I’ve noticed that using Phenibut 3x a week day-on day-off have shifted my self confidence and shyness levels and I think it’s due to a feedback loop where I face something I fear, I find out its not as fearful, and then I have no issue encountering it again without the Phenibut support.
Been dealing with severe brain fog and fatigue for the past couple weeks seemingly out of nowhere. One contributing factor I can think of is my mental health- my mental health for the past few months has been probably the worst it’s been since I was a teenager and it felt like I had hit rock bottom. My mind feels like it’s in a cloud and I can’t do my uni work anymore without wanting to cry from how much mental energy it takes to think.
I’ve had some bloods checked and I’m perfectly fine although I will be going back to the doctors soon to ask for more tests.
Please offer any advice, supplements, herbs anything
I took L-theanine for the first time and that night was very emotional, the next day I took it again and genuinely went crazy. I was so angry and irritable like I’ve never been before and had a complete breakdown. I started breaking stuff and ended up spraining my wrist from punching my punch bag too hard without gloves or wraps (embarrassing I know), I was screaming and crying down the phone to my boyfriend and couldn’t do anything to calm down. I tried meditating, having a relaxing bath, but nothing helped, I was furious for no reason. It wore off later in the day and everything that had happened that day felt like a blur and I couldn’t fathom why I had behaved in such a way. I haven’t taken it again since and have been completely fine, it might be a coincidence but nothing like that has every happened before, even when going through rough times, and I can’t think of what else it could be?
>Following an application from Alzchem Trostberg GmbH, submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Austria, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to creatine and improvement in cognitive function. The Panel considers that the food constituent, creatine, is sufficiently characterised. An improvement in cognitive function in one or more of its domains is a beneficial physiological effect. The applicant identified 21 human intervention studies on creatine supplementation and measures of cognitive function through a literature search. Two additional studies published after the search was conducted were identified through the reference list of a meta-analysis. In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that the acute effect of creatine on working memory, observed in two studies at 20 g/day for 5–7 days, was not seen at lower doses (2.2–14 g/day), or with continuous consumption (5 g/day for 6 weeks following a 5-day loading phase). Furthermore, the effect on response inhibition at 20 g/day for 7 days was an isolated finding among 10 intervention studies in healthy individuals, with no effects observed on other cognitive domains. The Panel also considered that the three intervention studies conducted in diseased individuals do not support an effect of creatine supplementation on cognition, and that the available evidence for a mechanism by which creatine could exert the claimed effect is weak. The Panel concludes that a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established between creatine supplementation and an improvement in cognitive function in one or more of its domains.
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.9100
Hey guys. I've been hoarding all this information for the past year, and I think it's time I release it to the public. Bromantane is currently one of the most promising dopaminergics on the market, and this post will explain why. fyi this is an old repost (with added pictures).
To put it very simply, it's the "motivating" neurotransmitter. And this bleeds into things such as optimism, confidence, social interaction, mood, movement, learning etc. It would take 10 posts to go over everything dopamine does, so hopefully you accept the generalization.
Dopamine --> D1 activation --> Adenylate Cyclase --> Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) production --> Protein Kinase A --> CREB (key factor in learning and memory) --> (ΔFosB --> inhibits C-Fos), Dynorphin (inhibits dopamine release), (Tyrosine Hydroxylase activation --> more dopamine), and so much more.
So many things are said to "upregulate dopamine receptors", but what does that truly mean? Well it's not so simple. Usually receptor upregulation just hints at temporarily lowered neurotransmitter causing increased sensitivity to maintain homeostasis. So keep that in mind when discussing Uridine. More on that here. Or Sulbutiamine. So besides Uridine being GABAergic, that has to be part of Nootropic Depot's motivation to include it in the sleep support stack. Reviews are mixed, but I felt sedated by Uridine Monophosphate.
Cocaine upregulates dopamine receptors. And I'll reference this study later. But basically the transition of CREB to ΔFosB and Dynorphin, leading to a depletion of CREB and dopamine is evidence of tolerance to cocaine. So looking at receptors alone is SIMPLISTIC, especially when you consider the inhibitory role of D2 receptors which people here misconceive to be a good thing. It's almost as simplistic as assuming Tyrosine Hydroxylase upregulation is why Bromantane is so great, which is one of many misconceptions I had in the past. It's the mechanism that makes it great, not just downstream activity.
