383 replies to this topic

[Dissolvedissolve]

That's interesting. I personally do not respond well to choline whatsoever. It tends to tire me out and lower my mood. I respond pretty well to ALCAR, although my reaction is very dose-dependent. Too low of doses don't do anything, and too high of doses make me jittery, but proper doses improve my energy with few side effects.

Also, I finally got my panax ginseng in the mail yesterday. I tried 1g of it this morning and noticed a mild boost in energy, mood, and motivation. I'll see if that goes away as I'd expect for a placebo. In any case, it's promising. It's not in the same league as proper stimulants, though, in which category I'd place caffeine and (ar)modafinil as well as the riskier ADHD medications.

[chris106]

Honestly, I think this is the most common among the general population. This is where the problem is for the kind of person who isn't happy no matter what they accomplish or accumulate. If it was purely on this stage, the person would have no problem actually preforming actions. I would imagine that that kind of person would be the type who is very high in society, like CEOs.

I don't think it works that way. I you have can't really enjoy the consummatory side, that won't make you successful, it's an impairement.
Enjoyment might be skewed in some way or the other in some successful people though.

Imagine we have a person that has a strong enjoyment of anticipation but not a lot of fun with consumation. I would assume that person would tend to make lots of plans but seldomly follow through. Because the required work is part of the consumation.

This is a somewhat unscientific response, but I think there are indeed people in manager/higher up positions who suffer from consummatory ahedonia.
I think they still manage to create enough drive from the anticipatory side to follow through with their plans - but then if they don't feel adequatly rewarded/ stimulated, they tend to become manic / psychotic and aim ever higher and higher, searching for extremes to somewhat feel any sort of enjoyment.

It's basically the plot of "American Psycho"

[Dissolvedissolve]

Here's an interesting finding regarding the serotonin system. If you've been following this thread, you know serotonin is very, very complicated with many receptor subtypes, possibly with some overstimulated, some understimulated, some increasing and some decreasing DA, and so on. Here's a finding (in rats) suggesting 5-HT2C agonism is beneficial. I find this very interesting since serotonergic psychedelics are 5-HT2C agonists, and they're known for being anti-anhedonic. This is purely speculation, since there aren't any selective 5-HT2C agonists in the wild.

Potential' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0924977X96000156']Potential antidepressant properties of preferential 5HT2C receptor agonists were investigated in stress-induced anhedonia, a validated simulation of depression. This simulation evaluates the hedonic state of stressed rats by recording variations in self-stimulation threshold measured before, during, and after exposure to intermittent, unpredictable, mild stressors. This stress regimen gradually elevates self-stimulation threshold, suggesting the development of an anhedonic state. In stressed animals, chronic treatment with the preferential 5HT2C receptor agonists Ro 60-0175 and Ro 60-0332 (3 mg/kg i.p. b.i.d.) prevented the loss of sensitivity to reward. Similarly, when stressed anhedonic animals were curatively treated with Ro 60-0175 (3 mg/kg i.p. b.i.d.), the stress-induced anhedonia was gradually reversed. These results suggest a role for 5HT2C receptors in some aspects of depression, and potential antidepressant properties for selective 5HT2C receptor agonists. Such compounds may offer an innovative approach to the treatment of mood disorders.

→ source (external link)

Also, I've compiled a list of the compounds I've tried for anticipatory anhedonia, which I've been meaning to post. I'll get around to it shortly.

[NeuroNootropic]

Any updates, changes, benefits? It seems like every one just gave up.

[Dissolvedissolve]

I've been meaning to post this list of (nearly) everything I've tried for anticipatory anhedonia. Here you go:


Misc:
TMG: This helped quite a bit a while back. I've recently discontinued it, since it seemed to lose some efficacy over time. I feel better now than I did then, but it's difficult to say to what degree that is a result of the change in chemicals and to what degree it's psychological. (I'm focusing less on anticipatory anhedonia and just focusing on consummatory activities instead.)
Rhodiola Rosea: I tried 500 mg of NOW's RR for over two weeks with little effect. There may be a slight improvement in energy, focus, and motivation, but it's not dramatic. It's not in the same league as caffeine or nicotine (gum), and I find armodafinil more effective as well (although it's not as potent as caffeine or nicotine for me). The extract I'm using is 3% rosavins and 1% salidrosides. Some have said a higher quality SHR-5 extract is required for maximal efficacy.
Phenylalanine: Effects of this at 500-1000 mg have been varied and pretty weak. I think it's mostly a placebo, but I've only tried it around half a dozen times.

