craigdt
Member
Because there are vendors on this forum that sell Modafinil and its relatively easy to get.
No so with Ritalin/Elvanse/Vyvanse.
Somewhat harder to get in the states, but I could be wrong.
MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
Best peptide / nootropic for energy & focus in your experince?
- Thread starter Desilva
- Start date
No so with Ritalin/Elvanse/Vyvanse.
Somewhat harder to get in the states, but I could be wrong.
SmallTitsIRL
Member
Let's not forget that Moda can be neuro protective in long-term exposure. So it would be beneficial for all of us using AAS.
AcieSlater
New Member
If you do take modafinil, you should take it first thing in the morning. I've had no issues with sleep provided I take it prior to 7. After that I cut the dose substantially or don't take it all. Unlike most other things mentioned in this thread, modafinil has no addictive qualities.
There are many reasons why it's preferable to an amphetamine aside from the non-addictive quality. There is no drop off, its readily available, and may actually be neuroprotective.
just some dude
Member
Too much dopamine stimulation. It might down-regulate your natural production of dopamine overtime.
I don’t know the science behind this stuff because I don’t overdo dopamine, but supposedly with Adderall you have to micro dose it and take breaks to avoid desensitizing your dopamine receptors.
As far as I know, Adderall is one of the strongest dopamine stimulating things we have access to by far, so I just use that as the opposite / extreme comparison.
Ghoul said that he takes Seligiline because it prevents the breakdown of dopamine instead of increasing the production of it.
However I will say that if you decide to take Seligiline, keep Clonidine on hand. Clonidine is an adrenaline blocker. Seligiline prevents the breakdown of neurotransmitters that include adrenaline.
All of this stuff just seems like side effect management for a mild cognitive boost, I suppose the idea would be to find the most sustainable ones.
Armodafinil seems like the freest lunch while actually being proven, because it’s well studied.
Cognitive enhancement is something I would love to learn more about, and I know all of this sounds very preachy, but to be honest, nobody really knows the full story with cognitive stuff, the brain is that advanced. As far as I know, it is not as simple as a lot of the other stuff we enhance.
just some dude
Member
AI:
reality check (evidence hierarchy)
mechanistic point you made (important)
dopamine adaptation reality
but:
the sustainability hierarchy (evidence + risk balance)
the key truth
you’re correct on one thing:
cognitive enhancement is not linear biology.
that’s why some people feel sharper on mild agents and worse on heavy stimulants.
important meta‑point
when stacks start requiring:
you’re no longer enhancing — you’re managing perturbations.
the most sustainable cognitive enhancement strategies tend to:
if you want, i can:
direct and clean.
reality check (evidence hierarchy)
- strongest human evidence for cognitive enhancement:
- sleep optimization
- exercise (increases BDNF significantly)
- adequate protein intake
- omega‑3 DHA
- caffeine + l‑theanine combo
- modafinil/armodafinil for wakefulness
- weakest evidence (but most hype):
- research peptides like Dihexa
mechanistic point you made (important)
- synapses matter more than neuron count for cognition
- but artificially pushing synaptogenesis without controlled regulation is biologically complex
- brain plasticity is tightly regulated for a reason
- Modafinil / Armodafinil
- primarily dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibition + orexin activation
- modest dopamine increase compared to amphetamines
- low addiction potential relative to classical stimulants
- strong evidence for wakefulness, moderate evidence for executive function in sleep‑deprived individuals
- tolerance develops slower than amphetamines
- Ritalin (methylphenidate)
- DAT + NET inhibitor
- stronger dopamine spike than modafinil
- clearer reinforcement potential
- can produce receptor adaptation over time (human imaging shows DAT changes with chronic use)
- Vyvanse / Adderall
- increase dopamine + norepinephrine release (not just reuptake inhibition)
- higher synaptic dopamine amplitude
- greater tolerance and dependence risk
- receptor downregulation is biologically plausible with chronic high exposure
- “microdosing + breaks” is harm‑reduction logic, not a guarantee against adaptation
- Selegiline
- inhibits MAO‑B → reduces dopamine breakdown
- at low doses mostly dopaminergic
- at higher doses loses selectivity → affects norepinephrine + serotonin metabolism
- less acute dopamine spike vs amphetamine
- still alters homeostasis → not “free” from adaptation
- Clonidine
- reduces sympathetic tone (α2 agonist)
- can blunt stimulant‑induced adrenergic symptoms
- adding one drug to counteract another = side‑effect stacking
dopamine adaptation reality
- the brain maintains homeostasis
- repeated high synaptic dopamine → receptor density and transporter expression can change
- magnitude + duration of exposure matter
- release agents (amphetamine) > reuptake inhibitors (methylphenidate) > modafinil in dopaminergic intensity
but:
- therapeutic ADHD dosing does not automatically “burn out” dopamine systems
- chronic abuse patterns are where clear maladaptation shows up
- human data is more nuanced than internet lore
the sustainability hierarchy (evidence + risk balance)
- lowest long‑term neuroadaptation risk
- sleep optimization
- resistance training + cardio (BDNF upregulation)
- omega‑3 DHA
- caffeine + l‑theanine
- armodafinil (moderate, still drug exposure)
- moderate adaptation risk
- methylphenidate
- selegiline
- highest adaptation risk
- amphetamine salts (Adderall, Vyvanse)
the key truth
you’re correct on one thing:
cognitive enhancement is not linear biology.
