43 replies to this topic

[revival]

Does anyone know of a nootropic that can help boost motivation?

I'm currently working as a computer programmer and unfortunately I'm not particularly motivated (the projects I'm working on are difficult, I'm the sole programmer, I'm behind schedule) and things get worse as I procrastinate. I set goals every day and find that instead of working a solid 10 hours like I plan I end up working like only 3 since I am easily distracted doing other things (eg surfing the web or looking for motivational songs to download!). Only a few years ago I could concentrate on any task I set for myself and achieve fantastic outputs. Now what I expect to get done in a couple of days takes me a week. I'm working weekends, all-nighters everything - I need to make up for lost progress, but the more I work the more distracted I get. I've just started nootropics ( see my post http://www.imminst.o...f=169&t=8608&s= ) and feel a little more alert... but my focus and motivation are still lacking. I'm also getting rather stressed and burnt out without much to show for it.

Maybe I need to see a psychologist? I'm sceptical of the whole psychology thing though.

[ajnast4r]

i think you can deal with this without pills

[xanadu]

I found that alcar did wonders for motivation. It gives you get up and go. ALA helps with that too. Some folks say pyritonol helps with motivation but I haven't tried it yet.

[LifeMirage]

Galantamine and Deprenyl are the only compounds so far to give me a remarkable boost in motivation.....galantamine took a few days....deprenyl seem to kick in right away.

[rfarris]

Amphetamines, don't forget amphetamines!

[th3hegem0n]

Try putting in a few hours of exercise every day. This should boost your overall energy level a little bit, as well as diminish the general distracted feeling.

[jackinbox]

Try putting in a few hours of exercise every day. This should boost your overall energy level a little bit, as well as diminish the general distracted feeling.

If we don't have enough motivation to exercise, it's a Catch-22, isn't it?

[icyT]

For bloody heck's sake, you don't need a drug to deal with lack of motivation.

Nutrition, exercise, and indulging in your desires and enjoyments and setting goals do this. It is lifestyle.

I of course, don't do this, and lack motivation, but that's only due to a lack of motivation to be motivated

[revival]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I've learnt alot!

Today I got my Galantamine, Deprenyl and ALCAR, so I'll give it a shot.

Maybe I don't need drugs, but I've tried to become more disciplined without them and it is hard. Bad habits have developed that are self-defeating yet seemingly daunting to break out of. I've never had issues like I'm facing before - in the past I always stepped up a gear to meet a challenge, yet lately I've slowed down way past where I should be and my heart has sunk. I'm hoping drugs can help me make the transition. Already I'm feeling more confident with what I've taken so far and I'm certainly willing to give it my best shot now.

Yes, diet and exercise have been lacking my life lately, and when you have work piling up (and as jackinbox said, when you are already lacking in motivation and energy anyway), it can be very hard to try and fit this in. But I can see that without it things will get worse.

Thanks again for the encouragement and advice, I might finally be making a move in the right direction.

[purerealm]

yeah not having the motivation to exercise sucks, even if you know it'll be good for you, it's hard to actually bring yourself to do it. fatigue doesn't help the situation either.

[losty]

take some time off......ur spinning wheels....ull be more efficient......

There is a reason the work week is 40 hrs ..... point of diminishing returns and all that shite....



1)
take a day off.....do fuck all....no stimulants

get some phenibut......suck down 1.5gm that night along with 3mg of melatonin 100mg 5htp and 5mg b12


2)
wake up (you'll have a great sleep if after phenibut and be in a great mood) take 5 gm of deprenyl .5gm of dl-phenyalanine

suck down some pyritinol, centrophenoxine, sublingual b-vites, aniracetam and fish oil

worky worky

sleepy sleepy

repeat until burnt out after many days and go back to step 1




Should do the trick for you....beware of phenibut.....

Sleep is very important dude......your probably exhausted....its amazing what a good nights sleep will do for you.

Yeah and excercise.......stretching and meditation.....just a lil bit helps heaps!

[hiredavidrnow]

Have you consider attempting to use a Floatation Tank? (A 2 hour float session, helps you feel like you have slept for 8 hours+ and its like a little vacation. Try doing it a few days a week, and you will definately see an improvement)

Using one could really make a HUGE difference. If you want to research this see http://www.floatation.com or http://www.floataway.com (you can even make your own, and they are AWESOME!)

