Silk Road forums
Discussion => Drug safety => Topic started by: acidhead on April 26, 2013, 02:34 am
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I am interested in how others self-medicate for depression, anxiety, and other mental problems. For the benefit of others, please contribute to this thread if you have found something to be effective! It could be a drug, a nutritional supplement, an activity, anything....
Here are some of the things I am trying.... I have found them to be effective. Many of these thigns are obvious, some are trivial, but I don't claim that any one of these ALONE will cure depression.... but in combination with other things, they have benefited me.......
* Ketamine treatment once every 2 weeks. NOT every day
* L-Tyrosine - a natural precursor to dopamine.
* vitamins B-6, B9 (folate), and copper - help with the absorbtion of the L-Tyrosine.
* magnesium - known to have an antidepressant effect. also helps with anxiety, forgetfulness, fatigue
* sleep early - lengthens sleep duration
* sunlight - Vitamin D increases levels of serotonin in the brain.
* exercise - releases endorphins that trigger positive feelings
* meditation - helps me detach from depressive thoughts
* incense - frankincense activates ion channels in the brain that alleviate depression
* fish oil supplementation
* avoid refined sugar
* abstain from alcohol
* abstain from caffeine -- caffeine contributes to my depression through the withdrawal reaction and the "crash" after the caffeine 'buzz' wears off
As for other drugs:
* Adderall, dexedrine, methamphetamine: these drugs certainly 'work' for me in the short-term, the come-down makes me feel more depressed than I felt before. Plus hey are toxic to the brain......
* Ritalin: Haven't tried ritalin, but I've been told it has a harsh come-down. But at least it isn't neurotoxic.
* Modafinil: increases energy, focus and alertness, without the negative side-effects of amphetamines
* Wellbutrin: haven't tried; is it any good?
* MDMA: probably damaging to the brain. Something I'd only take like once a year, for special occasions.
* LSD, psilocybin, mescaline: can offer a new perspective on life that can certainly be effective in combatting depression...but I've had bad trips that also made my depression far worse than before.... I now prefer to take LSD a day or two after taking ketamine because ketamine puts me into a positive mood that lasts for up to two weeks.
* Opiates: never tried them, but they are used in cases of treatment-resistant depression, so they might help.
* Cannabis: worsens depression if I smoke it every day; if I smoke it just a few times a month, it can certainly help me get through a bad day.
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Good list/descriptions! +1
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i find my depression and anxiety on a daily basis is tolerable when i'm not using. However, i constantly self medicate the anxiety as a result of drugs i've taken (uppers) with downers. FYI, If you think adderall comedowns are harsh, DO NOT TRY RITALIN. It's worse than fucking cocaine comedowns, except it lasts way longer.
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I don't suggest self medicating. If you have health insurance, go see a doctor. Believe it or not, psych meds are rather easy to come by. If it is just depression please try living a health life style, exercising, and socializing. Ever since I started weight training, dieting, and sleeping 8 hours every night my life-long depression has all but disappeared.
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After trying Abilify, Lomatragine, lexapro, ritalin, vyvanse and having good results at first but then spiraling back down I stopped using them and just continue to medicate with bud, benzos, and exercise. You are right though, if your state of mind is in a bad place such as severe depression+anxiety it may make it worse with bud for some.
The trick for me is to get a strain that is sativa dominant, clear headed, uplifting, and euphoric high. Some indica strains can be clear headed as well but usually it is not and I find that the narcotic+psychedelic effects of heavy indica strains make you way more paranoid and feel "stuffed up" all the time. Of course this wasn't really all that possible while buying bud on the street but at least on SR it is totally do-able. Sour Diesel, Blue Dream, Green Crack, and Trainwreck are some of my faves. It doesn't matter much about the strain when your in a stable mood all the time though imo.
Adderall is very nice for a while but it makes me want to gag when I see food, tolerance shoots up way to fast, crashes make me feel like crap.
Ritalin is also nice for a bit but it after a bit I started getting really bad anxiety from it, felt like coming off of coke, speed, and mdma all at the same time.
MDMA, mushrooms, and LSD a few times a year are definitely good eye openers and the after glow that stays with you after is great. It really brightens you up and is something you have to experience your self.
