Amphetamine, But Not Methylphenidate (Ritalin) Increases Serotonin

[DaveFoster]

Hey Dave, why do you say 1 cup of sugar?

Are you saying this in reference to avoiding a stress response, or for having the same "feeling" as ritalin?

I can take 400 mg caff with enough food without adding sugar, so I'm curious as to how you came up with the 1 cup amount....

If you have poor glycogen storage and consume very little fat, then these factors would exacerbate the lipolytic and anxiogenic effects of caffeine.

 

[Owen B]

If you have poor glycogen storage and consume very little fat, then these factors would exacerbate the lipolytic and anxiogenic effects of caffeine.

shouldn't the real concern with Ritalin be the fact that it is a reuptake inhibitor?

I think most psychiatrists - if they were candid - would say that they are reluctant to put people on RIs because once on them it is very hard to stop them. I don't know if that qualifies as a dopamine withdrawl situation or not, but the same difficulty appears when one is given any kind of RI. It's very hard to get a person back to his previous state once they go off the RI.

Wouldn't a dopamine agonist be better? Diamant, Selegiline? Others?

 

[DaveFoster]

shouldn't the real concern with Ritalin be the fact that it is a reuptake inhibitor?

I think most psychiatrists - if they were candid - would say that they are reluctant to put people on RIs because once on them it is very hard to stop them. I don't know if that qualifies as a dopamine withdrawl situation or not, but the same difficulty appears when one is given any kind of RI. It's very hard to get a person back to his previous state once they go off the RI.

Wouldn't a dopamine agonist be better? Diamant, Selegiline? Others?

Better for what exactly? Selegiline has some amphetamine-like effects, whereas rasagiline has more of a direct inhibitory effect on the MAO-B enzyme.

 

[Owen B]

Better for what exactly? Selegiline has some amphetamine-like effects, whereas rasagiline has more of a direct inhibitory effect on the MAO-B enzyme.

Better for avoiding crippling side effects that are very difficult to recover from?

https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Epid...ywords=robert+whitaker+anatomy+of+an+epidemic

I don't think there's any excuse for it.

 

[DaveFoster]

Better for avoiding crippling side effects that are very difficult to recover from?

https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Epid...ywords=robert+whitaker+anatomy+of+an+epidemic

I don't think there's any excuse for it.

If you mean non-stimulant treatments for ADHD, guanfacine, which lowers blood pressure and can reduce hyperactivity has been used clinically. Although it's a "non-stimulant," atomoxetine (Strattera) raises the stress hormone norepinephrine in the brain and has been shown to have irreversible genetic effects following withdrawal of the drug. Caffeine or coffee, particularly when consumed alongside large amounts of sugar can improve focus. The hormone progesterone has sedative-like effects, but, unlike many sedatives progesterone improves cognition and information retention, and it can also protect the brain from the damaging effects of psychological stress. Alongside progesterone, caffeine can support the brain's metabolism without a debilitating effect on anxiety. Similarly, the hormone liothyronine (T3) can mimic some of the effects of caffeine but tends to have less of an impact on anxiety. Taken in either isolation without any thyroxine (T4) or in too great a dosage, T3 can prompt negative symptoms including worsened anxiety. Although dosages in excess of 3 grams can cause reversible liver damage, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), similar to progesterone can act like a sedative and synergize nicely with caffeine, but both can dramatically lower blood sugar, an effect lessened by their consumption after a meal.

Magnesium strongly supports brain function and has sedative-like effects. Magnesium hydroxide combined with seltzer water can yield a very effective magnesium carbonate supplement. A recipe can be found at the link below. Alternatively, kale broth and foods like milk, greens, orange juice, chocolate and potatoes all have magnesium. An Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) bath also can be used.

"Supplies needed:

A 1 liter bottle of seltzer water1 liter bottle of carbonated water. Any bottled water whose sole ingredient is carbonated water (sometimes listed as "water, carbon dioxide") will work. These may be labeled "seltzer water" or "sparkling water." You could also carbonate your own source of water using a home carbonation system, allowing you to use the water and bottle of your choice.
A bag of magnesium hydroxide powderPure magnesium hydroxide powder. A 250 gram bag will let you make around 69 liters of concentrated magnesium bicarbonate. I buy this one (manufactured in Japan).
A 25mL graduated cylinderA 25mL graduated cylinder (optional). This makes the measuring and pouring easier, reducing the risk of messy bubblesplosions. I use this one (a 10mL one seems better at first, but this 25mL one is better sized for quickly pouring in the powder). If that isn't an option, you'll need a 1/8 measuring teaspoon and a way to quickly pour in the powder, such as a funnel with a wide enough mouth to keep the powder from clogging it.

