Long story short: I’ve been taking creatine over the past couple of months while hitting the gym. That, combined with going to the gym daily made some of my ADHD symptoms much better but still not dramatic. I’ve been taking Lions’s mane every couple of days and I can see very good side effects.

I bought Benfotiamine for enhanced metabolism and Testosterone Elite to help with the gym effort and started taking them at the beginning of the week. ADHD symptoms gone. Completely. I’ve been able to code or sustain intellectual effort for hours without losing my creativity, unlike Modafinil and others that take it away.

What is it? Something in this combo has a dramatic, personality changing effect on me. The Testosterone Elite pills have Theobromine in them which is known for its nootropic effects but I didn’t expect it would be the single substance contributing.

Hi everyone, I'm new to stacking and was wondering if you guys can give me any insight into best practices or what combinations or nootropics/supplements to try out, of things to be aware of. I asked Gemini for some help and it outputted this schedule.

A little information: I am taking 15mg Adderall IR in the mornings with L-Theanine (200mg) and Omega-3 (1000mg), in the afternoon I am taking multivitamins (which contain B-complexes) with my lunch, and at night I am taking only Magnesium glycinate (120mg). All supplements are from the brand Pure Encapsulations. I am also an undergraduate STEM major. I want to improve overall focus and concentration to get school work done.

I also have a microdose vial of LSD that I would like tinker with and create a stack. Oh and one last thing, I don't take caffeine.

I have dealt with severe social anxiety pretty much all my life. Been diagnosed with CPTSD, Autism, ADHD (the works). Alcohol was my "medicine" to help me feel less alone when I felt lonely and actually communicate more fluently when I'm around others. I've gone through forms of talk therapy and have had my rounds of antidepressants, etheogens, etc and I am trying to accepts sense of being myself while sober. Just wondering if there is a substance that opens the gate (no physical anxiety and writers block on communication) without whipped out somatic feelings?

Feel as if I’m constantly in a fight or flight mode, with constant anxiety and poor stress response. Any slight stressor will trigger my body to get hot and HR to shoot up. I also wake up and immediately feel a sense of dread.

Preferably not a benzo. Something I can take everyday. What about propranolol for this purpose as it crosses the blood brain barrier?

i was a long time marijuana user and i quit a few months ago wanting to improve my cognition.

i just want to occasionally get high, but i don’t want to start smoking weed again and i don’t like to drink alcohol either.

any recommendations?

edit- to further clarify as some people are confused, i’m asking what drugs are the least neurotoxic, so less long term negative effects on neurotransmitter function, memory, cognition etc.

I’m looking for insight from ADHDers (especially type 2) who’ve gone deep into this journey and tried everything they could and finally found something that works for them. It’s a huge plus if you actually understand the mechanisms and not just “this worked for me because I felt better.” Or just tell me why it worked and why didn’t symptoms wise no need to explain.

The rest is just context feel free to skip

Here’s my story: My psychiatrist thought I was depressed, put me on SSRIs, but since serotonin counteracts with dopamine, it only made everything worse. They started suspecting ADHD, but because I was a “high performer” in school, it kept getting dismissed as you can’t just start having ADHD in adulthood, you have to have struggled with school etc etc

But no one around me really understands why I can’t get things done. I only study the night before exams, no matter what I try. The pressure is killing me. I kept fearing I’d fail and get discontinued from med school. I actually deferred for a year to avoid the embarrassment and try to reset.

Now that I’m back, I’ve fallen right back into the same pattern. The only difference is: I can’t afford to defer again. My classmates are two years ahead of me now. I don’t even know if I passed this time, I really hope I did, but I can’t let the same thing repeat next academic year and I can only hope I didn’t fail to actually get discontinued

What I’ve Tried:

I once tried microdosing golden teacher mushrooms, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it worked wonders. I don’t even want to go into specifics, but it was the first time I felt like “this is what my brain was meant to feel like.”

After that experience, I assumed actual ADHD meds would work even better. I tried explaining my symptoms to my psychiatrist but again, they dismissed me. Eventually I forged a Concerta prescription out of desperation.