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M
X
E
works like a charm
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i DO NOT like psych meds. i've been on a plethora of them since i was rather young.
no self-medicating is "good", but sometimes you just have to do what it takes to make your mental and physical pain go away. i don't use specifically for my bi-polar/anxiety, i use to feel good and kick back on the weekends.
but yes, exercise and sunshine are wonderful! and if i had to suggest any one anti-depressant, it would be wellbutrin... no sexual side affects. and stay far far far away from paxil, as it causes the worst sexual side effects imaginable. they were awful.
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Great first post.
I self-medicate for depression in productive and likely unproductive ways:
Productive:
Diet of real foods not junk
Regular exercise: 50/50 aerobic and active yoga
Good sleep schedule most of the time
Occasional cannabis use with low tolerance
Unproductive:
Chronic alcohol consumption
Irregular opioid use
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Ow, thank you!
I know that my willing in take drugs is, in truth, to make me fell better.
I discovered Silk Road not long ago and I already learned a lot from it ! :D
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Well, I can say I became a lot of happier this days.
Ever since I started do smoke pot, I'm feeling very good. I tried another things, but nothing make me fell like marijuana does.
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For me, cigarettes, coffee and chocolate gets me through the day.
Booz + benzos when really down and wanna escape through a deep sleep.
I occasionally do heroin or oxycontin. I don't do it often because I believe doing it too much spoils the fun of it. I keep it as a sweet thing I look forward to. It helps, for me at least.
I admire that you are trying to get better. For me, each time someone suggests things I can do to help myself... a question pops into my mind: WHAT FOR???
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I don't suggest self medicating. If you have health insurance, go see a doctor. Believe it or not, psych meds are rather easy to come by. If it is just depression please try living a health life style, exercising, and socializing. Ever since I started weight training, dieting, and sleeping 8 hours every night my life-long depression has all but disappeared.
I'm sorry I highly disagree with you.. While YES they are simple to come by and SOME, a very small few really really NEED them, MOST do not.. SSRIs and MAOIs and NASTY and do TERRIBLE, AWFUL things to you and your brain.. Don't believe me google it..
While It's not an issue that I suffer friends and family do. I have done a great deal of research into the issue..
One thing that I can not recommend enough is Niacin AKA b3.. There have been some very large case studies done working with people in group homes and institutes. Some of these were VERY extreme cases and schizophrenics ... Start off small and increase your dosage till you "Feel right" MOST of the people in the study ended up in the 2000mg to 5000mg range (being that they were extreme cases) Make sure you get the flushable type... and as I said start off small and work your way up.. You will know when it feels right for you.. :)
Please take your time and do some research .. the info is out there and mother earth gave us the tools to heal our selves.. Big Pharma just wants to make a buck and keep you on the meds forever..
as an added bonus.. You can still enjoy MDMA, Shrooms and LSD among other wonderful substance when you wish too..
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Is there any other way to medicate?
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Benzodiazepines.
All manner of pharms. Uppers and downers.
I am my own psychiatrist/pharmacist.
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Phenibut. I don't even remember what anxiety is.
Listing:
http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion/silkroad/item/ea7c086563
That's 50 doses.
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These days, I only self-medicate psychedelics.
I used to take benzos and opiates daily but they destroy the soul. They really fucked me up.
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I don't suggest self medicating. If you have health insurance, go see a doctor. Believe it or not, psych meds are rather easy to come by. If it is just depression please try living a health life style, exercising, and socializing. Ever since I started weight training, dieting, and sleeping 8 hours every night my life-long depression has all but disappeared.
I'm sorry I highly disagree with you..
No need to apologize for disagreeing. You state a valid point. I do agree that SSRIs and the like are horrible things. Self medicating with narcotics from the internet should probably come second to trying to be more healthy. That's all I'm saying. ;D
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I don't suggest self medicating. If you have health insurance, go see a doctor. Believe it or not, psych meds are rather easy to come by. If it is just depression please try living a health life style, exercising, and socializing. Ever since I started weight training, dieting, and sleeping 8 hours every night my life-long depression has all but disappeared.
I'm sorry I highly disagree with you..
No need to apologize for disagreeing. You state a valid point. I do agree that SSRIs and the like are horrible things. Self medicating with narcotics from the internet should probably come second to trying to be more healthy. That's all I'm saying. ;D
I agree with you there, that's why I recommended Niacin aka B3 , living more healthy is key !! I never recommended narcotics of any kind related to this sort of an issue and never will..