- more dopamine ≠ more intelligence
- too much dopamine impairs working memory (inverted U curve)
- executive function depends on prefrontal cortex stability, not just stimulation
- anxiety reduction sometimes improves cognition more than stimulation
that’s why some people feel sharper on mild agents and worse on heavy stimulants.
important meta‑point
when stacks start requiring:
- dopamine modulation
- MAO inhibition
- adrenergic blockers
- tolerance cycling
you’re no longer enhancing — you’re managing perturbations.
the most sustainable cognitive enhancement strategies tend to:
- improve mitochondrial efficiency
- improve sleep architecture
- reduce inflammation
- stabilize catecholamines, not spike them
if you want, i can:
- map all major cognitive enhancers by mechanism (dopamine / glutamate / cholinergic / BDNF / mitochondrial)
- rank them by sustainability
- or build a “high cognition, low chaos” framework
direct and clean.
BigDadd7
Member
That was a lot of white space
Fozzy53
New Member
I'm interested to hear others opinions on this as well as I'm always chasing this dragon.
Been wanting to try semax/selank which I will eventually but always hear hit or miss opinions.
I've taken methylene blue but not sure if it really does anything for me.
I've also been using NAD+ and MotsC for energy but also can't say they've particularly moved the needle as of yet.
Been wanting to try semax/selank which I will eventually but always hear hit or miss opinions.
I've taken methylene blue but not sure if it really does anything for me.
I've also been using NAD+ and MotsC for energy but also can't say they've particularly moved the needle as of yet.
Proud Pangolin
Member
you need Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) not NAD+. Putting NAD+ in your blooetream is pretty useless as you want it in your cells and it gets brokem down very fast by enzyms in your blood
JerryJammer
New Member
Have you looked into supplementing Choline or Alpha GPC?
I'm not sure, as I've never heard the drowsy issue before, but I do know that you should take choline with it or after it, because it will deplete you badly.
For me, if I don't take choline, when moda wears I get SUPER irritable and depressed. Day to day I am irritable tbf, but rarely depressed.
nullandvoid
Member
Damn that's an old avatar. Probably one of the few people on this board to even recognize it.
Fozzy53
New Member
Any particular brand of NR you recommended? Are Amazon brands ok or better to get it from other places?
JerryJammer
New Member
lol - mine?
Proud Pangolin
Member
I dont think it matters that much, just get a somewhat known brand (maybe not the cheapest weird polish brand on page 4). Its rather more important to take enough. Who care about 100% or 90% if the 90% is half the price and you can just take one more pill
JerryJammer
New Member
There's a patented form - Niagen (by ChromaDex)
Brands using Niagen include Tru Niagen, Life Extension NAD+ Cell Regenerator, Thorne ResveraCel, etc.
There's also Elysium's version, NR-E (Nicotinamide Riboside Ethyl Ester)
The ester has to be cleaved, but they say this extends the shelf life and bioavailability - unproven, no head-to-head data.
Slop below, but just in case anyone cares:
Tier 1 – Niagen-Based (Most Studied):
1. Tru Niagen (ChromaDex's own brand)- 300mg Niagen per capsule
- Most trusted, extensively tested
- ~$40-50/month at 300mg daily
- Available on Amazon
- 300mg Niagen per capsule
- Reputable brand with good QC
- Often bundled with resveratrol in their combo version
- Slightly cheaper than Tru Niagen
- Available on Amazon
- 125mg Niagen + resveratrol + quercetin + betaine per capsule
- Lower NR dose but synergistic formula
- Good if you want a combination product
- Need 2-4 capsules to match standalone NR dose
- 300mg Niagen
- Good reputation in longevity community
- Competitive pricing
- 250mg NR-E (their proprietary NR form) + 50mg pterostilbene
- Developed with MIT/Harvard researchers
- Subscription model, pricier
- Not Niagen—uses their own patented NR ester
- Some prefer it, but less independent research than Niagen
- Only available direct from Elysium (not Amazon)
JerryJammer
New Member
Found this after some looking:
Toniiq - Amazon.com
Contains the same NR Hydrogen Malate that Thorne uses.
60x 500mg doses in one container
$16.23 after S&S coupon
$0.27/d (compared to $1-2 for niagen)
Toniiq - Amazon.com
Contains the same NR Hydrogen Malate that Thorne uses.
60x 500mg doses in one container
$16.23 after S&S coupon
$0.27/d (compared to $1-2 for niagen)
Mrhairyman
Member
Dose and frequency ?
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