Silk Road forums
Market => Product requests => Topic started by: Crisis on December 02, 2011, 12:04 am
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I know this is a pretty bizarre request but does anyone have any experience with brain enhancement drugs?
I'm trying to finish a novel I've been working on for almost five years.
Very soon, I'll be taking a month off from my job and I want to blast through editing during this allotted time and try and get my book out to agents. I can't continue grinding 40 hours a week and write at the same time.
I've heard of drugs that help musicians and artists focus on their work. They're either stims or prescriptions; both of which I'm leery of.
I'm very unaware of the various depressives, meths, x-mines, x-nils, ritalin, adderall, etc. and rather not mingle in those areas without help. I'm sure I'm mixing everything all together but I have no experience with prescription pills.
I've been experimenting with various research chems over the last year and I really like how MXE improves my focus but I don't like the physical detriments that comes with it, such as wobbling and that drunkard feeling.
I guess what I'm looking for is what a college student uses for cramming. I hope this makes sense as this is an area far outside my expertise.
I'm worried about addition, as we all are. I don't want to be caught up in some sort of evil pharmaceutical mind drug.
The book is done, I just need to focus and edit it. If someone can point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.
Help me Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope,
Crisis
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I remember when I was worried about addition, man was first grade intense! Jokes aside, I know that you mentioned not wanting to deal with adderall, but I have seen wonderful results for people who need to sit and focus for 6-8 hours. I definitely wouldn't worry about addiction to adderall unless you take it daily for many days in a row, something that you wont need to do and thus shouldn't worry about
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Perazitam? I can't spell it, but it's down those lines. It's legal but you can't buy it in the US because it's used for people who have alzheimers and strokes.
I use it, it's like adderall w/o the cracked out feeling. It just causes you to really focus.
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:) thanks MagicMan. It's a pain writing on Android with Swpye.
And thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'm a lot of things but I'm definitely not ADHD.
I'm just a little wary of these types of drugs. Once, I bought some MDMA and it turned out to be some kind of meth and it really screwed me up.
Just as long as I know what I'm taking.
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And thank you too, duff.
Are you talking about piracetam? I thought I read bad things about that. Perhaps people passing it off as mdma or speed.
I'll look into it
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Thank you too elon. Sounds great. I don't drink coffee but I drink a lot of soda pop.
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2c-d - is probably what your after (im interested as well) but no one is supplying it. There is 25d-nbome a cousin substance but nothing research wise exists online it my way not have the smart drug benefits.
From Erowid :
"The first "smart pill" compound made was 2CD or 4-Methyl-2,5 Dimethoxy-phenethylamine hydrochloride (3,4) and was tested at several dosage levels. The higher ranges from 10 to 20 milligrams (mg) produced a state of mild intoxication with increased sensory enhancement, but with no hallucinogenisis. Lower levels, from 5 to 10 mg produced calm states wherein one could read, study, or listen with excelled concentration and as we found out later with much better than normal retention. Sensitivity to this compound varied among the test subjects some finding that 5 mg (or even less) worked just fine for them and others stated that this dosage was not effective. So every one worked out their particular level. In those subjects who had a greater sensitivity to this compound, laughter, hilarity, and giggling interfered with studying or other learning pursuits. During this time of initial exploration it was noted that these materials worked best on individuals who were inclined to be serious about their study habits. When used by persons who tended to be less than studious when confronted with a book or lessons, they would think shortly of how much more fun it would be if they were playing catch, riding a motorcycle, drinking beer or just generally goofing off. In these cases the smart pills were of no advantage and probably were a hindrance to the overall process of learning."
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Modafinil is what you want. See seller Coherence on SR. They come in 200mg tabs, start with 50mg (quarter tab!) and do that for a while until you get used to it then go to half tabs. After a while you will be able to take a whole tab. No harsh comedown, no dependence, no hangover, no amphetamine tweaking, and your novel will write itself.
I will say that if you are currently a heavy coffee drinker (i.e. caffeine dependent) it will cause you to not want to drink any coffee, since you'll already be super alert. Because of this you will have withdrawal symptoms from caffeine and will get nasty headaches in the evening. It's not the Modafinil, it's the caffeine withdrawal. That passes after about 3-4 days. Drinking lots of water helps.
