I saw a lot of people doing it in this thread, so decided to write my own list of reactions and conclusions on some of the nootropic substances that I tried last year.
I'm using a throwaway account because not all of the stuff I'll be talking about is, strictly speaking, legal in the place where I live.
Bit of background first: I'm middle-aged. Not suffering from anxiety or any other disorders, not to my knowledge. I'm pretty zen, from what I can tell. Blood pressure slightly lower than normal, most time that it got measured (doctors said it's great). No known conditions, no allergies, not taking any prescription medications. Been a smoker for a pretty long time. Not smoking cigarettes regularly any more but consuming nicotine by other means (vape, IQOS, snuff). No other addictions. Not a stranger to alcohol, sometimes binge on it but never felt it was becoming a problem. Speaking of downers, I once had a vial of GHB, kindly left by a friend. Didn't know what it was, kept using and abusing it for a month (I know, I know...), then at some point felt, enough was enough and poured it down the drain. End of story, no withdrawals or anything. Tried a hell of a lot of other drugs throughout my lifetime. Most notably, opioids - only morphine and codeine and only in a hospital for very valid reasons, didn't really like them; cocaine - ... well... best drug in the world, what can I say. If I have some around, I won't stop until it's gone. Once did a whole 1g in a night (that's a LOT, esp if you're not a regular user). Frankly, it's not the cocaine that gives me kicks by the notorious cocaethylene, which is the result of combining alcohol and cocaine in your body. It's pretty toxic. Another thing is, cocaine really messes with your mind, for days or even weeks after you'd stopped taking it so that's why I'm steering completely clear of coke. Weed - hate indica (induces paranoia), love sativa (healthy happy focus). I can easily do work on a good sativa weed. Thought it would be useful to bring it up, ... for science :)
It seems I metabolise substances quicker than most people. First to start tripping on psychodelics, first to start "loving everyone and everything" on MDMA, etc. First to start coming down as well though :/
And just one more thing. The reason why I decided to try nootropics was mostly out of curiosity and boredom. I have some degree of interest in neuroscience and have done a little bit of work in the field. My experience with nootropics has been, on balance, positive and made me learn a lot about the human brain.
With that in mind, let's go, starting from the most effective to the least, also highlighting the recreational value of each one, because let's be honest, at least some of us have tried to abuse (some of) these:
Modafinil - obviously, the first on the list. This one, I would consider to be the most useful one of all nootropics that I tried and it's a crying shame that in the place where I live it is only prescribed to treat narcolepsy (and only if you can prove that it actually affects your quality of life). It's not strictly illegal though either, you can get it from abroad or just use adrafinil which is 100% legal. I find it to be invaluable in situations where I need to wake up very early and engage in mentally exhausting activities for the rest of the day. I'm into motorsports and here is where it absolutely shines. I use armodafinil because the effect lasts as long as 8 to 10 hours, as opposed to modafinil's 5-7 hours. The first hour after it "kicks in" is a bit intense (elevated heart beat, strong muscle tension), but for the rest of the day I can stay "on". Very much "on". I hear jet fighter pilots use it - I can totally see why. On empty stomach, modafinil starts working after about 10-15 minutes, armodafinil after about 30. Another thing is, if I'm feeling hungry and I'm on an *afinil, I absolutely have to eat, even more than I usually do - otherwise it makes me miserable. Recreational value of *afinils IMO, questionable. Tolerance - no idea, I don't use it regularly.
Phenibut. Wouldn't call myself an insomniac but occasionally I do suffer from lack of sleep. Especially if I'm excited or anxious about what's coming the next day (also, the type of situation when I NEED to get as much sleep as possible). Sometimes, melatonin helps, but often it doesn't. e.g. Benzos can knock me out no matter what, even if I'm on amphetamines or LSD but they are also quite strictly illegal and I don't like keeping drugs of any class around the house. Phenibut is the next best thing. The only caveat (for me) is that it takes forever (~1 hour) to "kick in", so you need to plan in advance when to take it, which can be tricky. Recreational value - yeah, you can have some great time on exceedingly large doses but that comes at a price. I once binged for 3 days and felt one hell of a hangover/withdrawal on day 4. So much that I had to resume taking it just so that I could survive the day. Day 5 I was off but I think I was just very, very lucky to have got off so easily. I read a lot of horror stories of people getting hooked up on this shit and taking months to recover. !!!!!!DO NOT TAKE REGULARLY!!!!!!! if you do find yourself in the unfortunate situation of getting addicted to phenibut (or any other gabaergics, so to say), DO NOT GO COLD TURKEY, DO NOT. This is super important. Stopping abruptly is just as dumb as overdosing. And god forbid you take any stimulants in that condition, even as much as smoke a cigarette. Get an appointment with a psychiatrist immediately (it's ok, it really really is. Remember, doctor-patient confidentiality), they are the professionals, that's what they're for and they'll know what to do with you.
