12 replies to this topic

[vforce]

Hello everyone, I am new here and am looking for some guidence with respect to setting up a supplement/drug regimen. I will you a brief background on myself.

I am 39 years old and would have what I would call Mild Cognative Impairment. I have always had trouble with remembering numbers, and now as I get older, I am having severe trouble remembering names (first names especially) of people I have known for years. It is getting quite embarrasing! I did not apply myself well in high school and did average in most subjects and pitiful in Algebra I and II, nearly failing both. My intelligence has always leaned toward being math challanged, and I am not very detail oriented. I don't like to play card games because my mind simply does not work fast enough with the numbers involved, especially when some of my friends have photographic memory for numbers and count the cards!!

My strong points are that I have always been extremely driven and ambitious, and I am pretty good with verbalizing my thoughts. These skills helped me to be a top salesperson and later a top manager for several companies. I went on to become self employed I am a somewhat semi retired investor at 35 years old, and work out of my home....when I work. I feel that since I have become somewhat disconnected from the business world that the lack of mental exercise of having day to day job responsibilities (problem solving) has made things a bit worse. In short, my responsibilities now are a kin to Forest Gump mowing the grass......

My wife brings up long term memories from 15-20 years ago, and I have zero recall of them. I feel somewhat debilitated because of this. Recently I started taking Testosterone injections (HRT) and thyroid and that seems to have helped clear my thinking a bit. I weight train and exercise about 3 1/2 hours per week.

In addition to the HRT therapy, I do take a quality multivitamin, Co-Q10 400mg, Phosphatidyl Serine 600mg, Creatine Monohydrate 10 grams, Fish Oils 6 grams, L-Tyrosine 6000 mg, Phosphatidylcholine 2000mg, DMAE Bitartrate 400mg, Vitamin B6 and some others that do not apply to brain function. I have never had any problems with mood or depression and have never taking any drugs for such.

What Nootropics/Rx should I be taking for:
Sharper, Quicker Thinking
Memory Enhancement
Analytical Enhancement
Problem solving

I am not on a budget and am looking for some quality guidence.

Thanks for any help!
Vforce

[LifeMirage]

In addition to the HRT therapy, I do take a quality multivitamin, Co-Q10 400mg, Phosphatidyl Serine 600mg, Creatine Monohydrate 10 grams, Fish Oils 6 grams, L-Tyrosine 6000 mg, Phosphatidylcholine 2000mg, DMAE Bitartrate 400mg, Vitamin B6 and some others that do not apply to brain function. I have never had any problems with mood or depression and have never taking any drugs for such.

I would consider switching a few of your supplements to better forms: DMAE to Centrophenoxine 500-750 mg, B-6 to P-5-P 100 mg, and L-Tyrosine to N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine 1,000-3,000 mg.

What Nootropics/Rx should I be taking for:
Sharper, Quicker Thinking
Memory Enhancement
Analytical Enhancement
Problem solving

Huperzine A and/or Galantamine can help the fastest with memory (short term), CDP-Choline & Alpha GPC can help too.

Vinpocetine and/or Vincamine can help with long term memory.

Pyritinol is one the the best for Problem solving and Quicking thinking.

Lastly the Racetams: Piracetam, Oxiracetam, Aniracetam can help with Analytical enhancement.

I would start off with a few for either 1-2 week or up to a month before adding other one.


Yours In Health

[vforce]

LifeMirage,

Thank you for the recommendations. With regards to the Racetams, should I be looking at trying all of those you suggested as part of my daily regimin or one in particular?

Also, are there any specific advantages in my case in trying prescription meds? And if so, which ones?

Thanks,
Vforce

[REGIMEN]

I would recommend some kind of activity regimen along with the supplements. "Use it or lose it". I'm dealing with a similar cognitive pressure-drop related to having to leave the workplace. I realize that it doesn't take very long for disconnection to lay frail those parts of your brain you took for granted. Keep learning difficult, involving subjects and practices along with taking your chems and you should be alright. There's a lot of infrastructure for new fields(if that's what you might consider going into) that may take some getting used to but all the better...new products have different clientele and social norms...new subjects have their own histories but at 39 you are probably well versed in these issues. My point is that the more differences between what you're used to and possible new ventures the more you'll have to reconfigure and exercise your brain. Real genius here, but what good would a ton of cash for supplements be to mow the lawn and win at cards?
Now that you have the luxury of choosing what level and kind and of mental pressures to experience you may want to be a little more active and get out of your comfort bubble. Maybe try proving yourself in something you know you're not proficient, Forrest.

