6 replies to this topic

[Diego55]

Hello, I am considering to order some nootropics which could help me (at least a bit) with my severe and prolonged problems associated with anxiety and social phobia. I have been struggling with social anxiety, GAD, OCD and depression for many years and even though I tried a lot of different meds so nothing has helped me !

I am mainly interested in some russian nootropics as Noopept, Bromantane, Adaptol, Semax/Selank... however I am currently taking 100mg of Imipramine with Xanax 0,5 - 1 mg as needed. I wonder, which of these nootropics from, for example nootropic. ru . com (or any other), won t interact with TCA - imipramine and possibly could help me with my phobia and other anxiety issues ?

Any advice or idea is appreciable. Thanks in advance!

[jonnyD]

Hey,

i had very good results regarding anxiety with Noopept + Ashwagandha + Bacopa.
Stop taking Xanax if possible.

[scitris]

The suggestions that jonnyD already made are not bad. But dont stop your mediactions from one moment to another.
Sure they arnt healthy but at the moment you will need them, thats the cause why you are taking them.
First of all you need another solution and at the time when you are "introducing" your new solution, i would tapering off from that medis slowly.

How i said noopept, ashwagandha and brahmi looks a good combination for anxiolytic and mood stabilizing effects.
But they need time to function properly. I read many anecdotal reports and some studies that "high" amounts of Inositol could give a fast relief.
But beware I dont think that inositol is a miracle , it has his sideeffects for sure! But for occasions with high anxiety it should be okay.

i would go with Noopept, ashwagandha, brahmi, phosphatidylserine,fish oil and b-vitamins.

PS: Forget about semax, cerebrolysine and co. Mild/Good cognitive enhancer but in your situation not the right thing.

Edited by scitris, 14 October 2013 - 02:09 PM.

[jadamgo]

Honestly I don't recommend people start with noopept if they're new to nootropics. It's very strong and it takes a bit of experience to find the right dosage. I'd really suggest trying aniracetam first, and then you could add noopept later if the aniracetam wasn't doing the job.

[jonnyD]

Honestly I don't recommend people start with noopept if they're new to nootropics. It's very strong and it takes a bit of experience to find the right dosage. I'd really suggest trying aniracetam first, and then you could add noopept later if the aniracetam wasn't doing the job.

Aniracetam and Noopept are totally different for me. Aniracetam feels like a racetam with some short acting anti anxiety properties. Noopept feels more like a very low dosed psychedelic with long lasting mood enhancing properties.
Anyway. People react very different to nootropics. So you will probably have to try it to find out what works for you.

[Eruditus]

I wouldn't describe noopept as an anxiolytic although it most certainly has this property initially the first week or so. The anxiolytic effects of noopept only ever lasted me a good two or three hours post dosing. However I view it more as a 'cognitive fertilizer' that has completely roundhouse kicked my personality out of the anxiety experiencing zone forever (That is I hope it's forever, but I seem to function exceptionally well in the mornings while cooking up my breakfast even before taking my dose of noopept So hopefully once I cease use these changes will be lasting )

Jadamgo may be right regarding its potency and risk. I see a lot of people here who are definitely not using it productively; perhaps because they have some addictive plateau seeking personality traits. Let the noopept do its work at a lower dose of 10 mg or a maximum of 20 mg for 10 days and the desire to up-dose merely for the thrill of it will become a lot less; impulsiveness was one of the first things noopept use killed off for me and I am ever so grateful for that. In the end you must make your own choice in this.

If you prefer to stray from medication and want to focus more on dietary supplementation then you should definitely search the uridine stack in the brain health section of the forum, this combo also helped me a lot in gaining energy and motivation to break out of my limited behavior patterns, which had long time been inhibited by anxiety - causing just thinking about the specific behaviors to peak even more anxiety because I was so inept at performing under pressure (anxiety for the sake of anxiety, a depressive spiral to be sure). I'm hinting at things like talking to girls and being more assertive in the face of people who intimidate you.

[Tom_]

I really wouldn't advise nootropics for such severe anxiety, at least not until you have manged to stabilize and significantly improve the anxiety.

There are various options - I'm not sure what you have tried but I can make some suggestions. It would be helpful if you could tell me what dose of Imipramine you are on and what other drugs you have tried (in order, including combinations, dose, length of time you were on it for and effect where remebered - include as much information but if you can't remeber something its no biggy). If you have any other medical disorders I'd like to know about them and if you are taking any other medication or drugs (including alchole and abuse substances). What if any types of psychotherapy have you tried, including self help?

Which of the disorders would you say is the most disabiling out of the ones you mentioned? Depression, OCD, GAD & Soical anxiety? Have you got any other neuropsychiatric diagnoses? Ever had a psychotic episode? ADHD? Learning disorders like dyslexia? Do you have compuslions with the OCD or 'just' obessions?

Currently options may include (but the more information the more I can wittle them down):
the reversable MAO-A Meclobemide (which has a much milder side effect profile and equal effiacy to Imipramine (with a different mechanism of action so may prove effect where SSRIs, TCAs and the like haven't).
Pregabalin
Buspirone
Amitriptyline or Clomipramine
A beta blocker
Alpha agonists
Atypical antipsychotics - there are a few options
Mirtazapine either as an adjunct or incombo with an SNRI
Trazadone
Its unlikely to be one of my first suggestions but depending on your drug history and response Phenalzine may be a good option (a full MAOI).

and regardless I would recommend a swap from Alprazolam to Clonazepam or stopping benzos completely if you feel its possible and not going to make you a lot worse.

I'll also bang on about psychotherapy in my next post, haha.