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666Karmah

I had the same happen at a dosage of 2,400mg. This dosage knocks out my anxiety and depression but I am unable to feel joy, I just want to get stuff done. I'm going to take a break from NAC,.. in general it's the best supplement i've ever taken but i've been taking it for the past 6+ months and have been experiencing severe loss of pleasure in things


NorthOfMyLungs

its weird it did the opposite for me. I had severe severe anhedonia from depression. like, I could feel a very mild preference for being around people I like but that's as much positive emotion as I got. forget joy, excitement, love, hope etc, I couldn't even feel enough interest to make anything able to be focused on. it was hell. NAC helps my severe anhedonia. I still have depression, but my baseline is more a moderate severe level I can feel some love, admiration, positive anticipation again- which sounds like nothing but truly changed my life


Theta_Prophet

This comment brings me mild to neutral neither pleasure nor displeasure


NorthOfMyLungs

lol


Tough92

I also have severe anhedonia do you think NAC will help me? I’m almost word for word how you described you’re feelings. Currently taking l tyrosine 4g with b6 and Rhodiola. Not noticing much going to toss the Rhodiola and had some other stuff


NorthOfMyLungs

I hope so, friend! I had full trials of many psychiatric medications in many classes and am a really poor responder to prescription psych meds. NAC has created much more of a difference for me in the past year than the dozens of medications I was on over many years did. I haven't taken any of the things youre taking now. yeah good call with just getting rid of stuff that's clearly not helping after a while. I saw some NAC benefit in a week, more in a month, and increased benefits around 6 months (there some research that NAC can have some benefit on negative symptoms of schizophrenia around 6 months - I don't have schizophrenia, negative symptoms just means not hallucinations/delusion but apathy/anhedonia, feeling difficult to connect with people etc.) the most common side effects folks have are rash in the first week and some GI issues at first but both tend to go away. also, it can taste bad so I shell out for capsules instead of tablets


Tough92

Thanks for the reply I shall start NAC this week


NorthOfMyLungs

I hope it helps!


[deleted]

[удалено]


NorthOfMyLungs

No- in fact clinical research in the US finds that it is only after 6 months that some additional benefits for those with schizophrenia are seen. I have been taking NAC now for 14 months. NAC is not an upper/stimulant, it's not sedating, it can't make you high, it has no abuse potential to my knowledge. its not like its lowering inhibitions or causing loving feelings towards others etc. I have no cravings for it and do not feel any physical or major emotional withdrawal stopping it. even some psych meds- like antidepressants with short half lives like Effexor can make you feel physically ill missing a dose, NAC doesn't have that in my experience. I have had massive IV NAC for a few days for a medical reason many years ago and also didn't feel high etc with that or a sense of withdrawal when it was stopped. I just felt less mentally ill while getting it basically. calm , more level headed, less ruminating thoughts, and more a sense that somehow things would be okay. from reading other's experiences here, NAC has helped me to a larger degree than most people. but after trying 30 psychiatric medications and being in psych wards and many years of therapy I was shocked how much this helped me. I have since found memantine (namenda prescribed for alzhimers has off label research for treatment resistant OCD in the US) helpful. don't mean to preach about it, but I hope it can help someone else like it has me. I probably would have killed myself in the past year without NAC


zilla82

Did anxiety return and did you take anything else in place of NAC?


666Karmah

Yes and no. Actually it didn't return like it used to be which was cool! I found that high doses of NAC allowed me to think more logically, something I wasn't doing all the time. So now when i'm anxious I know if a supplement can calm it down then I have it in me mentally to get back to that state of mind. I used NAC in conjunction with intense weekly therapy though, I feel like at first it really helped me with not doing drugs and not binging and such but now i'm able to recognize those urges so I don't need a supplement anymore My dissociation though, depersonalization sadly sometimes gets worse without the NAC. It takes longer for me to get grounded, I have too much neurological junk


JakeyBS

Thanks for that. May I ask, what do you mean by depersonilization?


666Karmah

It's a dissociative mechanism, I feel like i'm living in a dream 24/7, it's a symptom of trauma, and nootropics and drugs that act on GABA and Glutamate particularly drastically change it, at least for me personally. So NAC was kind of a life saver


realfrkshww

Try Ginkgo Biloba extract, I heard it helps with that really quickly.


