Depending on the severity of your ADHD symptoms, you may be able to use nootropics as an alternative to prescription stimulants like Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse and their variations.
I experimented for a year by using nootropics in place of the 20 mg of Ritalin I had been using 3-times a day for several years. And for the most part, I was successful in taming my Adult ADD symptoms.
Adult ADD Nootropic Stack
The ADD/ADHD stack I use includes:
- Mind Lab Pro
- Performance Lab® Energy – twice per day
- ALCAR – 800 mg 1-time per day
- NALT – 800 mg 3-times per day
- Sulbutiamine – 400 mg twice per day
- Aniracetam – 800 mg twice per day
- Vinpocetine – 10 mg 3-times per day
- DHA (Omega-3) – 1,000 mg per day
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil – 3-times per day
- Performance Lab® Whole-Food Multi – twice per day
The ingredients in Mind Lab Pro along with NALT and ALCAR (included in Performance Lab Energy) kept my dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine levels high enough to maintain focus, motivation and improve my memory. Vinpocetine kept my brain blood flow at optimal levels. And Aniracetam and Sulbutiamine improved my mood.
But after a year I decided to go back to using 20 mg of Ritalin twice per day. Because my workload had me writing 10 hours per day. And maintaining working relationships with 2 or 3 clients at once.
By adding Ritalin back to my stack I was able to reduce the time it would take to complete a project from 3 days to 1 ½ days. Proof to me that my brain couldn’t make it with nootropics alone.
The beauty of continuing to use NALT and ALCAR even after I started using Ritalin again was that I avoided the stimulant “crash” that is so common late afternoon when using stimulants. And I was able to reduce the original 20 mg Ritalin 3-times per day down to only twice per day.
And I have not experienced building up tolerance to Ritalin that is so common when using stimulants to treat ADD or ADHD.
Your situation may be different, or ADHD symptoms not as severe. Only you can decide if nootropics can replace ADHD meds. And it comes by trial and error with different stacks And knowing as much as you can about what’s going on in your brain that needs to be fixed.
Prescription “Smart Drugs” vs. Nootropics for ADHD
This post is in response to many emails and questions I’ve been getting about how to treat Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) with nootropics.
So if you are dealing with ADHD, hopefully this post will help. Especially if you are using stimulants like Ritalin, Adderall or Vyvanse. Or trying to deal with ADHD naturally by avoiding prescription stimulants.
This information can also help if you are a student or executive who uses prescription “smart drugs” like Adderall or Modafinil to boost productivity.
Here we’ll dig into the causes of ADHD or ADD in your brain. Symptoms associated with ADHD. And what you can do using nootropics, or nootropics stacked with stimulants to correct ADHD symptoms.
I’ll also include ways to potentiate the effectiveness of prescription stimulants with nootropics so they work better.
If you’ve never ‘officially’ been diagnosed ADHD, but some of this resonates with you, you could be ADHD or ADD. And this may point you to some answers.
I’ve been ADD all my life. (ADD is ADHD without the hyperactivity). But it wasn’t until about 12 years ago, that a very wise psychiatrist identified what was going on. And why I had been struggling with focus and other problems with behavior. That no amount of self-help books on focus and management could ever correct.
Ritalin turned the lights on for me. And completely changed my life for the better. This was the seed that sprouted my interest in neuroscience and nootropics. And ultimately launching NootropicsExpert.com.
What is ADHD & ADD?
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are associated with attention and executive function in your brain.
Your prefrontal cortex directs behavior, thought and feeling which are all associated with working memory. These fundamental cognitive abilities that most take for granted, are what make up executive function.
This executive function and working memory give you the ability to:
- Regulate your attention
- Inhibit inappropriate behavior and thought
- Monitor your actions
- Plan and organize your future
If you can’t focus on the task at hand, blurt things out at inappropriate times, have little control over your emotions or actions, and can’t seem to stick to that careful set of goals you wrote down, you may be ADHD.
The Role of Norepinephrine and Dopamine in ADHD
Norepinephrine and dopamine are the primary neurotransmitters involved in ADHD because they play an essential role in attention and thinking.[i]
The “inattentive” type of ADHD is related to issues with the norepinephrine, and the “hyperactive and impulsive” type of ADHD is linked to dopamine dysfunction.
These two neurotransmitters work in concert to maintain alertness, increase focus, sustain thought, effort, and motivation. The only difference between the two is the presence of a hydroxyl group. And dopamine is the precursor to norepinephrine synthesis in your brain.[ii]
Much of what we read about ADHD focuses on dopamine’s function in your brain. But norepinephrine (NE) plays a critical role in activating your reaction to events. And how you respond to the event.[iii] NE is essential for collecting information coming in through your senses. And then modulating your brain’s response.
Any disruption in this NE system can result in ADHD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sleep disorders and more.[iv]
For example, NE working with postsynaptic α2-adrenoceptors (α2-AR) in your brain play an essential role in helping you focus and eliminate distractions when you’re paying attention to something.[v]
This is just one example of what goes wrong in the ADHD brain. My point in bringing this all up is not to overwhelm you with neuroscience. But to make clear that simply suggesting too much or too little of a single neurotransmitter like dopamine cannot explain the complexity of ADHD.
So using a nootropic like Mucuna Pruriens (L-Dopa) to amp up dopamine in your brain is often not enough to take care of ADHD symptoms. Or using Adderall with someone who has a problem with alpha2-receptor binding with norepinephrine may not get much benefit.
This is the reason that experimenting with various stimulants and/or nootropics is often the only way to find a long-term solution to keeping ADHD under control. And why some respond better to a drug like Ritalin and not as well to Adderall. Or vice versa.[vi]
And recent research shows serotonin and acetylcholine are involved too. Mostly the “hyperactivity” part of ADHD which includes movement, inattention, and impulsivity.[vii]
Smart Drugs Used to Treat ADHD
If you are truly and clinically ADHD or ADD, it is unlikely that optimizing your diet, getting plenty of sleep, using nootropics, and exercising regularly will get the symptoms of ADHD under control.
The most severe forms of ADHD often benefit from using prescription medication. Otherwise known as “smart drugs” in some circles, these meds are typically amphetamines or methylphenidate.
The amphetamine-class of ADHD medications includes Adderall (75% dextroamphetamine salts and 25% levoamphetamine salts), Dextroamphetamine, and Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine).
The methylphenidate-class of ADHD medications includes methylphenidate (Ritalin) and its variants like Concerta, and Focalin.
Adderall and Ritalin both work with dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain. But through different mechanisms of action.
Ritalin is a pure uptake inhibitor of dopamine and norepinephrine without any other presynaptic activity.[viii] Adderall on the other hand, has additional presynaptic activity, releasing dopamine and norepinephrine from presynaptic neurons.
The idea for the last 50 years or so, has been if we could boost dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, ADHD symptoms would go away. As long as we’re taking the medication.
Why Prescription ADHD Meds Often Don’t Work
In an ideal world, taking one pill 2 or 3 times a day to treat ADHD would put your life back on track. And help you function like a ‘normal’ person.
But real-world results often don’t work out as well as theory. For several reasons. For example, what if there’s not enough dopamine or norepinephrine in your brain in the first place? Then stimulants will not work as well as planned because they haven’t the neurotransmitters in place to work with.
You could also have problems with not enough or damaged neuroreceptors. Natural aging processes can slow blood flow or inhibit the production of neurotransmitters. A lack of acetylcholine could prevent your neurotransmitters from doing what they were designed to do.
This is where nootropics can help save the day in treating the symptoms of ADHD.
Optimizing Dopamine & Norepinephrine
One of main culprits contributing to ADHD symptoms is a lack of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) in your brain. Or your brain is not using the available DA and NE effectively.
Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin work to boost levels of these two critical neurotransmitters.
Production of dopamine and norepinephrine in your body follows this metabolic pathway:
Phenylalanine → Tyrosine → L-DOPA → Dopamine → Norepinephrine
Dopamine is converted to norepinephrine by the enzyme dopamine β-monooxygenase, with O2 and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) as cofactors.
Norepinephrine can be further converted into epinephrine by the enzyme phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase with SAM-e as cofactor.
Nootropics to boost dopamine and norepinephrine include:
- N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT) – L-tyrosine is the precursor to producing dopamine in your brain. NALT enhances working memory, executive function, creative flow states, reduces stress, improves mood and is anti-anxiety.
Suggested dosage of NALT for ADHD is 350- 500 mg twice per day. I successfully stack 800 mg of NALT 3-times per day. Once each time I dose with Ritalin, and a last dose mid-afternoon to prevent a stimulant crash later in the day.
- Mucuna Pruriens (L-Dopa) – Mucuna works as an antioxidant and heavy metal chelator, improves memory & cognition, reduces depression and boosts libido.
L-Dopa is also the precursor to dopamine. Suggested dosage of Mucuna Pruriens is 250 – 500 mg per day.
- N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) – NAC is an amino acid that regulates the amount of glutamate and dopamine in your brain.
NAC can be used to treat the symptoms of ADHD. And even helps eliminate some of the negative side effects associated with prescription ADHD stimulants. Suggested dosage of NAC is up to 600 mg 3-times per day.
- NADH – NADH helps increase alertness, clarity, focus, memory and enhances mood.
NADH also helps stimulate the production of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in your brain. Suggested dosage of NADH is 10 mg per day.
- Phosphatidylserine (PS) – PS can help improve alertness, attention, cognition, memory, recall and mood, and lower anxiety. All issues associated with ADHD.
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid component of the membrane encasing every one of your brain cells. PS helps maintain the fluidity and permeability of brain cells. Improving the flow of dopamine and acetylcholine. Suggested dosage of PS is 100 mg 3-times per day.
- Pine Bark Extract – Pine Bark extract helps prevent decreases in dopamine and norepinephrine. And the glutathione (GSH) and GSH-disulphide reductase (GSSG-R) ratio. Neurotransmitter problems which contribute to hyperactivity in ADHD.
