Every time I take ashwagandha, magnesium glycinate or L theanine, after a couple days of use I begin to feel extreme anhedonia/depression. It’s not just being numb but it genuinely causes me to feel low and have depressive thoughts. The first couple days it’ll be fine then it goes downhill. It’s driving me insane because these are things that everyone else seems to love and do good with. Magnesium glycinate causes horrifying nightmares and l theanine caused suicidal thoughts?? I have debilitating anxiety (my physical anxiety is the worst) so I’m just trying to find something to calm me down (I already take adhd meds and don’t wanna add on another medication on top of it like anxiety meds). The only thing that has worked that is non pharmaceutical is CBD but it’s so expensive. It’s like my own biology is my enemy because why do these good things make me feel so bad? I’ve tried and tested multiple times to make sure it wasn’t a placebo, went off a supplement for 1-3 months, tried it again but nope. The depression came back. And when I went off them I felt normal again. I really need some advice and something I can take that won’t cause this

I have debilitating anxiety that impacts every facet of my life. I’m on Rexulti, gabapentin, Effexor, and Strattera for anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

What has worked best for you?

Hi, I'm interested in things lie Tropoflavin, Bacopa, Semax, Selank, NSI-189, TAK-653, Dihexa, ACD-856 and all other similar compounds. They seem like very interesting substances with fascinating mechanisms of action, so I'm interested in what effects each of them have, how powerful those effects are, how they differ, which are recommended and anything else there is to know about them. I'm personally more interested in these for their potential effects on depression, executive function and anxiety, so I'd like to know more about that, but I want to know about all compounds and their effects, regardless of how much they could help in that regard.

Looking to try these together to help with language learning. I’m currently trying to learn two languages in school and am struggling with speaking and retaining information. ideally, i was thinking TAK-653 would better improve my processing, memory, and focus—while aniracetam was doing more of the social aspect via verbal flow, anxiety reduction, and speaking ease. I was looking to pair either (or both) of these with Nefiracetam, but i’m aware both TAK and aniracetam are positive AMPA modulators which may not be good or needed. Wanted to see what others thought of the combination. Thank you!

This is so stupid. Any recommendations for alternative providers?I just want Propranolol.

Why do I crash after taking armodafinil? From what I've looked up so far, its not something that particularly causes you to crash, and presumably whatever fatigue that is being experienced really is just sleep debt - but I find that hard to believe. It's a very particular/unique kind of drain that happens, it feels like some kind of comedown.

I take 75mg of armodafinil, almost immediately after waking up and I take it for a varied amount of days in a week. This past week I took it 4x, the week before 2x. I took a break from it for afew weeks before then.

Anyways I'm just trying to understand if this is expected? Or what I should be doing to mitigate it?

This company seems to be ghosting- like almost removed all traces of their existence. Any recommendations for replacing their coffee enhancer?

It claims to contain 500 mg Lion's Mane, 500 mg cordyceps, 250 mg rhodiolife, 200 l-theanine, and 100 mg Cognatiq (whole coffee fruit extract).

Thanks for any suggestions!

Anyone that can vouch for any of these vendors?

Synthetika https://synthetikaeu.com/en_US/p/Bromantane/7842

Rexar https://www.rexar.nl/en/buy-bromantane.html

Has anything drastically helped your sleep? I have never been a great sleeper, but it has certainly gotten worse with age and after having children (my children fortunately sleep through the night) but I just constantly wake up every 45 min. I do go back to sleep but my sleep is extremely fragmented, and I do not get a lot of deep sleep.

So I've gotten a pretty good dail on what helps me stay focused and be productive during the day.

I can confidently say with my stack and I can stay focused and switched on all day.

I can focus at 4-5pm just as well as I can at 9am.

Would you bring this up in an interview?

Then the more open question is.. Have you ever brought your nootropics use up in job interviews?

I mean I guess I wouldn't list my full stack word by word.. That'd probably be seen as a bit unhinged..

And I probably wouldn't talk about research chems if you're taking any ( ie Tak-653) or any peptides if you tae them... Etc

Edit -

OK yep it's weird and not what you want to bring up in an interview.