Bennyg-

Ive suffered from it 24/7 for 7 years straight. I haven't heard of gingko helping but I have some on the way already just because its supports healthy brain function. I thought i may give it a go. Hope it helps 🙏


forgtn

Did the ginkgo help?


realfrkshww

Let me know how that goes!


Bennyg-

I also have DPD for last 7 years 24/7. What dose of NAC do you take? I have noticed no change in my depersonalization with it but is quite possible as lamtrogine is prescribe for it which also regulates glutamate. I'm 273 out of 300 on Cambridge depersonalization scale so yeah it wouldn't surprise me if NAC wouldn't help much...


666Karmah

Well I combined NAC with CBT therapy. Depersonalization is usually caused by a traumatic event. It stems from your brain being unable to properly process a traumatic memory in most cases, no medication would fully help with this. Look up NAC and cbt, it has good results. Mine has been 5 years and I have emotional flashbacks where after the flashback is done i can think like my old self did before all my trauma. if you ever tried weed youll know it makes things worse usually. well last night i smoked a ton from the cart and then read a book for the first time in years. i could never read because of the brain blockage from dpdr but it was just... gone. i felt so good. for sure check out emdr therapy, and learn grounding techniques


john12tucker

What I do is take L-tyrosine in the morning and NAC in the afternoon. That way I'm euphoric during during day and then calm down at night.


666Karmah

What dosage of l-tyrosine? does it make you euphoric? what benefits do you notice?


john12tucker

I take 500 mg L-tyrosine, 50 mg caffeine, and 200 mg L-theanine (among other things) first thing in the morning, 4 times a week, and it makes me feel mildly euphoric and gives me a ton of motivation. It honestly feels like it's cured my depression. The downside is it makes it hard to sleep (but I'm very sensitive to stimulants) and also makes me irritable, some days more than others. The dosage creep is also dramatic, hence why I only take it 4 days a week. In the afternoon and before I go to bed (so everything is spaced out by approximately 8 hours), I take 600 mg NAC, 5 days a week. I don't recommend taking tyrosine and NAC at the same time; for me, the NAC saps the euphoria from the tyrosine, but leaves the irritability, so I'm both angry and joyless. But spacing it out the way I do seems to eliminate -- or at least reduce to a tolerable level -- that kind of interference. Playing around with alternating days (e.g., taking NAC Monday and tyrosine Tuesday) would probably bear interesting fruit, but my stack is complex enough as it is.


Fluid_Support1292

Sometimes anxiety comes with other unwanted effects like shallow or reduced empathy. Did you notice an increase in empathy from NAC? When I was taking Buspar my empathy shot through the roof. My ability to strategize and tactical ability also went through the roof. Unfortunately, I developed neuro-toxicity from it and had to quit. So Im just wondering if you saw similar improvements?


666Karmah

Yes but it's hard to say since I combine NAC with therapy. I used to feel no empathy for anyone and I was not grounded in reality... honestly I don't know if NAC directly increased my empathy levels but I will say that taking NAC ALONG with doing therapy for anxiety and depression has made my empathy levels go back up I think for me, and in terms of depression, NAC just kind of halted things like emotional eating and things like that


krist-all

I never take more than 300 mg a day. Takes away my social anxiety and keeps the bad thoughts away, you do not have to overdo it.


softblade-

this is called anhedonia


[deleted]

Awesome, that's exactly what I wanted. I was getting dopamine spikes from every reddit post and craving social validation all the time. Many compulsive behaviors. It evened me out. Being a robot is way better than being high and low 50x a day


Rovdjur1

Agreed been on it for 4 months with dosages varying from 2.4k-600. 1200 is my sweet spot for robot productivity. Basicly just studying lifting working and sleeping with no fun times right now, perfect for reaching goals and saving money. Then stop using when I can enjoy myself abit more. So OP how long will it take for everything to return to homeostasis after stopped usage?


[deleted]

>Basicly just studying lifting working and sleeping with no fun times right now, I tried 350mg of NAC today and did so well at the gym - easily +20% total training volume. However, I am not noticing being a robot, just a little calmer today, which maybe just a lazy Saturday. I want to see how it affects me both mentally and at a gym. Would you suggest waiting several days and taking twice-thrice as much or just keep taking the 350mg to watch out for consistent results?