Pine Bark extract helps boost blood flow in the brain by increasing nitric oxide which helps dilate blood vessels. And it helps with oxidative stress, membrane damage, DNA damage, inflammation, and glycation.
I’ve found one of the most potent forms of Pine Bark extract comes in both Mind Lab Pro® and Performance Lab® Mind.
A word of caution here in boosting the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine. Too much of either is not a good thing. In fact, excess levels of either will throw your neurotransmitter levels out of balance. And can cause anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks.
Taming Hyperactivity
The “H” in ADHD stands for hyperactivity. Boosting levels of dopamine and norepinephrine can help balance out hyperactivity. And help calm and focus your mind. But often simply boosting or balancing these neurotransmitters is not enough.
Recent studies show that serotonin and dopamine interaction also play a role in ADHD.[ix] Serotonin is involved in the uptake, synthesis and breakdown of dopamine in your brain. Problems with serotonin seem to contribute to behavior and impulse control.
Much more research needs to be done in this area of ADHD. But we can help control and balance serotonin with nootropics.
- 5-HTP – This amino acid is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan. And 5-HTP is the immediate precursor to serotonin in your brain.
5-HTP can help relieve anxiety and depression, fibromyalgia, insomnia, migraines and likely the hyperactivity, depression and anxiety associated with ADHD. Suggested dosage of 5-HTP is 50 mg up to 3-times per day. Please see our dosage notes and warnings however on supplementing with 5-HTP.
- Ginseng – Ginseng helps calm anxiety, and boost attention, concentration and memory. Ginseng provides neuro-protective effects on the dopaminergic-pathway which can help with ADHD. And ginseng is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.
Suggested dosage of Ginseng is 100 – 400 mg per day.
- L-Theanine – L-Theanine commonly found in green tea helps boost alpha and theta brain waves, is anti-anxiety, boosts cognition and memory and reduces insomnia.
L-Theanine also helps boost GABA, serotonin and dopamine levels in your brain. Suggested dosage of L-Theanine is 250 – 500 mg per day.
- Rhodiola Rosea – Rhodiola helps improve alertness, energy, memory and mood, is anti-anxiety and anti-depressant, reduces fatigue and boosts cognition and concentration.
Rhodiola influences serotonin and norepinephrine levels in your brain. Suggested dosage of Rhodiola extract is 150 – 200 mg per day.
- SAM-e – SAM-e helps in the process of cell division and repair. And the generation of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and melatonin.
Suggested dosage of SAM-e is 300 mg per day.
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) – Vitamin B6 helps your brain make serotonin, norepinephrine and melatonin. Suggested dosage of B6 is up to 100 mg per day.
- Vitamin B8 (Inositol) – Inositol as a nootropic can boost serotonin levels which results in feelings of calm, heightened mental energy, and easy thought flow.
Suggested dosage of Inositol is from 500 – 3,000 mg per day.
- Vitamin B9 (Folate) – Folate (not folic acid) as a nootropic helps your brain make dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Suggested dosage of Folate is 400 mcg per day.
B-Vitamins are Critical in Controlling ADHD
Take note that several of the B-Vitamin group are involved in the production of the neurotransmitters involved in ADHD. I recommend adding a good B-Vitamin Complex well above the usual RDA levels that include folate (not folic acid) and methylcobalamin (not cobalamin) to your stack. Both in a pure nootropic stack as well as when stacking with any of the ADHD prescription stimulants.
But it’s not only the B-Vitamins that are required for a healthy, fully functioning brain. We also need each of the 13 vitamins and 13 minerals needed for everything from blood flow, neurotransmitter synthesis and release, brain signaling, and neuroprotection.
I’ve found the easiest way to make sure my ADD brain gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs every day is to also use a multivitamin/mineral supplement.
The best I’ve found so far is a new multivitamin called Performance Lab® Whole-Food Multi. It’s better than the “raw-food” multi I’ve been using for years. And makes a difference I can actually feel.
But please note that this multi is in addition to a B-Vitamin Complex because the ADHD brain needs more of these critical nutrients than what is normally in any good multivitamin.
The Role of Acetylcholine in ADHD
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center discovered that there are three types of ADHD.
We’ve already covered the “inattentive” type that is related to issues with the norepinephrine transporter gene. And the link to the dopamine transporter gene in the “hyperactive and impulsive” type.
But the research team now report that a variation in the choline transporter gene is associated with a “combined” type of ADHD. Symptoms include both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.
Choline is required to synthesize acetylcholine (ACh) which is needed for memory, motor-control, focus, learning, concentration, and cognition.
If you have the “combined” type of ADHD it’s likely due to a mutation in this choline transporter gene variation.
Nootropics to boost acetylcholine include:
- ALCAR (Acetyl-L-Carnitine) – ALCAR donates a methyl group in the presence of Coenzyme-A for the synthesis of acetylcholine. And it’s also a shuttle transport for fatty acids through brain cell membranes. It shuttles fatty acids into mitochondria for fuel, and shuttles toxic byproducts out.
Research from the Linus Pauling Institute shows ALCAR will restore mitochondrial function, replenish age-related changes to mitochondrial structure, and replenishes acetylcholine levels to your brain and body.
And other studies show that ALCAR stimulates nerve growth factor. Helping support survival and growth of neurons. Which is particularly important for the ADHD brain and especially when using prescription stimulants that may be tough on neurons.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid (R-LA) – Alpha Lipoic Acid increases acetylcholine production by activation of choline acetyltransferase and increases glucose uptake. This process supplies more Acetyl-CoA for the production of acetylcholine.
Alpha Lipoic Acid enhances insulin-stimulated glucose transport and metabolism for better brain cell performance. And R-LA provides strong antioxidant support because it helps regenerate and recycle existing antioxidants in your brain including Vitamins C & E, glutathione, and CoQ10.
I’ve since switched the ALCAR supplement in my ADD stack to Performance Lab® Energy because this pre-formulated energy stack contains my preferred dose of ALCAR. But note that I also take another 800 mg of ALCAR with my NALT dose late afternoon to prevent a stimulant crash.
Performance Lab® Energy also contains Alpha Lipoic Acid which helps my ADD brain produce acetylcholine. And has helped reverse the ‘insulin resistance’ my doctor diagnosed me with a year ago.
- CDP-Choline (Citicoline) – Citicoline helps synthesize phosphatidylcholine (PC), a major phospholipid found in brain cell membranes. And provides choline for the synthesis of acetylcholine while providing antioxidant activity.
The CDP-Choline in my ADD stack is supplied by Mind Lab Pro® which is the base of my nootropic stack.
But a suitable alternative to MLP is the new Performance Lab® Mind which contains the branded form of citicoline called Cognizin®.
Performance Lab® Mind and Mind Lab Pro® also contain N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT), Phosphatidylserine (PS), and Maritime Pine Bark extract.
Repairing Neuroreceptors Needed to Control ADHD
One of the issues with neurotransmitters and ADHD are damaged or non-existent receptors. Dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin have less receptors to bind to for cognition and mood control.
Once again, nootropics come to the rescue in helping control ADHD. You can add one of these nootropics to your stack to help boost receptor health.
- Ashwagandha – This adaptogen, Ashwagandha helps reduce anxiety and depression. And helps reconstruct axons, dendrites and synapses involved in neurotransmitter signaling in your brain.
Suggested dosage of Ashwagandha extract is 250 – 500 mg per day.
- Bacopa Monnieri – Bacopa helps boost memory and cognition, improves mood, and reduces stress. This adaptogen affects brain levels of acetylcholine needed to help neurotransmitter signaling.
And the two active components of Bacopa called bacosides A and B not only improves signaling of electrical impulses between neurons in your brain. Bacosides also help rebuild damaged neurons. Suggested dosage of Bacopa is up to 450 mg per day.
- Lion’s Mane – Lion’s Mane Mushroom is known for stimulating Nerve Growth Factor, improving cognition and memory, and relieving depression.
Lion’s Mane stimulates the repair and creation of neurons in your brain. Neurons needed for dopamine and norepinephrine to control ADHD. Suggested dosage of Lion’s Mane Mushroom is 500 mg per day.
- Noopept – Noopept helps boost cognition, memory, learning, perception, logical thinking and mood. Noopept increases Nerve Growth Factor, and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) critical for neuroplasticity and Long-Term Potentiation critical for long-term memory.
Noopept also prevents the release of excess glutamate in your brain. Providing potent neuroprotection for neurons and reducing damage. Suggested dosage of Noopept is 10 – 30 mg per day.
Please note that I haven’t linked through to supporting clinical studies for each of the nootropics I listed above. But you can click through to each nootropic page for extensive research supporting each supplement.
Nootropics for Kids
ADHD and ADD is most often diagnosed in children. The latest statistics (2011) from the CDC in the USA shows about 11% of children 4 – 17 years of age (6.4 million) have been diagnosed ADHD.[x] And that’s just for the USA.
Although ADHD is usually first diagnosed in children, it often lasts into adulthood. I sometime wonder how my life would have been different if I had been declared ADD when I was a kid.
But it wasn’t until the late 1960’s that the American Psychiatric Association formally recognized ADHD as a mental disorder. I wasn’t declared ADD until much later.
The thing is many parents are wary about putting their children on powerful, prescription ADHD meds. Kids brains continue to develop until your early 20’s. So is it a problem messing with brain chemistry at such a young age? Only time will tell and if the benefits outweigh the costs.
Hence the reason why parents are looking for ‘natural’ alternatives like nootropics to treat ADHD in children. But are nootropic supplements any safer than prescription stimulants?
Common sense tells me that using NALT could be safer than Ritalin for boosting dopamine. And Rhodiola Rosea could be safer than stimulants or anti-depressants for taming hyperactivity.
But many children with ADHD, natural supplements may not be enough. I’m not a doctor, and don’t even play one on TV. I’m an ordinary biohacker who has learned as much as I can to help myself. And fix my own cognitive issues. Including Adult ADD.
