Nootropics & I (Progress Thread)

[Mike39]

I clicked the link to the site but didn't find a link to buy, just information. Where do you buy it?

(Spoiler Alert: That website is fake)

From what I just read showing your apparent trust for any website selling suppliments/drugs that looks official, I have to ask, where are you buying your Nootropics from, online? You should only get pills from reputable sources, those Canadian "pharmacies" are not legit. PLEASE I beg of you to use good judgement; at the least, just make sure your not putting laundry detergent into your body

 

[AndrewNC]

Limitless pill

"The boys in the kitchen? I don't...that doesn't sound very FDA approved, Vern."

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[InLikeFlint]

Hey Everyone!

After reading the posts in the Nootropics thread, and then doing some in-depth research of my own, I have decided to give nootropics a try!

Sources:
I used a lot of sources, but the ones I found most informative and helpful were Braintropic and Longecity.

About Me
Male
16
Approx. 150lbs

Why?
I am primarily taking nootropics to help with my academics. I am a Junior in a private high school where an A+ is extremely difficult to achieve. The type of school where I will slave over a paper for a total of 10 hours over 3 days, with multiple revisions, peer editing, and LOTS of planning and organization only to earn a 80% (B-) on it. Also the type of school where a Chemistry Honors class uses averages instead of total points, so an 85% on a test early in the year constantly brings my 95%+ down, one more slip up and my grade will not be salvageable. I want better focus when I am studying, I have at least 4 hours of homework a night, if not more. Focus to get everything done in one sitting will help me get to sleep earlier and have some personal time. Even more important is the refinement of my studies, making sure that all my time spent doing work is the best work I am capable of.

Also, as you may have read in one of my other replies or threads, I suffered a severe concussion in September. Because I feel inclined to share the story, here goes nothing. If you don't care about the story you can skip the next paragraph.

One Friday I woke up with a bad stomach ache, about once a month I get severe stomach pains that my Doctor calls "Abdominal Migraines". I have a sharp pain in my stomach that lasts about 24 hours. No vomiting, and no medicine that I have found (Thus far) can ease the pain. Since this has become a somewhat regular occurrence, I have learned to cope with it by sleeping all day in hopes of waking up pain free. I figured that the stomach ache I had on that Friday was just an abdominal migraine, and the nurses at my school are aware of it so they gave me the day off. I struggled through the night barely getting any sleep and gaining a serious case of the chills, the next morning I went to the nurse and registered a fever of 104 degrees. She sent me back to my room to sleep, I returned a few hours later for my "check-up". When I was in her office she went to get the thermometer, because I was so cold I was wearing footed pajamas (I'm a child at heart). All of the sudden I got extremely hot so I stood up to leave the room and get a drink, I made it to the doorway of the bathroom and fainted. The nurse woke me up on the floor about 10 minutes later and asked what I was doing...being dazed I said it was colder on the floor, so she made me go sleep in the bed in the nurse office. I woke up about 4 hours later and my ear was bleeding and I had a cut on my head, I thought nothing of it and struggled to walk back to my dorm. All I remember is having to sit down to rest every few steps because I got so light headed. The distance from the nurses to my dorm - which would normally take me 2-3 minutes to walk to - took me at least 20 minutes. I figured it was all because I was sick. I slept the next day and a half and began to feel better and my fever was gone. I then revisited the cut on my head and realized that it was a pretty big cut and the side of my head hurt. I then began to notice some concussion-like symptoms (I have been concussed before). What I concluded was that when I fainted I must have hit my head on the wall. I told the nurse and she just wanted me to rest, the next day I went to my first class and stared out the window the entire class, didn't retain any information and didn't take a single note. I met with the trainer later that day and took a concussion symptoms test - to give you a feel for the scale, a score of 6 is a concussion, and at 10 they don't allow you to attend school - my school the first day was a 74 - the highest my school had ever seen. I also did a balance test where I stood on one foot and closed my eyes (Both left and right) and one where I stood straight up and closed my eyes, I couldn't stand without tipping over every few seconds. I then missed 2ish months straight of school and had a week or two of half days.