[Mind]

I agree with the advice given so far, especially the "exercising the brain part" given by liplex. There was a study not too long ago...sorry, I do not have a reference....and it involved nuns in a convent in St. Peter Minnesota. (or maybe it was Mankato?). Anyway, they had scans of their brains done and the images showed what looked like typical brains with advanced Alzheimers. However, the nuns (all over 70 and some near 90) all had high mental functioning. They none had any outward signs of alzheimers. The researchers theorized that it was a combination of a good diet, meditation, and mental activity (hobbies, games, studies) that kept them so sharp even though their brains were all "plaqued-up".

So anyway, in my opinion, routinely studying new subjects or playing mental games (math or word games) will do just as much or more to keep you sharp as any supplements.

I suppose it is hard to get motivated now that you are financially secure. Why push yourself to study when you have everything you need? My motivation is aging. I am a competitor and I don't like losing my mental and physical talents. Therefore, I am here, fighting aging and death.

[vforce]

Liplex,

I appreciate your comments, but my goal is not to win at cards for be a better lawn mower Obviously neither are important, but I know what you are getting at. I am an active investor and entrepreneur, so lawn work isn't acually all I do.

More importantly, I do not wish to be the village idiot, either. It would be nice to be sharp, confident, and witty once again, like my former younger self.

I have considered getting back into a position that allows me to be more interactive with others. Your suggestions are similar to what I have been telling myself as well. I need to seek out new challanges to keep my mind exercised and in shape, so I agree with you in that regard.

Vforce

[REGIMEN]

Concerning the nuns...they have a regular schedule and expectations and decades of repetition seemed to strengthen the related neural paths while the rest of the brain seemed to fall away. It would seem that thinking happy thoughts, or at least the ones you wouldn't mind repeating ad infinitum, seems to be a good plan for aging. Perhaps its a matter of choosing a longterm sustainable schedule of cognitive stimulation.
The water cuts deep gorges through rock over time.

[vforce]

I wonder, are there some combination products that might contain most of the Nootropic compounds that LifeMirage has mentioned?

[vforce]

Well I decided to get started with the following products:

Ortho Mind:
6 capsules contains R Lipoic acid 100mg, Huperzine-A 100mcg, Vinpocetine 15mg, Bacopa 300mg, Ginkgo Biloba extract 100mg, cytidine Diphophate choline 500mg, ALCAR 1500mg, L-Pyroglutamic Acid -1500 mg, Pantothenic acid 500mg.

GalantaMind
1 capsule contains Vitamin B5-100mg, Galamine Hydrobromide extract-8mg, Choline from choline dihydrogen citrate-200mg.

Piracetam, 800mg
Aniracetam, 750mg
Huperzine A, 50mcg
PEGysomal Idebenone, 45mg

So far I have only started taking the OrthoMind in in two divided doses and I started taking the attack doses of Piracetam. I wanted to give these a try for about a week then start incorporating some of the others.

Any suggestions on dosages of others or additions? I have deprenyl on order....

[mnosal]

I would keep an eye on the Hup-A since you get 100mcg from Ortho Mind. You list it again as a separate supplement. Most recommend no more than 200mcg/day.
100-150 is a better target.

[LifeMirage]

LifeMirage,

Thank you for the recommendations. With regards to the Racetams, should I be looking at trying all of those you suggested as part of my daily regimin or one in particular?

Start with Piracetam and considering adding Aniracetam after a month.

Also, are there any specific advantages in my case in trying prescription meds? And if so, which ones?

Thanks,
Vforce

Hydergine I would recommend.

Any suggestions on dosages of others or additions? I have deprenyl on order....

You may want to consider addition choline (CDP-Choline, Centrophenoxine, or Alpha GPC).

[vforce]

LifeMirage, isn't Pyritinol a better, more effective choice in place of Hydergine?

[LifeMirage]

LifeMirage, isn't Pyritinol a better, more effective choice in place of Hydergine?

I would not say "better" some of its effects on glucose metabolism & LC neurons (mental energy & processing) works stronger than Hydergine, but Hydergine has more overall effects in the brain and has strong antiaging effects. I take them both for the best results.