I'll still leave this up though. Loving some of the replies haha.. Some of you guys are brutal 😂🤣

I’m going to try piracetam for consistent slow processing speed, lethargic body and mind and poor memory, stimulants produce no positive effect for me, does anybody have any experiences taking piracetam with t4 thyroxine? The guidelines seem to be mixed

If I sleep 8-9 hours, I'm legendary. Cut that back by 1-3 hours? I'm a miserable mess. Can't function. No genius(I'm not actually a genius, you could probably tell... just feel like one when I have a full nights sleep & get stuff done, unlike today..... FML). 

I don't have sleep apnea. I don't have depression(Chronic stress? Everyone has that but I wouldn't say mine is debilitating). I eat healthy. Blood tests? Totally fine

I've finally decided I don't wanna live like that anymore. I have surrendered myself to Nootropics. The benefits outweigh the risks(Hopefully you'll suggest some things that aren't going to turn me into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I'm not even a teenager...)

I don't mean vitamins & minerals. I've been doing all manner of supplements/ minerals/ vitamins for the last 6 years(Probably tried 60-80 supplements). Caffeine doesn't work. 

I'm talking about the next level. I've already tried:

NA Semax spray / NA Selank  spray from SemaxPolska

Noopept powder from Euro-Nootropics(tried it both sublingual & dissolved and ingested)

Not too much of an effect from either of them.

What's your go to Wakefulness promoter? I don't wanna go down the amphetamine analogue road of ritalin/methylphenidate. I'm looking at

FlModafinil

Adrafinil

Bromantane

Phenypiracetam

Cyclazodone or NM Cyclazodone 

Fladrafinil

Hydrafinil

PPAP HCL

If I become legendary after your advice, I'm giving you a million dollars.

Thanks.

I don't know who this guy is - or what he usually talks about, for all I know his other videos are fine.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WPcw4c90fU0

For me it's a case in point; these M.D. influencers are either out-of-touch, or they just don't care that they are propagating casual inaccurate informatiom.

To use a news story of poisoning-death to somehow claim that benadryl is "one of the most dangerous drugs you can take". These people are just bad at journalism.

Billions of people take this OTC product now and again. Sure, perhaps there's dementia risk and other risks with regular use. That doesn't mean "this is one of the most dangerous drugs you can take".

Those of you that do well on l-theanine, what do you use in its place when you need to cycle off it for a while? What are some good alternatives. It’s clearly time for me to take a break because it’s no longer helping me the way it used to.

Besides the obvious (sleep, exercise, water), what would a 'set and forget' stack look like for you?
Not aiming to improve certain areas, just a well rounded combination of chemicals/techniques that you think are essential.

I have read a few posts about what some people thought or used for helping their memory in the 2025 posts, but haven't seen much of anything with memory this year and wanted to start the discussion.

I am in the US and looking for something to give my memory more edge as I have a ton of info to get into my brain as a medical student. If anything has substantially worked for you or see something I should add in my stack, please let me know!

I have ADHD and take Aderall daily but here is my current stack I take in the morning:
- 10 g creatine monohydrate
-1x fish oil (sports research triple strength)
-100% B vitamin complex
-vitamin D3 and K2 (sports research)
-1 capsule of magnesium threonate (sports research)
-L-lysine (for canker sores)

And if I drink coffee, I will have 100 mg L-theanine.

​

Hi, I'm 25, male, 6'3", 65 kg. I work out a lot, run, eat clean, no junk food. I'm academically smart and keep a lean physique, but something is off and I need advice.

I have inattentive ADHD and I also come from a trauma background with PTSD. I took Ritalin for 6 months and it really ramped up my anxiety and gave me brain fog. I was drinking 2-3 cups of coffee a day with it, which gave me jitters, but without coffee I felt zero stimulation and started falling asleep. I took the last 2 months off Ritalin to let my body recover. I still have the meds but I'm not taking them. My blood work is normal and so is my testosterone.

Even after 2 months off, I still can't focus on anything. Sometimes I don't feel anything at all and sometimes I feel really depressed. I feel isolated in my head and most people don't get me. I don't have social anxiety, but I struggle to talk to people now. I lost interest in sex, and I used to love flirting, but my dating life has collapsed compared to 2-3 years ago. I think I'm showing major signs of anhedonia.

Every night I get nightmares and night sweats from the PTSD, so even after 8-9 hours of sleep I wake up stiff and in pain like I never slept. I've been taking saffron at night for 3 months and it helps a bit with the body fatigue. I use music all day to stay awake and give my brain some dopamine, and I take breaks for dopamine recovery. I smoked weed and hash in the past but now it just gives me anxiety.