Based on what you describe, you sound allot like me. I listen to motivating music, and am easily distracted )which has negatively affected allot of my jobs).

Consider trying Vinpocetine, and centrophinoxine or DMAE. I have also found that taking Emer'gen-C­® from ­Alacer-Corp (www.alacercorp.com) personally, this has really made a huge difference! I take between 2-4 packets a day.

I would highly suggest that you take B1 (thiamine), Niacinamide (a great B3 source), P-5-P (a great b6 source) and a 2000mcg sublingual of b12 (perhaps 2-3 times a day: This is what I do).

If you will just start doing the above supplements, on a regular basis... you will see a BIG difference.

One other thing that might make a difference as far as your overall mental and physical energy is more sunlight. Now, if you do not have exposure to atleast 15 minutes of sunshine 2 times/day you can with Full Spectrum lights.

Otherwise, you might get fired... and I hope for your sake that your not close to that problem.


I wish you the best, and feel free to contact me.

David

Does anyone know of a nootropic that can help boost motivation?

I'm currently working as a computer programmer and unfortunately I'm not particularly motivated (the projects I'm working on are difficult, I'm the sole programmer, I'm behind schedule) and things get worse as I procrastinate. I set goals every day and find that instead of working a solid 10 hours like I plan I end up working like only 3 since I am easily distracted doing other things (eg surfing the web or looking for motivational songs to download!). Only a few years ago I could concentrate on any task I set for myself and achieve fantastic outputs. Now what I expect to get done in a couple of days takes me a week. I'm working weekends, all-nighters everything - I need to make up for lost progress, but the more I work the more distracted I get. I've just started nootropics ( see my post http://www.imminst.o...f=169&t=8608&s= ) and feel a little more alert... but my focus and motivation are still lacking. I'm also getting rather stressed and burnt out without much to show for it.

Maybe I need to see a psychologist? I'm sceptical of the whole psychology thing though.

[~ prometheus ~]

Have you consider attempting to use a Floatation Tank?  (A 2 hour float session, helps you feel like you have slept for 8 hours+ and its like a little vacation. Try doing it a few days a week, and you will definately see an improvement)

Using one could really make a HUGE difference.  If you want to research this see http://www.floatation.com or http://www.floataway.com (you can even make your own, and they are AWESOME!)

i built a tank earlier this year... i'm a bit skeptical of claims that a couple hours of floating are the equivalent to a night's sleep but it definitely is very refreshing. usually when i get home in the evening, i just want to lie down and switch off my brain. floating for an hour wipes the slate clean and i can keep my mind going for the rest of the night. in the absence of any sensory input, it gives your brain a nice rest. the anti-gravity effect of floating on water also eases aching muscles.

my theory is that if you were to float and have a submersible mp3 player, the tank environment would be perfect for learning. there was one study done in the 1980s that supports this idea, but nobody has really followed up on it. i reckon in the absence of the usual level of stimulation, all your attention would be focussed upon the little input that remains, the audio tapes. but this is all speculation, i intend to test this in the coming months.

[notshorty]

WHOA! One thing that jumped right out at me on floatawayDOTcom is that you're floating in epsom salts...

Have any of you tried magnesium supplementation? Soaking in epsom salts is highly recommended for mineral deficiencies, (I just read this today - don't have a source though, sorry) and could have a wide range of beneficial effects.

I'm sure that floating in warm water is relaxing as can be, but for those of us who can't afford our own float tanks may have similar benefits from add'l minerals and/or soaking in epsoms...

NS

[goedikey]

1- Switch the Piracetam to Aniracetam. Piracetam makes one sleepy while Aniracetam make one more alert.
2- Stay off of Amphetamines
3- Take Rhodiola in low doses. It will get you going for some time and is harmless.
3- I dont think you should take all those products you are currently using
4- Take the basics : B complex, Omega 3, exercice etc...

good luck

[goedikey]

And L-Tyrosine on an empty stomach can be quite potent in making one motivated I think !