Stimulants:
Caffeine: At around 100 mg, it actually helps me quite a bit for a short while. Note that I do not use it more than a few times per week, and the more I use it, the weaker it is. I do not get any anxiety from this dosage of caffeine - its effects are pretty much purely positive for me.
Armodafinil: At 112.5-150 mg mildly improves focus and motivation. Also interferes with sleep somewhat and has some obnoxious anxiogenic side-effects, moreso than methylphenidate or caffeine for me. At 150 mg, my preferred dose, it's a reasonably effective stimulant with a long half-life and a relatively gradual come-down.
Nicotine: With 2mg of nicotine gum, I get around two hours worth of focus and motivation. It can burn a bit and have a slight dizzy / generally weird feeling associated with it.

Adrenergics:
Tyrosine: At 1000 mg, increased heart rate. Not motivating or interest-enhancing. Tyrosine should effect DA as well, but I've placed it in this category since it subjectively feels much more similar to ephedrine than, say, methylphenidate to me.
Yohimbine: At 2.5-5 mg, I noticed nothing other than a very physical stimulant effect. Same results as tyrosine.
Ephedrine: Similar effects compared to yohimbine. Useful for energy and appetite suppression, but not therapeutic.

Serotonergics:
Bacopa: I took this for memory enhancement, but I wanted to mention it here since it made my symptoms substantially worse. It also wrecked my sex drive entirely and had pretty bad GI symptoms. It did not noticeably improve my memory, either.

GABAergics:
Phenibut: Pleasant, but not something to take frequently. Apparently, its GABA-B activity causes cascading dopamine release, so this should not be taken as justification for taking GABAergics to deal with anhedonia.
Bacopa may have some GABA upregulation activity, but it has already been mentioned.

Glutamatergics:
Sarcosine, DAA, Glycine: I've tried all of these, with doses of 1-2 grams, 3 g, and 5-10 g respectively. I initially felt something with sarcosine + DAA, but the effect quickly faded, making me suspect it was just placebo. There did seem to be a slight increase in libido with DAA, but with no corresponding change in mental state.
Piracetam: Helped a bit at first but lost efficacy over time. I notice literally no effect from piracetam at this point, other than some potentiation of stimulants and alcohol.
Oxiracetam: Same story as piracetam.
Aniracetam, Noopept: Both of these are pleasant and mellow but not helpful. I notice some long-term benefits from noopept.

Vitamins/Minerals:
Panax Ginseng: At 500-1000 mg of a low-potency extract, there's a definite improvement in mood along with some energy. Unfortunately, tolerance seems to build pretty rapidly, meaning it's not a long-term solution.
Uridine Monophosphate: 300 mg oral yielded minimal effects. 300 mg sublingual yielded excessive mood flattening. I could not find a dosing scheme yielding any desirable effects. Although the mechanisms I've read about for UMP are dopaminergic, it subjectively "felt" serotonergic and provided effects I would expect from an SSRI-like drug. Subjectively, it was reminiscent of bacopa, but weaker.
Vitamin D: Absolutely no effect at 2000-4000 IU/day.
Multi: I've discontinued and restarted my multi, Rainbow Light Men's One, with no effect. I don't plan on buying more when I run out.
Fish oil: I've discontinued fish oil with no effect. I keep taking it based on studies, but I've never noticed any difference. I use 1g EPA and 500mg DHA, which is what is validated by the literature.
Magnesium: I take it since I know my diet does not provide the RDA, and it seems to improve sleep quality, but it does not help with my symptoms.
Zinc: I only took it for around a week since I was somewhat concerned about excessive zinc (20 mg in my multi and 30 in the supplement). I've taken it since, and it hasn't done much. It may improve my sleep quality.

The best solution I've found is to not focus too much on the anhedonia. If you think about it, you wind up obsessing over it, which ultimately impairs ability to anticipate pleasure even more. Since stress, and obsession to some extent, help cause anhedonia in the first place, it's best to avoid them. My symptoms are reduced but not gone. On the other hand, I've always been a very unexcitable person, so I am to some extent back to my baseline.

As far as chemicals go, I use caffeine and armodafinil regularly and quite like them for temporary alleviation of symptoms. I need to get around to trying racemic modafinil, as I know it works better for some than armodafinil. Nicotine works pretty well, but I am somewhat concerned about addictivity and long-term neurotoxicity.

Edited by Dissolvedissolve, 04 May 2013 - 10:16 PM.