Directions:

Chill the carbonated water. This helps keep the carbonation in solution. I prefer using a freezer to get the water colder than the usual refrigerator temperature. At a typical freezer temperature of 0°F, this seems to take around 2 hours for a 1 liter bottle. It's fine if the bottle freezes, so long as it doesn't burst.
Gently remove the bottle from the freezer or fridge. Too much agitation can increase the amount of carbonation that escapes. If the bottle has frozen, allow it to unfreeze before continuing.
If you have a graduated cylinder, fill it with 4.3mL of the magnesium powder. Otherwise, measure 7 eighths-of-a-teaspoon of into something that will allow you to pour the entire amount into the bottle quickly. It's ok if your measurements are not exact: if you have too much magnesium hydroxide, the excess will settle to the bottom. If you have too little, your magnesium water just won't be as potent.
Mix the ingredients. Unscrew the cap from the carbonated water, quickly pour in the magnesium powder, and reseal the cap tightly.
Shake it. Shake it for a good 30 to 60 seconds, ideally while mumbling the lyrics to Stayin' Alive.
Refrigerate the bottle. I'd suggest leaving it for at least an hour to give the reaction time to occur.
Shake the bottle again. This will help ensure that the remaining magnesium hydroxide reacts.
Enjoy your magnesium water!
Each ounce of this concentrated water will have around 40-44mg of very-absorbable magnesium, so it's good to start with small amounts. It tastes pretty good if you add a splash of it to juice, or you can just add some to plain water.
I'd suggest keeping it refrigerated with the cap on tight.
I'd advise against shaking the bottle before use, even if you see white flakes settled on the bottom. They're unlikely to react any further, and may be harder to digest than the straight liquid part.
Along the same lines, I'd advise against drinking the last bit of water if any white flakes have settled.
The bottle should be good for a week or two, although more magnesium will settle out with time.

Buying pre-made bottles

I'm only aware of a few sources of pre-made magnesium bicarbonate liquid:

United States: MagBicarb claims around 7710mg/L of magnesium, but the elemental amount is probably around 1286mg/L (see yerrag's comment here).
Australia: Unique Water at 1300 305 795 (or www.uniquewater.com.au, but the site has been down for over a month) has 125mg/L of (elemental) magnesium. The bottles are BPA-free.
Hong Kong (with plans for worldwide distribution): Longevity Water is a magnesium bicarbonate water, but I haven't been able to find information on the concentration of the magnesium."

Magnesium bicarbonate supplementation - Toxinless​

A small amount of methylene blue, such as around 500 mcg or less taken early in the day or before bed can have a nootropic effect, but it can both interact with other substances and increase blood pressure dramatically.

 

[lvysaur]

This thing for me went on for years. At the end, I felt so stupid. Like literally, super low IQ. No focus. No warmth. Just an icecold autistic nobody.

ice cold as in body temperature, or just emotion?

What my problem has been, and still is sometimes, is that I never truly relax. What does our generation do if we relax? Go watch videos on youtube? Play video games? Chat with people on forum?

Something that gets your attention out of your head, to your body. For me yoga does this. I have to do it in a class, otherwise I can't get my focus out of my zombie computer head.

I agree, and many people mistakenly attribute this life paradigm shift to "modernity" as if we haven't been living with electronics for several decades.

Blue light, etc. has problems, but the main problem you're thinking of is active choice. Spending any significant amount of time on the internet is mentally exhausting, because it is an active endeavor with a lot of choice involved.

Multiplayer video games are more active than single player ones. Note that the former is quickly outpacing the latter, and traditional 1P adventure games (non-openworld) are dying out fast.

Netflix/hulu is quickly taking over cable TV. The latter is a much more relaxing viewing experience, as you can surf and sample and pick something good that's on. The former requires you to make a more informed choice, which is more anxiety inducing.

The problem is that people don't really turn their brains off.