Any decent OTC nootropics?

Robee601

My ability to feel pleasure has diminished or it could be depression.
Low energy is one on my main complaints.
I’ve heard about nootropics and I’m going to start taking prescription Wellbutrin again.
There’s hundreds of OTC substances sold as nootropics but I wouldn’t know where to start.
I’ve read about choline and there was a few others.
Ginseng can be good but where to get quality ginseng and how to spot good from poor quality ginseng.
I’ve looked at several different things but it comes back to finding quality substances and avoiding marketing hype and scams.
If anyone can suggest a decent OTC or how to start making my own stack,please post.
Thanks

Neuro

Hi Robee601, welcome to the forums!

I empathize with your situation. Wellbutrin can definitely help with low energy and anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure). You could also try augmenting it with agmatine. Agmatine has been shown to significantly enhance bupropion's (wellbutrin) antidepressant effects, at least in animals:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23583442

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25553821

In your case, I don't think choline would be helpful. In fact, it'll probably worsen the anhedonia. Ginseng might be helpful and a good brand is Nootropics Depot.

Cordyceps is another good nootropic for low energy and anhedonia. This is because one of its main actions is improving dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission. However, it may not be safe for the long-term because it has immunomodulatory properties. Though, it's unclear if it suppresses the immune system or not. People don't really seem to report that it impaired their immune system. In fact, the opposite is usually true.

It's possible that its effect on the immune system vary depending on the person.

As for making your own stack, this isn't something I would recommend to a beginner. It's quite difficult to make a stack that actually works well. And it's entirely dependent on your individual response.

Robee601

I’ve tried Wellbutrin before but will try again and I have some refills left.
I’ll study Agmatine a bit and I’m familiar with Ginseng.I skimmed through a few of the above articles and see it can boost the effects of Wellbutrin.
I thought Choline or cytidine diphosphocholine was a basic nootropic used in most nootropic supplements but I’ve just started studying nootropics.
Thanks

Neuro

The reason choline is found in most nootropic supplements is because it can improve memory and learning. In some cases, the effect are obvious, but in others it's subtle. However, excessive choline can cause depression and apathy. This is because acetylcholine typically decreases dopaminergic neurotransmission.

In fact, this is one of the reasons why anti-cholinergic medications are sometimes used to treat Parkinson's disease.

Anyway, let me know how Wellbutrin + Agmatine works out for you.