17 replies to this topic

[MetaphasicSystems]

What can this tell me about myself?

I've been awake for two days. I can take caffeine and ephedrine no problem; but this causes super insomnia.

500mg Each morning

[MetaphasicSystems]

Guys if the answer is just lower the dose... I can do that.
I was hoping it would tell me something more about myself and what nootropics i need.

[88LS]

The answer is that you have to experiment, for me if I take anything more than 250mg per day I become edgy and irritable.

[BasicBiO]

I have not found a dosage that gives me the benefits without the awful insomnia. It sucks. I've tried many of the other forms of ALCAR but insomnia always crops up.

[RYAN474]

Same here. ALCAR has always given me insomnia or shallow sleep. I've never been able to find a way to counteract this so its not worth taking unless I am willing to get the boost in cognitive performance for 1 day at the expense of throwing off my sleep and feeling like crap the next 1-2 days. 

[boroda]

Strange but I never get insomnia from ALCAR and I didn't know you can get it. 1 gram each morning. Primaforce brand.

[Kabb]

When I first took ALCAR it was definitely stimulating but now I take 500mg before bed with no problem at all.

[Irishdude]

What benefits do people get from it? I dont want studies. I want anecdotes.

[gamesguru]

more attentive, motivated, in the zone.  better retention, improved clarity of thought, and tolerance to stress.  an acidic, salty heartburn or backwash (if you consider that a benefit).

btw, 500mg with breakfast is a very small amount. try 250, and hopefully you can adjust and return to 500+

some people are just really sensitive to meds, and get insomnia from everything

Edited by gamesguru, 03 June 2016 - 05:40 PM.

[Kinesis]

Another thing you could try is carnitine - the unacetylated form. Not only is it a little milder but less pricey too. As you can see from these responses it's not unusual to find acetylcarnitine stimulating - it sometimes makes me edgy too - I don't think there is a personal message lurking in your reaction. You may develop a tolerance to the stimulating effect with continued use. If I take 500 mg very first thing in the morning regularly I can usually sleep fine.

[BasicBiO]

ALCAR  definitely gave me a "sharper" mind, meaning quicker thinking, more clarity of thought, better verbal fluency and alertness. I can usually take small 200mg doses for a few days, but if I continue beyond that the insomnia crops up and my brain won't shut off at night. Sleep becomes very shallow and unrestful.

[psychejunkie]

Guys if the answer is just lower the dose... I can do that.
I was hoping it would tell me something more about myself and what nootropics i need.

This means you already have high mitochondrial metabolism.

give a blood test for thyroid hormones (TSH, T3 and T4), you might have hyperthyroidism

Edited by psychejunkie, 04 June 2016 - 07:29 AM.

[thedevinroy]

Speaking from someone who takes 400mg 3x per day (with 200mg Alpha Lipoic Acid), I can say that the first week was hell, but I adjusted. The only combo that actually got me to sleep on those nights was 500mg Cat's Claw, 100mg L-Theanine, and 50mg of 5-HTP. Hops and Valerian have been giving me energy recently... I'm just weird like that, but some people benefit from those as well. One night I did have to megadose some Magnesium Maleate.


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[gamesguru]

if not on the thyroidism, consider bacopa. it boosts serotonin, which is the precursor to melatonin. also check your dietary melatonin, it wont improve nocturnal synthesis, but daytime levels will increase, and besides its role in sleep regulation, melatonin is very important antioxidant to the mitochondria even during daytime.

 

also consider ginger, a COX-2 inhibitor, as well as zinc, a cytochrome C oxidase inhibitor

Regulation of mitochondrial respiration and apoptosis through cell signaling: Cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome c in ischemia/reperfusion injury and inflammation ☆
Maik Hüttemanna, b, , , Stefan Hellingc, Thomas H. Sandersond, f, Christopher Sinklera, Lobelia Samavatia, e, Gargi Mahapatraa, Ashwathy Varughesea, Guorong Lua, Jenney Liua, Rabia Ramzanf, Sebastian Vogtf, Lawrence I. Grossmana, b, Jeffrey W. Doana, Katrin Marcusc, Icksoo Leea (2012)

Cytochrome c (Cytc) and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) catalyze the terminal reaction of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), the reduction of oxygen to water. This irreversible step is highly regulated, as indicated by the presence of tissue-specific and developmentally expressed isoforms, allosteric regulation, and reversible phosphorylations, which are found in both Cytc and COX. The crucial role of the ETC in health and disease is obvious since it, together with ATP synthase, provides the vast majority of cellular energy, which drives all cellular processes. However, under conditions of stress, the ETC generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause cell damage and trigger death processes. We here discuss current knowledge of the regulation of Cytc and COX with a focus on cell signaling pathways, including cAMP/protein kinase A and tyrosine kinase signaling. Based on the crystal structures we highlight all identified phosphorylation sites on Cytc and COX, and we present a new phosphorylation site, Ser126 on COX subunit II. We conclude with a model that links cell signaling with the phosphorylation state of Cytc and COX. This in turn regulates their enzymatic activities, the mitochondrial membrane potential, and the production of ATP and ROS. Our model is discussed through two distinct human pathologies, acute inflammation as seen in sepsis, where phosphorylation leads to strong COX inhibition followed by energy depletion, and ischemia/reperfusion injury, where hyperactive ETC complexes generate pathologically high mitochondrial membrane potentials, leading to excessive ROS production. Although operating at opposite poles of the ETC activity spectrum, both conditions can lead to cell death through energy deprivation or ROS-triggered apoptosis.

[boroda]

I'm surprised to read all these stories because I feel nothing from ALCAR at all. I'm using Primaforce brand, pure powder in big 250g jar, doses from 500 to 1500mg. What brands are you using guys? Only one time when I felt a slight boost in energy from it was after a long and hard day when I was very very tired to that level when I started to feel depressed - I dosed 1.5g of ALCAR and my energy was restored. 

[Kabb]

 

also consider ginger, a COX-2 inhibitor, as well as zinc, a cytochrome C oxidase inhibitor

 

 

What form of zinc and at what dose would you suggest for help with mitochondrial function (such as Cytochrome C Oxidase)?  

 

I have been wary of trying anything more than 20mg zinc because I vaguely recall zinc interacts with other nutrients and can cause their depletion.

 

Thanks for any info.

[gamesguru]

the fast phase requires 10microM, but let's assume even just 1 microM for the slow phase achieves 50-75% inhibition.

( 70kg man ) ( 65.3800 g/mol ) ( 1e-6 mol/kg ) = 0.0045766 g = 4.6mg, so 2microM or 9.2mg so also be easy and safe

i get it through diet, 5-6mg. ive heard zinc orortate is most bioavailable.

 

The slow phase is characterized by high affinity of the inhibitor for the enzyme: full inhibition can be achieved upon incubation of the solubilized oxidase for 24 h with zinc concentration as low as 2 microM.

[MetaphasicSystems]

These were amazing responses guys. Thank you.
I'll get my thyroid checked.


Truly Blessed.