity and anxiety, but I do not believe the two are linked in my case. I started as a grad student 2 years ago... and well, you can guess the rest. Plenty of stress. Though interestingly, when I focus on work I'm fine. I handle pressure well, find it motivating. I've spoken to large rooms of schoolchildren undergrads, peers and superiors at the drop of the hat without ever being nervous. I get anxious about doing my shopping. So my diazepam use is rare and kept outside of working hours, 5mg once a week - I'd say it's more of a placebo effect than anything else - I sit back with a cup of tea and let it dissolve under the tongue.
As for alcohol, I sometimes have a drink with a meal during social events. Probably once a month. I have not enjoyed being drunk since I first started taking piracetam. But I can still appreciate a gin and tonic.
Since starting SSRIs Piracetam seems to be much less effective than previously. I did try adding/swapping aniracetam without success. I have experimented with choline sources but with no variation in racetam efficacy; I believe my diet is fairly effective, however, I haven't tried citicholine yet, so will be using that.
I have to admit my OCD behaviour has reduced with SSRIs, but I've also attended CBT based courses (as a patient) and am doing a certificate in psychology with particular emphasis on mental health in order to increase my understanding of irrational behaviours and my ability to moderate them. So I can't say for certain they have been highly effective.
I want to recapture the effectiveness I initially experienced with piracetam. I decided to try Noopept.
Plan
My initial plan was simply to cut piracetam and start taking 10mg noopept daily. Now after the first few days, my plan is to discontinue the sertraline. It's not a medication I particularly want to take if I can avoid it anyway.
I've decided rather than taper week by week (standard practice I believe), to take 50mg sertraline for a week on alternating days. I know people have just stopped, but reports generally indicate an unpleasant 3-5 day withdrawl. I seem to tolerate SSRIs well, I've tapered before and always found the unpleasant side effects to occur on the first few days of the new SSRI; dry throat and night sweats.
Once the sertaline is done with I'll look at tweaking my noopept and citicholine intake.
I hadn't used piracetam for a couple of weeks by day 1.
Day 1 (Thursday 25th)
0900 - ~1000mg Fish oil, 100mg Sertraline, 50mg modafinil
Received (next day), MindNutrition Noopept (10mg caps) and citicholine powder. They seem to have improved their packaging since I ordered Aniracetam last year.
Nothing distinguishable about Noopept in terms of smell/taste even after opening powder. Citicholine is pleasantly sour.
~1200 - Took a single dose of each.
~2200 - Stomach ache. Very bad. Sleeping it off.
Day 2
~0600 - Woke up covered head to toe in sweat, but otherwise okay. Juice, setraline, fisih oil, noopept and citicholine with some cereal.
1100 - Stomach ache returns with a friend - fatigue. Decide to abandon the office.
1400 - Fell asleep, woke up once or twice, sweating.
Day 3
~0600 - Again, wake up sweat covered. Very tired, not doing well. I focus on water and skip the pills. Spent all day tired and fogged with stomach ache.
Day 4
~0800 - Much better, I take just the 50mg sertraline.
2200 - Got a bit of a high temperature. Could be down to the change of seasons.
Day 5
~0900 - 50mg modafinil. I feel tired and groggy but survive a day at the office.
Day 6
~0900 - 50mg sertraline, 100mg modafinil, 10mg noopept, 10mg citicholine, 1000mg fish oil with cereal and juice
1400 - All good. I feel like my usual self. I think I'm actually feeling the effects of noopept as well - I seem to be doing particularly well putting names and faces together, definitely not one of my strong points.
Day 7
~0930 - 50mg modafinil, 10mg noopept, 10mg citicholine, 1000mg fish oil with cereal and coffee
Not a good morning, Wednesday is my most intensive day - working with high contact into the evenings and I didn't sleep until 0500 because I couldn't put down my book.
1030 - Everything normal, not better or worse than I would expect. Same for the rest of the day.
