Something positive - at last!

[NightBird]

I just had the best day I've had for a long time, with the help of a few supplements and a bit of high-intensity exercise. This could be a breakthrough . After 12 years, it's about time for one.

Improvements noted:

1. Music sounds more like music and less like irritating noise. I remembered an album tracklist almost-perfectly after not playing the album for years. Playing it, I was remembering the music - not just vaguely, but actual melody, texture and lyrics. This doesn't usually happen.

2. I managed to add up the prices of my grocery shopping and be only 1 penny out. Usually, I stick to rough estimates because details are impossible - and still manage to get the estimates wrong sometimes.

3. My dad came back from a walk and I was much more alert in the conversation than normal. I remembered more detail and was better at Googling things.

4. There was less trouble with email and PayPal passwords than usual.

5. A bit more physical energy

This was my first day on the regime, and I'm delighted that there was an effect. Future experiments will investigate if the improvement sticks around, and what caused it. But this is positive news . I wasn't exactly afraid that nothing would help, but I was definitely worried about how long it would take and how much it would cost.

Here's what I did:

1. approx 2000mg ALCAR (acetyl-L-carnitine)

2. 300mg phenylpiracetam

3. 100mg alpha lipoic acid (not alpha linolenic: they use the same acronym so be careful if you're buying)

4. a 10-minute session on the treadmill that sent my heart rate up to the 170s

The first three are a common supplement stack in the nootropic community, and the treadmill was inspired by the Buffalo Concussion Protocol. I'm using it as inspiration rather than following it "properly".

The only negatives so far: phenylpiracetam is pricey. ALCAR smells like pee and doesn't taste much better.

It's wonderful to have something real to report. I just hope it lasts.

[BaronC]

Fantastic! Join in with 'Walk With The Baron' next July and you'll be bouncing off the walls

Andy

[Kirk5w7]

Hi Nightbird,

Your post interests me greatly.

It was you who introduced me to the vision therapy that helped me immensely.

I have just been trying amitryptilene in the hopes that it would clear those feelings of pressure in my head.

When I first came out of rehab, I didn’t have those feelings and of course I can’t remember when they started so I’m now going back to the status quo with medication and going to start again.

One more week and I’ll be clear of the ami, then after I’ve seen the neurologist on 15th December I intend to give your nootropics a try see if they can help me.

I read up about them after your last post and they are certainly worth a try.

Hope they are part of the answer for you.

Janet xx

[NightBird in reply to Kirk5w7]

I'm so glad vision therapy helped you. It really is a pity that it's not generally known and we have to rely on random people for information.

Nootropics are a strange category and a bit of a mishmash. Some are actual drugs and others are nutritional supplements (vitamins, amino acids etc). The drugs are prescribed for all kinds of conditions, such as dementia and ADHD. Healthy people take them off-label as cognitive enhancers, but the NHS often won't prescribe off-label. I buy mine over the internet after reading reviews. Obviously, the reviews on their own site don't count for much. . Some of these compounds aren't on the NHS at all. Phenylpiracetam is one - in fact, it's in a legal grey area and you may struggle to get hold of it anywhere. Which is a pity, because it's good stuff from what I've read.

ALCAR and alpha lipoic acid are considered nutritional supplements and totally unrestricted. If you don't want the awful taste you can get ALCAR as capsules (but powder is cheaper). It's also possible to buy a capsule machine and empty capsules, and make your own.

So nootropics are a good category to try, but be wary. There's a lot of hype, a lot of individual variation, and they're mainly taken by healthy people so the anecdotes won't be completely relevant to us. I recently found a website called Examine.com which compares supplements and their effects according to how well-supported the science is. It's brilliant for cutting through hype.

Bacopa and rhodiola are next on my list, if you're wondering

Lia

[Kirk5w7]

Thanks againLia, I found that website and was impressed with what I read. Before I was ill I'd been thinking about the alphalipoic acid anyway. Just got back from 22 lengths of the local baths, think of what I could do if I improve my energy levels.

That sounds good but 2 years ago I was getting there under my own steam, I'm reduced to waiting for my husband to take me atm! Plus we're battling winter now.

Thanks again I'll keep you informed how I get on xx

Janet