34 replies to this topic

[agwoodliffe]

This is of course a theory from own experience. If you want to confirm it yourself, take about 2 or 3 capsules (about 1000-1500mg) just before or during a social gathering. See if you notice a difference.

[CoconutDi]

I'll give this a shot. How does it work? I've always been told to take inositol before bed for better sleep.

[**DEACTIVATED**]

Inositol is great stuff and one of my favorite supplements now a days.

I think it's changed my life and that I won't be going back. I mean maybe old symptoms of anxiety would return once it's use was discontinued, but I've forgotten plenty of "dosages" to no ill-effect. Inositol is great in this respect because there isn't the need to watch the clock, waiting for it's half-life to end like other anxiety supplements/medications.

I personally like using it in the mornings because I used to wake up with anxiety and I that to me is just a terrible way to start every day.

I also take it at night for my insomnia, which it has cured like nothing before. Insomnia has plagued me for years and it was never a problem until I got out of college. Only then was I forced to wake up regularly early. Since then, I've lost countless hours of sleep. In my experience I've tried:

Valerian Root
GABA
Kava Kava
5-HTP
L-Tryptophan
Melatonin
Ashwagandha
Bacopa
Picamolin
Magnesium
Magnesium Threonate
& CBT

All are beneficial but all have side effects. CBT is always good, but it never helped me actually feel tired or fall asleep on time.

Inositol is not particularly effective, it just works! In comparison, Valerian Root will have you ZONKED and your eyes will feel so heavy and the bed just feels amaziiiing. Inositol doesn't do that, it just makes it easier to actually fall asleep. You just wake up the next day and you can't remember at what point you fell asleep. Without it, I would be restless during the night and stressed the next day.

Regarding side effects, there might not be any. I've dosed between 1g-18g/day spread out in 3 doses experimentally, then gradually increasing the dose 2g every day. I saw no further improvements and no major side effects, so the dose doesn't seem to play much of a factor.

Now, the first couple of days on Inositol I was wacked, just out of it. I was using about 1.2g 3x/day and it really created a brain fog. Maybe this can be mitigated by decreasing your starting dose, maybe it was just me. It was interesting though because I was much much more open to people during this time, but my motivational wit was diminished greatly. In other words, I didn't feel as if I needed to make anyone laugh, I was just enjoying the present. That's probably the extroverted part you were talking about, agwoodlife (Are you an Aggie? A&M?).

The only other side effect I could point to is increased aggression. This is just odd if it was induced from the inositol, because of it's calming attributes. Also, this effect hasn't been consistent, I think it just has to do with being a 24 year old boy and is not inositol related.

After experimenting, my ideal dosage is 600mg in the morning and 1,200mg at night.

If you're interested in reading more I would read The Inositol Guide by PsychoPoet here: http://www.nomorepan...ead.php?t=64229

Also, this stuff is dirt cheap and available at almost all health food stores. Don't go to GNC though, their asking price is through the roof for this stuff. Maybe they know something we don't..

Last but not least inositol has proven to increase dopamine D2 receptor densities. This is extremely beneficial to me because I am prone to addiction. Inositol helps me to reclaim my receptors after bingeing. Inositol also plays a role in serotonin as well, but I am not sure how.

And I don't know why it is referred to as "inositol". It is actually vitamin B8.

In conclusion, I think I just have/had a Vitamin B8 deficiency. Last time I was at the GP he said my Vitamin B6 levels were too high (probably from energy drinks). Perhaps that offsets the rest of my Vitamin B's, creating low levels of B8. This is just speculation. I have not gone back to see him after the inclusion of Inositol.

editted: formatting & spelling

Edited by CrackaLackN, 23 October 2013 - 03:12 PM.

[CoconutDi]

Thanks for the info!

[normalizing]

where do you buy your inositol from ??

[Virtual Reality]

There are many places where you can buy inositol , google is your friend.
I have bought Inositol a few months ago. Never started it though. Gonna try it out tommorow, i will post my findings in this thread
Whats a good dosage to start this? i mainly take this for anxiety.

[agwoodliffe]

Best place to buy? IHerb!

[Eruditus]

Do you think iinositol would stack well with L-theanine and caffeine for social occasions?

I'm also curious whether the striatal upregulation of d2 receptors would cause a slower formation of tolerance towards stims. Any feedback on this would be welcome.

[tintinet]

What's an effective dose for most?

TIA!

[agwoodliffe]

Now, the first couple of days on Inositol I was wacked, just out of it. I was using about 1.2g 3x/day and it really created a brain fog. Maybe this can be mitigated by decreasing your starting dose, maybe it was just me. It was interesting though because I was much much more open to people during this time, but my motivational wit was diminished greatly. In other words, I didn't feel as if I needed to make anyone laugh, I was just enjoying the present. That's probably the extroverted part you were talking about, agwoodlife (Are you an Aggie? A&M?).

Actually, I'm University of Warwick. Engineering

[**DEACTIVATED**]

where do you buy your inositol from ??

I just get mine from Vitamin Shoppe.

Do you think iinositol would stack well with L-theanine and caffeine for social occasions?

The use of these supplements for social occasions is determined by your personal preference, I can only guide you.

Caffeine will inhibit the binding of GABA to it's respective GABA receptors. This translates into a less inhibiting-type personality, because GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. This means nerve transmission comes at a higher rate. This makes it more difficult for one to maintain a level headed personality, instead now the individual will react to more stimulus unwillingly. This is caffeine's strong suit (in the world of sports, for example). In other words, things you might not have said before ingesting caffeine will either be said or will be harder not to say. Ideas, feelings, movements - basically everything that was controlled normally by the central nervous system will now take flight more easily.

