Biohacking - Nootropics For Memory, Mood And Energy

[RyanSubconscious]

Hi all.

This is my first topic so bear with me. 

So, I wanted to share a side venture of self help I've dived into over the past year which is bio hacking. Predominantly for the mind.

Before I continue, its well known that supplementation isn't meant to replace a healthy diet and excersize and I don't claim at any point that this makes me more healthy. None the less, Leo has covered supplementation in his videos going over various vitamins and touched on curiosity of mind enhancing supplements so I thought I'd share my experience.

What was the goal? Well there wasn't one. It was an experiment off the back of research (via various forums) as to attempt to improve my cognitive ability.

I'm an IT tech so rely heavily on my mind for my job. I learn constantly and retaining information is priceless (and recognised by peers). The problem I had was I was OK at remembering things but I wanted an edge but without caffeine's negative, stress hormone, mood bending properties.

So I stumbled across Nootropics. I stack a few different ones to give an overall effect. I will stress as powder like as they look, by no means are they narcotics, just to be straight.

To cut a long story short the end result has been pretty impressive. I've passed 2 Microsoft exams in the past year with another at the end of this month. My general awareness is heightened. Focus is clean and on point and my energy levels are stable at a constant mid high. Not a Looney tune but not lazy either.

I've mixed these up with vitamins too which also compliment brain, mood and overall well-being.

The Nootropics I take daily are:

Aniracetam

Noopept

Sulbutiamine

Alpha GPC

Vits are:

Omega 3

Vit  D3

A-Z multivitamin

So for any biohacking curious or for those with mentally challenging jobs, I'd highly recommend trying Nootropics.

For those who already take these supplements, please share with me as I'd love to hear your stack / results!

Thanks guys

[Leo Gura]

I've dabbled a bit with this.

I've tried Aniracetam, don't think it's too healthy. Causes weird headaches and side-effects for me. It's not even a legal supplement any more. Didn't find the effects worth it.

I've tried Provigil (modofinil). Now that's some amazing shit! Turns you into Einstein + Michelangelo + Stephen Hawking combined! and lasts all day. But it's a prescription drug and very powerful. Gives me heart palpitations. Doubt it's healthy long-term. Although my creative abilities shoot through the roof. Haven't taken it in a few years.

I prefer to avoid actual drugs. Supplements like vitamin D and fish oil are no problem.

[RyanSubconscious]

Wow, I never expected to get a direct reply from yourself Leo! Very honoured, thanks.

Yeah, with aniracetam (and any of the racetam family) headaches are a side effect. However, this is remedied with a Choline supplement and in my stack its Alpha gpc. I've not seen the side effects you described whilst taking with Choline. I wasn't aware also that it's now illegal, a little worrying of our customs in UK as I get order this directly from the states.

Haha that provigil sounds mad however, I wanted to try suttle ones without the risk of being off my face at work haha.

Again, thanks for the reply! 

[FinnishJon]

My personal trainer recommended vitamin B complex and Huperzine A which are both legal in the USA.

A long time ago, I read a book called Smart Drugs and Nutrients which spun off from the research of Pearson and Shaw who advocated megadoses of antioxidant vitamins for life extension, generally.  There was at least one sequel to Smart Drugs and Nutrients, but I lost track of the whole topic.  I do remember one of the prescription drugs recommended which was Hydergine which they described as a super anti-oxidant that had been used as a prescription for people with alzheimer's, and yet I cannot find anything on the internet that continues this discussion... I read that book back in 1992, before the internet was popular.

 

By the way, where can you get Alpha GPC?  I don't seem to be able to find choline available in vitamin stores in Finland, where I live.

[Brady]

20 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I've dabbled a bit with this.

I've tried Aniracetam, don't think it's too healthy. Causes weird headaches and side-effects for me. It's not even a legal supplement any more. Didn't find the effects worth it.

I've tried Provigil (modofinil). Now that's some amazing shit! Turns you into Einstein + Michelangelo + Stephen Hawking combined! and lasts all day. But it's a prescription drug and very powerful. Gives me heart palpitations. Doubt it's healthy long-term. Although my creative abilities shoot through the roof. Haven't taken it in a few years.

I prefer to avoid actual drugs. Supplements like vitamin D and fish oil are no problem.

How were you able to get your hands on this? And if it was through your own prescription how did you convince the doctor that you needed it?

 

[xXxXx]

Tried noopept, effect was awesome felt like Einstein, but the side effects, oh boy, bad mood and libido dancing limbo.