[NeuroNootropic]

For the Phenylalanine, did you try DLPA or just regular L-Phenylalanine? Not sure if there's a difference between the two though.

What about amphetamines or Selegiline?

Anyway, apart from the drug-related treatment, have you checked your thyroid hormones? TSH is not enough to measure thyroid function, you need to check:

• Free T4
• Free T3
• Reverse T3
• Thyroglobulin Antibodies
• Thyroid Peroxidase

Here's a good site that covers the thyroid misconceptions.

Edited by NeuroNootropic, 05 May 2013 - 02:13 AM.

[Dissolvedissolve]

For the Phenylalanine, did you try DLPA or just regular L-Phenylalanine? Not sure if there's a difference between the two though.

What about amphetamines or Selegiline?

Anyway, apart from the drug-related treatment, have you checked your thyroid hormones? TSH is not enough to measure thyroid function, you need to check:

• Free T4
• Free T3
• Reverse T3
• Thyroglobulin Antibodies
• Thyroid Peroxidase

Here's a good site that covers the thyroid misconceptions.

I was just using L-Phenylalanine. I remember reading something a while back claiming that L-Phe is better. I don't particularly believe it's capable of much of anything in any case.

I actually recently found a site that sells selegiline at a very decent price, so I might try it. The question is dosage. I don't think I'd want to exceed 5 mg/day, although perhaps 2.5 mg could work. Any thoughts?

I have no experience with amphetamine and wouldn't talk about it here if I did. I'm not interested in taking something with a decent bit of potential for neurotoxicity. I do think there's a lot of therapeutic potential for stimulants, just for more serious cases. And of course, their tendency to be pretty effective make me very interested in dopaminergic agents.

The TSH comment is interesting. I've had TSH before - and only after telling my doctor that I'm pretty much always a bit tired. It used to be at the very bottom of the normal range but increased to a normal value after starting to exercise. According to the site you linked, it's still deficient, but I suspect their numbers are skewed to say a larger portion of the population has thyroid issues. I tend to have normal-high BP and normal-high metabolism, so I doubt thyroid issues are central. In any case, I might mention those tests.

[Galaxyshock]

St. John's Wort works like a charm for me. I only need the normal doses of Perika these days: 300mg three times a day. In many ways I feel better than in many years.. sometimes the anhedonia still "tries" to creep back in but it's only a shadow that is left and the improvement is gradual. I find Panax ginseng goes very nice with it and energizes me and even boosts my confidence. I also went through a bottle of Bacopa extract (Thorne research) that helped with cognitive issues and perhaps further improved serotonergic function. But I think St. John's is the real deal here and should be part of any supplement stack for anhedonia.

[Dissolvedissolve]

St. John's Wort works like a charm for me. I only need the normal doses of Perika these days: 300mg three times a day. In many ways I feel better than in many years.. sometimes the anhedonia still "tries" to creep back in but it's only a shadow that is left and the improvement is gradual. I find Panax ginseng goes very nice with it and energizes me and even boosts my confidence. I also went through a bottle of Bacopa extract (Thorne research) that helped with cognitive issues and perhaps further improved serotonergic function. But I think St. John's is the real deal here and should be part of any supplement stack for anhedonia.

I was reading about SJW and especially Perika with its hyperforin content on Reddit. It's very promising - highest affinity for NE, with DA not far behind, and 5-HT last. It's definitely on my list of substances to try. It seems to be important to use a type such as Perika that's standardized for the reuptake inhibitor hyperforin rather than the MAOI hypericin.

[Galaxyshock]

St. John's Wort works like a charm for me. I only need the normal doses of Perika these days: 300mg three times a day. In many ways I feel better than in many years.. sometimes the anhedonia still "tries" to creep back in but it's only a shadow that is left and the improvement is gradual. I find Panax ginseng goes very nice with it and energizes me and even boosts my confidence. I also went through a bottle of Bacopa extract (Thorne research) that helped with cognitive issues and perhaps further improved serotonergic function. But I think St. John's is the real deal here and should be part of any supplement stack for anhedonia.

I was reading about SJW and especially Perika with its hyperforin content on Reddit. It's very promising - highest affinity for NE, with DA not far behind, and 5-HT last. It's definitely on my list of substances to try. It seems to be important to use a type such as Perika that's standardized for the reuptake inhibitor hyperforin rather than the MAOI hypericin.

