Selank nasal spray felt like expensive water -- honest negative review

I want to be honest because the Selank threads online are overwhelmingly positive and I think negative experiences deserve representation.

I used Selank nasal spray from a well-reviewed vendor (third-party tested, stored properly, reconstituted with bacteriostatic water according to instructions) for three full weeks at 400 mcg twice daily. I kept a daily journal rating anxiety, focus, mood, and sleep on 1-10 scales.

After 21 days, my average scores were virtually identical to the three weeks before I started. Anxiety: 4.1 vs 4.3. Focus: 5.8 vs 5.6. Mood: 6.0 vs 5.9. Sleep: 6.5 vs 6.4. The differences are well within normal daily variation and I cannot attribute any of them to Selank.

I did not experience any side effects either. No nasal irritation, no headache, no nothing. In both directions -- positive and negative -- the substance appeared to do absolutely nothing for me.

Possibilities I have considered:

1. The product was degraded or fake despite the CoA (possible but vendor is reputable)
2. My anxiety is mild enough that there is not much room for improvement (plausible)
3. I am a non-responder (some of the Russian research notes strain-dependent effects in mice, suggesting genetic variability in response)
4. Placebo-controlled trials would show similar non-response rates if they existed in sufficient numbers (likely)

I am not saying Selank does not work for anyone. The mechanistic evidence for its action on enkephalins and GABA is genuine. But I think the online community overrepresents positive experiences because people who feel nothing tend not to write about it. If you try Selank and it does nothing for you after two to three weeks, you are probably not doing it wrong -- you may just be someone for whom it does not work.