5 replies to this topic

[jackinbox]

I have ADD (please, don't start another debate on the existence of ADD, I really have it) and since I didn't get very good result with conventional medication for ADD, I'm beginning experimentation with stuff people are talking about on this forum.

I already have all this stuff but didn’t use much of it yet:
Aniracetam
Piracetam
Choline Bitrate
Pyritinol
DMAE
Vinpocetine
Pyritinol
Picamilon
Ginkgo biloba
Rhodial rosea
Huperzine A
Oxiracetam
Melatonine
5-HTP
Valerian
Deprenyl
Desmopressin

There are my issues/goals in order (mostly) of priority:

Tinnitus
Fatigue and Strattera (no longer using it) gave me tinnitus. I want to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Plan: taking 20mg/2xday of vinpocetine + 50mg/4xday Huperzine A until my tinnitus goes away.

Falling asleep:
3 mg of Melatonin help quite well on this. Strattera helped too and it’s now harder to fall asleep. After many months of use of Valerian, the effect seems to have worn out. I’m beginning 5-HTP tonight. What should I expect from it? How long before I could see any improvement?

Waking up:
Once I felt asleep, I sleep well. Well, too well… It’s very hard to get out of my head in the morning. Of all the issues I have, it’s one of the worse. My presence at the office may be necessary to avoid a nuclear war and I wouldn’t care. You know any trick/molecule for this? No mechanical devices please.

Concentration/Focus:
I don’t expect too much in this area. I came to accept that I don’t have full control over the savage horse that is my mind. For the matter, how long I have to take Pyritinol to see any result? Any others suggestions?

Verbal fluency
I will continue my experiment with Piracetam, Aniracetam and Oxiracetam. I’m using DMAE as a choline donor since it may help with energy. How should I process to choose a good choline precursor? Huperzine, Centropoxetine, Alcar, etc… it’s complicate all this…

Memory
I didn’t receive my Desmopressin yet. I plan to use it for my exams only. I don’t know what I should take for the long term. The fact that my verbal fluency improved on Piracetam may be a sign that my working memory improve on it. I get the feeling that my ADD is very much related to my working memory. I have problem loading information in “RAM” and “switching context” on demand.

Motivation
Piracetam+DMAE seem to help for motivation/drive. I just feel invincible and I could look at my boss straight in the eyes and tell him he is a moron. I didn’t try Deprenyl yet. There is no hurry.

Anxiety:
I try to avoid stimulants (coffee, dexedrine) that increase my anxiety. It’s quite under control now but I may experiment with Picamilon and Rhodiola if needed.

[hyoomen]

Age? Dietary and exercise habits?

As a first suggestion before getting in depth, add a combo of Alpha-GPC & Choline Bitartrate for an affordable, powerful cholinergic charge.

Secondarily, depending upon your current dietary and exercise habits, I'd recommend trying to find an Applied Kinesiologist or some form of advanced nutritionist to help you design a regimen that will bolster your circadian rhythms and smooth out your daily schedule. Do that (provided you haven't already), and you'll be laying out the red carpet for any and all nootropics to strut their stuff with maximum efficacy.

[jackinbox]

I'm 27 and my dietary habits vary in quality from day to day. I only exercise when I don't work because work take me all my energy. Since I quit my job next week to take a month off before going back to university, I expect to train midly during this time. Is it possible to take too much choline? The difference between all the choline donor is not very clear for me.

[hyoomen]

I've found excessive choline supplementation will lend itself to some tension headaches and some other muscle aches, typically local to the cervical area. That having been said, I normally consume 500mg Choline Bitartrate and 500mg Alpha-GPC 2-3x a day without major issue. Your mileage may vary. Definitely factor in if you're consuming Huperzine A or any other AChE inhibitors, as I've felt quite a bit more on edge when I mix them without adequately allowing for interactions.

On the dietary & exercise side of things, definitely try to control these a bit during your month off. With quality cardio for 30mins * 3x per week, you should see some quality improvement. Make sure you're not consuming food or caffeine for a couple of hours before bed. Try not to exercise late at night (increasing your body's core temp can wreak havoc on sleep). Try cycling off of sleep-aids for a few weeks if possible (especially melatonin or valerian, as I've found these can lead to the early morning fogginess). There is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence reported by piracetam users that their sleeping schedules improve significantly within the first few weeks and that they are able to wake without difficulty in the mornings. And try to consume approx ½ body weight in fl oz of water per day (more if you're in a high temperature atmosphere or exerting yourself significantly). Specific to supplements, Piracetam + Pyritinol + Vinpocetine + Alpha GPC + Choline Bitartrate + ALA + ALCAR should leave you bouncing through the day.

That's my beginning recommendation.

[jackinbox]

Thanks for your advices. I took 3mg melatonin + 200 mg 5-HTP last night. I woke up quite fresh minded this morning. But can 200mg be too much?

[mitkat]

Sources I've read say don't take over 300mg a day of 5-HTP, and I personally wouldn't recommend it, either. Did you jump right to 200mg, or start at lower dose?