Captagon: The amphetamine fuelling Syria's civil war (x-post from r/cyberpunk)

Comment · Fri, January 17, 2014 · 5 pts

Amphetamine and cocoa beans! Mmmmmmm It's definitely not a nootropic, but is interesting nonetheless.

Comment · Fri, January 17, 2014 · 0 pts

It turns into amphetamine after metabolism. Amphetamine is a drug that is neurotoxic, and can cause a number of serious side effects; not to mention it is extremely addictive. That takes it right out of the nootropic def

Comment · Fri, January 17, 2014 · 1 pts

Are you seriously trying to position amphetamine as a nootropic? For one, the VMAT-2 inhibition leads to a lot of oxidative damage. Yes, even under normal dosages. Second, there is large risk of excitotoxicity. This is

Comment · Fri, January 17, 2014 · -3 pts

Perhaps I am reading into tone that is not there. I apologize. I have a weird caffeine/uridine/something else edgy buzz going on. The definition I use for a nootropic is that a substance must enhance cognition while pre

Comment · Fri, January 17, 2014 · 1 pts

Interesting anecdote. However, someone that is dependent on amphetamines going off is very different than someone not dependent being enhanced by them. For sure, if you are dependent on amphetamines and go off, you will

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 0 pts

For some that definitely is the case. But in the context of battling cognitive decline, it takes a backseat. I see half the goal of nootropics as battling cognitive decline, and half as enhancing healthy subjects.

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 9 pts

Well being nice to me via PM and snarky publicly doesn't really help your position. I've already apologized for my single 'roid rage' induced comment of "It's pretty obvious." If that is not enough, I will apologize agai

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 4 pts

But are you prepared to use a substance to help enhance an aspect of your cognition, like motivation, if you knew it had the cost of speeding cognitive decline later in life? Because amphetamines are well known to speed

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 2 pts

Yes, we have piles and piles of research on amphetamines showing that long-term daily use speeds cognitive decline, and is damaging to multiple neuronal systems. Ignoring that does nobody any good. Look, I argued from y

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 7 pts

You could just eat some dextroamphetamine and theophylline, which is found in cocoa beans. Since the molecule is just a prodrug to the two, there should be no difference to taking each separately at the same time.

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 4 pts

Sure, I'll get you some full ones. [Here is one from Scientific American on long-term usage of dopaminergic stimulants.](https://mega.co.nz/#!ZQJgWRrb!Sb-HQj4g_vHyqnWme32RqCaDvMlzeeF2jTrBmyOOkxg) [Amphetamine Treatment

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 0 pts

Ohh definitely. That does not mean we should not understand the underlying mechanisms. That is why I am here, to learn about human cognition. I don't really care so much about enhancing myself. I care about understanding

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 3 pts

I feel like I am taking crazy pills! Am I seriously having to argue with these people over amphetamine and heroin being damaging to one's cognition?

Comment · Sat, January 18, 2014 · 1 pts

I would sort of agree with that. However, alcohol is pretty damaging, all things considered. They are damaging different systems, though. It is kind of hard to compare them because of that.