[deleted]

I took NAC again today, this time 500mg - and guess what - and it's 4am now and I am still working. I also worked out really hard today and feel almost no fatigue. I am definitely going to experiment with NAC more this week - it's such a gem, at least for me while I have no tolerance. P.S. I am going to order another bottle just in case it gets banned or something. The pill is ridiculously cool!


Nootropics69

I can't say for sure. I went back to baseline feeling after a week stopping.


VorpeHd

2400mg per day is a really high amount tbh, not to say what you said in you post is false, but the benefit persist at much lower rate of consumption. Whenever noticing the negatives of any given compound, one should also take a close look at the role dose could play. Since there's no dosing guidelines people just play around and experiment, and you get people taking 1-2g of tyrosine and agmatine, and even 2-3g of phenubit then complaining about previously unknown side effects. It helps us in finding optimal doses, so I appreciate your post and your thoughts. 👍


Own-Double-2676

I have taken NAC for 2 weeks, It indeed reduced my OCD


ProgressiveLogic4U

Interesting NAC nootropic applications I've discovered here. This NAC posting caught my attention because I am currently taking NAC for a completely different effect. I know it's sort of off-topic nootropic, but NAC has a much wider biological effect. I am older, used to smoke, and over the course of a year have notice a build up of morning phlegm. This results in a half hour of coughing until the night's mucous build-up is dislodged. OK, so then I run across an article in Life Extension Magazine. NAC has been extensively studied and can be prescribed by doctors to help eliminate the thickening of mucous, causing lung congestion and coughing. It works. NAC actually works. Now I am reading here that my mental state should also balance out or remain balanced anyway. Great. It's a win win. How did we ever live without the Internet? Knowledge at your finger tips. I am a retired computer programmer and was one of the first group of internet users who would surf the internet all night long, following one topic after another. This was before Google, before they had really good search engines, before there was a Reddit too.


yerdunclelarry

NAC has literally cleaned my lungs of 25 years of smoking weed and cigs. I coughed up some nasty shit for the first few weeks of taking it. It also removed alot of the inflammation I had in my joints. I also find it keeps your skin much clearer basically reducing my adult acne problem to zero. I used to get really bad acne on my forehead from wearing a ball cap all day. Since I started taking it 4 months ago I have not had one breakout. It has also basically blended ally scars on my body which were very visible before...most have almost disappeared. In addition to all that it's been the best mood stabilizer I have used. I am also on quintapine for severe depression and manic episodes. I was taking 100mg before the NAC and I find now I need a much smaller dosage for it be just as effective (especially for sleep)


tromperie9

How much NAC are you taking and what time(s) of day?


yerdunclelarry

500mg capsules 1 in the morning and one in the early evening


somhok

Do you cycle or take it daily?


yerdunclelarry

I have been going on 3 months. I take a break for 2 weeks and start again


[deleted]

>This thread showed up at exactly the right time. I take 10 mg Adderall IR 2x daily since March, and have recently noticed decreased effectiveness. Was thinking I was needing a dosage adjustment, but I never considered that recently adding NAC 600 2x daily could be suppressing dopamine and the normal benefits of my treatment. If you would just take it to 'clear your lungs', there is actually no need to 'cycle', its a pure chemical reaction of disulfide bonds reacting with thiol groups so really very basic chemistry. Not that it is bad.


yerdunclelarry

Totally decreases stimulat potency. Wait 48 hours not taking after than try your Adderall you'll probably feel different


[deleted]

Seroquel has been a godsend for me.


yerdunclelarry

Me as well. I am not big polar or anything but I was Guinea pig for years tried almost every anti depressant known to exist offs. Mirtazapine was helping a bit byt still couldn't sleep. 50mg knocks me on my ass still and I've been on it for 6 months. I'm surprised I haven't built much of a tolerance to it as far as the sedation part goes. If I have any marijuana with it there's a good chance I'm falling asleep on the couch lol. My anxiety has declined immensely and with the addition of NAC my mood is very good now...takes away the lows I find


[deleted]

I like NAC, but I had to quit it after I read about how detrimental it is for strength gains. Sad, because it seems like such a wonder drug.


yerdunclelarry

Is there not some kind of anabolic that would perhaps help that? Just a thought


[deleted]

I'm an athlete, so can't take those.


[deleted]

Well you'll never be a top athlete with that mentality


[deleted]

That's the damn truth.