Although I feel most of the symptoms of my concussion are gone, I still have a few. Particularly memory and speaking problems. I have a hard time remembering things in my childhood, I vaguely remember things, but not in the detail I used to. Speaking is more that I feel I am frequently reaching for words on the tip of my tongue, I also sometimes experience shortness of breath if I am speaking in front of a class, which I never had before. Additionally I am still making up all of the work that I missed. Because my normal nights homework is crazy already, doing make up work on top of it is almost impossible. I want nootropics to give me the focus and motivation to finish my normal homework in record time and then move onto my make up work so I can get the weight off of my shoulders. I have also read that certain nootropics help with memory, better speech, and general well being of the brain. I think they could help heal my brain and resolve the issues I am still having.

Getting my homework out of the way will free up my time to follow business ventures that I am interested in. I sound like a broken record, but my school doesn't really give me a lot of free time, but with nootropics I could open up a few hours of free time to pound out some high quality business work.

What am I taking?
After doing a lot of extensive research, I have decided on these premade stacks to start: (I will give a brief description of each, more detailed information can be obtained by searching the sites I listed above)

- Onnit Lab's Alpha Brain - An all around motivation/study/focus/memory supplement

- Onnit Lab's New Mood - A supplement specializing in better moods and sleeping

- Onnit Lab's Shroom Tech Sport - A workout supplement that is good for energy, strength, and stamina

- Maven Lab's Brainstack - Very similar to Alpha Brain but has been said to be a more intense version

I just ordered 2 small samples of Shroom Tech Sport and Alpha Brain and I hope to order the others soon (No trial versions available so looking for best price). I am not taking them all at once! I haven't yet decided how frequently I want to take them, and in which quantities. I plan to do some trial and error on times, doses, and days. I will probably use Alpha Brain or Brainstack right when I get up so it lasts the whole school day, and then at around 4:15 I will take the workout one and if I plan on being up late doing work, take another Alpha or Brainstack and on nights I want to catch up on rest, take New Mood instead of the later dose of Alpha/Brain.

I am starting with premade stacks because I found very in depth reviews on the supplements above, they seem to be fairly safe and work well. It is nice to be able to buy an all-in-one and I don't want to mess with bulk powders because they are larger, more expensive and require a scale and cap filling system (Too expensive for my first round trying them, and if they don't work I will have tons of leftover powder).

Eventually I plan to expand to more advanced stacks and buying bulk powders and making my own capsules, but I would like to try them first. The best part about creating your own stack is you are able to choose exactly what you want to take to help you, in whatever dose you need. The powders are also a LOT cheaper than the capsules. Here is an example of a stack I read about that is supposed to be GREAT for Entrepreneurs (Being an entrepreneurs forum )

Entrepreneurs Stack: (All credit goes to Braintropic for the stack)

What to expect?
Highly Increased Motivation and Euphoric Well Being
Adderall-like Focus, with no crash or related health risks.
Enhanced Social Skills, speaking skills like Morgan Freeman
Reduced Social Anxiety and Focus
Supercharged Memory
Energy and lowered fatigue

Stack:
2x a day;
Morning - 8:00 AM and Afternoon 1:00 PM
500mg Sulbutiamine
150mg Caffiene
500mg Choline CDP
300mg NALT
1500mg Aniracetam (Morning only!)

20mg Noopept (Afternoon only!)