Thanks for that. I've actually been looking for something to keep me up so this thread came at the perfect time. ;D
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Piracetam is one of the many in the racetam family. I've used it before and it was very helpful with creativity, mood and expression of ideas both written and verbal. Unfortunately the FDA pulled it but you can still find it online. There is a website called smart powders that sells a lot of nootropics. Also check out a website called longecity, there is a huge forum dedicated to nootropics with people giving various reviews, experiences and stacks.
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I spent a summer employed as a Research Assistant studying nootropic drugs. It wasn't my main goal but I did extensive reading into which drugs and substances were effective brain enhancers.
The tl;dr is that the only nootropics that work for healthy people are amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin). Other drugs and substances have limited efficacy in specific pathological populations. A substance that helps improve memory or concentration in people with Alzheimer patients will do nothing to
I have stacks of academic journal articles to back up what I've written but I can't share them since some of them have my student ID and other information embedded into the .pdfs. Some journals do this when a student downloads an article so that they can be traced and 'punished' if they share them with other people. (Universities can be dicks sometims.)
So yeah Crisis, you want Ritalin, Adderall, or Dexedrine. Anything else? You're just wasting your money.
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Thanks UeXtation,
I've tried some of the various 2c's, 2ci is too goofy and I got some nerve damage with it. 2ce is too heavy and mean spirited, 2cp was the closest but it lasted too long (12 hours too long) and it gave me caveman brow. I think 2cb would be too sexy, don't know, haven't tried it. The various 2-t-whatevers, I haven't tried but I gave up and went a different route.
I'm scared of those nbome drugs. I don't like going into that ug or whatever range. And with that bromo-dragonfly scare, I stay away.
2c-d - is probably what your after (im interested as well) but no one is supplying it. There is 25d-nbome a cousin substance but nothing research wise exists online it my way not have the smart drug benefits.
From Erowid :
"The first "smart pill" compound made was 2CD or 4-Methyl-2,5 Dimethoxy-phenethylamine hydrochloride (3,4) and was tested at several dosage levels. The higher ranges from 10 to 20 milligrams (mg) produced a state of mild intoxication with increased sensory enhancement, but with no hallucinogenisis. Lower levels, from 5 to 10 mg produced calm states wherein one could read, study, or listen with excelled concentration and as we found out later with much better than normal retention. Sensitivity to this compound varied among the test subjects some finding that 5 mg (or even less) worked just fine for them and others stated that this dosage was not effective. So every one worked out their particular level. In those subjects who had a greater sensitivity to this compound, laughter, hilarity, and giggling interfered with studying or other learning pursuits. During this time of initial exploration it was noted that these materials worked best on individuals who were inclined to be serious about their study habits. When used by persons who tended to be less than studious when confronted with a book or lessons, they would think shortly of how much more fun it would be if they were playing catch, riding a motorcycle, drinking beer or just generally goofing off. In these cases the smart pills were of no advantage and probably were a hindrance to the overall process of learning."
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I spent a summer employed as a Research Assistant studying nootropic drugs. It wasn't my main goal but I did extensive reading into which drugs and substances were effective brain enhancers.
Did you study Modafinil too? The Air Force did on helicopter pilots and F-117 pilots in independent studies and determined that it was extremely effective. Wikipedia has some interesting information about it. Everyone I know who has taken it including myself consider it a wonder drug.
BTW, upon rereading my paragraph above I can see how it might read as a challenge... It's not, I really would like to know if you studied it and what you discovered. It's so clearly a performance enhancer in my personal experience that I can't imagine how anyone would report otherwise.
I took another look at the literature and it does appear that in healthy people modafinil increases performance on certain cognitive tasks (digit span, visual pattern recognition memory, spatial planning and stop-signal reaction time) and makes subjects report feeling more alert, attentive and energetic. (Clearnet .pdf link to a study: http://www.springerlink.com/content/ab8dmqb55x0ca7vm/fulltext.pdf )
The potential for addiction and abuse when taking Modafinil is lower than the medications I suggested, has less side effects, but is substantially more expensive. So I agree with you that modafinil would be useful to the OP.
Someone else mentioned piracetam and it's always brought up when nootropics are discussed. The only study on healthy humans that I could find showed subjects had an increase in verbal learning after taking daily regime of pills for 2 weeks. (.pdg link via clearnet: http://www.springerlink.com/content/v6t6k526405vm570/fulltext.pdf )
Not exactly a resounding endorsement of that drug. If anyone finds an article that shows it has more effects than just that please let me know.