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I technically have bipolar, but that doesn't mean I don't get horrible depressions.
Prescribed meds:
Wellbutrin has been the shit for me. Kickstarted me out of a long depression
Lamictal has also helped a lot.
I'll probably end up on an antipsychotic, soon. Joy.
Now for self-medication:
Weed: Doesn't really do much for me, unless I take a lot, then I'm gone
Psychedelics: Help for some time, as well as the whole "new perspectives" thing, but I have to be careful with them, since they can make me psychotic.
Dissociatives: Help a lot, but can send me manic.
Opiates: Feel REALLY good, and definitely help, but I have to be careful. Don't wanna get addicted
Stims: Okay, I guess. I need to take a lot to get euphoria. They think I might have ADHD, too, so regular doses just help me focus.
Benzos: Sometimes helps with anxiety, sometimes just puts me to sleep
Fish oil and vitamins, of course
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Ketamine once every 2 weeks is actually a very good way to self-medicate, however studies have concluded the doses should be 7 to 10 days appart, you may want to increase your frequency. Ketamine is one of the best antidepressant when used in that frequency, it works against depression on a neurological level, reversing the neurological damage caused by stress. It makes you grow more connection which improves your depression a great deal. You still have to use it every 10 days though, if you stop it comes back according to those studies. Maybe after a 6 months therapy you may be able to break the cycle of the depression?
Opiates are a great temporary mood elevator and they have no crash, but rather leave me in a better mood for the next couple days (at least for me), but self medicating depression with those is a bad idea. It should only be used for fun :)
I've also found that an occasional use of benzos gradually lessens my anxiety (even after the benzos have clearly left my system, like a month after). The best option to me seems to be ketamine, self-medicating every 10 days wouldn't cause many problems, at least not as much as those SSRIs...
Selegiline and tianeptine are antidepressants that seem to actually work really well though, but are pretty hard to find, especially tianeptine. So that's something to look into as well. Tianeptine's mode of action is the exact opposite of that of SSRIs, and is a lot more effective... That tells you something about SSRIs..
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-Try to cut out most processed food
-Jog or run for a half hour each day
-Try to always think positive (I know this can be really tough)
-Make goals of improving yourself in every aspect
-Stay away from stimulants
-Read books (fiction, non-fiction, doesn't matter) that give inspiration or motivation
-Try to meditate in private on what you deem are the roots of your depression and anxiety
-Have a healthy sleep pattern
If someone is really, really struggling with anxiety or depression, I would suggest visiting a psychologist or psychiatrist as a last resort. You don't have to get on meds, most good practitioners will ask beforehand which route you'd rather take. There's even philosophical counselors; yes, they exist, and I'd say they sometimes have a better grip of existential crises than psychologists/psychiatrists. Heck, even seeking counsel in a faith should be on the list of options as a last resort. I don't care what people say, some people cannot help themselves on their own, some people are really on the wedge between life and death in their frame of thought, so it is nonsensical to think these people will be fine on their own. Do not be afraid to seek help if you're severely struggling, do not think you're weak, there is always a chance of changing things around for the better.
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I suffer from pretty bad anxiety in certain situations, I find the ultimate anxiety killer for me is benzodiazepines my favourites being diazepam or clonazepam. I have to give presentations in my line of work and speaking to large groups of people scares the shit out of me, to the point of almost having panic attacks. I always take 10 mg valium and a beta blocker (propanolol) in these situations. The beta blockers take away the physical symptoms of anxiety eg shaky hands, pounding heart, and quavering voice, while the benzo takes away the mental symptoms. This combo works quite nicely for social anxiety, but taking benzos everyday is a bad idea as it can lead to addiction which with benzodiazepines is not a good thing, trust me on that. The truth is though, that there are no chemical solutions to spiritual problems. Drugs only temporarily mask these symptoms and can actually make them worse in the long run. As a few others have mentioned in this thread, healthy living does wonders for your mental wellbeing. Exercise helps too as it releases endorphins, i run a fair bit and it really helps to clear the mind.
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How does propanolol alone work, bealzeboobs?