Sulbutiamine did nothing for me either.

Bacopa monnieri extract daily elevated my ability to retain information quite well, it's effects are more subtile, and i don't feel drugged like i was on noopept.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Locooig

[JustTom]

@RyanSubconscious I would try the shit out of this if only it wasn't all US/Canada only. 

Mind elaborating on your stack a little bit? What is the difference between aniracetam and piracetam for example? And why have it there at all if you take noopept, which is a piracetam derivative? How important is Sulbutiamine?

[Simon Zackrisson]

Not tried, but have a interest for it. 

[InternetPoints]

I've experimented a little. It's really hard to sort out what is true and not about them. I watched a video on youtube where they interviewed the co-creator of Noopept (This interesting Russian woman in her 80's).

 Interesting listen, and it makes it sound like something everyone should be taking it because there are supposedly no downsides. Claims you don't get tolerant on it, but to take a few day break every few months, or something similar. Took very little searching around to find people on reddit claiming they get tolerant to it after taking it everyday. Lots of contradictory stuff for most of these when I tried to figure out what is 'good' and 'safe'.

Your post raised my curiosity to try some of the nootropics that are newer and I ended up ordering some that I had not tried. aniracetam at at 750 mg dosage first time ever yesterday and today. Here are my notes. 

2/11:

Extremely calming and greatly reducing of physical symptoms that were being triggered by work stress.  Feel sorta restless and harder to concentrate.
Could not sleep at night.

2/12

Not noticing calmness, just restless and hard to concentrate. Totally not worth taking if this continues.  Bad enough that I just said fuck it and gave up on working at some point.

Edited February 13, 2016 by InternetPoints

[JustTom]

@InternetPoints Most of the racetams need a choline source supplement in order to work properly as I've heard. That's Alpha GPC for OP. Maybe that's not the problem, but might be.

EDIT: Source: http://nootriment.com/aniracetam-choline-stack/

Edited February 13, 2016 by JustTom

[InternetPoints]

I'm aware and did choline too! Not going to try aniracetam again anytime soon if ever didn't seem to agree with me. My diet is also the ketogenic diet, lots of meat, eggs, fats, some vegetables like spinach which are high in choline.

 

 

[RyanSubconscious]

Wow guys, sorry for the late reply and awesome comments, so thank you.

 

@InternetPoints Interesting feedback on the Aniracetam, I don't get restless at all, there again I stack with others and not ever taken this by itself so maybe the other Noot's in my stack level it out. Kudos for the Noopept video too, I'll give it a watch!

 @JustTom Thanks for the questions, for elaboration. Aniracetam is known for it's anxiolytic properties and what it's drew me to it initially. Anxiety levels have hit rock bottom since taking this. Noopept you're right is a derivative of Piracetam but some argue it's a different animal in it's own right. Noopept is 100x more potent and I only take 20-30mg a day (compared to the 1500-3000mg of Piracetam dose guidelines). I added it for a couple of reasons, it cranks up the cognitive retention and stacks on Sulbutiamine's energy raising properties. They all compliment each other. Sulbutiamine for example is taken to increase motivation and mental energy, as to remove the need to caffeine. Although I do love a cup of coffee so will still have 1-2 a day (down from my 5-6 I used to have). This complements Aniracetam's mood enhancing and Noopepts energy raising properties. Also, I'm UK based and ship all these in bulk from the states as it's cheaper to buy it in bulk powder than in tablets/capsules. I won't link drop but search for 'Powder City' on Google, they ship internationally and best prices on the web, with good reviews.

 @8LanguageStud Thanks for the comments! Sulbutiamine is actually a synthetic concentrated form of vitamin B1, I've not looked into B Complex vitamins but thought I'd mention it as it's on a similar par. Also, Noopepts primary role is as a peptide, protecting the brain from various trauma. I found a study taken on rats (Sorry for those who are against animal testing) that had been done to see the effects with Noopept against Alzheimers. The report is interesting:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19145356

Another cognitive enhancer I've read about is Lion's mane which is a mushroom. This is meant to be pretty good, I've not tried it but it's a bit more natural for those who'd rather look at plant extracts etc rather than synthetic supplements.

 

Thanks again peeps!

[JustTom]

Wait, Powder City can ship prescription drugs just like that? Noopept for example I'm sure is prescription-based in most countries. Don't they just stop the package at the borders and return it?

