Comment · Thu, October 31, 2013
How and why I take modafinil. A neuroscience grad and trainee doctor's guide.
Original post in this thread
[deleted] · 10 points
The average human sleeps 8 hours a night and lives to around 70 years old – that is 203,840 hours spent asleep! Obviously sleep has many benefits to the self-optimiser such as memory consolidation and learning… But just imagine what you could achieve with just 1-2 hours less a night from your normal routine?
Background:
Modafinil is often described in the literature as a ‘wakefulness-promoting agent’,not as a stimulant (e.g caffeine, amphetamines and Ritalin), this means it shouldn’t produce a high or a buzz like stimulants do. The key difference here is that stimulants typically increase various excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin and glutamate to create the feeling of being wide awake and full of energy. Modafinil on the other hand, although undoubtedly affecting these systems in some way, is more related to turning down the inhibitory pathways, such as GABA transmission. A simple way to think of this is that stimulants are like putting your foot down on the accelerator on a car, whereas modafinil is more like taking the hand-break off that you had forgotten about! It’s for this reason that Mod is prescribed for ‘disorders of consciousness’ su…
What they were answering
[deleted] · 1 points
[deleted]
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb
We just want to post responsible suggestions toward nootropic use. Yesterday I had to delete a post talking about snorting phenylpiracetam. So I get in the mindset sometimes that everyone is being too careless with their suggestions.
Yes, if you are prescribed methylphenidate for ADHD, then beta blockers can help with the side effect profile. I just don't want underinformed people thinking that is a good nootropic stack, then seeking it out. And lately people have been getting annoyed at all the stimulant posts, so I have been addressing them as they pop up. Interesting and well-sourced information about stimulants are allowed, and encouraged. It's just the unsourced anecdotes and brash suggestions that we discourage.
I want you to feel welcome here. Just try and bring well-sourced and interesting information up. It's always great to start new discussions.