Phenylpiracetam - the "babe" of piracetams. It really is fantastic, what else can I say. The only huge downside is, for me, the tolerance grows in no time. Even taking it twice a week results in dramatically reduced effects. The only exception is when I take it before the gym - the tolerance doesn't seem to affect its effects on my performance. Speaking of, phenylpiracetam is a doping agent banned by the olympic committee. Try it and you'll see why ;) That's my primary use for it: getting buffed at the gym. It helps to push you just a tiny bit further over what you think your limits are. Recreational use: can be pretty good, I even developed my own "legal cocaine without the consequences" formula: caffeine, modafinil, phenylpiracetam and hordenine (see below) but if you regularly use it for sports, forget about recreational use - it won't do a thing.
Hordenine - interestingly, one of the most under-researched nootropics. Say you had an exhausting day at work. At the end of it, you headed out for beers with your friends/colleagues. Have you ever felt a sudden influx of energy after having about 2 pints (1 liter) of beer? No? Just me? Apparently, one liter of beer contains about 25mg of hordenine. Taking the threshold dose (~30mg) of the substance can yank me back even from the most "F.A., I don't want to do anything" state. Great for productivity, if you need a bit of instant motivation. Recreational value - some. Feeling upbeat is great, do with it what you will. Lasts for about an hour or so. Tolerance - seems to grow pretty quickly, wouldn't take it more than twice a week at minimal doses.
Semax - powerful stimulant of the "wrong" kind. I feel weirdly energized but it's not a pleasant energy, more like restlessness. Couldn't find a good use for it. Recreational use - meh. Tolerance - idk.
Tianeptine - a legal, somewhat weak, but working antidepressant. A keeper. Recreational use - haven't tried. Be warned though, it can be addictive. Tolerance - idk.
PEA phenylethylamine hcl - At low doses does nothing. At a higher dose... ever heard the expression "projectile vomiting"? Yeah, that bad. Recreational value: do you like to vomit? Tolerance - do you really want to find out?
Noopept - really not decided on this one. It definitely does something but I haven't quite figured out whether this "something" is actually good for me or not. Seems harmless enough, I'll experiment with it some more. I think it might have a similar effect as sativa weed on me but I'm not sure. Recreational value - none. Unless you're into e-sports. I'm almost certain it makes me a better Rocket League player but I can't back it up with any experimental data. Would be interesting though.
Alpha GPC - no effect except for when taking it with racetams, most notably noopept. I get a really strange headache, all around my right hemisphere or somewhere around the back of my head, if I take noopept. Supplementing racetams with Alpha GPC completely prevents that. Recreational value - are you kidding? Tolerance - none that I could feel.
The gym - yes, I had to put this on the list because it has nootropic effects, period. Socialising goes in the same bucket. No idea what it does to you neurologically but there's nothing quite as mentally stabilizing as doing some weights or swimming or whatever floats your boat. Cardio can be pretty awesome too. Recreational value - loads. Endorphine boost, there's that. Also, I recommend trying this (UNLESS YOU HAVE A KNOWN CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITION, IN WHICH CASE DON'T ATTEMPT THE FOLLOWING): hit the sauna after the workout. Try to aim for 15 minutes at 90C or 10 minutes at a higher temp. Then hit the showers, setting it to the lowest temperature possible (ice cold is the best). Progressively, stay under as long as you can, until your body feels cold. Make an effort, it's important. Then, immediately, hit the steamer - then, a minute later, you will feel high as fuck - I mean it. It's also fantastic for your blood circulation, the skin and the heart. It takes a bit of time to master this technique but it pays off big time. Don't force yourself, it's important that you take time to learn to adjust to sudden temperature changes. I didn't invent this btw, Finns did, a long time ago, though the idea is to shock your body with upwards of 100C temperatures and diving into snow. I only adjusted it to the realities of local gyms. Tolerance - none, quite the opposite - the more you do it, the better it gets.