I want clean focus and a stable mood without crashes, even if it's just short term for 2-3 months. I'm ready to quit coffee too. I'm booking a doctor's appointment but my doctor is pretty dismissive, so I want to go in with some ideas.

Has anyone dealt with this mix of ADHD, PTSD and anhedonia? What helped you? Anything that worked for energy, mood, focus or nightmares? .

Any advice is really appreciated.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been researching and putting together a structured nootropic protocol to support my daily focus, mental clarity, and productivity during intense work sessions, and I wanted to share my plan with you to gather some community feedback and personal experiences. Here is my current protocol and setup:

Substance: Noopept Product / Form: Sublingual tablets (dissolving entirely under the tongue) Dosage: 10 mg daily Timing: Taken approximately 25 to 30 minutes before starting work or high-focus tasks to optimize absorption and onset. Cycling Strategy: Planning a cycle of 4 to 6 weeks on, followed by a 2 to 4-week break to maintain receptor sensitivity and prevent tolerance buildup. My Goals: I am mainly looking for clean, sustained mental clarity, improved concentration, and efficient task-switching without jitteriness or energy crashes. My Questions for You: What are your personal experiences with sublingual administration compared to oral ingestion? Did you notice a difference in potency or onset time? How has your experience been with a 10 mg daily dose? Is it generally well-tolerated for daily use within a short-to-medium-term cycle, or do you recommend splitting it / adjusting the schedule? Are there any specific pitfalls, side effects, or stacking tips I should watch out for during a 4–6 week cycle? I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and any advice you might have. Thanks in advance!

The reviews seem mixed on 7,8-DHF, but I am more inclined to try it than 4’-DMA-7,8-DHF because I am very susceptible to sleep disturbance, and the latter’s longer duration seems to cause insomnia for some people - also because the former is naturally occurring,

Why am I interested in this? I have long covid, which causes excruciating headaches, brain fog, and short term memory issues. I also take Adderall (sleep disturbance preceded this addition and it doesn’t make it worse if I take it in the morning only). I am hoping this can also help to mitigate any side effects from the Adderall, which vastly improves my quality of life. I take several other supplements for this purpose.

Anyway, I’m wondering if this can complement my existing anti inflammatory and antioxidant stack. I see a lot of people saying they take it sublingually for better absorption. Does it have an off-putting taste? I’m also hearing suggestions to space out around 3 days per week instead of taking it daily. I am interested in hearing other people’s experiences and suggestions for how best to use this supplement. Bonus points if you are also suffering from long covid or short term memory issues.

Im thinking of snorting 40 mg of the methylliberine, no clue how to dose Eria Jarensis tho

Hey everyone,
I've got a big test coming up next year July and I'm trying to prep with a mix of things for acute effects (focus, memory, attention, learning) plus some longer-term cycling for "hardware" support. My cart is expensive, so before I pull the trigger I wanted to run the full list by people who've looked into this stuff.
Here's everything currently in the cart and the quantities:
\-Usmarapride oxalate - 2 g
\-BPN14770 - 3 × 300 mg (900 mg total)
\-Oxiracetam - 2 × 60 g (120 g total)
\-Tropisetron - 4 × 200 mg (800 mg total)
\-Citicoline - 5 × 20 g (100 g total)
\-Bromantane - 2 spray bottles (each \~180 sprays at \~9 mg/spray)
\-Coluracetam - 2 × 2 g (4 g total)
\-NA-Semax - 2 bottles (100 sprays/bottle at 200 mcg/spray)
\-Paraxanthine - 3 × 15 g (45 g total)
\-TAK-653 - 3 × 60 mg (180 mg total)
\-Aniracetam - 2 × 50 g (100 g total)
\-NSI-189 freebase - 3 × 1200 mg (3600 mg total)
\-PRL-8-53 - 2 × 300 mg (600 mg total)
\-Pramiracetam - 1 pack of 18 g
\-GB-115 - 2 bottles (100 sprays/bottle at \~200 mcg/spray)
Goals are pretty straightforward: solid acute support for studying/learning when I need it, and the option to cycle a few things that might help longer-term.
If you were in my position (or if money were no object) which of these would you actually keep? Which ones would you completely drop? And which of these amounts would you increase? Are any of the amounts way off (too much or too little for a reasonable trial period)? Open to suggestions on adjusting package counts too.
Appreciate any thoughts, experiences, or red flags.
Thanks guys and women!