That is just an example of what a custom stack can be!
What do I expect?
I know this won't give me an experience like Bradley Cooper in Limitless, but I feel they could be beneficial. These are a few things I hope to experience and achieve with nootropics:

- Better memory - not photographic, but being able to recall memories and notes better

- Better focus - being able to sit down and write a paper in one sitting without Facebook or texting or just wandering thoughts

- More motivation - after a long day of school, and then a straining workout, I often lack motivation to begin my homework, and after that I have almost none to do business stuff. I hope nootropics will give me the motivation to do everything I could possibly want to with no delays

- Heal my brain - I want my brain to be fully healed from the concussion, nootropics can also prevent damage and strain to the brain at later times

- Improved Speech - One article said "Morgan Freeman-like speech"...damn that would be helpful!

- Better mood - I am generally a happy kid, but 7 hours of school, 4 hours of homework, and a 2 hour workout can take a toll on my mood, being able to maintain a smile on my face and a good outlook on life would be great.

- Better physical health

What are my worries?

I am mainly worried that they won't work and I will have wasted my money. I also worry that other students or my parents will find out and be disappointed that I am using them. (Although as far as I know they are legal and natural supplements). Or that my school will find out and strip me of my grades (May just be a fear, not sure if they can even do that). I am not too worried about side effects because these supplements have been around for quite a few years so research and reviews of people using them has probably gotten any major issue out. But I am aware that nothing is perfect and there is a chance that I will experience a side effect.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I plan to make this a progress thread where I will report back on my findings with the nootropics including: doses, effects, side effects, pros and cons, new supplements, and anything else I feel important!

My hopes are that people who know about nootropics can reply and give me information because I am just starting, and as I become more familiar with them, people can learn about them if they are interested in trying them!

I'm a little nervous so support and motivation would be wonderful!

Cheers everyone!
- Sam (InLikeFlint) -

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[awkwardgenius]

Are there natural only nootropics?

Careful:
Appeal to nature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are tons of herbals with potential nootropic effects, but in all honesty, the ones I've looked into seem to have more side effects than many of the well-researched synthetics. Nootropics, by definition, must be non-toxic with little to no side effects, and are neuroprotective in their effects...this means they actually protect the brain from physical and chemical stress and trauma.

The racetam family in particular has a pretty well-established track record of safety, with the worst side effects being some headaches (which are generally cleared right up by choline supplementation). I would recommend starting with piracetam and choline, and seeing how that goes for you. Sulbutiamine is a synthetic form of thiamine (a B vitamin) and is good for energy, and is much more available to the brain than traditional B supplements.

As for non "drug" supplements, things like fish oil are always good for your brain, likewise, a low carb, near-ketogenic diet, with an emphasis on Omega 3s. Ginko may or may not help (studies seem split on the verdict) and Acetyl L-Carnatine + ALA is a good one too.

Natural ingredients only. I'm not really comfortable taking drugs.

Cannabis helps with anxiety, coffee is a good source of caffiene, green tea can provide L-theanine, and tobacco has nicotine, a thoroughly researched compound with known positive effects on cognition, alertness, and neuroplasticity...

...just to give you an idea of why your distinction about "natural" ingredients is more or less moot.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[theag]

Its not an unfair advantage.
Its not wrong.
Its not immoral.

Everybody is free to change his diet and take legal supplements to improve his mental and physical performance. Don't let any do-gooders tell you otherwise man.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Mike39]

I mean, is it that different from an athlete taking steroids? That's illegal, and frowned upon.

There are so many legal steroid type supplements that you could walk down the street and pick some up right now, and honestly unlike in traditional sports, steroids/hard supplements are not really looked down upon at the gym.

The important thing with using steroids as a teenager is making sure you don't haywire your hormonal system because that could effect you negatively for the rest of your life (besides there is no reason to take steroids as a teen anyways). It's the same basic principle with nootropics, your brain is still developing as a teenager and you simply don't know how it will effect your brain in the long run, these are supplements which mean they are not put through the rigorous testing that prescription and OTC drugs are. Just because a guy says noots have had no effect on him, does that mean they are safe, my great grandmother lived to be 95 or something and smoked all her life, does that mean cigarettes are now fine for your health???

