My stack

Galaxyshock · 2014-10-02T04:38:48+00:00

I currently take Cordyceps and Maca (black) often mixed in coffee with coconut oil Jiaogulan Bacopa Phenibut (will have to cut this out though) Melatonin (o...

Neuro

Why this time of year though? Could it be due to low Vitamin D levels? You supplement it so it shouldn't be low enough to cause fatigue.

Today I stopped taking TMG and Cordyceps. I'm going to take a break to reset tolerance, maybe a week is enough.

Galaxyshock

It's rather dark and rains a lot here in Finland this time of the year. It tends to kinda make me feel like I don't fully wake up during the day. Gonna have to work tomorrow though so I better, hehe.

Neuro

I like the rain, I find it soothing and I like seeing the sky cloudy and gray. I hate the sun, it's too bright for my liking. Maybe try Modafinil? Do you have insurance or are drugs covered by the government? Here in Canada drugs aren't covered by the government and you need good insurance to get most drugs. Luckily my school's insurance pays 90% of the drug's cost so I can afford Modafinil.

I'm sure a doctor will prescribe it to you if you mention you're having trouble staying awake and caffeine isn't helping. Otherwise you can buy it online, but it's rather expensive.

Or maybe try Rhodiola? You'll have to cycle it though.

Galaxyshock

Yeah I don't mind rain but if it's like a week in a row it gets a bit depressing. I do like when it's dark in the evening/night.

I take a liquid extract Rhodiola now. I was actually rather energetic today, felt like I finally slept the previous night deeply too. I was on vacation last week so maybe I just got a bit lazy hehe. Caffeine and Ginseng help too. I would like some Modafinil, it's definitely very useful wakefulness-promoting subtance. But doing alright now so shall see.

Neuro

Since I stopped taking TMG and cordyceps I've noticed my learning ability is very poor now. Nothing makes sense or clicks in my head. This is how I was before taking these supplements. Man, they didn't have any permanent effect, I'm guessing it was the increased neurotransmitters that helped. I wonder if my neurogenesis is normal and that my symptoms are from low neurotransmitters. Exercise, which supposedly increases neurogenesis has no effect on my symptoms. Only interval training on the treadmill helps me and that's only because it enhances whatever herbs I'm taking.

On another note, I noticed my nipples becoming puffy again. Ugh, I have no idea why this is happening. I just hope it's not a pituitary tumor, even though most of them are benign.

Nice, where did you go for your vacation?

Galaxyshock

I'm guessing you have some sort of maladaptation at endocrine system and HPA-axis, since adaptogens help you surprisingly well. I think possible deficiencies in neurotransmission is only a downstream effect from that. Something to induce long-term changes would of course be ideal, have you considered NSI-189? I'm not familiar with the substance but it's been the recent big thing for brain health at LongeCity.

Meanwhile also experimenting with other adaptogens such as Eleuthero could provide relief. In a study it actually had the strongest antidepressant-like effect of all adaptogens, surpassing even Rhodiola.

I was in my home town during the vacation, I go there usually at least once a month for weekend or so. Usually a relaxing experience since it's rather quiet area compared to the urban environment I live in.

Mixed some Guarana in my coffee this morning, let's see how this kick-starts the day. Got a lot of school work to do.

Neuro

I have not considered using NSI-189. I tend to stay away from experimental/research drugs. Also, I haven't seen the prices, but I'm sure it's expensive.

Eleuthero is something I've had my eye on for a while now. I'd love to see the study if you can find it. It's rather cheap too, which is always a plus for me.

Nice, it does sound relaxing getting away from the city. Can you see the stars at night? I bet that's soothing. I don't think I've seen the stars in over 10 years now.

Isn't Guarana's active compound caffeine? How was your experience combining it with coffee?

Galaxyshock

I'll see if I can find the study, I think I read it in google books.

Yes I can see the stars there in night there. Now that you mentioned it, I want to go away from artificial lights and watch the night sky hehe. It snowed yesterday so winter is here I guess.

Yes caffeine is bonded with catechins in Guarana, this makes it sort of time-release. Combined with coffee it made me a bit overstimulated though, so I went out for a run. For some reason guarana tends to be perhaps the most stimulating source of caffeine for me, not sure why this is. Some of those catechins work as MAOB-inhibitors I believe but that shouldn't cause such a stim effect. Maybe there is a COMT-inhibitor compound or something? I might have to look into this more.

It's interesting that the active ingredient caffeine should be pretty much the same, yet something like Yerba Mate never gets my heart racing or anything but is a rather cheerful stimulant.

Neuro

Perhaps it contains a substance like L-Theanine that synergises to give a calm, stimlant effect?

Galaxyshock

Could be, or perhaps the cocktail of xanthines is somehow different.