And by the way, 9-Me-BC still has no safety data at all, nor is it truly proven to sensitize the brain to dopamine after discontinuation. It's a neurogenic with MAOI properties, and that would basically explain the anecdotes. But receptor upregulation and sensitization is up for debate.
To quote an old analysis of mine:
>Increased tyrosine concentrations beyond a healthy dietary intake does not result in much more dopamine under normal circumstances.^([1])^([2]) TH is highly regulatory and is only activated as needed.^([3])^([4]) Statistically, the American diet is sufficient in tyrosine, the amino acid found abundantly in meat alone (Americans projected to consume ~9oz of meat per day, surpassing the average RDA of 2.3g tyrosine per day^([14])).^([5])^([6]) Protein-heavy meals increase tyrosine adequately.^([1]) Additionally, many studies demonstrating the effectiveness of L-Tyrosine as a standalone fail to mention subject's dietary tyrosine, which is invalidating.^([8]) Of course there's rare factors that can come into play, such as age,^([4]) disorders,^([8])^([9]) hypothyroidism, etc. but the take-away here is that L-Tyrosine supplementation is unlikely to produce a nootropic effect in otherwise healthy individuals. Therefore we must look to other options.
Fun fact about DLPA: D-Phenylalanine is like the "anti" L-Phenylalanine. Enkephalin inhibits Tyrosine Hydroxylase, and like I expressed in my former post, adding more of the building block means nothing if you don't upregulate this enzyme. And L-Phenylalanine has no trouble converting to L-Tyrosine. The addition of L-Phenylalanine, however, prevents the weight loss seen with D-Phenylalanine.
You know me... I'm the Bromantane guy. But that's because Bromantane is not only an effective mild stimulant, but it's safe and comes with virtually no withdrawal or addiction. Now I'm just going to quote the wikipedia here directly, but not link the wikipedia because organizations have been tampering with nootropics pages (Piracetam and as someone else recently mentioned Curcumin).
>Clinical success: In a large-scale, multi-center clinical trial of 728 patients diagnosed with asthenia, bromantane was given for 28 days at a daily dose of 50 mg or 100 mg. The impressiveness were 76.0% on the CGI-S and 90.8% on the CGI-I, indicating broadly-applicable, high effectiveness. The therapeutic benefit against asthenia was notably observed to still be present one-month after discontinuation of the drug, indicating long-lasting positive effects of bromantane. Source.
As explained here, Bromantane's mechanism of action appears to be like Amantadine's but more potent in terms of dopaminergic effects. Essentially, it activates inhibitory neurons when they'd normally be dormant during high dopamine, which distributes downregulation. Also, it upregulates neurotrophins and by extension C-Fos, which enhances dopamine receptor sensitivity. This, over time, will result in less stimulation from Bromantane, however there is also virtually no withdrawal. NMDA activators are also of interest to mimick the stimulatory effects of exercise in conjunction with Bromantane.
The β-amyloid/ alzheimer's scare: Relating to the 10-fold increase in β-amyloids, this is only seen at 50mg/kg in rats, and is likely due to the anticholinergic effects that appear at high doses. So using 9.5mg/ kg with these average weights we get a human equivalent dose of 589mg (global) and 758.1mg (Central and North America). These numbers are 6-15x higher than the standard dose which is 50-100mg, yet despite nearly perfect safety in clinical studies, it should be determined if β-amyloids are increased in the doses used. In addition to the synergistic stimulation seen with Bromantane and Caffeine, it should also be noted Caffeine confers protection against β-amyloids, another reason to pair them, despite the concern being only theoretical for now.
Bromantane's LD50 (fatal dose) is 8100 mg/kg in rats. This converts to roughly 40672-52348mg in humans using the same standards as above. Good luck even affording that much Bromantane.
I'd like to bring light to something not well understood about Bromantane, and that is its ability to improve sleeping patterns:
>Bromantane was also noted to normalize the sleep-wake cycle. The authors concluded that "[Bromantane] in daily dose from 50 to 100 mg is a highly effective, well-tolerated and [safe] drug with a wide spectrum of clinical effects. Therefore, this drug could be recommended for treatment of asthenic disorders in neurological practice." Source.