So what I am trying to say is you really have no clue what taking these could be doing to you negatively, I would either use them sparingly or if you are insistent on trying all different types of noots, I would do it the right way and consult a doctor, get regular tests, and have your health monitored by a professional; that way you can tell if something negative is happening hopefully before you do any permanent damage and if you live you can come back with real world evidence that noots are safe-ish for teens; if you turn into a vegetable, at least other can learn from your mistakes before they make them themselves.

I would also say this is the perfect topic to film a documentary on, take different noots, go get brain scans of your brain on and off them, do tests to see if you are actually any smarter or just think you are smarter. Then once the video is done, sell it from your website along side your own line of noots, you might even become an authority in the nootropics industry

 

[InLikeFlint]

OK. So I have done a little research. What do y'all pill junkies think about taking pramiracetam and choline together instead of an all in one?

That should be good, be sure to take Choline with a Racetam, it is 110% necessary. I think Prami and Choline would be really good for memory and focus as well as motivation, Prami is the strongest of the Racetams, but you shouldn't expect a mood or social increase except for the joy of knowing you are being productive which I experience. Definitely a good starter to see how you react to them. Be sure to start with a low dose and work your way up!

 

[InLikeFlint]

If anyone is looking for a journal, Braintropic just released a really concise article on a 7 day experience with the new stack, if you're interested check it out! This guy knows what he is talkin about!

I am in no way whatsoever affiliated with the following link, I am merely posting it for the benefit of readers of the thread.

What to Expect from Nootropic Effects: 7 Day Log - Braintropic

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Likwid24]

Ok. You guys got me. I'm giving Brainstack a shot. Started taking it a few days ago. I'll report my progress.

 

[awkwardgenius]

A neuroscientist friend of mine is involved with a nootropics startup. He created a coupon code for me so I could share with you guys:

truBrain
code: truNumus

That gives you a 15% discount. I receive no kickback or commission for this. I just figured I'd share since it's an easy way to get into nootropics without having to do a lot of (expensive) trial and error to figure out a decent stack.

The blend they have there is pretty similar to what I take now, and it's actually cheaper and more convenient than ordering them all separately. And it's a hell of lot more convenient than ordering a bunch of strange powders from a stranger on ebay and trying to choke those down 2-3 times a day.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[InLikeFlint]

NZT | What is NZT? <-- Limitless pill right here. You should give it a try

I clicked the link to the site but didn't find a link to buy, just information. Where do you buy it?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[InLikeFlint]

"The boys in the kitchen? I don't...that doesn't sound very FDA approved, Vern."

Haha that's such a great movie

 

[InLikeFlint]

- Update -

Forgot to add what I am currently taking in the original post:
- Centrum Men's Multivitamin - Once daily
- Nutrilite Furits & Vegtables Supplement - Once daily
- GNC Vitamin C - 1000mg - Once daily

My "trial" orders should be here tomorrow or Thursday. I plan to try them the day I get them (Because i won't get them until around 4 I will take the Sports at 4 before i workout and then take the Alpha Brain at 7:30 when I start studying). Assuming I notice an effect, I will immediately place an order for more Alpha Brain, and Shroom Tech Sport, as well as New Mood, and a Racetam (Either Pramiracetam or Oxiracetam) and a source of Choline. I am ordering right away because I have exams in 2 weeks and I'd like them to be here to aid my studies, that will be a real test of how good they are.

 

[InLikeFlint]

Jeez - that's rough! Sorry to hear about the concussion.

I can't speak with any authority to the effectiveness of these supplements, so I'll keep any reservations to myself. I will say that the human brain has an amazing capacity to adapt. You've got youth and drive on your side, not to mention you live in a country with access to all sorts of great health care. I predict your brain will build new neural pathways to reduce your speach limitations and open a door to those memories again.

Brain injuries are scary things - here's to ya!