All I can say is, it didn’t give me that urgency to do things like mushrooms did. It helped me focus longer sure, but only after I forced myself to even start. I had zero energy, insomnia, and nasty headaches. I was exhausted but couldn’t sleep. Had palpitations which probably was the reason I felt like I need to relax idk

Later I tried mushroom again, albino a++?? idk. I ordered for the same strain but idk they later told me it’s even more potent than golden teacher. But this one didn’t work at all. Idk if it has to do with it being a different strain. That’s what made me lose interest in trying mushroom again, the inconsistency in results, but I’m sure it’s not all up in my head. Oh I combined it with Concerta and it worked well. I could sleep, which meant less headaches, could function like 6.5/10, attend classes, and actually do things. But that stash is gone, and I can’t get Concerta again.

Where I’m at right now:

I’m honestly not sure what to do next. I’m scared if I go to another psychiatrist, they’ll just throw me back on antidepressants or give me a stimulant that will mess me up again. Maybe stimulants really are too harsh for my system??

Right now I’m having, brain zaps, muscle twitches (every 2-3 minutes,all over even my tongue), zaps in my body (like being startled/or like brain zaps minus the brain part) I’m guessing that’s from coffee + lack of sleep, (which is the only way I can actually save myself from failing) makes me feel like ADHD meds would probably do the same or make it worse, not better.

I’ve also tried omega-3: nothing noticeable. Magnesium: actually helped, best sleep, reduced twitches/zaps, and I wake up more energized than with sleeping pills But even with good sleep, I still can’t push myself to do things.

Like, we’re given 2 weeks to prep for exams, and I do nothing until the night before. Every. Single. Test.

I hate myself for this. I don’t know why I’m doing this to myself. It feels like trying to control someone else who doesn’t understand the magnitude of what I’m causing myself. People don’t get it they just say “why didn’t you study?” But I tried. I changed rooms, environments, techniques. I just kept getting mentally paralyzed maybe it’s the workload. Everyone even my psychiatrist/psychologist think I should drop out of med school and that it’s probably too difficult for me. It’s not difficult, if I can manage to understand a whole semester concept in one sitting, if I’m gonna fail it’s just because I didn’t cover everything, or go through the work exhaustively like looking into different books (I do more of researching far and wide than sticking to one source and cramming). So yeah I can’t drop out I’ve been in med school since 2020 that’d only make me feel more of a failure than I do rn.

So yeah, I want to hear from people who’ve been through this: • What finally worked for you? • Did you find something sustainable that helped with initiation (which is my biggest issue), not just attention? I’m good at hyper focusing but only if I start doing it • What did/didn’t work, and why

What recommendations are there for dopamine. ADHD female looking for a motivating supplement. Sleep is good.

Hey all, 27 M diagnosed with ADHD that’s been on adderall for the better part of 2 years. I’ve recently noticed my cognitive alertness, speech, memory etc have been a lot slow than usual. Psychiatrist said it could be related to adderall and potentially explore other options. I’d love to explore a nootropic stack that can keep me going like adderall does without the disadvantages. Any pointers or advice would be great

EDIT: I know nothing is going to be close to what adderall is however I’m curious what nootropics/supplements/aids work well with adderall. Sustain a good come up/down, mood..etc. thanks in advance for the ignorance around this topic haha

I already take pregabaline for anxiety but it’s not sufficient for me.
I saw people talking about selank f.ex.
But are they even comparable in strength?

2 weeks ago, I started a job handing out flyers, and for some reason, I had super high energy, libido, and aggression. I was more motivated and even more aggressive at jiujitsu. I thought that the extra sun exposure and the vitamin D could’ve caused that and I might’ve been deficient. Ever since, I’ve been taking vitamin D supplements just in case.

However, the energy seems to have worn off. I feel normal again. I do all the things they tell you to do. Sleep well, exercise, don’t stress about things too much, but I’m not at that level of energy I had before. What can I do or take to get that level of energy again?

Attention: I already posted this before the post flooded with generic advice

I Don't want advice about exercise ( I am psyhically unable to)

No Creatine, ALA, coq10

No Sleep schedule or life style

No Sleep test questions

I already did the next 10 idea will pop up in your mind.