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Its good for talking in public. It just takes away the physical symptoms of anxiety like pounding heart and shaking etc. Theres no 'high' they're pretty useful actually. Lots of people use them for speeches and stuff. In the Uk the doctors will give you some if you tell them you have got anxiety. Unfortunately they dont hand out valiums so easily, but theyre inexpensive anyways.
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I have used benzos, weed and alcohol to deal with depression and anxiety in the past. In the end though it just made things worse and I would not do so again.
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+1 buddy, nice thread.
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I'd like to add one to the list - MXE
I originally used to keep myself in a state of positivity by using ketamine regularly, a gram or two every 2/3 days (which stemmed from using it to k-hole just at the weekends, until I realised it had some intense anti-depressant properties, and took it forward from there)... but I soon discovered this wasn't great for my health, so nipped it in the bud. And i'm glad I did - with all the problems its caused people re: their bladders and stomachs.
Anyhow, fast forward a bit, and I discovered MXE. Which its a profoundly misunderstood drug in my opinion, and was banned in the UK before it ever had a chance to flourish. A lot of people have labelled this as "crap ketamine". But let me tell you - if its the antidepressant properties of ketamine that interest you more, or at least as much as the trippyness, this is worth a try for you.
2/3 bumps a day and you'll feel like a better person. I've been doing this for 2 years now - and the only negative side effect i've noticed is slight dehydration, which i counteract with good old water. My work is better, my outlook is better, my relationship is better. good times.
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I'd also like to add that it does get super tempting to do it ALL the time - so maybe this isn't right for everyone. You gotta have some will power to be your boring old self every now and then, or you dont appreciate. Stay safe folks.
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weed does it for me :) its my favorite
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I know people say to stay away from stimulants. It causes more depression than it cures. But I have to say that speed really helped me get out of a bad spot. I was depressed and lethargic. I had a bunch of stuff I needed to get done, but I had no energy to deal with them, so they just kept piling up. And the mountain of tasks were unbearable just to think of. So I my days went by with me doing nothing except walking my dog and surfing reddit.com
Then I decided I had to step up. So I bought a gram of speed and took small doses. Less then 50mg, no redose and always before lunchtime. It helped me clean out my messy apartment, send in work applications, sort out paperwork. I never did speed two days in a row. Basically, I got things done and it made me feel so much better the day I was off the drug. I could get back into life, start doing things. The thing about speed is that you have to be really careful not to get addicted. That's the tricky part. For me, I'm guessing the trick is to stop using it while I'm on top. I've got a work interview next week, my apartment is spotless and shiny, every rent has been paid, etc. Now let's take it from here without speed. The only problem is I got 2.5 grams left. I might flush them or bury them somewhere deep in a drawer. Haven't decided yet.
Conclusion: Speed can be used as a kickstart to get out of a depression, in short terms, if it is used as a tool to get things done. Use it carefully and responsibly. Make a list of things that need to be done. Then use some speed and get working on your tasks. Once some basic tasks has been done it gets way easier to start working on your depression in all the healthier and long term ways. Exercise, healthy food, daily routine, meditation, etc.
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With depression and that sort of thing, self medicating is really the only option, the stuff that is prescribed now is junk like SSRIs that are as effective as placebo, also the whole reason hallucinogens are banned are because they help with these sort of things.
For me, psychedelics and dissociatives are fantastic for depression, you can really find out a lot about yourself, even with bad periods of a trip can end up having a positive effect on you, because of my trips i no longer have to take a valium to be able to go out in public and i don't get things like thinking everyone is staring at me anymore, benzos can be good but they aren't a long term fix like psychedelics are and without self control you can end up addicted to them, same thing with uppers.
Also just the fact that all these drugs exist and i'm able to take them, whether it be amphetamines or xanax is enough to not make me feel as shitty as i did before i first started using drugs.
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Ketamine once every 2 weeks is actually a very good way to self-medicate, however studies have concluded the doses should be 7 to 10 days appart, you may want to increase your frequency. Ketamine is one of the best antidepressant when used in that frequency, it works against depression on a neurological level, reversing the neurological damage caused by stress. It makes you grow more connection which improves your depression a great deal. You still have to use it every 10 days though, if you stop it comes back according to those studies. Maybe after a 6 months therapy you may be able to break the cycle of the depression?