[InternetPoints]

In the US a lot of these substances are legal in the sense that nobody has banned them, or made laws against them and nobody owns the rights to the substances here (so they can't stop others from selling it on that ground that it's theirs only). The government does end up stepping in with these kind of substance usually though if people start getting seriously injured often enough that it is commonly known (they can get protecting the children brownie points), or if substances are get really popular and well know as the drug companies don't like you buying from anyone other than them.

I digged some more about the Aniracetam I see comments about side effects also from too much choline, given my diet already gets more than the average person, and I have no idea how I would react to just extra choline, it could also be I was having side effects from the choline.

 

 

[RyanSubconscious]

@JustTom I've not had any issues into the UK on all of the supplements I listed. I've just done a quick lookup and Noopept is legal in UK, USA and Canada. Looked up Aniracetam too, this is also not under any prescription / substance laws. Worth noting that all these noot's are non-toxic so unlikely to see any bans in the future. If anything they'll be adopted by health services for cognition enchancing those with dementia and alzheimers as I've spotted quite a few studies out on the web with these topics already. The only thing to bear in mind with importing is that anything over a 3 month supply may be deemed not for personal use and could well get rejected / held up at customs.

@InternetPoints That would make sense, what dose of Choline were you taking? What product was it too? Alpha GPC,  Citicholine, etc? 

 

 

 

 

[JustTom]

@RyanSubconscious After some more reading I decided to try out exactly your stack. Managed to order it all 100% legally without prescriptions and for a very good price too, One of the perks of living in central Europe. Any advice on dosage? After/before food, preferred time etc.? Should I always get enough sleep or does it help with short-term sleep deprivation as well? I am going to read a bunch more until it arrives anyway but I'm just curious about your personal experience, since it has been so good.

[RyanSubconscious]

@JustTom sorty for the late reply ive been inactive on the forum due to house move and other bits.

Right to the stack.

Aniracetam and sulbutiamine are fat soluble to take with food preferably. I have also taken mixed in with smoothies.

Doseages:

Sulbutiamine :600mg

Aniracetam: 1500mg

Alphagpc: 300mg (if you've bought a 50% product like I  have -  double to 600mg)

Noopept: 20-30mg I do no more than two microscoops. 

It's entirely up to you how you do this. I personally do the lot at breakfast.

However I'd probably advise splitting these in two half in the morning half at lunch at first.

I have a break at the weekend so do 5 on 2 off. And take a week break every 3 months.

I've also added a scoop of noopept in an afternoon here and there if I know I've extra mentally excertive things to do but daily only two on the whole. I used to do three but it made me a bit weird lol.

 

Hope this helps.

[Falk]

Why can´t i find creatin on your list? 

You can try taking creatin (normal monohydrate) You may know creatin supplementation from the bodybuilding scene but what creatin actually does is way more fundamental than just improoving muscle growth/regeneration. it does that ofc but it does so because it helps to replenish ATP which we also need for ...basicly EVERYTHING in our body, (i studied bio-chemistry, i knew it would be good for something!  )...and since 80% of our energy is used by the brain...guess what... if the brain has more energy capacity (more ATP) the "intelligence" is beneficialy influenced...

They did some good studies on that ( all double blind/ vs placebo) you can check it out for example here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691485/

I do 5g/day soluted in water, since 5g is innocuous for permanent supplementation. 10-15g can lead to diarrhea  if you do it for some weeks ..so dont over do it ^^

[JevinR]

Rather than the supplements, there are also techniques such as Dual-N-Back and others. The practice of image streaming is also a very, very powerful technique for raising raw intelligence, it was developed by Physics PhD Win Wegner as an experiment to raise his students cognitive abilities. I purchased The Complete Guide to genius, and can share the PDFs, as the company is not active anymore. Image streaming alone can crank your IQ to 150+ no joke, you just have to master the technique, (Which is very similar to mindfulness meditation)

http://www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm

 

Be warned, as if you dedicate this technique for 1-2 years, I can guarantee you all money in my bank account your respective IQ will rise to above 160 or so, more intelligent than Einstein. More in the ranks of Da Vinci, Tesla or even Newton.

Edited April 5, 2016 by JevinR

[molmike]

Also very interesting is the product "Alpha Brain" from Onnit. I tried this one and it is a very good alternative to coffein imho and it really boosts your mental focus. But much more interesting is that if you take this Nootropic before going to bed you get very vivid dreams.. What ever! The best substances to enhance kognitive ability are Modafinil or Armodafinil. There is i think nothing more effective than those two but they can be dangerous..