[hiredavidrnow]

As far as L-Tyrosine supplementation, it really depends on the individuals person needs. If you might have any sort of learning (disorder) difference, tyrosine might help you... HOWEVER we each need to recognise what does and doesn't work.
While taking all these smart-drugs and various other supplements, it is easy to max out or 'over do' it.
I have found that with me, I need to be careful with tyrosine, with all the other 15+ supplements that I am taking so that they work together instead against each other.
From what I understand, taking tyrosine while taking deprenyl causes the effects to be seriously amplified.

Titrate.

Be careful, and share with the rest of us what works for you... If you will.

Thanks!

[LifeMirage]

Do the motivating effects of those two substances diminish with use?

Over 10 years and still kicking....so no not for me anyways.

[LifeMirage]

(LifeMirage)

Over 10 years and still kicking....so no not for me anyways.


This is one anecdotal report.

Do studies speak of these substances' motivating effects and whether they diminish over time with use?

There are no human studies that focus just on motivation and nootropics....who would put up the money to do such a study? No one....but in the over 10 years I have prescribed deprenyl and more recently galantamine to 100's of people with good results....take it or leave it....but you will not always find answers in studies, rather personal experience or insights into research.

That said there are studies that link the neurochemical effects of deprenyl and galantamine with that of motivation....I'll be including a chapter in my book that helps everyone understand that relationship.

Edited by LifeMirage, 02 December 2005 - 11:50 AM.

[LifeMirage]

I agree that there is little incentive to fund expensive studies on these substances. While the "neurochemical effects" of deprenyl and galantamine may support the claim that they boost motivation,

Its not really a claim, its what the research shows....you may want review pubmed to better understand motivation and its relation to dopamine and the nicotinic receptors.


I'm not certain one can say with great confidence that their effects don't diminish noticeably with time based solely on numerous positive anecdotal reports over the years.

Yet again as far as the neurochemical effects (for galantamine) its been shown not to diminish over time.

As previously stated, in addition to acting as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, galantamine has also been shown to be a nicotinic agonist—an agent that mimics the effects of acetylcholine by directly stimulating nicotinic receptors. More importantly, galantamine was shown to be an allosteric modulator—a compound that interacts with receptors by binding to sites distinctly different from those used by acetylcholine or nicotine. Because allosteric modulators are not directly involved in the neurotransmission processes they affect, they do not induce compensatory processes that other compounds induce. Thus, problems such as receptor desensitization and down-regulation of expression are avoided.5

5. Maelicke A, Samochocki M, Jostock R, Fehrenbacher A, Ludwig J, Albuquerque EX, Zerlin M. Allosteric sensitization of nicotinic receptors by galantamine, a new treatment strategy for Alzheimers disease. Biol Psychiatry 2001;49:279-88.

Edited by LifeMirage, 02 December 2005 - 07:10 PM.

[xanadu]

I don't see how anyone would need more than alcar and ala for motivation. I guess if that doesn't do it for you you could try those others. Everyone is different.

[revival]

Just a quick update.

I've noticed recently a marked improvement in my energy levels and ability to focus on important tasks (I'm not sure which of the nootropics I'm taking is contributing most though, but certainly since starting deprenyl & galantamine there has been an improvement). On average I'm now feeling more alert and overall "brighter". My mood and outlook has improved and I'm getting more work done whereas previously I was often suffering from a "haze" of lethargy. There are still a lot of avenues I want to investigate and I am appreciative of all the suggestions people here have contributed.

Thanks again for all the help and looking forward to learning a whole lot more,

Revival

[jackinbox]

How Alcar+ALA compare to deprenyl and galantamine? Is there alternative to those products? All of it are controlled substance in Canada and my Deprenyl seems to be stuck at the border [ang]

[xanadu]

ALA is controlled in Canada? I thought we had the nanny state. It might be worth looking into because it and alcar are great for energy and they help your mental state too. I don't use deprenyl.

[jackinbox]

ALA is controlled in Canada? I thought we had the nanny state. It might be worth looking into because it and alcar are great for energy and they help your mental state too. I don't use deprenyl.

I think that ALA isn't controled by Alcar and deprenyl are on prescription only.

[mitkat]

I just bought ALA at a bulk barn in Toronto a month ago, and I bought R-ALA also at a different shop. It's all good.

I was under the impression galantamine was legal, also.

[jackinbox]

I received my Deprenyl even if it's a prescription drug in Canada. It just took longer than I expected.