Nootropics For Adult Add?
Hello just joined and I was hoping to tap what seems to be a really awesome community for some advice and direction on brain hacking.
Some background info:
I recently started to bulletproof my lifestyle starting with the coffee+vanilla powder as well as a high grass-fed protein diet while also cutting back drastically on my surgar intake and heavily on carbs in general.
I am not a regular excerciser but my work and school routine includes a 2 mile walk twice a day.
I am 27, male and weigh 250 which is about 50lbs more than I should and the original reason I started bulletproof.
I've been diagnosed with depression and ADD
These are currently being treated with Wellbutrin (150mg) and Strattera (100mg) respectively.
I also take 1200mg of Omega 3's and a vitamin D supplement.
I have been on this combo for about 2 months and while I find my mood quite stable I am not sure that the strattera is giving me the focus I need. I would like to avoid the stimulant route of ADD treatment as I am worried about the possibility of addiction as I only recently defeated a 8 year addiction to cigarettes.
So what I am wondering where should I start with Nootronics?
Should I be worried about interactions with my current medication?
What kind of benefits should I expect in the short and long term?
Some background info:
I recently started to bulletproof my lifestyle starting with the coffee+vanilla powder as well as a high grass-fed protein diet while also cutting back drastically on my surgar intake and heavily on carbs in general.
I am not a regular excerciser but my work and school routine includes a 2 mile walk twice a day.
I am 27, male and weigh 250 which is about 50lbs more than I should and the original reason I started bulletproof.
I've been diagnosed with depression and ADD
These are currently being treated with Wellbutrin (150mg) and Strattera (100mg) respectively.
I also take 1200mg of Omega 3's and a vitamin D supplement.
I have been on this combo for about 2 months and while I find my mood quite stable I am not sure that the strattera is giving me the focus I need. I would like to avoid the stimulant route of ADD treatment as I am worried about the possibility of addiction as I only recently defeated a 8 year addiction to cigarettes.
So what I am wondering where should I start with Nootronics?
Should I be worried about interactions with my current medication?
What kind of benefits should I expect in the short and long term?
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Do you have your diet handled and up to BP standards?
My sleep schedual is actually pretty solid, 5-7 hours a night no interruptions.
As mentioned, no excercise routine currently.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you wean yourself off while transitioning onto the diet? Im also taking strattera and would like to get off of it due to it raising my blood pressure, but the last time I tried this the withdrawal symptoms were insane.
Most Dr's will tell you that Straterra has no withdrawal symptoms but psychiatrists solutions are always prescription based. When one isn't working they want you to try a new one. These dr's are not self-experimenters either so they rarely speak from experience. Straterra has both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms.
Some questions that first come to my mind for withdrawing from straterra. Do you smoke cigarettes? What is your current dosage and timing of your Straterra? How much caffeine do you drink per day? How much water do you drink per day? What part of your diet is not paleo/bulletproof? What does your exercise regimen look like?
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Weight: 102 lbs
My doctor didn't help me out at all when it came to withdrawal symptoms, he just prescribed me some benzos and led me out the door. I havent tried fish oil as a regular supplement yet, did this worked out for anyone?
Male
220lbs
Paleo diet eater trending towards the BP diet.
Sounds like your body is starving for healthy fats.
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Even though Adderall stimulated my brain to be more efficient during work or studying sessions it interfered with my sleeping and eating patterns so badly that I absolutely needed it to function every morning. I finished an internship at the end of summer and it was only then that I really dialed in my nutrition and transitioned from Paleo to BP. The biggest difference in the shift is a little bit higher percentage of fats>proteins>carbohydrates. I have Kerry Gold + Vanilla + MCT in my coffee for breakfast. I've also replaced a lot of chicken I was eating with clean protein shakes (I just got upgraded Whey this week...I truly love it) and all of my beef is grass fed and cooked rare.
The bulletproof diet is a really good baseline for me to start from. I don't start another job/school that requires tedious attention until April. I'm currently staying home with my son reading books like "If You Give A Dog A Donut" and "Goodnight Gorilla." Lately my mind and moods have been functioning better than ever with a bulletproof diet + resistance training + good sleep + drinking about a gallon of water a day. When I start a more detail necessary lifestyle later in 2013 I am going to probably need an extra cognitive boost so I am going to start making some decisions about nootropics/brain hacking to try soon.
If you are only on 35 mg of Straterra and are sensitive to the medication I would set a day to just quit cold turkey. There isn't much room for stepping down from much lower doses here. I'm not a medical professional but in all the Straterra forums and little bit of personal experience it seems like most people know right away if it isn't the right medication for their bio-individuality. It sounds like it's not working for you so I wouldn't want to try any longer. It also sounds like your dr has already given you his zip-lock bag of xanax plan and it didn't work.
Fish oil and coconut oil have fatty acids that give me a significant and noticeable cognitive boost. Order some Upgraded MCT oil.
Also, get some high quality Magnesium. I was taking CVS pharmacy brand magnesium oxide and it had none/little effect. Then I went to a local natural supplement store and got a high quality combined Magnesium Chelate and Malate supplement that has noticeable effect. Look through the supplement guide pinned on this site, I think there are some details about different types of Magnesium plus info about different Fish/Krill/Omega-3 supplements. If you think quitting Straterra will give you headaches and you love fruit...take a quality magnesium+ Avocado as part of your breakfast routine.
Cardio isn't usually considered very bulletproof but it has been very helpful for me to get off medications. Everything from the meditative nature of it to the actual sweating. Long hikes, bike rides, cross country skiing. Do you meditate?
Well good luck, you'll be ok! Coming off any medication is an emotional undertaking. If you have any questions these forums seem like a good spot. Update your progress.
Edit: Yeah, I knew the drug wasn't really clashing with my body chemistry but its also common for a doctor to play the "It will get better, don't worry" card when patients question the regimen.
I think you'll notice a pretty big improvement once you get on a high dose of omega-3s, I take about 1200mg in the morning and was in fact the first thing I ever did after being diagnosed. It won't make your problems vanish but they are great for helping with healthy brain function. A steady source of vitamin D is great for mood stabilization as well.
A few other supplements you might try that I had a little success with after being recommended them by a nutritionist of all things. (These amounts are based on me being ~220lbs at the time, adjust accordingly)
L-Tyrosine 500mg twice a day
Sam-E 400mg once a day
When I was purely on my supplement strategy without any medication I had some improvements but I still felt like I needed a psychiatrist. In any case, if you want to go completely medication free, you might want to give those a shot, Warning the Sam-E is pricey!