Increased peripheral serotonin synthesis and so melatonin. AAAD is the second enzyme for melatonin synthesis, melatonin induces enkephalin synthesis and release and Carboxypeptidase E is found upregulated by Bromantane. This also shines some light on B6's involvement in ZMA (it upregulates AAAD) and AAAD's apparent synchrony with the sleep-wake cycle. My hypothesis is confirmed by this source. Additionally, Bromantane is a GABA reuptake inhibitor at GT3, meaning GABA is increased by Bromantane, adding to its anxiolytic effects.
So while Bromantane is stimulating, in many ways it is inhibitory. Piracetam may counteract some of the GABAergic mechanisms of Bromantane, but make sure to take 4-8g. One interesting take is Pemoline for the purpose of AAAD inhibition to counteract the melatonin increase.
More about Pemoline here. Cyclazodone is a Pemoline derivative, but requires much more evidence and should demonstrate likeness to Pemoline before use.
Pemoline is interesting because it seems to show benefit even after discontinuation, more improvement to ADHD after 3-4 weeks and come with virtually no dependence. It was speculated to increase mRNA synthesis a while back (though this hasn't been replicated) and most recently was suggested as a possible AAAD inhibitor. It's unclear what its actual mechanism is, because it seems to have other effects responsible for its stimulation besides its weak activity at the DAT.
When looking into Bromantane's pharmacology I considered dynorphin reduction as a possible mechanism. For a while I was convinced it played a role due to dynorphin's role in addiction and dependence, as well as connection to CREB.
I learned that PC2 causes dynorphin biosynthesis. That PKCδ increases PC2 and inhibition of PKCδ upregulated Tyrosine Hydroxylase for days as opposed to minutes like CREB. Later direct links between PKC and dynorphin. There's studies showing PKCδ inhibition mimicks the dopaminergic activity of alcohol without causing a dependency. And more.
Naturally I searched for a PKCδ inhibitor, analyzing a ton of herbs in the process, but failed to find any redeemable options. I decided to order Rottlerin, or its parent herb "Kamala", where I opted to perform my first chemistry experiment - an extraction of Rottlerin using ethanol and ethyl acetate. After staining many valuable things with this extreme red dye, I eventually produced powdered rottlerin. After using it a few times and getting no perceivable benefit, I decided it was a lost cause due to the questionable safety profile of this chemical. My friend also made a strong tea from the known nonselective PKC inhibitor Black Horehound, and claimed it produced psychedelic-like effects. Nonselective PKC inhibitors also have antipsychotic effects.
TL;DR?
>Bromantane is theorized to be one of best substances available for dopamine upregulation.
fyi this is an old repost (with added pictures). I (OP) didn't write this. thanks for reading
>Again, this has to be said - not medical advice. Do your own research, consult your doctor first.
What are your favorite supplements or nootropics that increase serotonin?
r/LionsManeRecovery and r/AshwagandhaSyndrome
I was on Wellbutrin for about a year and recently had to stop due to an unexpected medical event. My doctor wanted me to take an SNRI instead but I wanted to try something else because I don't think serotonin is an issue for me. I've also not done well on SSRIs in the past, in fact they seemed to intensify the depression/hopelessness.
So I got prescribed Strattera, which is only an NRI but exhibits indirect dopamine modulation, so it's helping somewhat. But as I feared it's not enough.
Lately I'm noticing my depression symptoms creeping back up on me. Feeling like people don't like me despite evidence to the contrary, difficulty sleeping, not being as present with others as I want to be, not really motivated to do anything that's not instantly rewarding, mildly ruminating (which hasn't been a problem for quite some time).
I'm exercising and eating right. Still trying to take care of myself. But when exercise isn't enough I know something's wrong. I'm functional and doing things, my physical anxiety is very low, but I just feel flatter and not really excited by things. I've noticed myself fake smiling again a lot more. That year on Wellbutrin for the first time in my life I smiled naturally. I didn't know what that felt like, not even much as a kid.
I'm still able to feel pleasure, but the spark just isn't really there. I feel like I'm at a point where there aren't any other meds that can help this dysthymia. I've been looking into nootropics a lot but I don't know which of the dopamine-modulating ones would help me out similarly.