Opiates are a great temporary mood elevator and they have no crash, but rather leave me in a better mood for the next couple days (at least for me), but self medicating depression with those is a bad idea. It should only be used for fun :)
I've also found that an occasional use of benzos gradually lessens my anxiety (even after the benzos have clearly left my system, like a month after). The best option to me seems to be ketamine, self-medicating every 10 days wouldn't cause many problems, at least not as much as those SSRIs...
Selegiline and tianeptine are antidepressants that seem to actually work really well though, but are pretty hard to find, especially tianeptine. So that's something to look into as well. Tianeptine's mode of action is the exact opposite of that of SSRIs, and is a lot more effective... That tells you something about SSRIs..
+1'd for good info.
Selegiline is most definately effective, but its somewhat deceptive - takes about 2 weeks to fully kick in and is WAY better when mixed with Moclobemide, but I take it for A-typical treatment resistant depression (SSRIs and SNRIs don't do anything, -coke calms me down and makes me mellow) but when you bottom the fuck out a releasing agent like MDMA/MDA/Amph is needed to bring you up closer to base (speed/adderall will pull me out of a psychotic depressive episode in about 40 minutes, and because of the MAOis I don't really notice a come down - but then again I never really get 'Up' just leveled out).
I find that MDMA once a month or once every few months (note: selegiline actually totally protects against the neurotoxic effects of MDMA- not nutrient/protein depletion) is important for me because it helps me remember that life can be good. (even if the suicide Tuesdays suck its still probably better then actually killing yourself on tuesday)
Acid/ shrooms/ mescaline / dmt etc can be helpful in that they will show you sources of your depression - but can also make it worse by having bad trips induced by your negative mindset (adding MDMA tends to help) Therefore they should be used carefully and respected - not to say you can't do high doses or fully explore yourself but make sure you are prepared for what you'll find. (have benzos on hand)
I find doing the ket in a social setting like a party/rave/club/bar is more helpful then just dosing it as a med. since the linkage is coupled with human interaction, possibly helping the action?
for those that are paranoid about MDMA/MDA neurotoxicity: 2c-b is a great alternative that will show you a much more mild side of the positivity/uplifting/empathy you'd get with the stronger empathogens.
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+1'd for good info.
Selegiline is most definately effective, but its somewhat deceptive - takes about 2 weeks to fully kick in and is WAY better when mixed with Moclobemide, but I take it for A-typical treatment resistant depression (SSRIs and SNRIs don't do anything, -coke calms me down and makes me mellow) but when you bottom the fuck out a releasing agent like MDMA/MDA/Amph is needed to bring you up closer to base (speed/adderall will pull me out of a psychotic depressive episode in about 40 minutes, and because of the MAOis I don't really notice a come down - but then again I never really get 'Up' just leveled out).
I find that MDMA once a month or once every few months (note: selegiline actually totally protects against the neurotoxic effects of MDMA- not nutrient/protein depletion) is important for me because it helps me remember that life can be good. (even if the suicide Tuesdays suck its still probably better then actually killing yourself on tuesday)
Acid/ shrooms/ mescaline / dmt etc can be helpful in that they will show you sources of your depression - but can also make it worse by having bad trips induced by your negative mindset (adding MDMA tends to help) Therefore they should be used carefully and respected - not to say you can't do high doses or fully explore yourself but make sure you are prepared for what you'll find. (have benzos on hand)
I find doing the ket in a social setting like a party/rave/club/bar is more helpful then just dosing it as a med. since the linkage is coupled with human interaction, possibly helping the action?
for those that are paranoid about MDMA/MDA neurotoxicity: 2c-b is a great alternative that will show you a much more mild side of the positivity/uplifting/empathy you'd get with the stronger empathogens.
From the reports I'd read, selegiline seemed to start acting really fast, I didn't know took two weeks (but it's fast enough). Adding moclobemide makes sense since moclobemide is an MAO-A inhibitor and selegiline an MAO-B inhibitor, but MAO-A inhibitors have a lot more dietary restrictions and interactions, which is why it seems that selegiline is the best option, having more benefits than risks.
Combining two MAOIs and amphetamine/MDMA/MDMA seems pretty dangerous O.o A tiny dose must go a long way. You would need 20mg or something of MDMA for a strong roll am I right?