Is that a good idea with the combination of alcohol (typical for social occasions) for your personality, only you can know.

The flip side is that caffeine facilitates the transmission of Dopamine and Serotonin to their respective receptors, meaning a more pronounced mood in the short term. Although, long term caffeine use will downgrade those same receptors, making it harder for the neurotransmitters to bind, leading to psychological disorders.

L-Theanine on the other hand will help facilitate GABA production.

Do I personally think L-Theanine and Caffeine is a good combination for social settings? Yes. As long as the user is aware that that mindset cannot be maintained indefinitely.

I'm also curious whether the striatal upregulation of d2 receptors would cause a slower formation of tolerance towards stims. Any feedback on this would be welcome.

It's a good theory!

What's an effective dose for most?

TIA!

If by "effective dose" you mean - "at what point will it help with anxiety?", then that can only be determined by the individual. I would suggest starting at a small dose and working your way up, if you so please. Inositol is basically non-toxic, since studies have reported going as high as 18,000mg/day, which I have surpassed to no ill effect, so an effective dose could be anywhere from 5mg-18,000mg.

Personally I only use 650mg at a time (because that's one capsule from the Vitamin Shoppe brand) because financially it makes sense since I never received additional effectiveness from the supplement after increasing it's dosage.

[REBUILDER]

Inositol is great stuff and one of my favorite supplements now a days.
...

What is the usual dose?

[normalizing]

There are many places where you can buy inositol , google is your friend.
I have bought Inositol a few months ago. Never started it though. Gonna try it out tommorow, i will post my findings in this thread
Whats a good dosage to start this? i mainly take this for anxiety.

oh wow i didnt know i can use google. very good info. i guess you missed the point here. i was specifically asking for what is an actual reliable good brand of inositol being sold. im sure google will give me hundred of results tho, im gonna have fun with it...

[cargocultist]

I've been taking 10-20g/day for a couple of weeks after I had completely burned myself out for a couple of years. The effect is really huge and better than any antidepressant I've ever been on.

[normalizing]

20 grams ? isnt this going excessively ?

[cargocultist]

20 grams ? isnt this going excessively ?

Up to 18g has been tested for ocd.

http://www.ncbi.nlm..../pubmed/9169302

[violetechos]

Inositol is more or less a sugar, being half the sweetness. I have enjoyed blending my inositol with some cold water and lemon juice to make inositol lemonade.You can blend silly big amounts in the water, and it's tasty enough to sip on throughout the day.

Big dosages can be taken, and wimpy dosages under 3 grams don't do much.

Inositol is very underrated, but it is subtle, and the dosages are high. Are there more "potent" forms of inositol out there ? I know ITPP, but it's way expensive.

Has anyone tried IP-6 with similar results?

Edited by violetechos, 18 November 2013 - 01:09 PM.

[Virtual Reality]

never heard of IP6, whats the difference with regular inositol?

[cargocultist]

IP6 has 6 phosphate groups attached to the ring. It seems to have a smaller effect on me. Maybe even a little mood depressing. I have no reason to believe that I'm deficient in any mineral so i don't understand this effect.

[Samuraidream]

Has anyone noticed a slight decrease in libido / erection frequency after taking Inositol?
On the other hand, it's only been 2 days, so it might just be a coincidence.

[metabrain]

Inositol worked outstanding for me however it decreases testosterone levels, after a while I had zero desire for women!

[normalizing]

Inositol worked outstanding for me however it decreases testosterone levels, after a while I had zero desire for women!

 

was it really that bad? would you rather kiss their feet and have em stomp you instead?

[metabrain]

Most studies of myo-inositol are done on women but the same effect applied to me.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19499845

 

[normalizing]

ive just never seen myo-inositol being sold anywhere hence why it never caught my attention. not sure reason to buy it being so hard tho.

[metabrain]

ive just never seen myo-inositol being sold anywhere hence why it never caught my attention. not sure reason to buy it being so hard tho.

 

It is normally sold as Choline+Inositol or Inositol.

[chemicalambrosia]

Most studies of myo-inositol are done on women but the same effect applied to me.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19499845

 

All of the studies I could find are not only done on women, but on women with polycystic ovary syndrome. I couldn't find a single study on men's testosterone levels. I don't think its safe to apply studies done on women in a diseased state to healthy men. If anyone has any further insight, please share.

[pamojja]

Inositol worked outstanding for me however it decreases testosterone levels, after a while I had zero desire for women!

 

How much your testosterone levels - total and/or free - decreased?

 

Or did you suspect a decrease due to lost desire?

[metabrain]

 

Inositol worked outstanding for me however it decreases testosterone levels, after a while I had zero desire for women!

 

How much your testosterone levels - total and/or free - decreased?

 

Or did you suspect a decrease due to lost desire?

 

 

I was previously on Zinc+Folic acid so my libido was spiked really high, I conducted the Inositol experiment a few days later and it instantly decreased my desire, over the next few days I ran into problems and I normally have a strong desire, I felt great on it but after about a week I wasn't noticing women at all.
 

[pamojja]

I normally have a strong desire, I felt great on it but after about a week I wasn't noticing women at all.

 

 

I had bottom low total and free testosterone and no libido before starting Inositol. After starting Inositol only total raised a bit and my libido a lot.
 

In my repeated experience testosterone serum levels (at least when low) don't correlate with libido at all.

[normalizing]

i havent seen any updates or new threads of inositol in years, it kind of died out, any updates or interesting information?