I need help with brain/add supplementation very badly....PLEASE read!

[Bruinfan280]

I'll keep this short....

I graduated law school a year ago and still have not taken the bar exam. Studying for the bar exam entails going to a review class everyday for 6 weeks - each class about 4 hours long. Then, you study/do practice assignments on your own for another 5-6 hours...

I signed up twice for expensive review classes and both times failed to pay great attention in class and study so many hours a day...and both times i ended up not taking the actual test. This time i want things to be different and I want to get this thing over with so I can find a real job and move on with my life....

I suffer from bad depression, ADD, and some anxiety. I take 60mg celexa daily. I went to regular therapy for years, including the time at which I was studying for the past 2 bar exams, but that didn't help. I took ******** the last time around but after a while it just made me super anxious. Also FWIW, I've tried a bunch of the popular pre-workout supps and they never did anything for me - only made me feel nauseous and sick (if that provides any insight on what i do NOT respond to)

I REALLY need to find something non-stimulant that can help.

Some of the things I was planning on trying was Jarrows Neuro-Optimizer, SNS Focus XT, etc. I figure I have a little over a month before the review classes start....so I can try a few different products for a week or so and see if they work before moving on to the next product....

HELP

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ja...optimizer.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/sns/focus.html

[Bruinfan280]

hello?

[koard31]

I'd probably go see a doctor rather that seek advice on a bodybuilding supplement forum. But hey that's just me, but then again the fear of not passing the exam and having to pay my student loans back on a janitor's salary would probably scare me enough to pay attention.

[Bruinfan280]

It's not like a don't care jackass. I just have a very hard time staying focused for such extended periods of time. Thanks for your "help."

And I have seen a doctor...I didn't get the celexa and ******** at Whole Foods

[koard31]

Did you let your doctor know those meds didn't work for you?

There are others that are used to treat your conditions, things that are a lot more likely to treat your conditions than a supplement.

[Peter LeDrew]

I'll keep this short....

I graduated law school a year ago and still have not taken the bar exam. Studying for the bar exam entails going to a review class everyday for 6 weeks - each class about 4 hours long. Then, you study/do practice assignments on your own for another 5-6 hours...

I signed up twice for expensive review classes and both times failed to pay great attention in class and study so many hours a day...and both times i ended up not taking the actual test. This time i want things to be different and I want to get this thing over with so I can find a real job and move on with my life....

I suffer from bad depression, ADD, and some anxiety. I take 60mg celexa daily. I went to regular therapy for years, including the time at which I was studying for the past 2 bar exams, but that didn't help. I took ******** the last time around but after a while it just made me super anxious. Also FWIW, I've tried a bunch of the popular pre-workout supps and they never did anything for me - only made me feel nauseous and sick (if that provides any insight on what i do NOT respond to)

I REALLY need to find something non-stimulant that can help.

Some of the things I was planning on trying was Jarrows Neuro-Optimizer, SNS Focus XT, etc. I figure I have a little over a month before the review classes start....so I can try a few different products for a week or so and see if they work before moving on to the next product....

HELP

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ja...optimizer.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/sns/focus.html

Focus XT has caffeine btw.


Ultima is a non-stim with nootropics and if you look at some research on creatine you will see a study showing better memory recall for students.

[Bruinfan280]

Did you let your doctor know those meds didn't work for you?

There are others that are used to treat your conditions, things that are a lot more likely to treat your conditions than a supplement.

Yes, I have tried a variety of meds for both depression and ADD....no luck.

[koard31]

Yes, I have tried a variety of meds for both depression and ADD....no luck.

Sorry to hear that. Was it all from the same doctor? It might be time for a second opinion.

[leanfc]

Yes, I have tried a variety of meds for both depression and ADD....no luck.

This probably won't help a ton or be enough to increase concentration to where you notice....but fish oil and gingko biloba are supposed to both be very good for concentration/brain function....

[sophfball]

Yes, I have tried a variety of meds for both depression and ADD....no luck.