So I strongly suggest you find and work with an open-minded psychiatrist with your child. You may be pleasantly surprised to find you may be able to reduce or eliminate prescription ADHD meds altogether. And maybe not. But the long-term health of your child could be worth the time investment to find out.
In Summary
I’ve been wanting to write this post since I started Nootropics Expert. If you are ADHD or ADD, I hope you found it useful. And I’d appreciate your feedback, and share your experience with treating ADHD with nootropics in the comments section of this post.
Please share this post with anyone you think would benefit. Including discussions about nootropics for ADHD on reddit or Longecity.
One final note. Neurotransmitter balance is key to taming ADHD. I strongly caution you to take it slow if you’re just starting out with nootropics. Carefully read each of the extended articles in the List of Nootropics you are considering trying.
You need to be careful about side effects, prescription drug interactions, dosages and how your body reacts to each supplement.
But I’m confident that with careful planning and a long-term commitment, you can be as successful as I have been in living and thriving with ADHD or ADD.
[i] Arnsten A.F., Li B.M. “Neurobiology of executive functions: catecholamine influences on prefrontal cortical functions.” Biological Psychiatry. 2005 Jun 1;57(11):1377-84. (source)
[ii] Pliszka S.R., McCracken J.T., Maas J.W. “Catecholamines in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: current perspectives.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1996 Mar;35(3):264-72. (source)
[iii] Aston-Jones G., Rajkowski J., Cohen J. “Role of locus coeruleus in attention and behavioral flexibility.” Biological Psychiatry. 1999 Nov 1;46(9):1309-20. (source)
[iv] Berridge C.W., Waterhouse B.D., “The locus coeruleus–noradrenergic system: modulation of behavioral state and state-dependent cognitive processes” Brain Research Reviews Volume 42, Issue 1, April 2003, Pages 33–84 (source)
[v] Franowicz J.S., Kessler L.E., Borja C.M., Kobilka B.K., Limbird L.E., Arnsten A.F. “Mutation of the alpha2A-adrenoceptor impairs working memory performance and annuls cognitive enhancement by guanfacine.” Journal of Neuroscience. 2002 Oct 1;22(19):8771-7. (source)
[vi] Zametkin A.J., Karoum F., Linnoila M., Rapoport J.L., Brown G.L., Chuang L.W., Wyatt R.J. “Stimulants, urinary catecholamines, and indoleamines in hyperactivity. A comparison of methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine.” Archives of General Psychiatry. 1985 Mar;42(3):251-5. (source)
[vii] Oades R.D. “Role of the serotonin system in ADHD: treatment implications.” Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2007 Oct;7(10):1357-74. (source)
[viii] Wilens T.E. “Effects of methylphenidate on the catecholaminergic system in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.” Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2008 Jun;28(3 Suppl 2):S46-53 (source)
[ix] Oades R.D. “Dopamine-serotonin interactions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” Progress in Brain Research. 2008;172:543-65 (source)
[x] “Key Findings: Trends in the Parent-Report of Health Care Provider-Diagnosis and Medication Treatment for ADHD: United States, 2003—2011” Centers for Disease and Prevention cdc.gov (source)
So based in this article someone with ADD cannot simply use nootropics without pharmaceuticals to manage the condition. I have a very similar condition as you but I was prescribed strattera. Adderrall was too much for me as a stimulant and I couldn’t take it. The strattera hasn’t even kicked in yet and is affecting my mood. I’m much more irritated lately. I would like to try just using nootropics but from what you wrote it sounds like that won’t be enough. Any advice?
Gary, I honestly did not want to leave the impression that ADD could not be managed with nootropics alone. I believe in many cases ADD and ADHD can be managed using nootropics without the use of prescription stimulants. For personal reasons I chose last year to try managing my ADD symptoms using only Mind Lab Pro, Aniracetam and Sulbutiamine. By most measures this experiment was a resounding success.
But I have what many would consider a high stress line of work. I’m expected to put out a constant stream of high quality copy. Manage a company. And maintain the best relationship with my wife and family I possibly can. In most other lines of work I don’t think this would have been an issue. Intuition however told me that something was missing. And that’s when I decided to again use methylphenidate (Ritalin) daily. But at a slightly lower dose than I had been using.
I’m not a doctor and cannot suggest that you do not use your prescribed meds. But I am suggesting that depending on your unique issues you may be able to manage ADD symptoms with the right combination of nootropics. If you do try this experiment, it will take at least 2 or 3 months to see if it works for you.
Finally, do the research. Find out why Strattera was causing irritability. I’m guessing it was amping up your norepinephrine levels too high. That neurotransmitter may not be your issue. For example, through a lot of experimenting I found that my issue was low dopamine levels. And/or a lack of dopamine receptors or receptors not working as they should. I needed to raise dopamine and increase dopamine receptors. Which I’ve been able to do with a combination of nootropics and Ritalin.
Please report back on what you decided to do and how it worked for you. These types of comments and conversations are helpful to a lot of people.
Hi David!
I am commenting on this one because the mention of Strattera. I’m a 35 year old woman with ADHD.
I was finally diagnosed when I was 26 after over a decade of severe symptoms, including recurring depression. They wondered if I had a personality disorder (!) at one point!
I was prescribed Ritalin (Adderall is not available in Norway where I was diagnosed), but after 2 years of little success, and odd side effects like hyper sexuality and increased anxiety I switched to Adderall. That worked for a while, but I struggled with such intense crashes in the afternoons.
I have now been on Strattera for a month, and it feels good most of the time, but I get crashes and brain fogs many afternoons, still. It doesn’t make sense to me.
Is the stack you’ve outlined here safe to try while taking Strattera, and can it help with the crashes and the brain fog?
Thank you so much for amazing information. I’ve just found your site and I’m all over it! Thank you!
Sparkle, I designed this nootropic stack for exactly the reason you mentioned. And that is supporting the prescription ADHD meds you are using. And preventing the crash late afternoon.
Please do some research and learn exactly how Strattera and the other ADHD meds work in your brain. They encourage your brain to release more dopamine. But if that dopamine is not there you get into trouble.
I have been using 800 mg NALT, 800 mg of ALCAR and a tablespoon of coconut or MCT Oil about 4 pm everyday. And I do not experience a stimulant crash. Please study this post again carefully. And learn how I dose this nootropic stack throughout the day. Thousands use this stack and it works for most people. I hope it works for you too.
Have you personally found a difference between adderal and Ritalin? I currently take 10mg of Adderall that is not as effective as it once was and taking more usually causes much more anxiety. I would be curious to see if Ritalin has a better effect on me.
Anton, I had my doc switch me to Adderall because the Ritalin I had been using for years was no longer very effective. I tried Adderall for 6 months with no success. It was at that stage I tried going the natural route with just nootropics for a year.
Adderall and Ritalin have different mechanisms of action in the brain. I won’t go into that here except to say that with Ritalin being a pure uptake inhibitor, it seemed to work better for me. And the reason I’m back on Ritalin now. With no tolerance issues because of the stack I’m using.
Adderall is likely causing anxiety because it’s boosting norepinephrine too much. See if your doc will switch you to Ritalin for a trial. But be prepared to go through withdrawal from Adderall which is not pleasant. Managing ADHD successfully really is trial and error to see what works. And what doesn’t.
Thank you for the reply David, this post has helped a lot. I recently started taking NALT and I notice a difference. I will also order ALCAR to add.
What is your experience with NAC? Is it any different than NALT?
Also, did you continue to take aniracetam with Ritalin? I am seeing mixed feedback on whether or not to combine racetams with Adderal/Ritalin. What’s your take on this? I am currently taking 1600mg piracetam with Adderal
I just recently discovered NAC and added it to my stack. And now wouldn’t do without it. Rather than repeating it here I suggest you read through these two sections near the top of each post so you can compare them side by side.
“N-Acetyl L-Cysteine helps”: https://nootropicsexpert.com/n-acetyl-l-cysteine/
“N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine helps”: https://nootropicsexpert.com/n-acetyl-l-tyrosine/
The beauty of NAC is when everyone else has a cold or the flu, I seem to escape getting infected.
I love Aniracetam and absolutely take it with Ritalin. The best antidepressant I’ve ever tried. One of the issues with ADD or ADHD are depression-tendencies. Likely caused by neurotransmitters being out of whack. And Aniracetam supports acetylcholine use which you’ll be increasing by using ALCAR.
Hi David, how did you find out that you have ADD. Like when did it occur to you and what led you to get yourself diagnosed by a doctor. I’m thinking of getting myself diagnosed.
Andrew, it never occurred to me until after the fact. My wife kinda’ ‘forced’ me to see her psychiatrist because he was a Rock Star in those circles. Within 10 minutes of our conversation, the doc told me I was ADD and PTSD. Still haven’t figured the last one out.
All my adult life I’ve struggled with focus. I rose to the top of every company I’ve ever worked for. And every performance review had a common theme. I’d be able to rise higher if I could only “learn to focus”. I bought all the self-help books on learning how to focus. It was a constant theme and struggle. I didn’t know enough to realize there was something wrong with my brain.
That diagnosis was a turning point in my life. Starting on Ritalin was like someone turned the lights on in my brain. And thus began my journey into neuroscience and what makes the brain work.
Andrew, if you do decide to see a doc my only advice is to do your research. Find the best doctor you can. Get references if you can. Search the ADHD forums for tips on locating the right doctor. I can’t stress this enough. This is a very big deal and could affect the rest of your life. Good luck.