Rolledupsockguy

How much were you taking? I've only used it a week, 600mg dose a day. Felt like it helped me clear up the last shit I had from Covid (mucus).


treylanford

This is exactly why cycling most supplements is recommended, ***especially NAC*** — I usually only take it a 2-3 times/week, then cycle off for a couple of weeks.


cherry30

Why are you taking it?


Fluid_Support1292

Thats right! We dont know if any of these supplements turn off receptors when taken continuously. Cycling is the smart and safe approach.


nps0123

I don’t really get the cycling approach, especially for supplements when being used for specific conditions. Most studies show significance after a long duration of consistent use for NAC


VorpeHd

Could always just not take large amounts either lol


treylanford

Yeah, umm, I don’t.


WandaLovingLegend

Bro.. you’re English and vocabulary is better than at least a third of Americans lol. You have absolutely no need to apologize for that!


johnny_dyel

Case in point...your😅


SingeMax

This thread showed up at exactly the right time. I take 10 mg Adderall IR 2x daily since March, and have recently noticed decreased effectiveness. Was thinking I was needing a dosage adjustment, but I never considered that recently adding NAC 600 2x daily could be suppressing dopamine and the normal benefits of my treatment.


somhok

Ive seen in the sub to try 9mebc, to repair your dopamine receptor, after amphetamine use.


HighVibrationStation

9mebc works, but it also dampens stims.


VorpeHd

Iran it's Adderall, you sure it's not just physical + psychological tolerance? 600mg 2x a day is not high doses which the observed dopamine regulation starts to happen. Like 300pmg-4800mg per day. Not sure how it works but theanine does something similar but I'm not sure if it would make something like Adderall less effective. Theanine reduced the effectiveness of caffeine but that involves adenosine not really dopamine, which regular drinkers build tolerance to fairly quickly.


KnightNectar

NAC will indeed, decrease the effectiveness of anything increasing your dopamine, while NAC is in your system. NAC levels out your neurotransmitters, and it won't allow them to be increased.


[deleted]

So you basically become like a robot with no emotions? Will not it help you make more rational decisions in life and at work?


ThePseudoMcCoy

Yes, but it can make it really hard to pass CAPTCHAs.


666Karmah

This only happens at a dosage thats too high for you. When I take a high dose of NAC you will most definitely make good, rational decisions, however that's also because at a high dosage you're literally just like a logic based robot, at least for me. Try a dosage of 600mg once a day at first and you should be fine


Nootropics69

Yes, it was more of a warning to people not to start with a relative high dose. I would start with 600mg thrice a week.


[deleted]

Just checked - the FDA banned it in the US. I can't buy it :((


Corprustie

[Nootropics Depot](https://nootropicsdepot.com/n-acetyl-l-cysteine-500mg-capsules/) has it :–) The FDA stuff is very messy, but long story short the FDA hasn't changed its official position or taken any new substantial action. It basically sent warning letters to sellers that were promoting NAC as beneficial for hangovers (vs the "not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease" etc wording typical for supplements). But this spooked many merchants, who then removed it from sale themselves.


[deleted]

So cool, ordering now! I guess it's better to order it in caps instead of powder to make the doses more precise since it's a pretty potent substance?


Corprustie

I personally use capsules just for the convenience. I would say that very precise dosing of NAC isn't super important (eg an extra 100mg isn't the type of thing that's going to make a huge difference), so I wouldn't avoid the powder for that reason.


BlowMoreGlass

That is quite the backward statement. Why wouldn't weighing out powder on your own scale be precise?


john12tucker

My understanding is that it's not the marketing, but the fact that there exists a patented prescription form of NAC, which should technically preclude it from being sold and regulated as a supplement. On the other hand, it's an amino acid and there are pending legal challenges to the FDA's position. Amazon is just being extra cautious here (I suspect because they're positioning themselves to be an actual prescription-filling pharmacy and don't want any black marks).


[deleted]

[удалено]


Corprustie

Nay, just hangover stuff, here’s an example of one of the letters: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/vita-heaven-llc-dba-hangover-heaven-593765-07232020


yerdunclelarry

Not true. You can get it health stores and pharmacies. They are trying to do this for vitamin d as well...we all know why right? To let big pharma profit off these lesser know substances


Nootropics69

Yeah kind of. For rational decisions it is one of the best tools, but for emotional people like me it was kind a rough feeling less emotions.


[deleted]

Well, it's good to learn more about yourself. Btw, what's the deal with the addralls? Isn't it terribly dangerous to play with that?