I agree that it seems hyperforin-standardized works the best for anhedonia so Perika is the way to go. It in fact feels somewhat stimulating to me but I also feel very content and emotional clarity, and anhedonia diminishes pretty much completely. It's also very pro-social. Kira is formulated to both hyperforin and hypericin, and flavonoids - and seems legit too altough felt more serotonergic in my subjective experience. Now-brand cheap extract is hypericin-based which perhaps explains why I needed big doses to get good effects from it.

Edited by Galaxyshock, 06 May 2013 - 08:29 PM.

[medievil]

St. John's Wort works like a charm for me. I only need the normal doses of Perika these days: 300mg three times a day. In many ways I feel better than in many years.. sometimes the anhedonia still "tries" to creep back in but it's only a shadow that is left and the improvement is gradual. I find Panax ginseng goes very nice with it and energizes me and even boosts my confidence. I also went through a bottle of Bacopa extract (Thorne research) that helped with cognitive issues and perhaps further improved serotonergic function. But I think St. John's is the real deal here and should be part of any supplement stack for anhedonia.

Johns upregulates 5HT2A and ginseng is a agonist, agonism of that receptor is the key here togheter with GABAB agonism i beleive.

Treshold psychedelics would be extremely effective for this however seems that milder herbs that agonize 5HT2A work very well too.

[Galaxyshock]

St. John's Wort works like a charm for me. I only need the normal doses of Perika these days: 300mg three times a day. In many ways I feel better than in many years.. sometimes the anhedonia still "tries" to creep back in but it's only a shadow that is left and the improvement is gradual. I find Panax ginseng goes very nice with it and energizes me and even boosts my confidence. I also went through a bottle of Bacopa extract (Thorne research) that helped with cognitive issues and perhaps further improved serotonergic function. But I think St. John's is the real deal here and should be part of any supplement stack for anhedonia.

Johns upregulates 5HT2A and ginseng is a agonist, agonism of that receptor is the key here togheter with GABAB agonism i beleive.

Treshold psychedelics would be extremely effective for this however seems that milder herbs that agonize 5HT2A work very well too.

Makes sense. SJW seems to also have affinity at GABA-B receptor:

Hypericin may also affect activity at GABA receptor level. The effect at the GABA-A receptor subtype is shown with an IC of 75 ng ml and that at the GABA-B receptor is seen at 6 ng ml which is the most potent effect reported to date

http://journals.camb...line&aid=556444

http://journals.camb...etyETOCSession=

Seems like a great text about the SJW's mechanisms, gonna have to read it thoroughly when I have more time.

Edited by Galaxyshock, 08 May 2013 - 12:34 PM.

[Dissolvedissolve]

St. John's Wort works like a charm for me. I only need the normal doses of Perika these days: 300mg three times a day. In many ways I feel better than in many years.. sometimes the anhedonia still "tries" to creep back in but it's only a shadow that is left and the improvement is gradual. I find Panax ginseng goes very nice with it and energizes me and even boosts my confidence. I also went through a bottle of Bacopa extract (Thorne research) that helped with cognitive issues and perhaps further improved serotonergic function. But I think St. John's is the real deal here and should be part of any supplement stack for anhedonia.

Johns upregulates 5HT2A and ginseng is a agonist, agonism of that receptor is the key here togheter with GABAB agonism i beleive.

Treshold psychedelics would be extremely effective for this however seems that milder herbs that agonize 5HT2A work very well too.

We know that serotonergic psychedelics work for anticipatory anhedonia, and they are 5-HT2A agonists, and it's interesting to hear that ginseng has the same mechanism, since it also works for me. I'm getting very interested in SJW due to the 5-HT2A upregulation claim.

I found the 5-HT2A claim source in the paper that Galaxyshock posted:

Muller and Rossol incubated neuroblastoma cells with hypericum extract LI 160 in kinetic form and found reduced expression of serotonin receptors compared with a placebo solution10. Teufel and Gleitz demonstrated up-regulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine-1 A (5HT1 A) and 5HT2 A receptors after prolonged administration of hypericum extracts (2700 mg kg21 LI 160 for 26 weeks) to rats, similar to the expression levels of these receptors by synthetic anti- depressants. These results emphasize the importance of serotonin in the antidepressant action mechanism of hypericum11 .

In 1998, Raffa studied the affinity of hypericin (1.0 mM) for muscarinic cholinergic and sigma receptors. They found 49% inhibition of muscarinic and 48% inhibition of sigma receptors. This is a significant finding considering sigma receptors have been associated with the antidepressant action of synthetic agents and are located in the limbic system, which is implicated in the regulation of emotions. It has been postulated that sigma receptors modulate NMDA- glutamate receptors, which is an important pathway for antidepressant action13 .

