Stimulant Discussion - Oh, and I ordered my Cocao Nibs! :)

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » May 27, 2005, 1:55 am

This reference's Winnow's original thread here. But I think its more of a topic for GD than CE.

I also ordered some Modafinil from an online pharmacy after reading an interesting article from New Scientist. And doing some checking up on the web about the drug.

Ive always been into stimulants... even tried coke a few times, but luckily it wasnt for me

Nothing really illegal, I used to drink about a 12 pack of Dew every day at work, or a few pots of coffee. Then I got off caffine entirely and started taking energy pills from GNC that had Ginseng, Guarana, Taurine, Mau Huang (Ephedrine)... which I really liked for a long time. Then the ephedrine craze started and it stopped being widely available. Of course Mini-thins are still available, but the pills/energy drinks that included Mau Huang always had a better effect for me.

Of course you could call me unbelievably irresponsible and such... but I do try to do my research before starting off on something new... the maximum dosage of ephedrine I ever took in a day was 75mg, while the FDA's max dosage was 120mg of Ephedra Alkaloids.

Recently a new crop of energy drinks has popped up that have 200mg of Caffine Anyhydrous... most of them are sold at 7-11 and they seem to have less of a downward curve than coffee or soda caffine. But more than 2 a day will occasionally make me jittery, so Ive been searching for alternatives.

The cocao should arrive first so I can try it and see what the effects are like.. but the more I read about Modafinil the more I like what Im hearing.

Im 100% sure I could get my doc to put me on Adderall or Ritalin (was on it from the age of 8-14 or 15)... but I know enough about those drugs that they arent really what Im looking for. And that new ADHD non stimulant drug that they are advertising doesnt appeal to me... I want some of the energy that I have associated with my wake up drugs all my life.

So, what do you all use/have used?... what works for you?

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » May 27, 2005, 2:34 am

Nice to see you're trying out the Cacao Ransure! I haven't stopped chomping them down in the mornings and up until early evenings since I got them. Haven't had any caffeine ever since although it's probably no big deal if you double up.

Cacao/Theobromine is great but don't expect something like a cocaine level of stimulant. It's a mild stimulant so you are awake, alert and happy but not jumping around like a madman.

Remember that they taste pretty bitter raw although that's how I eat them! Cacao is an excellent replacement for caffeine but you may be looking for something more if you're after the "hyper-mode", "rage party" feeling.

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » May 27, 2005, 2:38 am

Nah, like I said, coke wasnt for me.... and I dont like getting the jitters (course, at my tolerance level, thats after about 600mg of caffine)... but I do like having a higher than normal amount of energy, and Ive always found that it helps me focus better...

Read that article on New Scientist Winnow.... Modafinil is not an "ultra-upper"... it actually has shown in tests to negate the effects of cocaine on the body. Its considered pretty mild as a stimulant, but it does release chemicals in the brain that give you an alert feeling without the hyperactivity of caffine.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » May 27, 2005, 3:40 am

Modafinil can keep a person awake and alert for 90 hours straight, with none of the jitteriness and bad concentration that amphetamines or even coffee seem to produce

In fact, with the help of modafinil, sleep-deprived people can perform even better than their well-rested, unmedicated selves. The forfeited rest doesn't even need to be made good. Military research is finding that people can stay awake for 40 hours, sleep the normal 8 hours, and then pull a few more all-nighters with no ill effects.

I've known about the rest part. Supposedly, no matter how long you stay up, 8 hours of sleep is what you need to recoup, maybe not physically, but mentally.

There is, however, one way in which music really does make you smarter, though unfortunately it requires a bit more effort than just selecting something mellow on your iPod. Music lessons are the key. Six-year-old children who were given music lessons, as opposed to drama lessons or no extra instruction, got a 2 to 3-point boost in IQ scores compared with the others. Similarly, Rauscher found that after two years of music lessons, pre-school children scored better on spatial reasoning tests than those who took computer lessons.

Thanks for those piano lessons I hated as a kid mom!