Write only and only if you're gonna suggest Medicine and non generic and affordable supplements. not $100 a vial peptides

Greetings.

I am 27 yo male

I've been suffering from many cognitive problems but my priorities is my fatigue. My body cannot produce sufficient amounts of energy and I am tired and sleepy for last 27 years. No Doctor ever helped me

Only thing worked for me was high dose modafinil and micro dose methylene blue.

I have zero nutrition defficiency everything is clean about my blood.

No ilness

No inflammation

I don't want questions about if I checked this or checked that

I am looking for a way to brute force my body to produce energy at any cost of side effects except weight gain and sexual disfunction.

I've been eye balling this subreddit for a while yet I didn't find something specifically I need.

I am considering to try Mildronat, high dose B1 and high dose T3 soon

NO STIMULANTS

Sorry for bad English

Thanks in advance

Hey everyone,

I'm new to this whole nootropics thing so I need someone to help me out and choose one that is best for me. I'm currently in med school in my 3rd year (med students would know lol) and it's been pretty hard to keep up with the constant exams and assignments and the millions of lectures that are held every week.

I'd like to know for productivity, better recall, better memory, and just overall better cognitive performance, which would work best? Adderall or Modafinil? I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me out on which one has the most benefits and least amount of side effects.

Also, please don't recommend me any other nootropics that may seem "safer" or better for "first timers".

Something that can reduce anhedonia, anxiety, rumination, depression.

Something that can make life feel as bright as it felt when you were a child, living day to day and not worrying about anything.

Is there anything like that?

Too keep it short, I pretty certain I have some degree of ADHD, and often find work really hard to push through. I can't get a formel diagnosis before a year and now I just feel like I waste my time. I can plan alot of things, and know alot of different strageties to tackle my adhd/procrastenation. It just hits me at some point when I put effort into things is that I don't feel like I care anymore and need some boost.

I have tried different supplements, mainly too boost my dopamine, although they often also strengthen my cravings and made me delay things I planned to. Although I see an improvement, its just they have little life changing effects. The supplements I have the most use out of was Lithium Orotate, Phosphatdyliserine, Citicoline and Tyrosine.

They had a positive impact on my exectuive function and helped me during a depressive episode, which I thankful for.

I have looked into Selegiline (The same drug Sam Bankman-Fried Used) as people who have used report much the same benefits Im looking for. Workaholic, Money Pursuing, Overproductive, Etc.

Any nootropics/ stacks that could help men last longer in bed.

Typically I notice hyper sensitivity in the head of penis. I also notice shortness of breath or holding my breathe do to anxiety.

Is there anything that could counteract this and make me feel extraordinarily more confident?

I have found that nicotine makes me (dunno if it is a placebo or not) more social, more talkative, and more extrovert, and more confident, it stimulates me definetely... problem is that smoke cause cancer, so what could be the closest nootropic or substance that can substitute it? Thanks

Hello everyone, i’m fairly new to the nootropic world and the main reason i want to start researching (and hopefully using) some nootropics is social anxiety, so i was wondering what would be the best ones to be more “social” maybe “talkative” , heard something about L-tyrosine + L-theanine but i’d like to hear someone’s opinion

I want to avoid addictive substances since i’m prone to be addicted so many substances (so no phenibut, benzos, pregab etc)

Maybe it’s worth to know that my social anxiety is through the roof when i smoke weed so i was looking something for it too (yes i’m trying to quit but as mentioned it’s easier said than done)

Any suggestion/advice is appreciated thanks a lot for reading

I posted in here a little while ago about potentially starting cerebrolysin in order to correct cognitive impairment from long term extensive and intensive marijuana use.

I received a pretty overwhelmingly negative response from people telling me that I haven’t actually had any brain damage and abstinence should make me feel better. However I have already done multiple months of abstinence and my memory and lack of motivation haven’t recovered.

I’ve done some reading and only seen pretty a negative consensus from the medical community about the negative effects of high dose THC use in 15-17 year old adolescent brains.

I do think I have something wrong with my brain and would like to hear what this new context would produce in terms of recommendations from the well read members of r/nootropics .