I have been taking 50mg of Bromantane powder from semaxpolska for the past 3 days (EDIT: Took it with 500mg of L-Tyrosine, I forgot to mention) and in my instance it has not been a mild effect at all. On the first day I felt it strong. To be honest it has me enter this wired feeling where I'm sort of emotionless and not necessarily more motivated but I have stamina and can focus without intrerruption, certaintly makes me enjoy things again.

First time I took it it was me listening to music all day as it has made it really enjoyable, watching short films that I could not enjoy in a long time due to some sort of anhedonia. Libido went through the roof. But still I felt wired and a bit emotionless which did not help with my ongoing art project, I felt like I could enjoy things but I didn't have that emotional drive to take that art out of me into the world. One of the main benefits is that it truly killed intrussive thoughts due to some past experiences, and it has brought me out of that bad state completely where now it's easy to keep positive thoughts looping which this alone for me is worth the other effects. I did have a little bit of insomnia the first night but the following days I could nap during the day no problem, also my dreams would be really vivid during those naps. I need to mention that on day 2 I had a migraine with aura during the evening, which I'm used to getting once or twice per year.

Having said that I don't necessarily feel at home taking it, it has sort of a foggy feeling that might go away with time, thinking that it might have to do with me having Slow-COMT. I tried recording some videos for my youtube channel and I found that I couldn't focus on speaking as well as just being off of it.

Things are enjoyable on it, definitely great to have in my arsenal to get out of a bad mood, but so far it's not an infinite drive limitless pill. Heard someone say that it feels like coming up on acid and I think that's a perfect way to describe it in my case.

Think I'll take a break from it tomorrow, it defenitly does not combine well with alcohol, which I don't have the desire to drink at all but did take a tiny little sip of prosecco for a family anniversary and that alone was enough to make me feel fuzzy. It feels like an acid microdose if you strip out the visuals, the emotion, and the overanalyzing.

It seems to have worked well with Caffeine, and especially green tea for that added L-Theanine.

Works well with Vitamin E in my instance to calm me down.

Update: Day 4 I only took L-Tyrosine and it seems to have a better effect with less of the fog of the previous days, one strategy might be to be on for a day or two and then just giving the enzymes food to process. ​​

Hi, I'm looking for something that can help me with motivation, mood, and anxiety. I'd really like to start working seriously on something and also generally improve my life, but I have some sort of anxiety and lack of motivation that does not let me do much, and my experiences with what I've taken until now make me wonder if something that acts on BDNF/NGF could help me.

I've had ADHD and depression/dysthymia from the end of elementary school, now I'm in my late 20s and haven't been able to find a cure or even something that can help me a bit long-term. For depression I've tried an SSRI, SNRI, anti-psychotic and Bupropion, for ADHD I've tried Concerta, and my psychiatrist is unwilling to prescribe other kinds of meds. I've also tried some supplements and a lot of exercise, but didn't have much luck with them either.

I've started thinking that something that acts on BDNF/NGF might be the right thing for me, because what has managed to have some effect on me seems to have some link to that, and because a lot of researchers seem to believe that depression could be caused by, among other things, low synapse density. The things that worked well for me in the past are:

- Bupropion suddenly started having a wonderful effect after a month of taking it, but that effect gradually faded away over the next 3 weeks.

- Magnesium Threonate, oddly it consistently makes me not feel physically miserable when I'm sleep deprived, which is incredible for me and I take it daily. Other types of magnesium I've tried don't do that.

- Those effects made me also try adding Agmatine, which had a very small positive effect for three days, after a few days of various other effects. Sadly, it also seems to have stopped doing anything after that.

Could something with an effect on BDNF/NGF, like (eu)tropoflavin, Bacopa, or something harder to find, like Cerebrolysin, Selank, Semax, ACD-856, which I hear is supposed to work in such a way as to give you less downregulation, NSI-189, TAK-653, 9-Me-BC and other such number-dash-letters help me? If so what should I choose?

By the way, my experiences also seem to suggest that something with an effect on NMDA could help, but Agmatine seems to be the most powerful thing that I can get for that without a prescription.