SKIMPING on sleep does awful things to your brain. Planning, problem-solving, learning, concentration,working memory and alertness all take a hit. IQ scores tumble. "If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk," says Sean Drummond from the University of California, San Diego. And you don't need to pull an all-nighter to suffer the effects: two or three late nights and early mornings on the trot have the same effect.

Lack of sleep is bad! EQ was a killer in this area.

The second step is to cut down on distractions. Workplace studies have found that it takes up to 15 minutes to regain a deep state of concentration after a distraction such as a phone call. Just a few such interruptions and half the day is wasted.

Music can help as long as you listen to something familiar and soothing that serves primarily to drown out background noise. Psychologists also recommend that you avoid working near potential diversions, such as the fridge.

I've had this happen several times while I'm at work writing a reply on VV and someone interrupts me. It totally screws up my post and then all the sudden it's lunch time and the entire morning is wasted with no flames recorded.

That New Scientist Article is great Ransure. There's not a lot about modafinil but the overall article about mental health is well worth a look: http://www.newscientist.com/channel/bei ... 625011.900

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » May 27, 2005, 3:51 am

First realization, why dont we have a quick reply box yet... all the other boards do!!!!! (grass is greener syndrome)

Second, the real problem that they havent learned to combat with sleep depravation is immune system breakdown... in animal tests when they kept animals awake for stupid amounts of hours... they died from infections in thier blood.... while the brain might be able to function... its the whole system you need to take care of...

When I was 15, I went through about 100 vivarin in a week to study for finals ... on the 5th day without sleep, I began hallucinating... really crazy shit... even worse than the shrooms that I have done. I cant pull allnighters since... I need at least a few hours to make me go at all the next day. But then again, I worked for 22hrs Monday, then woke up 1.5hrs later and worked for 14hrs... then took some of my technicians out drinking on an out of town job... but I think my brain stopped working after about 4hrs on Tuesday.

Lynnsie · Post by **Lynnsie** » May 27, 2005, 4:18 am

Hydroxytriptophan? ( 5-HTP, Can be found at GNC ) Or does that just increase seratonin levels and make you super happy? Maybe just some good old fashioned sleep...do you not get enough? Or maybe have trouble sleeping? I know if I took all those stimulants my ass would NEVER get to sleep. Anyways whatever you try please be careful, some of that shit is really dangerous, and you are always hearing people calling Class Action Lawsuits against those companies that make those drugs.

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » May 27, 2005, 4:23 am

ROFL, the funny thing is one of my clients now was the primary attorney for the Phen-Phen class act.... he flew my crew to his home in Aruba on his jet.... Im really just waiting for something to break... cause Im definately going.

But you can buy a serotonin booster at GNC?! that could be fun, I will have to stop by next payday (my drug budget has been hit for this payday) and pick some up.

a_guide · Post by **a_guide** » May 27, 2005, 9:18 am

You can get 5-htp in pretty much any store that sells vitamins and herbal suppliments (at least here in UT). I've purchased it from Target once when I was desparate

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » May 27, 2005, 9:36 am

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » May 27, 2005, 3:12 pm

i dont think eating 5-HT will do anything.

by the way 5-HT IS serotonin.

by the way buying anything that has a real effect on your nervous system that is not regulated by the FDA is stupid.

by the way, eating 5-HT won't do shit.

additionally, Ransure, you are a spaz

Asheran Mojomaster · Post by **Asheran Mojomaster** » May 27, 2005, 6:47 pm

5-HTP is usually used to combat negative effects from MDMA (or MDA) or let you roll more. Supposedly since they drain your seratonin, if you preload with 5-HTP you SHOULD either roll harder or at least have some seratonin left when you come down, or you might be able to use it the day after to replace the seratonin you lost.

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » May 27, 2005, 7:43 pm

Serotonin is the happy drug for the brain though, right? So taking serotonin should make you happy... well, depending on how it is absorbed into the body....

At least thats my understanding of it...

Voro, of course Im a spaz