As a junior in high school, I also have ADD. I have taken startera since i was in the fourth grade. It is a non-stimuant, and if you even skip a dose it won't matter because of the type of drugs it is. Ask your doctor about it.

[Bruinfan280]

I have bottles of strattera sitting right next to me....I took them for quite a while without noticing a difference....I know it takes a while to have an effect...

Maybe I will try again....

[sophfball]

I have bottles of strattera sitting right next to me....I took them for quite a while without noticing a difference....I know it takes a while to have an effect...

Maybe I will try again....

How many MG? I take 80

[Bruinfan280]

it says 80mg

[fobfromgermany]

I can't quite recall the product names but CTD Labs has a few products out now that are related to focus and concentration. I can't vouch for these particular products, but CTD is an overall very respectable company. I use a mainly CTD stack ( BCAAs, preworkout, liver support, multi, etc.)

[Bruinfan280]

I took my first dose of jarrows neuro optimizer today and had no results at all....ugh.

[Strive6]

ClearShot concentrate. 1,3-dimethylamylamine + caffeine = me finishing grad school & studying for the MCAT

EDIT: just re-read post and saw non-stim... nevermind

[freak111]

To be honest I find it weird but when taking ******** I love how it gives me that euphora / plus extra anxiety feeling. Sorry but I love it! is it just me or others?

[knicks226]

Yes, I have tried a variety of meds for both depression and ADD....no luck.

try fish oil and st. john's wort

[Strive6]

To be honest I find it weird but when taking ******** I love how it gives me that euphora / plus extra anxiety feeling. Sorry but I love it! is it just me or others?

I love that feeling, too. I get more of that when I add some PEA (phenylethylamine) to my stimulant coctail haha

[Bruinfan280]

how much epa and dha do you suggest?

[Bruinfan280]

yesterday i took Jarrow neuro-optimizer - no results

today i took it with a B complex - no results

[mobikwa]

yesterday i took Jarrow neuro-optimizer - no results

today i took it with a B complex - no results

Wow, you took something for 1 day and the world didn't change? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.

[ultimately]

Hi Mate,

I'd reccomend a little research into MODAFINIL it may be just what you need.

Its been used to treat ADD, Depression as well as enhance concentration, wakefullness etc - albeit unofficially. Officially its prescribed for Narcolepsy.

I know you said you wanted something that's a non-stimulant - but really at this stage I'm pretty sure something that works, regardless of its 'Classification' may be more useful than nothing at all.

I've used this drug quite a bit in the past its unlike any other Stimulant I have tried and I have tried many. Its a lot smoother, no jitters or anxiety, there are no crashes... But hey, just becuse it worked for me doesnt mean that it will for you.

However, given the serious nature of your predicament - I do urge you to try it. If its no good, then no harm done just discontinue...

Best of luck.

[Bruinfan280]

thanks man i appreciate it....I'll take a look at it now...

Can you tell me a little more about your experience? I wish there was some way to know what exactly is going on inside me to cause the depression and ADD. Instead I have to try a million different things, and even then, nothing may work.....

I just ordered a bunch of amino acids - tyrosine, taurine, ALCAR, glutamine - and piracetam too...going to mix them up, but barely know where to start....

[Bruinfan280]

So i read up on this stuff - the brand name is called Provigil. I'm really surprised I never heard of it or that my old therapist never mentioned it as an option. It seems the people here have had great results with the stuff, especially in terms of making their anti-depressants work better

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/foru...pression/81881

[Icex999]

I love that feeling, too. I get more of that when I add some PEA (phenylethylamine) to my stimulant coctail haha

Agreed wholeheartedly haha.


Bruinsfan - Yes, modafinil is a very smooth upper and should do the trick nicely; and since you have legitimate ADD it's certainly worth a shot. Talk to your doctor about your concerns with the test and how a precription might benefit you. Along similar lines, have you tried concerta? I assume you have based on what you've been saying, but I figure it can't help to ask.