How do MAOIs affect the highs of those drugs? Selegiline protecting against the neurotoxicity is definitely interesting, but if the roll is less good then it's not as good...
I find that MDMA once a month or once every few months is important for me because it helps me remember that life can be good.
That doesn't seem to work with everyone's that depressed but opiates had taken that role for me when I was depressed.
Socializing definitely helps for depression, so ketamine acting better when used in social environment would make sense.
+1'd you too for your interesting input
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From the reports I'd read, selegiline seemed to start acting really fast, I didn't know took two weeks (but it's fast enough). Adding moclobemide makes sense since moclobemide is an MAO-A inhibitor and selegiline an MAO-B inhibitor, but MAO-A inhibitors have a lot more dietary restrictions and interactions, which is why it seems that selegiline is the best option, having more benefits than risks.
Combining two MAOIs and amphetamine/MDMA/MDMA seems pretty dangerous O.o A tiny dose must go a long way. You would need 20mg or something of MDMA for a strong roll am I right?
How do MAOIs affect the highs of those drugs? Selegiline protecting against the neurotoxicity is definitely interesting, but if the roll is less good then it's not as good...
You notice selegiline about 2 days in I'd say but its not anywhere near the kick in the pants you get from working SSRIs SNRIs (some people notice these almost instantly - kinda like weak coke) its a very mellow change, after two weeks you adjust a bottom point from around a 0 to a 3-4 and you feel like you'd be fine without the meds, but about 5 days after you stop taking them you bottom back out =/. imo Moclobemide is noticed faster but doesn't have the same staying power. Neither one needs to have dietary restrictions when taken seperately, but when taken together they do.
As for potentiation: amph is a 2x potential boost, and double duration (MAO-B), MDMA/MDA is a 10x potential boost (MAO-A), 2c-x are 3-4x (MAO-B), trypamines are 2x boost (MAO-A). I personally choose to not potentate MDMA and thus stop taking Moclobemide 3 days prior (reversibility is nice) and I make sure to 'check' for MAO-A inhibition prior to rolling (I smoke a little DMT, it gets doubled and gains a significant 'body trippiness' when MAO-A is inhibited) if that test proves I have MAO-A inhibition I choose not to roll, if it comes back unpotentiated I'm safe to go ahead with it.
As for the roll being less good, eh not really? You know how a roll kinda goes like a sine/cosine graph? with ups and downs? but is overall up above baseline? This is because of the dopamine re-uptake and release throughout the roll. Selegiline works by partially coating the dopamine re-uptake channels (neuroprotection - prevents re-uptake of extra serotonin/ serotonin free radicals) and by inhibiting the break down of the dopamine itself (the roll levels out significantly more: the valleys become much shallower and the peaks are slightly higher) it can also very slightly lengthen the roll duration (more noticeable with MDA) and will mellow out the come down. Taking Moclobemide again 1 1/2 - 2 days after the roll will remove the suicide Tuesdays almost entirely. (roll sat night, rest sunday, take moclobemide on monday afternoon / tuesday morning) I personally prefer rolling with the selegiline taken 30 minutes prior then if I roll without it, but this will change person to person.
Also it is not easy to get this combo script, you need a prior history of not responding to meds.
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I don't suggest self medicating. If you have health insurance, go see a doctor. Believe it or not, psych meds are rather easy to come by. If it is just depression please try living a health life style, exercising, and socializing. Ever since I started weight training, dieting, and sleeping 8 hours every night my life-long depression has all but disappeared.
+1
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SSRIs and SNRIs are noticed fast but what I noticed was them making me worse.. Except for prozac, which I didn't notice. The potentiation of those meds is really cool! So you take half as much amphetamine and it feels just as good? You don't get more side-effects? That's nice! As for the MDMA/MDA, I'm definitely interested in the selegiline for that. So there is no potentiation of MDMA from MAO-B? Your scripts can make you save a lot of money on drugs!
Could you also make pharmahuasca with those?
Sorry for all those questions but you got me really interested, I didn't see many first hand reports on moclobemide.
And I guess it depends on the country you're in. In the EU selegiline isn't approved for depression for one... I could try an online pharmacy since they're not available on SR (at least last time I checked).