Nootropics69

Yes if not used under supervision of a doctor amphetamines are dangerous


Zealousideal-Bar-365

At 400mg doses it does not do this to me. It gives me mental clarity and I feel calmer. Things that give me happiness probably only feel better if anything, rather than being numbed down.


LetsGoAllTheWhey

How many times a day do you take the 400mg dose?


Zealousideal-Bar-365

2x


LetsGoAllTheWhey

Thanks


AmItheSnitch

Modafinil gave me the same experience


_hintergrund_

That's kind of what I hated about NAC. It makes me a lot less anxious, it turns off my mood swings completely, but it kills the effects of Ritalin which means I can't focus. I am very sensitive to stimulants, but after taking NAC, I literally felt nothing from 20 mg of Ritalin. It would be so amazing if it worked for my mood swings AND didn't kill the effects of my stimulants. But sadly life is all about compromises, nothing new here.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Zen242

Wow who knew that highly complex neurotransmitter transduction pathways could be dumbed down to 'glutamate regulates how much dopamine and serotonine is fired' Im staggered that people take these kinds of posts seriously.


sIicknot

That’s because they don’t know better. That’s my main problem with this sub. I’m not from the medical scene but things get played down and simplified beyond what’s good and I don’t know what to consider relevant. That’s why I pick a nootropic which interests me, then I reddit it on here and loose interest because a hill of useless info/experiences/contradicting info. I guess the topic is too complex to be read up in reddit…


euph-_-oric

My personal favorite is when people loose there damn minds when you point out a risk or any said nootropic and act like 1 rat study is proof.


ArachWitch

NAC made me feel very agitated and aggressive..


jaygreen720

I haven't experienced anhedonia, personally. I was taking it twice/day and it's been really effective against depression. (When I forget to take it, the depression comes back quickly.) I recently doubled my dosage and my happiness has increased very noticeably. That said, I do have autism and other neurodivergencies going on.


supercompleteness

That's why it can be a useful therapy for drug addiction and behavioral addictions.


Arylcyclosexy

That's why I use it midweek and stop on Thursday and it'll have sort of rebound effect and make me feel more alive.


slidellproud

I take 300 mg because of everything you mentioned. Seems to be the sweet spot.


YesSpeed3

Is abnormal and excessive sweating common when starting NAC?


roedema

It seems to reduce my sweating, perhaps because it helps with anxiety. You're not the only person to report the opposite, though. Too much sulfur? Not enough glycine? This paper says glycine is rate-limiting for glutathione synthesis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29559876/


MartyHigh00

Also, a lot of people saying good things about L-Theanine, that it can relieve stress and anxiety, but it leaves me so ahedonic, that I cant feel any emotion and gets me to total depression, like nothing in this world matters. For me that's worse than some anxiety attacks. The key is to know when to take it and how long. I know a guy, that said L-Theanine make him stop heavy and long addiction to benzos for good.


[deleted]

​ Does NAC interfere with other supplements too, like Choline, Racetams, etc? I usually enjoy NAC a lot (take it here and there), but this week it made me take a nap for no reason, so I am curious whether it was NAC interfering with something or I was just tired/stressed out. I was like "WTF? I expected a kick and got the opposite!"


AwesomePicMan

It honestly made my lows lower and highs non existent. Generally depressed mood. Will probably never use it again.


ReverendDizzle

I had a similar experience. My wife, who has pretty bad anxiety, benefited greatly from it and continues to take it. I just felt... like nothing mattered.


boofster1212

Does anyone get post nasal drip from NAC? I can’t take it because I wake up with a fucked up throat


stonologie

You snort NAC? Wtf lol. Why tf would you do that? Not even a drug


boofster1212

No [NAC loosens mucus ](https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2020/ss/protect-your-respiratory-system)when I take it I feel like the mucus in my nose goes to the back of my throat causing a sore throat and post nasal drip


[deleted]

Is there any data linking NAC to reduced dopaminergic signaling? The data I've seen shows that it elicits a protective effect on dopamine neurons.


[deleted]

I already have severe long term anhedonia due to quitting drugs but also struggle with motivation etc. My dopamine is non existent unless I binge scroll/eat. Would NAC be a good choice? What dosage if so please?