Regardless, I still stand by my statement that the most effective drugs (by far) are methylphenidate and amphetamine.
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I also suggest Modafinil. Gets pricey, though. :(
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I'll second (or third) modafinil as a perpetual cognitive enhancer/study aid. It certainly increases alertness and information retention, though to be honest neither of those qualities should be the primary focus when you're looking to finish a piece of creative work.
For pure motivation and temporary work ethic nothing can beat amphetamines, though it has the propensity to destroy any and all creativity and induce an almost manic state of frantic obsession over one single task. You'll have your head down writing furiously for hours at a time, then open up your work the next day and wonder how you managed you produce twenty pages out of what should have been a single sentence.
In short, nootropics/amphetamines won't help you write a novel unless you're suffering from a sleep disorder. They will help you iron out faults in a finished story and they will help you spend hours fixing sections that you don't feel are quite right, but they won't do a thing for progress in terms of creating the backbone of the story or creativity. Having said that, a light dose of ritalin (because honestly that's all you're going to find unless you enjoy paying literally twenty times as much as you would for prescribed pills) may give you the boost to get off your ass and start writing, getting you into the right mindset.
Hope I could help :)
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You might want to try Vyvanse. I have taken adderal a few times in the past to study for finals, and I would p be up for days straight with no appetite. I hated it, I was all amped out and never did it again. Then just a few months ago I tried 50mg of vyvanse and it was great. Not amped out, was able to eat, and went to bed on time and slept great. While on it I was able to study for an entire day easily.
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Here's another recommendation for Modafinil. Stuff's a modern day wonder drug.
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i filled a prescription for modavigil (modafinil) yesterday, took my first pill today. 100mg.
didnt do much for me at all. i was hoping to get some super focused feeling but i didnt.
i did get a slight headache though but ibuprofen cleared that right up (it doesnt interfere with the effects of modafinil).
any suggestions?
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Try AlphaBrain, it has tons of stuff in it so just google and find out what it is. I have slight ADD and it helps me with focusing. Go to their fb page and read what people have to say. It's actually legit.
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I've tried some of the various 2c's, 2ci is too goofy and I got some nerve damage with it. 2ce is too heavy and mean spirited, 2cp was the closest but it lasted too long (12 hours too long) and it gave me caveman brow. I think 2cb would be too sexy, don't know, haven't tried it. The various 2-t-whatevers, I haven't tried but I gave up and went a different route.
I'm scared of those nbome drugs. I don't like going into that ug or whatever range. And with that bromo-dragonfly scare, I stay away.
That's a shame Crisis. Did you seek medical assistance for the nerve damage - it should be treatable ?
The 2c's should be treated with awe and respect. However I would much rather take them then prescription medication developed in soul less corporate labs. Shulgin designed these not only with cutting edge science but a with a pinch of mystical alchemy. The fact that these substances are illegal is another symptom of a corrupt technocratic bureaucracy that would rather have you take drugs that destroy your personality, soul and in return for intellectually isomorphic hyper productive. This man is real modern genius and hero - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0VOitl7JiU and I will not hear bad things spoken about his inventions, hehehe .
Ok acutally Bromodragon fly does fuck people up - but many have tripped ok (to an extent) with it (not that I would try it myself) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8MmMjvZ6uk&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Again you must get these chemicals from a trusted sourced weigh the dose correctly etc - extreme caution always.
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Ever heard of MAO-B inhibitors such as Segelline and Rasegelline (my new favorite). Those are the most amazing best nootropics ever.
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Tried 25d on the w/e - just a test dose to see my reaction to it - 250ug (this is very low apparently for this compound)
Indeed it had super psychedelic focused alertness - no visuals. However you would just get totally immersed in activity like eating or watching tv. Not social at all....you can end up just starting at someone, but walking in crowded areas was not an issue. You can easily read, work do maths well :) etc. Eating ice cream was awesome no appetite suppression, enhanced taste maybe ??.
Kills any multitasking lots of interruptions or trying to juggle tasks will confuses and disorientate you.
I might try a full one (that's probably a good dose to stay happy) - wouldn't bother munching through 3 blotters just to trip out. 25c and 25i are better for that. This is something different more subtle but definitely puts you in a different space . Lasted about 4 hours - easy to sleep on. Strange after effects not negative I just seem to feel a bit serious about everything - lack of emotion.
--- but as to if it would make me better at work or writing a book i'm not sure.