I couldn't agree more. They say humans can't even access half of the potential of their brain (It's a bigger percentage, just from the top of my head) and I don't think supplements will allow me to access 100%, but I think its a start. Definitely potential here to do great things. I am posting an update after this reply with my results from my first 2 tests!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Kak]

Sounds interesting! I would start taking some if there are proven, lab tested, advantages to it.

Honestly, they should come out with an all natural nootropic supplement that is branded as NZT. People would be all over that.

 

[InLikeFlint]

I'm also interested in brain doping. ropeller:

Do you have a recommendation for a great resource/site where to start my research? I first came across nootropics via bulletproofexec and will probably start from there. Just taking some "regular" supps daily right now.. d3, k2, magnesium, potassium, krill oil, betaine hcl, liposomal glutathione, bcaa, glutamin..

I tried some ritalin (Methylphenidat, a prescription drug) about 2 years ago for studying but it made me asleep instead of awake and focussed. Might have been the wrong dose. Maybe I'll buy some leftovers after the exams at my ex-uni are over haha.

Articles - Articles - LONGECITY and Braintropic - Learn how to increase memory in the brain! are both very very good sites for info. The first is a forum with millions of threads to search through, and the other is like a blog with articles on different types of noots and beginner stuff and advanced stacks, its really good.

Let me know if you have any questions, granted I probably couldn't answer them!

 

[theag]

Just ordered a pack of alpha brain, shroomtech sport, and new mood from the UK distributor. hope to have them by the end of the week and will share them with my girlfriend who currently has her exam preparation. Will report my results as soon as I can.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[InLikeFlint]

Just ordered a pack of alpha brain, shroomtech sport, and new mood from the UK distributor. hope to have them by the end of the week and will share them with my girlfriend who currently has her exam preperation. Will report my results as soon as I can.

Awesome, let me know how it goes!

 

[InLikeFlint]

Flint, have you thought about trying to get modafinil?

Oh definitely. It was one of the first noots I looked into. It requires a prescription though, as far as I know, and with that it would be harder to talk out of. Currently I can say (To my parents/school) that they are natural supplements that allow me to harness the potential my brain has. But with a prescription I am pretty sure that is illegal. I'm sure I will give it a try at some point down the road, but I also noticed a lot of side affects of extreme lack of appetite. To the point where eating a handful of peanuts is the last thing thing in the world you want to do. Not a big deal for some, but I live in a dorm and eating is something I need to plan and execute on my own, if I'm not hungry I won't eat, and that could lead to not eating for days

 

[liquidglass]

Why Alpha Brain, Focus Factor and Prevagen Miss the Mark | BeBrainFit.com

I read the article, it's a lot of opinion with one or two facts thrown in. It's not that persuasive imo. It's worth the read but take it with a huge grain of salt.

I was curious about the site taking such a hard stance against these different supplements with the whole "FDA issue" for one of them only came up after the fact of writing the article.

It's simple, they aren't products within his affiliate network. He's promoting two brands of similar products, both with affiliate programs, and has an amazon store built into his site (amazon affiliate of course). So he writes a few articles with popular key words on well marketed items, it gets searched, he gets found, people buy through his affiliate program and hopefully amazon store.

Nothing against the guy for making money but don't take real advice from a biased competitor.

 

[Likwid24]

I'm just very skeptical of most products out there. The vitamin industry is like the wild west. Probably worse than Wall Street. The FDA is an absolute waste. There's no one really watching or regulating what they do, or the claims that they make. Plus, you will never know the long term effects until a long time from now.

I'd love to take something like this, and it may work short term. I'm more worried about if anything will affect me a few years from now. I found that by doing Intermittent fasting, combined with a Paleo diet, my focus and energy have gone way up. It seems to be the much healthier choice.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[InLikeFlint]

I'd love to take something like this, and it may work short term. I'm more worried about if anything will affect me a few years from now. I found that by doing Intermittent fasting, combined with a Paleo diet, my focus and energy have gone way up. It seems to be the much healthier choice.