Are there any nootropics or even prescription meds (not SSRI/SNRI) that can help? I also take Dexedrine so preferably something that wouldn't negatively interact.
I looked at many other threads and potential ones: NAC, DLPA, NALT, L-Tyrosine, PBP, ginseng, munuca (no go apparently), Sabroxy, Wild Green Oat, saffron, the list goes on. A lot of them people have claimed they just build a tolerance, so it's not viable long-term.
Am I just SOL and have to get used to living like this for the rest of my life? Or is there some other nootropic/med out there or potential in the ones I listed? I don't like polypharmacy but I don't know where else to go. Lifestyle changes just don't seem to carry me enough
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I’m currently not officially diagnosed or medicated yet, but I strongly identify with the predominantly inattentive ADHD pattern.
My main issues include:
- difficulty sustaining attention on boring or longer tasks
- frequently zoning out or drifting off mentally
- starting new tasks very quickly but struggling to actually finish them
- Constantly switching between different tasks
problems with organization, prioritization, and time management
- procrastinating on tasks that require sustained mental effort
- being very easily distracted
-forgetting tasks, obligations, or details
making careless mistakes
Despite this, I still function relatively well from the outside. I would describe myself as functionally compensated: I usually manage to get important things done somehow, but it requires a disproportionate amount of mental effort, pressure, and constant self-regulation.
The problem is not that I am completely unable to function. It feels more like my executive functions are constantly working against me, and I have developed ways to compensate for that.
Unfortunately, it may still take quite a while until I can get properly assessed and, if appropriate, receive medication.
So my question for people who have been in a similar situation is:
What actually helped you compensate for these problems while waiting for proper diagnosis and treatment?
I’m especially interested in strategies or non-prescription approaches that had a noticeable effect on task initiation, focus, prioritization, task switching, and actually finishing things.
I’m not looking for ways to obtain prescription medication without a diagnosis or for instructions on self-medicating. I’m mainly looking for a practical temporary solution that can help me function better until I can access proper treatment.
I got diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism back in 2022 which I’ve treated since then and have been on a stable dose of levothyroxine which I lowered a little and combined with T3 at 6,25mcg which helped a little but this deep mental fatigue like I haven’t slept enough even on 8 hours of sleep is still there sometimes and it’s awful (every time I test my thyroid hormones they are fine - no perfect but well within the target range). I’ve tried everything I could find as information and take a ton of supplements daily: magnesium glycinate, creatine, vitamin d, boron, zinc, copper, b complex, citicoline, l theanine, taurine, lions mane and the list goes on… Also some more experimental stuff like: Bromantane, selegiline, piracetam, eutropoflavin, tak-653, Naltorexone for the hypothyroidism which is supposedly hashimoto.
I try to stay in the sun almost every day upon waking up, strive for 8 hours of sleep, workout, run, go to sauna, eat clean most of the stuff you could think of I’ve tried and yeah I’m a lot better than how I was 2 years ago but still not like a normal human being.
The only thing that helps meaningfully is caffeine when I cycle it to prevent tolerance but on off days I can barely function.
I really need help with this, I don’t know what to do anymore. Every day is suffering especially when I haven’t slept perfectly.
Piracetam 400 mg
MCT oil
Coffee
Bacopa 150 mg
N-Acetyl-Bromantane 80 mg
ISRIB-A15 20 mg
Taking in the morning and have energy until the night. I do this stack daily before my work, seems to be very effective. Piracetam for cognition, coffee for energy, ISRIB-A15 for concentration, N-Acetyl-Bromantane for productivity. For my foggy brain this stack is a miracle. Can you recommend something to add here?
Main nootropics:
Neuroprotection:
I have pretty bad memory (mostly short term) from prolonged AAS use in my teen years, I'm looking into growing new hippocampal neurons with NSI-189 and maybe adding other compounds for memory maybe AF710B, ACD856 (skeptical due to no existing cas), or PRL-8-53 but I can't use that as often as others.
I am very prone to anxiety and jitters from amps. I have tried phenidates and they made me zombie-like and other meds just don't work. Right now I stick to 2.5-5mg dexedrine and the issue is that sometimes I get anxiety, jitters, negative thinking but at the same time my executive functioning improves tenfold, in my unmedicated state I just procrastinate a ton, super hyperactive and reactive albeit somewhat less anxious. I do eat well with it, I drink enough water and so forth.