→ source (external link)

So in addition we have beneficial effects on NMDA, which is of course heavily implicated in MDD. And we have 5-HT1A upregulation, which is similar to the 5-HT1A agonism of buspirone or the direct effects of psychedelics on 5-HT1A or the indirect effects of SSRIs on 5-HT1A. That would be presumably anti-anxiety, and it would probably yield long-term benefits regarding systemic stress, meaning more ability for pleasure in the long-run. (Chronic stress seems to be a major risk factor and possible cause of anticipatory anhedonia.) So this is all very promising for SJW.

Edited by Dissolvedissolve, 08 May 2013 - 08:33 PM.

[medievil]

A full bottle of sc27? that other thing next to hyperforin abolished my normal anhedonia too, took that much for gabareuptake during phenibut withdrawal is was anhedonia free and high as fuck while feeling horrible because of the withdrawal, what an experience so horrible but was feeling all partymood too while feeling like shit.

Ashwaghanda GABAB
Ergotamine and hydergine 5HT2A

Dont forget them boys

Ashwaghanda GABAB
Ergotamine and hydergine 5HT2A

Dont forget them boys

[medievil]

5HT2A agonists:

SSRI's (need to be combined with johns or downregulate 5HT2A)
St johns wortht
Panax ginseng
Hydergine
Ergotamine
Lisuride
Treshold psychedelics

GABAB
Ashwaghanda
Baclofen
Phenibut
GHB

Any succes with antimuscarinics?

[magniloquentc0unt]

I must say that i had been taking SJW (Hyperici herbae ex­tractum ethanolicum siccum 612 mg (5–8:1), corresp. 0,7–2,0 mg Hypericin) for 3 months last year and i did not notice any relief.. I did have a period of emotional sensitivity when i stopped, thou.
What is interesting is Ginseng: It is one of the most effective things i tried against fatigue and somnolence after Fluoxetine... And i have tried Methylphenidate and modafinil...

Edited by magniloquentc0unt, 10 May 2013 - 10:12 AM.

[Galaxyshock]

Like said Hyperforin-standardized extracts seem to work a lot better but of course can't be guaranteed to work for every case. I have gone through packet of Kira (standardized to both Hypericin and Hyperforin), a bottle of Now brand SJW (250 x 300mg, Hypericin-based), a local pharmacy SJW product (Hypericin), and now two bottles of Perika (Hyperforin-extracted). From all of these Perika has been superior. But this may also mean that St. John's has to be used continously several weeks or preferably couple of months and at least in the depression-treating doses to reach that 5-HT2A upregulation and truely benefit anhedonia.

Fluoxetine as a SSRI downregulates 5-HT2A doesn't it? and Ginseng, as an agonist of the receptor, helping you makes sense. Using SJW to upregulate that receptor could very well be worth it then..

Edited by Galaxyshock, 10 May 2013 - 10:37 AM.

[magniloquentc0unt]

I have two boxes of kira at home that i plan to use when im done with the tianeptine.. do you think i would be wasting my time trying the kira instead of the perikA? anyway, as a side note, Tianeptine week four: is acting mildly and in a particular way, but no major changes. im a bit disappointed

[medievil]

You probably just need a higher dose.

[Galaxyshock]

Kira should work too as it also has regulated Hyperforin-content and studies backing up its effects.

[medievil]

http://www.longecity...hd/#entry585718

[medievil]

I remember calamus with black pepper having mild treshold psychedelic effects so can be added to the list of 5HT2A agonists.

[medievil]

5HT2A agonism is magic for OCD besides.

[Dissolvedissolve]

I received my Swanson order today. I am currently ingestigating Gotu Kola, 100 mg standardized to 10% asiaticosides and 370 mg aerial parts. It's supposedly an adaptogen, and I've noticed a definite bodily warmth and anxiolysis. Interestingly enough, I googled after noting these effects and found that others reported the exact same things, which suggests to me that it isn't just placebo. There's also a mild mood lift and possibly a very weak stimulation. It's not at all manic feeling - very mellow without being sedating. I am slightly concerned about tolerance and potential for excitotoxicity - it seems to boost monoamine levels. In any case, the antioxidant effects should largely eliminate any excitotoxicity. There are also potential memory-enhancing and nootropic effects. Click on the study I've linked and you can read about them.