And that is a risk we are taking, in hopes that either:

A) The short term effects will be enough to get us where we need to be (Socially, financially, educationally, etc)
B) There won't be any long term problems

I think of it like this, we are taking these to be beneficial to us, to better ourselves. We aren't wake and baking, which has been proven to be "Safe" but obviously is bad for your brain and lungs, there are definitely long term bad effects of basically everything. Watching too much tv is bad for your eyes, smoking cigarettes can cause cancer, mouth diseases, bad for lungs, drinking is bad for your liver and impairs your judgement, even too much water can kill you. Driving is extremely dangerous, but everyone still does it.

Nothing is safe, its all about how you handle yourself, and how you pace yourself by not doing extreme amounts.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[theag]

 

[InLikeFlint]

- Update -

Received my CDP Choline, NALT, and Caffeine today, will be using them tonight to study and will report back after that!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[JAWS]

Cheers Flint. I love taking aniracetam with a cup of coffee. It is a brain boost to the MAX!

While the Noots are great, your diet is even more important. If you want to maximize your brain function, you need to first eliminate unnecessary inflammation in the brain. That means taking a pass on most carbohydrates. I would check out The Bulletproof Executive. Dave Asprey is a Silicon Valley Angel and he's devoted $250,000 to optimizing his brain and body function. He might be able to provide you with some words of wisdom.

 

[InLikeFlint]

- Update -

Have been using these for a little over 2 weeks and things are going extremely well.

This past week I had exams and I used them within the exams and all I can say is WOW!, what an awesome effect, I was able to completely concentrate on the exam, I got to work, I knew what I had to do and I knew I had the knowledge to complete the exam. I was able to avoid frustration within problems and use logic to answer questions I didn't understand at first. Definitely a great tool to use before testing.

I took the long weekend off from Noots (Fri-Mon) to see if I experienced any withdrawals or odd symptoms from not being on it. Nothing at all. I didn't feel like I was any worse off than I was to begin with, and I seemed to have retained all the information I learned well on them. I even felt a few of the effects had remained such as better speech, clearer thinking, less anxiety, and improved memory.

I have been trying different combinations, and taking things individually to see what each adds to the overall picture and here is what I have come up with:

Aniracetam - Improves speech, reduces anxiety, improves focus

Sulbutiamine - Improved memory and focus

Caffeine - Energy boost and a little bit of added focus, but a little jittery for the first hour or so

NALT - Improved focus and motivation, I feel like I need to do something, anything, doesn't have to be productive

Lion's Mane Mushroom - Needs to be taken with food or you will get a stomach ache, but improves my stomach overall from what I could tell, better long term memory

Choline - Improved memory


Obviously my effects could be different from someone else's. I think the big thing is to take them and immediately have a schedule to follow with what you need to do, taking it and trying to find something to consume your time will result in youtube videos for hours, not productive whatsoever.

I will report back later with further effects, so far so good!

Cheers,
Flint

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[theag]

So I should look into brainstack or alphabraon?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

Order a pack of each and test for yourself. They're not that expensive. I think everybodys reaction is different.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Kak]

OK. So I have done a little research. What do y'all pill junkies think about taking pramiracetam and choline together instead of an all in one?

 

[InLikeFlint]

So I should look into brainstack or alphabraon?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

The choice is yours, Brainstack has been proven to be stronger and you should feel the results more than in AlphaBrain but its also quite a bit more expensive, I have a 20% discount for both sites so if you need it send me a message and I'll gladly pass it along

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[InLikeFlint]

Flint does that and says it has an even better effect.

I have no doubt that taking individual pills over a premade is much much much more effective, but I might eventually order more of a premade to use on a day-to-day basis with my personalized stack used for extraneous situations, or use the premade if I need a few good hours of studying from say 10pm-1am because if I took my personal stack it would overlap the 24hour time period and would keep me up for a lot longer than a premade would.

It's essential to test things out to see what works best, what works for me won't necessarily work for you.