Hello David. I am 49 years old and have ADD. I was diagnosed when I was a kid and was on Ritalin. When kids found out I was taking medicine every day at lunch at the advanced school they started teasing me about it and I started a lot of fights. Soon I asked my mom to put me back into the regular school since I did not have anything in common with the “Rich kids” from the other side of town. Later I told them I did not want to take the medicine anymore because of the teasing and fighting. I struggled all through school but when I was on Ritalin I did great in school and my parents told me I always had great grades. After graduating and going to the local college I tried Ritalin again but could not get the doses correct or something in my body changed because I gained about 20 pounds in a month and was sleepy all the time so I stopped taking it. About 5 years ago I tried again but now it was very expensive, about $300 for a month supply but I tried Ritalin, Adderall, Strattera and a couple others but nothing seemed to help with the focus and concentration so I gave up again. Last year we tried again with another medicine and it did not work and told the doctor that it is just the focus and concentration that is the issue so we decided to try Vyvance. I have a couple pills out of a month supply left but it is not helping either. I just found your youtube video and watching it and saw the link to your website and read through this page. I am hoping you have some suggestions that will help me as this is aggravating to say the least. I get distracted so easily and can lose hours in a day before I realize what I am supposed to be doing. Being self employed this is hurting my business a lot. Thank you.
Chris, I feel your pain and wonder what my life would have been like if I’d been diagnosed much earlier. First, I’m not a doctor so what I suggest you try is one ADD guy to another. If Ritalin worked well for you when you were younger and no longer works, it sounds like your brain just ran out of enough dopamine for Ritalin to work with. It also could be a problem with dopamine receptors or transporters. But let’s start with the basics.
As we get older, our bodies produce less of the neurotransmitters like dopamine for a number of reasons. Not enough precursors coming from food. Our body can’t convert what we do eat into dopamine and norepinephrine. And an enzyme in our brain called monoamine oxidase starts to be over expressed. Which inhibits the dopamine we do have available.
So a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) slows this process down. Without getting into more detail, one way to inhibit MAO is with a prescription drug called Selegiline (L-Deprenyl). It’s a MAO-B inhibitor and at low doses does not inhibit MAO-A. So you don’t have a problem with a thing called the “cheese effect”. I’ll let you research that one on your own. But Deprenyl is the only drug known to selectively enhance a tiny region of the brain called the substantia nigra. This place is rich in dopamine neurons. That’s where problems start that turns into Parkinson’s. Using 5 mg per day of L-Deprenyl will boost dopamine.
If you can’t get L-Deprenyl, the nootropic supplement called Oat Straw is also an MAO-B inhibitor > https://nootropicsexpert.com/oat-straw/
Here’s what I would try to get you going in the right direction. Follow the stack I use which you’ll find at the top of this article while using Ritalin twice a day. See if you’re doctor will prescribe low-dose L-Derenyl. And if not, try Oat Straw. I’d also add Mucuna Pruriens (L-DOPA) > https://nootropicsexpert.com/l-dopa/. Mucuna will increase dopamine levels in your brain. Dosage instructions are in that review.
I mention Ritalin specifically because it’s the simplest of ADD drugs and seems the safest. And it’s immediate release so you would dose it twice a day. Once in the morning and once at noon. Your nootropic stacks would be taken at the same time. I’d also suggest you try Mind Lab Pro because it’ll help repair and replenish neuroreceptors you’ve lost due to aging. https://nootropicsexpert.com/mind-lab-pro-review/
I’m confident that you can turn things around Chris because I did and it saved my life. But it takes a lot of patience and determination. Because you’ll have to keep experimenting until you find what works best for you.
Hi David,
I need help for my 12 yo daughter who has a tic disorder resulting from using Adderall (for a very short period of time last year). Her major tic, a breathing tic, can occur from a very few seconds to once every couple of minutes. I thought we were getting her on the right path with the following supplements:
Vitamin C – 500 mg 2x per day
PharmaGABA – 100 mg – 2x per day
ALCAR – 500 mg – 1x per day
Vitamin B6 – 50 mg – 1 per day
Glutathione Reduced – 500 mg 1x per day
Culturelle – 1 time per day
Methyl B-12 (1000 mcg) + Methyl Folate (400 mcg) + 1.5 mg P5P supplement – 1x per day
S. boulardii probiotic – 1 per day
Zinc citrate – 50 mg – 2 in the morning
Vitamin B5 – 250 mg – 1 per day
K2 + D3 (5000 mg) supplement – 1 per day
5-HTP – 100 mg – 1 per day
Magnesium Glycinate – 400-800 mg at night
Then, we added CBD oil to this regimen and she starting ticcing every few seconds. This has led me to believe it’s not simply a dopamine deficiency’ it’s either her dopamine receptors’ inability to receive the dopamine or just not enough dopamine receptors around. I was reading about the uridine stack. She already takes ALCAR, B vitamins and magnesium. I’m hoping DHA won’t hurt – she’s never had an RBC test, which could determine the correct Omegas to take. Should I invest in Uridine? Please help me. This is so confusing, and we are so desperate to help her.
Tanya, your daughter’s reaction to CBD Oil is interesting. You could try Uridine and see if it helps. But you may want to take a look at Phosphatidylserine (PS) https://nootropicsexpert.com/phosphatidylserine-ps/ and/or L-Glutamine https://nootropicsexpert.com/l-glutamine/ first. Keyword to look for in those reviews is “Tourette’s Syndrome”. I’m NOT saying your daughter has Tourette’s. But it is a “tic disorder” and may have the same faulty mechanism of action in the brain. Take a look at PS along with DHA or an Omega-3 high in DHA. Those two work together in brain cells.
Ive known ive had adhd since I was a child, but I just got diagnosed last week. i started a new medicine called mydayis at 12.5mg then if it’s not enough we will increase until we find whats right. I am not that impulsive, but I’m hyperactive and have trouble with everything else. This is a stack I came across searching the web. I have a pretty severe case.
2x per day
100 mg Caffeine
200 mg L-Theanine.
300 mg NALT
250 mg Alpha GPC
500 mg Sulbutiamine(morning only)
750 mg Aniracetam (morning only)
20mg nooept (afternoon only)
I seen you recommended nalc which ive never heard of. I am just now exploring nootropics within the last few months, but I cant retain what I read. Any recommendations on changing that stack? I’m also thinking of buying alpha brain or something else. This is all a headache. Haha
Matthew, if you are hyperactive I’d strongly suggest not using Caffeine. You want to calm your brain. Not amp-it-up. And I’m not sure what you are referring to by “nalc”. I’ve never heard of it either.
Other than Noopept, the other nootropics in your stack are under-dosed. Please refer to the review for each here on Nootropic Expert for recommended doses. Do not expect much benefit if you under-dose.
I highly recommend Mind Lab Pro over Alpha Brain. Especially for ADHD. You may also want to consider adding an Omega-3 supplement high in DHA. And something to increase cerebral blood flow. Try Vinpocetine or Pine Bark Extract.
Hi David
very good article! I’m a guy of 17 years and i’m sure to have the ADD or ADHD. I passed the last 4 years through depression and severe anxiety and i overcome all reading and applying tons of books (about 200). Now i’m feeling better but not as I would like… i pass all my days doing the same things like in a stupid loop, i can’t focus on the things to do because my mind runs rough (seem scared hahaha) and i don’t do nothing at the end of the day (and i also tried meditation and cardio but don’t work…). I started about 3 days ago to use the Na-Semax-Amidate (4 sprays in the morning and 4 in the evening) and it’s helpful because turn off my inner critic but leaves me in a state of more brain fog and “apathy”… i’m a bit more sad and I don’t want do anything. I have a lot of ambitions but i’m still in a stuck situation and i want to try all the choices. I was thinking to use something that really kicks me like Ritalin, maybe Modafinil or other things like psychedelics…
what do you think about it David?
thanks
Giulio, if you are clinically ADD or ADHD it’s going to take more than Semax to get your brain working the way it was designed. I highly recommend that you see a doctor who specializes in ADHD first. Because this will take the guess work out of trying to figure out what’s going on with your brain.
You are very fortunate to have recognized this at your age. I was well into my adult life before I was finally diagnosed Adult ADD. My first experience of using methylphenidate was like someone switched the lights on in my brain. It was life-changing. If I’d only known this when I was 17 I wonder how different my life would have been.
So please don’t mess around with this on your own. Yes, nootropics can help. But you will save a lot of time and grief if you learn exactly what’s going on right now. Stimulants may be where you need to start.
Psychedelics could possibly send you down a hole that it will be difficult to recover from. Or they could be the reset button you need. But it’s far too risky at this stage in your life. Especially considering you still have about 5 years of natural biological brain development ahead of you.
If you insist on going it alone then I recommend using the nootropic stack described on this page. It will help you far more than what Semax is capable of.
Hi David
Thank you very much for your reply 🙂
I looked up for your stack and i think it will be perfect for me. I think to buy almost all in powder on Nootropics Depot (do you think that they are the best?)
and for now i have a limited amount of money (150€) and i was thinking to buy for now the Mind Lab in sinergy with the semax because the complete stack with shipping (i’m in italy) and tax costs about 400€ for 1 month of supplements. Meantime, in 2 weeks, i’ll do the money that i need.
Just for update you, i’m at the 4th day of NASA (8 sprays a day) and i’m feeling better. I can speak thinking at what i’m saying, i haven’t more the inner critic conversation, i can focus on what to do easily and do it and i have less anxiety…just little steps forward finally 🙂
For the Ritalin i was thinking 2x10mg a day, starting but with 1 a day and see how works for me.
Giulio, I’ve found Nootropics Depot to be one of the better online vendors of nootropics. I’ve also found that there is no “best” in this business because it’s changing all the time. Reputation of vendors helps but ultimately it’s up to us to keep an eye on everything we put into our bodies.
I think it’s also clear that I’m into biohacking. But when it comes to pharmaceuticals I’m even more cautious. Dosing Ritalin without the assistance of a trained medical professional is risky. So please be careful and listen closely to you what your body is telling you.
I really appreciate your reply.
Yes i know the risk and i’ll start with 1x10mg a day to see the pro and cons. of the ritalin.