I'll also be trying Planetary Formulas' Schisandra Adrenal Complex in the next few days. And then, eventually, a 2-4 week run of Perika SJW. I haven't found my anticipatory anhedonia to be too bad as of late, at least compared to how it was from early 2011 to early 2013, but I've always been a very emotionally flat, difficult to excite, easily bored person, so it would be interesting to see if any of these compounds can bring me closer to normality.

I'll post here with updates on gotu kola (referred to as CA for its scientific name below) as well as schisandra and eventually SJW. Also, I assume I should expect a two week wait for SJW effects based on its mechanism as a reuptake inhibitor?

Sedative' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116297/']Sedative and anxiolytic properties:

CA was described to possess CNS effects in Indian literature such as stimulatory-nervine tonic, rejuvenant, sedative, tranquilizer and intelligence promoting property[27]. It has been traditionally used as a sedative agent in many Eastern cultures; the effect was postulated mainly due to the brahmoside and brahminoside constituents, while the anxiolytic activity is considered to be, in part due to binding to cholecystokinin receptors (CCKB), a group of G protein coupled receptors which bind the peptide hormones cholesystokinin (CCK) or gastrin and were thought to play a potential role in modulation of anxiety, nociception, memory and hunger in animals and humans[28].

Antidepressant properties:

The antidepressant effects of total triterpenes from CA on the immobility time in forced swimming mice and concentration of amino acid in mice brain tissue was observed. In the study, imipramine and total triterpenes from CA reduced the immobility time and ameliorated the imbalance of amino acid levels confirming the antidepressant activity of CA[29]. The same authors investigated the possible antidepressant effect of total triterpentes of CA by measuring the corticosterone levels in mice brain[30]. The contents of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites in rats cortex, hippocampus and thalamus were evaluated wherein significant reduction of the corticosterone level and increase of the contents of 5-HT, NE, DA and their metabolites 5-HIAA, MHPG in rat brain were observed which further strengthened the postulated involvement of total triterpenes of CA in ameliorating the function of HPA axis and increasing the contents of monoamine neurotransmitters for its antidepressant effects.

→ source (external link)

[nupi]

I think Gotu Kola is a gabaergic which would not bode all that well for sustainability...

[Galaxyshock]

Gotu Kola I've always liked. It does seem to be a GABA-B agonist and also stimulates the enzyme that converts glutamate to GABA. Despite GABAergic effects I've never had any withdrawals from it even when using big amounts (5-10 grams a day). I think part of the anxiolysis comes from CCK modulation. It wasn't much help with anhedonia but the moodlift and healthy feeling are very nice.

I thought myself emotionally flat too, had been like that for years, but on St. John's I've developed, or rediscovered, affection towards people and just feel so much more caring and content as a person, and respect life. So the avpd tendencies are gone too. St. John's is like a life-enhancer to me these days. I almost go through the whole day with a smile on my face as my anhedonia is mostly vanished and at moments I feel better than ever. Sure the summer, being in the best shape of my life and success in poker do that too, but having a brain that actually responds to these things... SJW and Ginseng are golden. After I run out of Ginseng I'm gonna try and see what Jiaogulan does these days, since I have some left. I still use Mucuna too and can actually feel the dopamine boost better now that things have improved.

[Galaxyshock]

Also, I assume I should expect a two week wait for SJW effects based on its mechanism as a reuptake inhibitor?

It does seem to take at least a few weeks for the best effects, but some benefit can be experienced quicker. A megadose could be a shortcut but only temporary. I'd suggest the 900mg / day continously, or even 1800mg / day if you have a lot in stock.

[nupi]

That does sound tempting but then again I do not feel like I want to risk getting off Fluoxetine (aside of the lacking motivation, the SSRI lull is kind of pleasant, definitely beats my usual self) and mixing SJW with an SSRI seems like a rather bad idea.

Which Mucuna preparation are you using?

Edited by nupi, 14 May 2013 - 07:34 AM.

[Galaxyshock]

I combine 1 cap of Himalaya Mucuna (only 15mg extracted L-DOPA + whole herb powder) and 1 cap of Source Naturals Mucuna Dopa (100mg L-DOPA). Sometimes with green tea extract. I bought the source naturals bottles years ago and think using them in conjuction with the whole herb or very low % extract would be the smartest idea, since alone it's 66% extract and can't have as much those other constituents that make Mucuna different and safer than pure L-DOPA. I'm probably gonna buy some whole herb Mucuna powder again next.

[nupi]

I think I still have some of http://www.iherb.com...a-90-Vcaps/8673 at home, would that be diluted enough?