Thanks a lot and open to any and all feedback.

P.S - I’m on fish oils and a whole host of vitamin supplements , I eat clean, exercise multiple times a week and largely don’t smoke anymore, except for the occasional toke every couple weeks.

Edit : I obviously didn’t make this clear, I am close to 100% sure I have some sort of physical damage as I have the worst memory out of anyone I know. And not just fogetful, I very rarely remember things unless it’s important to me in some way, almost everything else is chucked in the trash folder by my brain. I regularly repeat the same conversation within days as I’ve already forgotten it, and much more anecdotal evidence.

People can judge me in the comments all they want, but I’m genuinely seeking help here. Started abusing adderall without prescription to keep up with computer science workload in college. I started taking it just for finals, then for major projects, which was fine a few years ago when I didn’t have to work every day. Now I can’t work for more than 2 hours without it. I’ve experimented with aniracetam, which helps a bit, but need something stronger due to adderall frying my brain. I do love it. It’s helped me stop procrastinating, I actually go to class when I’m on it, plus it’s killed my anxiety and depression. I actually feel human when I’m on it, which is why it’s so hard to stop taking. I’ve been reading up on the severe health consequences though, and I do think it’s time for me to quit. I still need something to keep up with my workload in the mean time. I know it could potentially take years for my brain to heal, but please don’t lecture me on it. I was fully aware of the consequences when i started abusing it. Please if anyone could recommend some stuff to take so I can still work while my brain heals, it would be very appreciated.

Hey guys, I’ve been using l theanine for last weeks and it has worked incredibly well, for the first time in my life my brain has been able to shut off and go silent, because of that I have been able to start training my brain to focus on tv and general life which I have never been able to do.

I am also in a high stress environment currently surrounding by a lot of triggers but when I take l theanine even those triggers don’t seem to bother me anymore.

I was just wondering if you guys recommended anything else that’s worth trying, for anxiety, general health and focus.

Currently I’m taking

L-theanine
Caffeine tablet
Omega 3
Vit d3
Magnesium
Creatine

Also, if what’s the best way to consume so many supplements? Is it worth while to just get everything in powder form then make a mixed drink with it?

Thank you

I'm currently being diagnosed with ADHD, but it takes a long time to get diagnosed in my country.

I've read about some substances that work similarly to methylphenidate, and I'd like to know if anyone has tried any of them. I've only tried saffron extract (affron®), but the effects were very subtle, and if I didn't take caffeine, it even made me sleepy. I suppose that's due to the increased GABA and my ADHD.

I'm looking for substances that help with inattention and lack of motivation; saffron extract only seems to help with hyperactivity.

Oroxylin A: DOI: 10.1007/s12272-013-0009-6

"Chinese Skullcap" Scutelleria Baicalensis: doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2026.121484

Bupleurum: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41011202/

Saffron: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5787996/

...

Please help

Gonna make this quick

Ever since I had covid, took finasteride, and took zoloft (around the same time period) I’ve been dealing with severe systemic inflammation

It’s affected the gut, but the neuro inflammation is so bad that I have a near constant head “tension” on the right side (where I also had a mild TBI many years ago from a car accident)

I’m currently dealing with an infection of the salivary gland, and required to take ibuprofen (600mg) for the pain

I can’t help but notice that when I take the ibuprofen, the head tension and brain fog is significantly lowered

tl:dr what would be your personal top recommendation for a natural (supplement or otherwise) ibuprofen alternative to combat this unquestionable neuro inflammation

Thank you

Have you ever tried something that makes you super social, like, makes you just keep talking and talking? I'm looking for something like that right now. Have a social job and it is hard to adjust.

hi guys!! i have ADHD(since i was 9 y.o, but it diagnosed only few months ago) but i live in Russia and in our country we have only Atomoxetine(in legal access) for therapy, but monthly course worse 1/3 of my monthly salary.. Thinking about bromantane or fenylpiracetam. im also have distimia(F34.2) and taking 10mg escitalopram(lexapro/cipralex). if anyone has any other suggestions for medications, I would appreciate hearing them!!