I want to start gradually and see how work every piece of the stack. I was thinking to continue using the Na-Semax-Amidate and buy the Mind Lab Pro, Vinpocetine with coconut oil and after 2 weeks buy the other pieces. What do you think?
it could be “problems” using this stack with the semax?
thanks
Giulio, I have not done enough research into Semax to advise you either way. But if you are using Ritalin, my experience is you’ll need more NALT and CDP-Choline that what’s provided in that pre-formulated stack. Each of our bodies and brains are unique and you’ll need to experiment to see what works best for you.
Hi David
Your stack is userful Also to improve my symptoms of depression and my adhd or i need to add something else?
Thank you
Brain, depends on the severity of depression. Please check out this post I wrote on depression here > https://nootropicsexpert.com/best-nootropics-for-depression/. I’ve personally found adding Rhodiola Rosea to my stack in the last couple of months helps.
Hey David
Very nice post! I have a question: i’m adhd, a bit depressed and I have an internal block because I can’t speak freely, i need to think long time (adhd) and i have a bad situation with my inner critic. I tried meditation, sport and reading tons of books about this but nothing helped me. I’m tring the Lab Pro and is improving my mood (depression) and energy but i’m feeling still confused and stuck in my brain. in addition to the Lab pro i’ll try the complete stack and the Ritalin but i would ask you if you think that there is something for these inner blocks that’s during years…
it’s like to think i need to pass through a sub-personality that kicks me off.
thanks David
Paul, it’s difficult to say what will help here except be open to some experimentation. First, I highly recommend the following which have been found to improve “sociability”:
https://nootropicsexpert.com/kava/
https://nootropicsexpert.com/aniracetam/
https://nootropicsexpert.com/vitamin-b9-folate/
For the last one, it’s “folate” and NOT folic acid. You would be a step ahead by finding a B-Complex that included higher doses of ‘folate’ with Vitamin B12 (‘methylcobalamin’). Both are the type your body naturally uses.
If you decide on Aniracetam, you need to stack it with Alpha GPC or CDP-Choline. More than what is available in Mind Lab Pro.
My last suggestion is along the lines of meditation which you said didn’t work for you. I have been using Centerpointe Research’s “Holosync” for the last couple of years. And found it’s made a big difference (which is difficult to explain). Please go to their website and read some of the research. It’s like meditation amped up several notches. And it works.
I’m suffering of mild depression, anxiety and adhd.
I’m thinking to use your recommended stack adding:
Coline
B9
B12
complex of B and C
trimethyl glycine
and exchange the ritalin with the modafinil for the first month. If i’ll see changes i’ll try also the ritalin because i don’t want that my parents discover this
thank you
Andrew, I suggest finding a highly bioavailable B-Complex supplement and not including individual Vitamins B9 and B12 so you avoid any kind of toxicity. And take Vitamin C as a separate supplement.
Hi David, I am impressed with your knowledge. Thank you for this post.
I have ADHDH, with predominance of impulsivity, and dispersion. I also have hyperactivity when I get nervous or anxious (when I have pressure the anxiety jumps).
Above all, attention is the most difficult thing for me to cope with. I was smoking cannabis everyday for 12 years (16 to 28). 1 month and a half ago I stopped completely the consumption and I am starting to run every day.
I’d like to start with nootropics.
8 years ago, I spent a few months taking concerta (methylpenidate extended release) but it left me too serious, I did not laugh or express my emotions in a natural way, it made me too serious for my way of being. I would like to start with nootropics, what do you recommend? I would like to have more mental clarity, control impulsivity and be able to enjoy more things (remove anxiety?).
For now I have been struck by fish oil, NALT and vitamin B, also lions mane and ashwagandha. Could you recommend something specifically? Thank you very much and sorry for my bad English.
Leo, I remember a few years ago the anxiety you are referring to. It happened at the strangest times. Like when I was being questioned by someone. It was like my body, and especially my neck would ‘lock up’. It would only last for a few seconds but was extremely uncomfortable. And kinda’ scary.
I haven’t experienced that symptom in years. Not since I started using nootropics. First thing I suggest is re-visiting methylphenidate. Find a doc to work with you and try the instant release kind at a lower dose.
But whether you try methylphenidate again or not, I recommend trying the entire stack I outline in this post. Because it covers every symptom you describe. Change your fish oil to a high quality DHA supplement. Make sure your B-Complex vitamin is using folate and NOT folic acid. And is using methylcobalamin and NOT cyanocobalamin. I would replace lions mane and ashwagandha with Mind Lab Pro because it covers many of the brain benefits as those two nootropics. And your cost would be about the same.
And one final note is make sure you are taking a therapeutic dose of each of the supplements you are using. This is often higher than the manufacturer’s recommended dose on the bottle label. Use the low end of the dosage recommended for each here on Nootropics Expert so you see how you react. Then raise the dose within acceptable limits from there.
Hi David,
I am so glad I stumbled upon this. I am so intrigued and interested in learning as much as I can. I actually am 28, and was diagnosed with depression 4 years ago about losing a close family member. That may have been true, however, I also experienced lots of anxiety symptoms around that time. I have used Zoloft, and often got nose bleeds on that. I went off meds and tried to do with diet alone, and now back on Wellbutrin, and Adderall on 10mg. I have noticed a huge difference adding the Adderall finally. However, If I can help myself in a safer way I’d like to.
I’m wondering since both of the meds I am on now interact with dopamine, would you recommend eliminating some of the examples you gave above?
I do still have hypersexuality/impulsivity and procrastination which may always be an issue, I don’t know.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Kelsey
Kelsey, my first recommendation is really dig into how exactly Wellbutrin and Adderall work in your brain. For example, Wellbutrin is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. That means more norepinephrine is available in your brain. That will cause problems in excess. Especially when combined with Adderall. Do a search for “excess norepinephrine” so you understand what I mean.
Also understand exactly how Adderall compares to methylphenidate (Ritalin) and how each works in your brain. You may find more success using instant release Ritalin. And maybe not. I find that my brain responds better to Ritalin than to Adderall. But each of us is unique in so many ways. So what works for me may not work for you.
I would revisit using Wellbutrin. And see if you can get to where you want to go by using an ADHD med combined with the right nootropics.
Hypersexuality is associated in the med literature with impulsivity. But no can agree on a specific cause or definition. As a result, the term was eliminated from the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It falls in the same category as other “addictions”, and the overactivity of the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway in the brain. So we come back to dopamine again.
I keep on going back to learning how each of these drugs work in your brain because that is the only way to understand which nootropic supplements will help. You are correct in that a couple of the nootropics in this stack support dopamine. But not in an excessive way. Just enough to provide the dopamine your brain needs for the stimulant meds to work without the crash at the end of the day.
But using the wrong meds will make it more difficult to get your brain working relatively normally again. And harder to select the right nootropic supplements. I hope I didn’t confuse you here. The bottom-line is keep doing your research. Do not be afraid to experiment with different nootropics. The list in this post is a good starting point. But keep your dosages at low end of the recommendations. The key is continuing to experiment with meds and nootropics until you find your sweet spot.
I should have clarified, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD finally hence the addition of Adderall.
Hi – Thank you for sharing all of this that you are learned. Wozers. I am looking more and more into adding a supplement to my son (and possibly husbands) prescription stimulants. I have looked at length at your articles, but cannot find the answer to these questions.
1. We are looking for an afternoon booster for when my sons Focalin has worn off. For focus for homework help and not to be so emotional. I am hesitant to add an after dose as he already barely eats anything and is under weight.
2. I have noticed that you take several things multiple times a day, but then see dosages on other entries to take once a day….Can we take supplements just in the afternoon and expect them to work fairly quickly? Do they need to build up in the system or should we know quickly if working. I mean I can tell if it is, but if not do we start looking for something different after a week? Month?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Marisa, Focalin is similar to methylphenidate (Ritalin) but you do not mention if you are using instant or extended release. Focalin works by making more dopamine and norepinephrine available in the brain. Which provides the benefits of impulse control and better focus.
The reason why I use the nootropic stack in this post is to help Ritalin do its job by providing more dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain. I dose it throughout the day to make sure my brain has what it needs all day.
I also recommend adding one more dose around 3 – 4 pm so there is no stimulant ‘crash’. The brain is not depleted prematurely of dopamine and norepinephrine by using this stack again later in the afternoon. Which allows me to keep working until I decide to quit for the day.
If you follow the dosage instructions for each of the nootropics in this stack including amounts and time-of-day you’ll find that Focalin doesn’t wear off. It is possible to dose later in the afternoon only. But to get the full benefit of this stack it is better to follow the directions and dose 3 or 4 times per day.
Trial and error is key to making nootropics work for you. The stack I outline in this post is a “suggestion” that works for me and lots of other people. But you may need to tweak it as you gain more experience.
Hello David –
Please know I have looked at several of your articles: Best Nootropis of 2017-2018, Nootropics Expert List of Blog Posts and the article on ADHD. I have a question or request if you will, it is to chart the differences between ALCAR, NAC and NALT.
I am a 52 year old woman who had been on Vyvance for 4 years with great success. My husband and I moved last year somewhat retired. When my PA found out I was on Vyvance, she rolled her eyes and told me she wasn’t comfortable with prescribing that, so I did some research on my own and thought I’d try a more natural approach. I bought L-Phenylalanine 500mg and also Acetyl-L-Carnitine 1000mg. This didn’t seem to do the trick so I found a new doc who would at least listen to me in why I wanted my brain back.
Anyway, I was given 10mg Adderall and she raised it to 15mg. Today, I researched to see if I could still take my L-Phenylalanine 500mg and also Acetyl-L-Carnitine 1000mg along with my Adderall. That is when I found you.
I too, have hypothyroidism along with ADHD. My father had Lewy-Body Alzheimer disease and so I am a bit nervous in my future. I am a visual learner so I would love to ‘see’ a chart, but if not I would love for you to email me the differences between NAC, ALCAR and NALT to possibly help both my ADHD and possibly stay or enhance memory. Thank you.