If the stimulants are making you terribly anxious, maybe think of something along the benzo lines to calm you down a bit? There's a few OTC products I can recommend in-terms of that, the prescription stuff once again that's between you and your physician. If you are willing to give a stimulant a chance though, try MAN Swagger; the stuff keeps me going all day.


- sheesh

[Bruinfan280]

i'm pretty sure i tried concerta a while ago - too be honest I don't even recall for sure as I've been struggling with bad depression, anxiety and ADD for quite a while....

The last few times I tried taking ******** it only made me anxious and I had that feeling of being uncomfortable in my own skin...I haven't read anything anywhere about the safety of provigil...do you have any information or links or anything?

I'm tired of feeling like **** all the time

[Icex999]

It hasn't quite been extensively researched yet...here's one of the better reviews I could come across...

Drugs. 2008;68(13):1803-39.
Approved and investigational uses of modafinil : an evidence-based review.
Kumar R.

Department of Family Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. rkumar@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Abstract
Modafinil is a wake-promoting agent that is pharmacologically different from other stimulants. It has been investigated in healthy volunteers, and in individuals with clinical disorders associated with excessive sleepiness, fatigue, impaired cognition and other symptoms. This review examines the use of modafinil in clinical practice based on the results of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials available in the English language in the MEDLINE database. In sleep-deprived individuals, modafinil improves mood, fatigue, sleepiness and cognition to a similar extent as caffeine but has a longer duration of action. Evidence for improved cognition in non-sleep-deprived healthy volunteers is controversial.Modafinil improves excessive sleepiness and illness severity in all three disorders for which it has been approved by the US FDA, i.e. narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnoea with residual excessive sleepiness despite optimal use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, its effects on safety on the job and on morbidities associated with these disorders have not been ascertained. Continued use of CPAP in obstructive sleep apnoea is essential. Modafinil does not benefit cataplexy.In very small, short-term trials, modafinil improved excessive sleepiness in patients with myotonic dystrophy. It was efficacious in fairly large studies of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, and was as efficacious as methylphenidate in a small trial, but has not been approved by the FDA, in part because of its serious dermatological toxicity. In a trial of 21 non-concurrent subjects, with 2-week treatment periods, modafinil was as effective as dexamfetamine in adult ADHD. Modafinil was helpful for depressive symptoms in bipolar disorder in a trial that excluded patients with stimulant-induced mania. A single dose of modafinil may hasten recovery from general anaesthesia after day surgery. A single dose of modafinil improved the ability of emergency room physicians to attend didactic lectures after a night shift, but did not improve their ability to drive home and caused sleep disturbances subsequently.Modafinil had a substantial placebo effect on outcomes such as fatigue, excessive sleepiness and depression in patients with traumatic brain injury, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, post-polio fatigue and multiple sclerosis; however, it did not provide any benefit greater than placebo.Trials of modafinil for excessive sleepiness in Parkinson's disease, ******* addiction and cognition in chronic fatigue syndrome provided inconsistent results; all studies had extremely small sample sizes. Modafinil cannot be recommended for these conditions until definitive data become available.Modafinil induces and inhibits several cytochrome P450 isoenzymes and has the potential for interacting with drugs from all classes. The modafinil dose should be reduced in the elderly and in patients with hepatic disease. Caution is needed in patients with severe renal insufficiency because of substantial increases in levels of modafinil acid. Common adverse events with modafinil include insomnia, headache, nausea, nervousness and hypertension. Decreased appetite, weight loss and serious dermatological have been reported with greater frequency in children and adolescents, probably due to the higher doses (based on bodyweight) used. Modafinil may have some abuse/addictive potential although no cases have been reported to date..

PMID: 18729534 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Icex999]

You might also find the user experiences over here useful, as some may relate to your case. http://www.erowid.org/smarts/modafinil/modafinil.shtml

[Bruinfan280]

one of the bad things i noticed from all the reviews i read is that most people for whom this stuff was really beneficial said that after a period of time it loses its effect - anywhere from a few weeks to a year...