I've been changing my stack a bit again. Used the last of my Bacopa too. I currently take

Creatine
Phenibut
Maca. The regular type as it's cheaper, bought 4 kilos of the stuff hehe.
Suma root. Nice adaptogen, good for building muscle, healthy wellbeing effect.
Cordyceps. I mix one cap of ultra cordyceps in coffee.
Lavender oil as aromatherapy and sometimes a few drops orally, for anxiolysis and sleep aid
Wheatgrass, goji berries, protein (hemp, rice, whey), coconut oil

I'm starting to shift my diet towards raw foods to see how I feel.

Neuro

I've dropped bacopa and TMG from my stack for now. I'm currently taking Rhodiola and Jiaogulan. Hoping it'll provide some decent motivation boost and anhedonia decrease.

How did the raw food diet work out for you?

Galaxyshock

Well it's kinda hard to go completely raw.. it may get a bit expensive and also school lunch is cheap and there's the social aspect. But I'm thinking one cooked meal a day is alright. I do find that I feel lighter and energetic when consuming raw foods, my skin and hair get better too. Whereas heavy cooked meals drain energy and make me tired.

Neuro

Started taking 1000 mg of Maca along with TMG. So far so good, I really like Maca and it seems that TMG is greatly potentiating it. My mood has improved, focus, energy, even memory. Also found out that Maca is dopaminergic which is no surprise to me as it seems to improve my motivation:

Maca has been consumed as a medical food in Peru for thousands of years, and exerts anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. Our present study aimed to evaluate the behavior and anatomical and biochemical effects of petroleum ether extract from maca (ME) in the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression in mice. Three different doses of maca extract (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) were orally administrated in the six-week CUMS procedure. Fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) was used as a positive control drug. Maca extract (250 and 500 mg/kg) significantly decreased the duration of immobility time in the tail suspension test. After treatment with maca extract (250 and 500 mg/kg), the granule cell layer in the dentate gyrus appeared thicker. Maca extract (250 and 500 mg/kg) also induced a significant reduction in corticosterone levels in mouse serum. In mouse brain tissue, after six weeks of treatment, noradrenaline and dopamine levels were increased by maca extract, and the activity of reactive oxygen species was significantly inhibited. Serotonin levels were not significantly altered. These results demonstrated that maca extract (250 and 500 mg/kg) showed antidepressant-like effects and was related to the activation of both noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, as well as attenuation of oxidative stress in mouse brain.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24730393

I also noticed that my nipples have shrunk a bit. I don't know if was caused by Maca or not, but in the past if I took Maca for more than 2 weeks my nipples would get puffy. I really should see a doctor for this issue. I keep trying to setup an appointment, but I'm kinda embarrassed about it and would have to take off my shirt for them to examine it.

Galaxyshock

Hey good to hear Maca is working for you, it's definitely a keeper in my regimen too. I saw that study somewhere before, the motivation boost is indeed there and smoother than that of stimulants which give a "forced" feeling.

I'm sure doctors see all kinds of things in their practise, so no worries there getting it checked.

Neuro

I dropped Maca from my stack. While it improved energy in the first few days it seemed to increase sleepiness after that and I found myself sleeping 12 hours again. Maybe my dopamine autoreceptors were getting activated too much?

Galaxyshock

I doubt Maca would be the culprit, there must be some underlying deep-rooted issue, adaptogens are pushing you out of that zone but aren't enough so you suffer relapses.

Neuro

Yeah, you're probably right. I have no idea what's causing it and the doctors just test me for Vitamin B12, Ferritin, and TSH. When those come back normal they just tell me my numbers are fine and that they don't know what's wrong. They don't even make an effort to try something else. I've read that while TSH can be normal, free T3 can be low or Reverse T3 can be high causing hypothyroid-like symptoms. I tell them this and they just brush it off and say TSH is an absolute indicator of thyroid function.

What's worse is if I tell them about anhedonia and apathy they say that the depression is causing the fatigue despite reassuring them the fatigue has been there since I was a kid, long before I started to experience depression.

Galaxyshock

It's wrong that you can't get properly examined. Could you go to a more specialized doctor like endocrinologist or something?

Neuro

Unfortunately, no, I'd have to get a referral from a general practitioner first and they only refer you when the numbers come back out of the reference range.

Galaxyshock

Hmm you're gonna have to figure out a different route then. There must be some way to get proper treatment.

My current stack:
Maca
Rhodiola with Avena Sativa extract (a PDE-4- and MAO-B inhibitor, pretty nice stuff)
Spirulina, Barley Grass, Coconut Oil
Yerba Mate, Black Tea, Chamomile
(Occasionally) magnesium, vitamins

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