Terri, the differences between ALCAR, NAC and NALT are clearly explained in the full review of each of these nootropics. You can get to the full review of each by clicking on the live link near the top of this post. The review for NAC is here: https://nootropicsexpert.com/n-acetyl-l-cysteine/
ALCAR is a precursor needed to produce acetylcholine (ACh) in your brain. ACh is required for brain cell signalling.
NALT is a precursor to the synthesis of dopamine. Adderall works by increasing levels of dopamine in your brain. NALT provides some of that missing dopamine in the aging brain so Adderall can do its job.
NAC’s primary job is a precursor to the major antioxidant in your body glutathione. It also modulates glutamate and dopamine levels in your brain so things don’t get out of whack.
The stack I describe in this post is specifically designed to support the ADHD or ADD brain. And to support whatever prescription ADHD stimulant meds a person may be using. But they are ALL required to make this stack work. Including the B-Complex vitamins.
I highly recommend you learn exactly how Adderall works in your brain. Wikipedia is a good resource for these types of medications. Look for the section that says “mechanism of action”.
Then learn in detail about each of these nootropics by using the information provided here. So you have a clear understanding how these supplements work. And how they may interact with the prescription medications you are using.
I really appreciate this post! So much info and since I’ve got an ADD brain, I’ll need to read it through a few times to make sure I took that all in. I’m a 43 year old woman whose mom was told for repeatedly years that I “daydream too much” or “can’t keep still”, you know the usual ADHD tale of woe. I’m kinda clever so I managed stumble, bump, fall, and crash my way through college (and life so far lol) but last year after yet another semi major life failure, I decided to seek help for the ADD. It just affects every area of my life. From my ability to organize pretty much anything, to being able keep a clean house or even stay remotely on top of bills. Quite honestly, I’ve been in some ways just a walking disaster. I had some extensive psych testing and was officially diagnosed. The doc started me on a low dose of adderall (10 mg) and over the last six month that is now increased to 60 mg a day. Indeed I’m definitely better on it than off of it but in many ways I’m still a wreck. I’m also concerned about the fast that I seem to need more and more of it. Part of the issue is that I was on extended release for a few months and the doc says that for some people, XR Adderall loses effectiveness over time. I now take three 20 mg pills a day (morning, lunch, and then late afternoon). I am concerned that this will also lose effectiveness in time. Also there is this new issue of insomnia. Sleeping is very hard to come by. I can rarely get down before 3 AM and then I’m up by 6 AM – 7AM and often can’t mange a nap to make up for the loss (mind just won’t settle down). If I skip the Adderall (which I do at times so that I can mange a nap), I’m literally ALL over the place so I’m looking for an alternative to Adderall or possibly like you, something to add to the mix that will work with the Adderall and allow me to take less of it and increase it’s effectiveness. I’m getting pretty tired of failing and the psych testing also indicated that I’m of fairly high intelligence (though I’m no genius by any stretch) but certainly smart enough to have done better than I have thus far in life. The repeated failure has taken it’s toll and I do think I am struggling with some depression. On top of all of that I’m kind of an odd person and can be rather socially awkward. I’m hoping to find some help for that and the ADD with the Nootropics. Any advice that you can offer would be greatly appreciated as well.
Iesha, the insomnia is very likely coming from using Adderall too late in the day. If you follow the protocol in this post including the dosage recommendations later in the afternoon, you should be able to avoid the stimulant crash. And the nootropic supplements described in this post help potentiate Adderall.
Your brain starts to lose efficiency as you get older. Monoamine Oxidase builds up and prevents dopamine from doing its thing. And dopamine levels drop as you age as well. To help Adderall work you need to give your brain the dopamine and acetylcholine it needs. Otherwise, it doesn’t have the level of neurotransmitters required for Adderall to do its job.
Study this post as you mentioned until you understand what you need to do. I’d also suggest learning exactly how Adderall works in your brain. That will help you tie this post and what you learn from your homework together. Oddly enough, Wikipedia is a good place to learn more about Adderall and how it works.
Many thanks for the reply and excellent info David! I definitely see that just popping pills as prescribed isn’t going to get me where I need to be. Done that for a year with rather disappointing results. Very hopeful for a much better brain going forward.
Mr David
Thanks very much for to hard work. But I want bring u to the other part of the continent.
I’m from Africa _ country Ghana_ And in here everything about what your discussion is not possible. We don’t diagnose ADD or ADHD. So many of my student decide to drop out of school because of non performance and we have taking it as normal here.
I started to lose focus, concentration, depression, depression brain fog,anxiety and more over i dont even have the appettide for learning because i learn just this hour , conduct exams for me at that instant on what i just learn and i will able to produce just 15% of 50.It started when I was around 12yrs. And I will be 25 this December. I have struggle my way through life to nursing Training College and I can still see my life is falling apart. Frankly speaking, I started alcohol around 14yrs.
Edible marijuana at the time.
And I started smoking marijuana at the middle of 2012 after i failed my first secondary level final exams due.(WASSCE). I wrote a resist for the secondary level final exams and manage to pass through to here NTC:(NURSING TRAINING COLLEGE). My first year in NTC the struggle continues.
First semester I got 2 referre(failed 2 course) out of 7
2nd semester:2 referred
And I’m now in my second year first semester. The news of smart drugs and nootropics started kicking in last 4 month when I felt I have had eough. I’m afraid I cnt graduate from here.so I started by asking google what to do. So many options ..4 months now I have reading from all angle of smart drugs to nootropics. Modafinil(modalert 200mg) was the right answer I got from reddit, quora, and other I cnt remembered because of my short membrane span and inability to recall. I also searched for online vendors to buy it and afinil express was the target. Now the main problem: after I waited for 1month for my modafinil and hoping to be limitless(not like NZT but something small to help me recall after learning)because that is my fav movie.. 21/02/2018 I ordered and Thanks be to God I received it unteached in my college on 22/03/2018. I was more than happy bcos the hype of it online is so great I have trusted it a lot give my system a new lifestyle. 1st day: half pill(100mg)_No result: No focused or concentration,alertness, alittle wakefulness effect.I felt like normal.
2nd day: 1tablet(200mg)_ up dose
3rd day: 2tab(400mg)_wakefulness but no alertness or the other benefit. I don’t observe any of the side effect except for loss of appetite and small abdominal disturbances which I related it to the inability to eat but counteract it with smoking weed and within some minute I’m OK. What lead me ur site is MINDLABPRO which everysite visited rated #1 except few. But ur analysis and experience here kept me read over every comment( may because I’m on modafinil). But yet ur site is the one to give the analysis breakdown (smart drug n nootropics) that I need u. For saving time and typing.. My problems, taking modafinil and not been the wonder drug everyone is taking about to me. I fell like dying. I will definitely order for mindlabpro but maybe my dopamine and norepinephrine receptors may one way or the other not working properly. Ritalin could have be a better option in combination but I’m thinking of how to get it online. What should I do now. My life has been a standstill for about 15yrs now. I hope (with ur experience and knowledge) can help me fix my broken memory. I want to quite the MODA for now coz I don’t want any harm to the (disordered)memory I really on for now. I don’t expect much from smart drug or nootropics,at least if it can help me recall what I struggle to learn, I will greatful for that alone.Last but not the least (bcoz I will continue charting u on my journey of smart drugs and Nootropics),the stack up there are too many and I can just buy few. I choose Mindlabpro and *(ritalin, but cnt get it online so out)* What best two option cnt balance my mindlabpro..those u prescribe should be what I can buy online. And site that I can buy them from.. Is a shipment from Europe to Africa. And I want to quite marijuana too but cnt .. I stay off and lose appetite + insomnia. Too many problems. I need ur concerns.
My 3 day journey on modafinil was unsuccessful.. While others says it start to kick in after an hour or less, almost about o.1%(according to my small online survey) says they fell the effect after some days which I see it to be rare. During 3 days of modafinil use
My Experience:
Day 1_half pill(100mg): I waked up at 5:20am smoke weed.(half of full roll) at 5:40am i took the pill. No effect.Not even wakefulness.
Day 2_full pill(200mg)waked up at 5:40am,no smoking,pope a pill and small wakefulness and no reaction again. I mean nothing experienced apart from some acute wakefulness.
Day 3 : no smoking and took in 400mg at 6:00am..Can feel the real wakefulness of it and nothing.
I used to smoke in the evening around 5:00pm to help me eat and sleep as well in all the 3 days.I have stop taking it because I don’t want to cause harm to the little memory I use daily.
But in my daily routine I smoked 3 time a day.(morning, afternoon and evening). I have leave by it from 2012 when I starting smoking. Sometimes I go to places where I cnt get and I’m able to stay off but only substitute it for alcohol to boost my appetite level. MY PROBLEMS: (I find it too hard to remember names of some of my mates in the same class although I hear them on daily basis. I easily forget information given to me to pass on to others.l learn and can’t remember making learning boring for me,,Anxiety,my decision making capacity on a scale of 5% will be rated 1.6%(bad for that).And I’m depressed to point that getting out bed even becomes a problem for me. I live a life of no planning,I have managed and struggle to leave up to this level until i became expose to smart drugs and Nootropics saving people life out there, l hope it can serve me also.There are soo many stack up there that I may not be able to afford all..so u choose best two stack to add to the mindlabpro to improve my recall; With ur best choice you must consider the following points for my sake:
*What can be bought online
*Can be shipped to Africa(world wide vendor).