Caffeine - can be powerful but I'm not a big fan of the effect. On its own, usually "kicks in" quickly, makes me hyper and then just fades away. Great for meetings, awful for doing any sort of "head down" type of work. I can usually feel the comedown as well, which isn't pleasant. Combining with L-Theamine definitely helps (aka "the beginner's nootropic") but results in growing tolerant pretty quickly to both caffeine and l-theamine. Not a fan. I prefer green tea. Recreational value: vodka red bull anyone? ;) Tolerance - develops rapidly.
Fasoracetam - not certain of this one. Pretty rare in this part of the world so has to be imported from abroad. I think I felt some positive effects but not sure yet, need to try some more. Recreational value, Tolerance - no idea.
Fish oil / Omega 3: essential. Short term effects are negligible but it really is great for your heart and your brain - I'll testify. Recreational value - unbelievable!: chug a full bottled of fish oil, you'll feel fantastic!!! (I'm kidding, don't do that unless you're feeling exceptionally masochistic) Tolerance: probably n/a.
Sildenafil (viagra) - I consider this a nootropic in that it alters your mental state (among other things). I don't tend to have any problems with getting hard, just felt it would be fun to try it out. As it turns out, I have some, apparently quite rare, visual effects after taking it. The first time I took it, after it started working, I kid you not, I googled for news about "purple sky above [my city]". The sunset was insanely beautiful. I then read that a minority of men have this sort of reaction to sildafenil where everything turns blue-ish, which apparently might lead to blindness (the condition, not taking viagra). Perhaps, I'm fucked :( Hopefully, not. Recreational value: some. I was expecting it to give me unconditional hard wood and leave me to try and figure out with it heh ;) but it just doesn't work like that, though I should point out that I took the "Vegetable V" rather than the actual, pharmaceutical Viagra. (in any case, don't take too much of it. Having a non-stop erection for several hours is no fun, ........ so I've heard) Mixing with other drugs not recommended either. Tolerance: idk, but probably exists.
Sunifiram: could definitely feel the effect but couldn't quite put my finger on what it was exactly. Weird restlessness, if anything. Also, very bizarre visuals when closing my eyes. All in all, not pleasant or useful. Recreational value: none at all. Tolerance: no idea.
Oxiracetam, Aniracetam, Pramiracetam, Sulbitiamine: no effect. Recreational value: none. Tolerance: idk.
Magnesium, Zinc, vitamins C, B D or other vitamins - take them if you feel you need to. C and Magnesium should be fine. Other vitamins can be harmful if you have them in excess in your body so speak to your doctor or nutritionist they should be able to advise. Magnesium taurate/oxide seems to be the most recommended one for most nootropic psychonauts. Tolerance: wouldn't think.
Uridine, L-Thyrosine: no effect.
In a separate category: Bacopa Monnieri. Heard it's the only one that's been prooved to work in terms of imroving memory, focus, mood etc. I don't know if I'm feeling any effects. Seems harmless so I'll keep taking it. I also read that you should be storing it in a freezer because it degrades guickly. Recreational value/tolerance: n/a.
Finally, my conclusion on nootropics. I would divide them into three categories:
- The ones that do nothing.
- The ones that do something noticeable quickly, with possible (negative) aftereffects. To me, this is what nootropics are about. Treat them as drugs: benefit today, pay back tomorrow. As it happens, sometimes you need that extra boost to power you through your exams, end of financial year or some sort of military exercise or whatever. Such is life. Once it's done, take great care to recover, eat well and exercise, stabilize and you'll be fine.
- The stuff that's meant to down/up-regulate something long term. If you're taking something like that and unless you are a psychiatrist/neuroscientist, you don't know what you're doing. Don't. Just don't. Messing with your neurotransmitters is extremely dangerous. Don't try and make any lasting changes because you will regret them. If you feel that you need to, find a good psychiatrist.
I realize I left out the dosages of the substances listed above. If anyone is interested let me know, I'll add to my notes.