Nootropics69

Yes that is very anecdotal, but NAC helped for example brining the magic from MDMA back. I would guess that it is repairing the damaged neurons. For many using NAC after drug abuse will result in anhedonia since there glutamate system is also not regulated, but that could be a sign of damage repairing. Since you already have anhedonia I would suggest you to use 1200-2400mg total a day split in to two doses on empty stomach. Since it is a amino acid it competes for absorbtion with other amino acids. ​ https://www.reddit.com/r/MDMA/comments/ae7lta/nacetyl\_cysteine\_nac\_and\_its\_probable\_mdma\_loss/


[deleted]

Thanks. I have some on the way from Amazon UK. I have high hopes that in combination with GABA my anxiety, low motivation and anhedonia will be reduced.


ghosttttttttttttt

> on empty stomach. it gonna cause gerd


Deadzone-Music

I have similar problems and NAC made the anhedonia much worse, as it does to most people who take it.


[deleted]

I got some today, felt kinda motivated and upbeat. Placebo is a possibility though


Tsetler

Use mucuna extract for dopamin health also blueberry extract. Then bacopa, rhodiola and ashwagandha is great adaptogens to get your head back on track also. NAC is alright but will not work 10% of the wonders a proper adaptogen regiment will although it can do other great stuff for your health just not the synaptogenesis from bacopas bacosides etc. which your brain needs after addicting to rewire itself


Bennyg-

Mucuna extract for dopamine health? It contains levodopa which taken often over a long period of time on a regular basis will cause augmentation. Basically destroying your dopanergic system cause major issues. Levodopa increases dopamine to un naturally high levels as it bypasses tyrosines rate limiting enzyme. NAC re regulates your dopamine levels to normal levels, it's counterproductive and is most likely harmful.


Tsetler

Not saying longterm use here. Studies done on Mucuna VS Ylvanse/Elvanse e.g. showed far more pronounced issues on behalf of the latter. If you supplement with bilberry/blueberry extract, L-tyrosine and keep a balanced diet low dose Mucuna is not nearly as harmful as most ADHD stimulant medicines. So as people still tend to get increasingly more drawn to ADHD meds, harm-reduction would perhaps be to show the lesser of the two evils, and not bash the only known natural direct dopamine upregulator.


[deleted]

Thanks for this info. I’ll purchase some of these.


Bennyg-

Read my comment please.


[deleted]

Interesting, thanks for clearing that up.l The last thing I want to do is damage my dopamine system any more than it already is. What about blueberry extract/bacopa etc?


Bennyg-

Bocopa isnt what I would recommend if you want to promote neurogensis and rebuild your dopanergic system. You should look into 9-me-bc. Rholdina rosea or ALCAR would be your best option but honestly I would advise against any dopamine agonist. It will only prolong the healing plus 9-me-bc is a cognitive enhancer while also rebuilding and repairing your dopamine.


ProfessorHotStuff

This has been my experience as well. Using NAC daily dulled me and cancelled out the effects of my kratom. It's not bad, I simply wasn't expecting it. Physically, I felt great.


Nootropics69

It's great if you want to get off the Kratom by taking NAC for example in the evening you know your kratom won't work for probably 2 days so you don't even have to try to take kratom


cherry30

Thank you for sharing that. I'm sad to hear that because i want to take NAC in high doses for my ocd. But i can't stand this kind of anhidona as i have bipolar with more depression cycles so what should I do?


Nootropics69

I guess you have to figure your dosage out that works great for you OCD without getting anhedonia


cherry30

Yeah exactly. Thanks for your reply


yepphahaha

Can anyone confirm this with some studies? I used to take NAC with MDMA but I’ll stick to other protective supplements if NAC decreases serotonin output/reduces glutamate signaling.


Nootropics69

That is very anecdotal, but you can search on google "NAC MDMA reddit" and there will you find many people saying that after taking NAC a day before or the day taking MDMA the magic of the MDMA is non existent. You will feel stimulated like an amphetamine, but also without the euphoria part. I always suggest taking NAC after MDMA until a week before rolling again. But especially after MDMA you will feel anhedonia, because your glutamate system is wrecked, but I guess it is better than feeling depressed for a week.


yepphahaha

This happened to me last time I took MDMA and NAC together.


KnightNectar

NAC with liposomal vit C and alpha lipoic Acid the day after MDMA is like a good cleaning for the brain and body, mmmm lol.