*Pls I want know if i can obtain Ritalin online if Yes “where” reputable source and can be shipped to Africa,(dnt worry about customs),and should i continue to take the modafinil even aftet 3 days of no benefit except wakefulness or i should pause it for now.. Advise me on marijuana use..should I quite ?_ if yes , how can I do that without the withdrawal symptom and can it interfere the work of the Nootropics (mindlabpro and other stacks) in case it use alongside (I’m more interested in the recovering back of my memory)***Note: thousands of students are not interested in education anymore down here because of the problems listed above(1st and 2nd comments). I’m one of them. I was beginning to lose interest in education although I have a goal to achieve and then google lead me to smart drugs and Nootropics. I think now all I need is patients.. (This is supporting the first comment because it is unedited) I’m waiting for ur reply . With it I can take the step.1
Affum, I can relate to your story because I was not diagnosed Adult ADD until well into adulthood. I sometime wonder how my life would have been different if I understood this at your age.
If you’ve read my story you’ll know that I went for an entire year using the stack in this post without prescription Ritalin. And it worked very well.
You should do well with Mind Lab Pro. But I cannot stress enough that if you are truly ADD you must do more. Coconut or MCT Oil, a high quality multivitamin that has all the B-Vitamins in doses similar to what is described in each of the B-Vitamin reviews I’ve done. Or take a separate B-Complex supplement that uses folate (NOT folic acid) and methylcobalamin (NOT cyanocobalamin).
Your brain needs the basics like magnesium and zinc as well. And a high quality Omega-3 that has at least 1,000 mg of DHA. Do this every day for a month and you should notice a difference. But please understand that one magic pill will not make a difference. It will take a combination like described in this post and in this comment for you to experience relief.
Thank you for all this beautiful material 🙂 can I ask your opinion on the burden that nootropics get to the kidneys?
thank you,
Alex
Alessandro,if you have perfectly healthy kidneys you should not have a problem as long as dosage instructions are followed closely. If someone is dealing with any type of kidney disease or malfunction I would recommend paying close attention to the “Side Effects” section of each nootropic review. And do additional research as well.
Mr David
Once again I settled on this stack
Mindlabpro
NALT
ALCAR
Omega 3 DNA
Noopept.
I read noopept can function well without CDB Choline..
Mindlabpro contains contains citicoline..
Will noopept fit well into the stack. Substraction or Addition and something like dosages.
I read ,noopept can’t function well without cbd choline…but not (can) as stated above.
Affum, Mind Lab Pro does have some CDP-Choline. But when adding Noopept to your stack I find it helpful to add extra Alpha GPC or CDP-Choline. Your brain demands the extra acetylcholine because of Noopept.
David,
I am 35 and have never been diagnosed ADD or ADHD but I know that I have one of the two. I have always had issues with focus, poor memory, poor mood and lack of motivation for certain tasks. Over the last 2-3 years, I have started researching more about ADHD when we noticed that our 1st son was having problems in 1st grade staying on task and focusing, so he was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. I believe that I also suffer the same as he does. I have tried a couple of different things, but nothing like what you have described in this article and much of this would be very expensive for me to try at the moment. I was wondering if you know of the product Lumonol by Avanse Nutraceuticals? It contains many of the things that I have already researched, but I have seen so many mixed reviews. I just wanted to get your input on it. Also, in doing your research, what have you read about ADHD and excessive yawning?
David, I just checked the label on “Lumonol” and I’ve got two problems with it. 1. the company uses a “Proprietary Formula” which I hate. It hides exactly how much of each ingredient is in their product. And 2. the doses of nearly every ingredient in that stack is too low to be of much benefit. Particularly with an ADD or ADHD brain.
I recommend you do some research on what happens in the ADD and ADHD brain. And how prescription stimulants hope to help correct those deficiencies. It will give you a better understanding on what you are dealing with.
Dr. Daniel Amen has done a lifetime of research into the ADHD brain. And it is his opinion (and I agree) that not all ADD or ADHD brains are alike. There is no “one size fits all” solution. And experimenting until you find your brain is working better is the only way to approach this both with you and your son.
You may just want to start with the basics of the stack I’ve suggested in this post. Start with ALCAR, NALT, DHA, Coconut oil, and a high quality B-Vitamin and see how you do over a couple of weeks. Then if you can, try adding Mind Lab Pro.
See the dosage recommendations on each one of the nootropics I’ve mentioned. Including detailed reviews on every one of the B-Vitamins. Because you need to get the dosage and type of each right so you can judge if they are helping you.
ADD and ADHD are primarily a dopamine and brain signaling issue. If you can boost dopamine and tweak the signaling between neurons you may experience better focus, alertness, memory and even mood.
I haven’t done any research on excessive yawning. Maybe not enough oxygen? Not sure but if that is the case, then a boost in blood flow may help. Vinpocetine is a champ when it comes to blood flow.
Thanks for the reply. I can see that the MindLab Pro product already contains 3 of the B Vitamins and NALT, so it would still be safe to start with these and then add the MindLab Pro? Or could I just start with MindLab and see how that works for me?
For my son, he is on 20MG Vyvanse and I believe it works to an extent, but mornings and evenings are brutal with him at times when the medication has worn off. I was thinking of trying something else along with Vyvanse to see if it helps. I have looked into this as well: https://vayadirect.com/assets/PI_Vayarin.pdf.
David, you can do the same thing with the stack I describe in this post and get the kind of results that the PDF you link to describes. But better.
You can start with Mind Lab Pro on its own and see how it works for you. But I have personally found that with a compromised brain like mine with ADD that the dosages are not high enough. The other ingredients in MLP help repair my brain. But this brain demands more dopamine and acetylcholine than can be supplied by MLP.
Your son experiences a crash when Vyvanse has “worn off” because his brain is depleted of dopamine and acetylcholine. And long-term use also likely damages neurons. The nootropics that I describe in the stack on this page is designed to restore those neurotransmitters and neurons. And it helps potentiate the prescription stimulant so it works better.
I use 10 mg Ritalin at 5 AM, 20 mg Ritalin at 8 AM and another 20 mg Ritalin at 11:30 AM. And by using the nootropic stack described on this page, I never experience a stimulant crash. Ever. But the dosing needs to be followed including the nootropics around 4 PM if you want to get the same results I’m getting. That is the only way to avoid a crash.
Hi David
I really appreciate your post and the commitment to help others!
I’m a guy of 18 years with adhd-pi, i went to a specialist but he didn’t nothing except that he took me around 500€…
so i started lonely to use the ritalin and was fantastic!
the first day i took 20mg at once in the morning (because 10mg was far to work) and was…WOW!
1) My chronical anxiety disappeared
2) My heart started to beating normal and i felt my hands warm up ( i ever had my hands too cold or to hot)
3) i felt very very euphoric and was really amazing!
4) i started do what in 1 month i didn’t do
5) i started to be more social and don’t take care of my old anxiety
and all this was around 15 days ago and i did some mistakes…
1) I slept really badly because my new work and problems… I went to bed at the 2 a.m and wake up at 5 a.m
2) i had to change the brand for the ritalin from PCH to MYLAN because I had finished the blister
3) i also have tried 7mg of dextroamphetamine but they haven’t worked (maybe because i haven’t more dopamine or other things..)
I love the effects of ritalin of the first 5/10 days (when under the pch ritalin) and i didn’t have any comedown but now i take around of 30mg of ritalin mylan and feel a bit “awake” but nothing compared to before and i feel a bit depressed and apathic…
Now what can i do?
if needed i can also try the adderall but i don’t want mess up too much my brain…
What’s your advices David?
I can buy everything if it will help me and can you please send me your paypal email? i want to donate you at least 10€ for your work and for your help… i think it’s the minimum that i owe you…
p.s sorry for my bad english
Andrea, your initial good response with Ritalin is understandable and normal. But it can’t last or be recreated. You can however help Ritalin do its job by providing your brain what it needs. I suggest researching and learning how Ritalin works in your brain. Wikipedia is a good place to start.
You’ll soon learn that Ritalin boosts dopamine levels by inhibiting the reuptake of this neurotransmitter in dopamine receptors. But if you don’t have enough dopamine for Ritalin to work then you’ll get the symptoms you are experiencing now.
This is the reason I created the stack described in this post because I was having the same problem. Click on the link for each nootropic in this post and learn how it works, why you need it, and how much to take.
I had the same problem with Adderall. My brain prefers Ritalin as well. It’s the way our brain is uniquely wired.
It’ll help if you increase dopamine levels by using NALT. And increase acetylcholine by using ALCAR. The other nootropics, vitamins and minerals described here support each of those neurotransmitters.
You should experience a decrease in the negative symptoms you describe if you follow the dosage and timing instructions in this post. If budget is an issue then start with NALT, ALCAR, Vinpocetine, coconut oil and DHA and see how you feel. Add a high quality B-Vitamin complex if you can. Then add the others one at a time when you can.
Hi David
My son is diagnosed bipolar with adhd and generalized anxiety disorder. Also insomnia. 30 yrs old. On 60 mg Vyvanse daily and Ambien occasionally (always takes more than prescribed, so it only lasts about 8 days per month. Then he turns to drinking beer and taking 3-6 25 mg tabs of Benadryl to sleep. What I started him on: pharmepa restore pure epa omega 3 1000mg, life extension b complex vitamins, inositol, vitamin d3, magnesium and zinc. Nothing changed. I added bacopa and he shou wu. After a week he said he felt a tiny bit better. Then I read about the uridine stack. I added uridine and krill oil and took out epa omega 3. Today is day 3 and he’s just going downhill. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong! He has no motivation, very apathetic, and today woke up angry and agitated.
Dianna, sounds like you are understandably overwhelmed. So let’s take this a step at at time. First, click on the “Blog” tab up top, scroll through and read each post for “social anxiety” which is the same as “anxiety”, and the post on sleep.
Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is an anticholinergic. Which means that it blocks acetylcholine in the brain. Which is a really bad idea for all kinds of reasons. Including ADHD, bipolar, anxiety and sleep. Using Bacopa to increase neural signaling will not work here because when you suppress acetylcholine, there is nothing to signal with.