I am pretty sure I am sensitive to the noradrenergic effects of stimulants and I am wondering if there are supplements that help balance these effects that are worth trying before asking my doctor for alpha adrenergic agonists. Something that preferentially targets noradrenaline while sparing dopamine (i.e. not sedatives like benzos).
I have tried taurine and it was somewhat meh for this. Considering magnesium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P7C3-A20
P7C3-A20 is a synthetic chemical compound belonging to the carbazole class. It was developed as a more potent analog of P7C3. It functions as an activator of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD^(+) salvage pathway.^([1]) P7C3-A20 exhibits proneurogenic and neuroprotective properties in preclinical models, crossing the blood-brain barrier and demonstrating efficacy in various models of brain injury and neurodegeneration. Research has investigated its potential to treat Alzheimer's disease, where it reversed pathological features and restored cognitive function in mice.^([1]) As of 2025, P7C3-A20 remains an experimental compound with no established clinical use in humans.
Hello all
Mid 30's year old male here
Diagnosed ADHD and GAD, formerly depression but since resolved
My main struggle right now is mood dysregulation that comes with ADHD, and never feeling rested/never getting quality sleep (both before and after meds)
My current supplements and medications include:
dexmethylphendiate (immediate release) for ADHD
magnesium glycerinate 200mg for sleep
L theanine 100mg (as needed, for wakefulness)
Modafinil 75mg (as needed for wakefulness)
Minoxidil oral route 2.5mg (for hair loss treatment)
Previously was trying:
L tyrosine 500mcg (for energy) - discontinued for now
B12/methylfolate (for MTHFR gene mutation, homozygous copy) - discontinued for now
Lithium orotate 5mg (for mood regulation) - discontinued for now
Coq-10 (for wakefulness) - discontinued for now
My question is about lithium orotate specifically. PLEASE do not recommend guanfacine or clonidine for mood for ADHD. I have TRIED to get these meds. I am still trying. I have financial and prescriber/insurance issues right now (I am the U.S.A.)
So I took the lithium O for about 2 weeks. After first week, I felt decent. Surprisingly, my default negative self talk loops and dark thoughts went away almost completely. It was sort of amazing? Never experienced that before. But then after week 2, started developing INSANE levels of anxiety, similar how it was pre-treatment. I'm talking like borderline OCD types of anxiety, where theological intrusive thoughts hit me and I feel completely paralyzed to my core.
After stopping the list of meds I put as "Discontinued" it began to simmer down and I feel 90% back to normal...but my negative thinking has returned, too, and my moodiness.
My question is for anyone who uses lithium orotate, did you have an increase in anxiety and how did you deal with that?
I'm deciding right now if I want to use lithium O every few days, or open the capsule and just use 1/5th of the powder (which would = 1mg of the 5mg dose) or if I just want to forget it altogether.
I really liked the effect that it took away my negative thinking. I really disliked the effect of increased anxiety.
Another factor, with my ADHD, my cognitive issues seem to stem from dopamine problems, NOT serotonin, and i know lithium O can effect serotonin. I suspect that is what began to mess me up. (I know this from the past, genetic tests and everything, as well as experiences with every SSRI and NSRI making my SI and anxiety 100000% worse, while dopamine meds like dexmethylphenidate seem to help in SOOO many was, including making me tired/calming me down, getting good sleep while on it, reducing my anxiety, increasing focus, and bringing my mind silence and peace, something I had never before experienced until trying the methylphenidate class of stimulants).
Any thoughts are welcome. Thank you
Theres a lot of stuff out there, and I'd love to hear what nootropic has had the most profound impact on your life and why/how?
I’ve seen a lot of people who used to take NAC say they aren’t taking it anymore, and I don’t see it recommended as much as I used to now.
Hmm let's end this debate, which one is stronger for you
I have ADHD and many self medicate their ADHD with nootropics. I have tried a ton of shit, from yohimbine, gingko, caffeine and aniracetam and nothing has moved the needle nearly as much as Vyvanse. Caffeine has been the closest but it's still not even close in helping the ADHD dysfunction compared to low doses of Vyvanse.