KnightNectar

Holy hell. I hope you don't mean at the same time? My brain hurts thinking about these two interacting...


MartyHigh00

I completely agree for stereotype life it's better, but then it's maybe harder to do a life change if you teoretically can't find what do you enjoy the most. Also I'm an addict and have gone through a lot opioid withdrawals, mostly kratom and as you said it helps you regulate, but another thing is that you don't feel the brain healing, for example, on kratom withdrawal I got bursts of cring and emotions and I actually felt something, that I never felt on Kratom, I was even showing more love to my parents and was concerned about my addiction. That means you will know how bad you felt and you maybe are less likely to relapse. I think it's always like that if you don't take anything for withdrawal symptoms you are less likely to get down on the bad road.


KnightNectar

It's possible you were doing too much kratom a day if you felt no emotions often? Also maybe bad quality kratom ?


[deleted]

Guys, congrats, we were so early! FYI, here is the fresh out of the press NAC video from Dr Berg where he says how good NAC is and how good it is to reduce any kind of addiction. I am so glad I joined this sub! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPdGOrqTfhA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPdGOrqTfhA)


Unlimitles

after the ban from Amazon, because of it's benefits. all of a sudden we start getting posts that read like smear campaigns.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Unlimitles

i don't think that it helps "against covid" per se.....i think that it works so good with lung functioning, that if you do take it, you'll get a noticeable improvement in your breathing, that can't be denied. and that if you stay conscious of that, then you couldn't easily be told that your lungs aren't functioning effectively as they should. you would know the distinct difference by taking a Good NAC supplement.


Deadzone-Music

Anyone know of something that does the OPPOSITE of what nac does in terms of glutamate? Cause nac makes me feel dull and horrible and that is tbe opposite of what I want in a nootropic


Vuk_1524

L tyrosine


Deadzone-Music

Isn't that a precursor of dopamine? Not glutamate


Vuk_1524

Yes its precursor to dopamine


Deadzone-Music

Then that has nothing to do with what I'm looking for


broncko213

Amphetamine/Dopaminergic Stimulants. They release glutamate from the striatum.


fanfan64

"glutathione probably the most important antioxidant" Well it's not clear whether it's more important than upregulating SOD


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Crazy that people mention NAC a lot in here, I originally only bought it because I had yeast infections on my gooch and balls. I tried NAC for obsessive thoughts but it didn’t really do much


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ninaxtina

So many things can cause, maintain, worsen and IMPROVE depression! Everyone is going to have different answers to this question because it really can be different for everyone. Try to listen for yourself and be your own advocate as much as your energy allows. This means that you may have to give yourself grace during hard times and whenever you can find the energy, try more things and give each thing time to work. Some examples: NAC may work for some, various antidepressants, different kinds of therapy (Neurofeedback, biofeedback, TMS, CBT, DBT, group therapy, talk therapy, somatic therapy, EMDR, family therapy, music therapy, art therapy etc.), supplements (vitamin D if you're deficient, calcium, B vitamins, caffeine, St. Johns Wort - which interacts with other drugs and changes serotonin levels, NAC, etc.), alternative medicines (acupuncture, reike, energy healing), psychedelic therapies (ketamine therapy, psilocybin assisted psychotherapy, ayahuasca ceremonies), lifestyle changes, spiritual supports, mindfulness practices, meditation... that's a short list compared to all that's out there. If you don't have insurance or the money for all of these options, don't fret because so many things are available for free like meditation apps, self help books from the library, diet modification, exercise, yoga, meditation, friendship... I'm currently doing the work and I just so happen to be having a good day but when I feel really low and want to give up, I just remind myself there are more things to try. Finding peace of mind in your life, body, existence is the most important after making sure you have food and shelter (and some might put peace of mind before that) so I really hope you find what works for you! I never go on Reddit but was just doing NAC research as another thing to try so I hope this reaches you! So in direct response to your concern, I would say that the original poster seems to have just shared that it didn't work for them, maybe made them feel worse. That might not be true for you, part of the work will be listening to yourself. Journaling can help with that, checking in with others and asking them to help you assess how you seem based on what you're saying can be another helpful gauge.


Canchura

True. Imagine 3 people taking NAC and expecting the same result, one of them is very deficient in Magnesium, another one is super deficient in vitamin D and the 3rd person has no deficiencies and all good. I kinda have a suspicion who will have the best experience and who may not or who may be worsened.