You should select an Omega-3 based on EPA and DHA content rather than a source like “krill”. The human brain is made up most of DHA fatty acids. So we need an Omega-3 that supplies at least 1,000 mg of DHA per day. In this case you may want to boost it to 2 – 3,000 mg of DHA per day. Nature’s Way makes a product called Mega-DHA that is about $10. And two capsules provides 1,000 mg DHA.
You are on the right track with Life Extension’s B-Complex, Vitamin D, magnesium and zinc. Zinc requires 1.5 – 2 mg of copper because it suppresses copper. For inositol you want 2,000 mg of “myo-inositol” per day. 1,000 mg in the morning and 1,000 mg before bed. You may also want to try Lithium Orotate.
It helps to take about 400 mg of chelated magnesium about 90 minutes before bed because it helps sleep.
He shou wu is a potent MAO-B inhibitor. Which means it boosts intracellular levels of dopamine in the brain. But if the dopamine is cycled too fast, or there is not enough dopamine in the first place you’ll get things like agitation, irritability, and loss of motivation. If he is using Vyvanse, the brain is likely already starved for dopamine. An MAO-B inhibitor could make things worse.
I suggest following the ADHD protocol I outline in this post. Read the other posts I mentioned and see the synergy and overlap in symptoms including anxiety and insomnia. You’re going in the right direction so continue to tweak his stack of supplements. And please re-visit the use of Benadryl. Because continued use will make anything you try that much more difficult.
David,
Thank you so much for the response! I’ve ordered everything you mentioned in your ADHD protocol. We started the nighttime protocol but it didn’t seem to help last night. I told him it would take time. My plan is to start with the Mind Lab Pro for a week and add in all the extras one at a time. I’ll let you know how it works! Thanks again for your help! I’m also reading all your blog posts.
David
We’ve stopped the Benadryl. He’s been on your protocol for a little more than a week. Both the sleep and ADHD protocols. Sleep has not improved. I’m adding ashwagandha and P5P to his sleep protocol. He’s also very depressed again. I’ve been reading up on Tianeptine. I’m just not sure how it would interact with everything else I’m giving him. Btw, he’s taking everything in the ADHD protocol, just not the last dose. I thought that might be too much for him. But I’m no expert….that’s why I’m asking for your help once again.
Dianna, it’s been awhile since we chatted so please respond if I get this wrong. First, Tianeptine is not such a good idea for a couple of reasons. It’s bad news for anyone with addictive tendencies. One of the most popular nootropic vendors (Powder City) went out of business partly because one of their customers died from a Tianeptine overdose. Or what was blamed on Tianeptine at least. And second, it doesn’t do so well with those who are bipolar: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27274258
The last dose of my ADHD protocol (around 4 PM) is to prevent the crash that usually comes from using stimulant ADHD meds.
It will take more than a week of consistently using these nootropics for things to get better. The human brain is an amazing machine and can heal. But the damaged brain takes awhile to repair itself even given the right tools.
It took me nearly 3 years before I finally got back on track. Things started to get a little better within a few months. Some of that 3 years obviously came from trial and error and trying different supplements. But much of the time was what it took to heal.
This takes a long-term commitment and a ton of patience. All you can do is help and support the way you are doing now. But the ‘patient’ has to be willing and determined as well. I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you as a mother. I’m married with two young “adult” step-kids so experience this myself every day.
What exactly are you using for sleep?
David
For sleep he takes 400 mg magnesium bisglycinate, 500 mg l-tryptophan from tryptopure, 1000mg myo-inositol, tart cherry juice, and added ashwaganda last night. Just got the P5p in today and was going to add that to his nighttime stack. I’m just at a loss as to why nothing is helping him sleep. I will stay away from Tianeptine but I was reading about something else called Kratom. It has helped some bipolar patients but anything that also causes insomnia scares me. It is also very addictive.
Dianna, I highly approve of Kratom. Just be cautious about who you get it from. Because there has been a problem with adulteration and salmonella lately. Look up a couple of the large Kratom associations here in the USA and you may find a forum with more info on a reputable vendor. Not something you want to buy at the local gas station.
And Kratom comes in various strains. Some are more stimulating than others. And some are great for sleep. Red Bali for example for sleep and antidepressant qualities. And you can’t OD on Kratom either. But it needs to be pure.
I will do more research on Kratom. Do you think I need to add the P5p to the morning when he takes his other b vitamins or would it be ok at night?
Because P-5-P is involved in dopamine and serotonin synthesis I’d take it in the morning.
And BTW, Kratom is not “highly addictive”. The press and Big Pharma are running scared because Kratom is a threat to their profits for opiates. Certain strains of Kratom are very effective for pain. As I mentioned before, there is a problem with adulteration and Kratom. When addictive drugs are mixed with Kratom and not disclosed you have trouble. And I suppose some addicts can get addicted to anything. But there is nothing in Kratom that can cause addiction at normal doses. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
1) For what reason the effect can’t be recreated?
2) I have read on reddit to add also these can boost ritalin effect:
– L-tyrosine
– Magnesium, Calcium and Zinc
what do you think about?
3) it will be userful use also the Lion’s Mane Mushroom or it will be to much things in a time?
4) and another question 🙂
do you thing it’s a good idea take 20mg only in the morning?
thank you a lot
Andrea, you get accustomed to things very quickly. It’s like the “new normal”. So what had a “wow” factor before is now commonplace. You get used to working and performing at a higher level.
What you read on reddit is correct. L-Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine. And Ritalin requires dopamine to work. The synthesis of dopamine also requires a host of vitamins and minerals in very tiny amounts. But if any one of them is missing then dopamine will not be created. And calcium channels are required for brain cell signaling.
Lion’s Mane is a great addition because it helps repair damage to receptors. Including dopamine receptors that may have been damaged from the use of Ritalin.
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. I have 2 boys, ages 11 and 6 both diagnosed with ADHD with only the younger one with the hyperactive component. I also have an 8 year old daughter who has high functioning ASD and although hasn’t been formally diagnosed, I suspect also has ADHD. As I’ve researched this topic more it’s become clear to me that I likely have ADHD as well. Although suggeseted by the doctors that have diagnosed them, I am weary of giving them prescription meds and have been on a research mission to come up with a cocktail of supplements to treat them but am overwhelmed by the info. Are you aware of any sources specific to children or do you have any advice yourself? On my current list of supplements for this “cocktail” are omega 3s, zinc, iron, magnesium, vitamin c, probiotics, B6 and B12, GABA, Rhodiola Rosea, L Dopa, L-theamine and phosohatidylserine and possibly CBD–in what doses and forms that I don’t know…
Totally confused and overwhelmed and equally desperate to help these kiddos out.
Alexis, first I’m not a doctor and don’t even play one on TV. So please keep that in mind. I personally do not have specialized knowledge with children and ADHD. But someone who does and whom I respect is Dr. Daniel Amen. Please use the resources on his site for more on the different types of ADHD.
One thing I’ve learned is depending on the severity of ADD and ADHD there is only so much you can do with natural nootropic supplements. For someone who is truly clinically ADHD you may need a prescription stimulant. And 10 years worth of research for myself shows that Ritalin (methylphenidate) is the safest of all of them for long-term use. And very effective.
You are on the right track with the stack you are currently using. But keep in mind that dopamine works in concert with serotonin. It is easily possible to throw the balance in the direction of dopamine using supplements like L-DOPA. These must be in balance and you can help by using L-Tryptophan: https://nootropicsexpert.com/tryptophan/.
Pine Bark Extract is helpful for ADHD: https://nootropicsexpert.com/pine-bark-extract-pycnogenol/.
I think you can help reduce your overwhelm by learning how stimulants like methylphenidate work in the brain. Wikipedia is a good resource for this type of research. Once you understand how something like Ritalin works you’ll have a clearer idea on what you are dealing with here. And the types of supplements that can help.
Only other thing I’d suggest right now is a high quality multivitamin/mineral supplement that uses nature-identical nutrients and not synthetics. See my posts on vitamins and minerals under the “Blog” tab. And instead of just B6 and B12, try a B-Complex vitamin like Life Extension’s BioActive Complete B-Complex.
Do this drugs have any side effect in long term???
Each nootropic supplement discussed in this post has live links to a full review of each. Which includes side effects.
These are dietary supplements and NOT pharmaceutical drugs. See each review for the 85+ nootropics reviewed here on Nootropics Expert for side effects.
Dear David thanks for amazing work. My problem is that I always forget something although I take notes and my brain is foggy. I hear, I think but I can’t do what I should do somehow, thoughts just flowing and going. I am always like that:… ” Did we talk about it? Really, hmm I don’t remember. Did we decide to do it that way? Ohh. I remember what we’ve decided before about that. Soryy, hmmm”… This ruins my marriage and my husband never understand my situation and I cannot explain. How can I? I cannot find the right words to describe what going on with me! Reading your articles I just try to understand the mechanism in my brain. I started with 36 mg concerta and the only difference I felt was ‘Hey! I can listen to people talking to me without distruction!’ and that was all. Then we moved to 54 gr. of concerta and I even lost that little difference with 36 gr. Nothing happened. Doctor said that there is nothing they can do more for me. He did not try any other medicaton or therapy. What deficiency could be in my brain ? I will try your stack described here. Any additional suggestion? Thank you very much again. Your answer is important to me. Because nobody understands me.
Baris, use the stack I outline in this post for 2 -3 weeks and see if there is any improvement. Your brain needs the dopamine and acetylcholine this stack provides. Also do a search of Nootropics Expert and find supplements that support mitochondria in your cells. PQQ and CoQ10 are likely your best choices. Neurotransmitter and mitochondrial support should make a noticeable difference in what you are dealing with.
Thank you very much I will try and give feed back!
Hi David,
You’re experience and information is extremely valuable. Thank-you!!
It’s been awhile since you wrote this article. Have you changed or improve your stack since writing the original post?
Thanks,
Angela
Angela, I’m basically using the same stack described in this post. I have made a couple of tweaks since and will be update the post this week. Small tweaks but worth doing so stay tuned …