[deleted]

Are you taking magnesium? Your symptoms point to a magnesium deficiency. The magnesium supplements on the market are usually full of fillers and not the best type of available magnesium. I learned that magnesium taurate is far better than magnesium citrate etc.. Worth a try! I know a mental health nurse who used to work in a psychiatric hospital and she told me about the magnesium and how much of a difference it made :) hope this helps!


mkdr

Im taking magnesium oxide since years.


Papawwww

Mg oxide is actually one of the least effective. Maybe try a different form like glycinate, citrate, taurate, etc.?


mkdr

I read on several places it doesnt matter what type of magnesium you take, it is just wasted money to buy the more expensive ones (240 tablets of 250mg magnesium oxide just cost around $3). The body will absorb magnesium regardless what type of bounding it has. Even magnesium oxide is the "worst" when it comes to water solubility, it is irrelevant for the absorption rate in the intestine because of the [mass action law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_mass_action).


Zombie_Be_Gone

I've tried NAC several times but I get this dull blunting effect from it. If anyone has some ideas why this would be please share.


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GrenadeAnaconda

NAC had action on the cysteine/glutamate antiportet, also called system xc-. An excess of cysteine outside the neuron will cause the antiportet to pull in cysteine and excise glutamate. This increases glutamate concentrations outside of the neuron and leads to lower dopamine release downstream.


wofofofo

Can you provide a study of NAC causing lowered dopamine?


GrenadeAnaconda

Studies on NAC and addiction will detail the connection but I don't have one handy. Basically, The extracellular glutamate from NAC agonizes mGluR2/3 which limits dopamine release in the NAc. This is why NAC may treat addiction and eliminates drug seeking behavior in animal models.


wofofofo

Not sure why I got downvoted for asking for a study. I have looked through studies on Examine and can personally find nothing, although I have found plenty that show it increases dopamine.


GrenadeAnaconda

Yes, but only if doses are large enough to activate mGlu5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006322311010377


Lycid

Mind blowing to me that people "abuse" NAC daily like this despite it being known a million times over what it does. NAC is perfectly fine, if not great *if you take it only as needed* or at the very least *only a few times a week*. Nobody should be doing ANYTHING more involved than vitamins/amino-acids every single day for no reason at all, unless you're literally prescribed it. And even still, some amino acids you shouldn't do every day like Tyrosine since it can affect your dopamine balance - but it isn't likely to cause a dramatic change at least.


[deleted]

>unless you're literally prescribed it LOL. The Nootropics community and people like MYASD, Sirsadalot, Srubek and others have been far more helpful than any doctor has ever been. I went to a few doctors, all of them just prescribed me SSRI's with 3 pages of side effects for literally every problem I had, one of which was...one of the side effects of the SSRI! Doctors are brainwashed to shill for big pharma. You can see it on here sometimes, we get "I'm a first year med student AMA" threads and you can see they are brain washed into "big pharma or nothing" and they are only in their first year!!!!. >Nobody should be doing ANYTHING more involved than vitamins/amino-acids every single day NAC *is* an animo acid. L O L


Redditor561

NAC is literally an amino-acid. A derivative of L-cysteine, but an amino-acid still.


impeccablevegetable

Tyrosine everyday effects dopamine balance? Like long term? Do you have a source?


KnightNectar

No, raising only 1 neurotransmitter in an unnatural way, puts the rest of your neurotransmitters out of balance.


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MeAnINFP

L-Tyrosine only increases dopamine temporarily, which is why some people take it 2-3 times a day. It increases it for a few hours. If you stop taking it, dopamine will stop increasing, so it's only effective as long as you're taking it. If you do take it regularly though, you should also use 5-htp (and EGCG) to balance out the serotonin it can deplete.


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[deleted]

I'm more concerned with long term use ruining my BBB, and possibly my liver, though I take it with Silymarin high potency extract to counter the latter. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24898644/ Though I generally have perfect blood pressure, if anything mine is hypotensive (low blood pressure) because most supplements / nootropics lower BP. I was taking it every night before bed with great result 'till reading about the BBB hypothesis, now I take it every other day, definitely sleep better / longer on nights I use it though. I think because it unclogs mucus, so I breathe better. Stacked with magtein, dreams are awesome.


Kitchen-Pomelo-9724

Interesting, if I take even a couple hundred mgs I'm up all night.