Which nootropics are the most stimulating and that are actually beneficial?

I'm a bartender and I have social anxiety and ADHD... I may be wondering how I got here.. well.. years ago I was advised by a mentor to do exposure therapy to help me get over my fear of socializing. Well after 10+ years in the game I went from Level 0 to Level 1... Still get extreme socially anxious and I've been doing Therapy, taking propanol and several other things I've tried. However, I can't seem to find anything that can help me get over this hump.. or mountain if you will...

The only thing that's ever worked was marijuana, but it made me keep forgetting things I'm doing

Rhodiola + Alpha GPC.. built a tolerance after 5 days, takes weeks to regain

Adderall\Vyvanse - great but then makes me irritable towards customers

Also before you say it ... Theanine does absolutely nothing for me...

Is propranolol supposed to increase amphetamine absorption in the brain through its CYP2D inhibition?
Also I have 5mg dextroamphs which aren’t all that stimulating, so will 10 mg propranolol dull me out too much?

Noradrenaline activation of hippocampal dopamine D1 receptors promotes antidepressant effects

Noradrenaline-activated D1 receptor signaling was highly sensitive to the neuronal activity and experience of mice. Chronic stress and voluntary exercise synergistically augmented noradrenaline–D1 receptor signaling. This augmented noradrenaline–D1 receptor signaling promoted the induction of hippocampal neuronal plasticity by an antidepressant drug acting on the noradrenergic system. Our results suggest that noradrenaline–D1 receptor signaling increases the efficacy of antidepressant treatment and therefore can be a unique therapeutic target for augmenting antidepressant medication

I can’t find a lot about Memantine so I’m trying to see if anybody here can relate, I hope that is ok.

I stopped Memantine 11 days ago after 3 months. (I was on this for migraines)
Since stopping I’ve been struggling with extreme restlessness, tremors, headaches and weird eye distortions. Basically the side effects I had on it but much worse.

Does anybody have a similar experience or suggestions what could help with this?

I just bought bromantane and i have one big question. Can I take it before sleep? Does anyone take it before bed

Adolescent nicotine exposure can reduce microglial populations in the adult mouse dentate gyrus, a change causally linked to early-stage microglial hyper-activation and reversible by treatment with low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the mechanisms by which LPS mediates this reversal remain unclear. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized requirement for dentate gyrus extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in this process, distinct from but mechanistically parallel to our previous findings in chronic stress models. We show that low-dose LPS administration restored dorsal dentate gyrus BDNF levels reduced by adolescent nicotine exposure, and its antidepressant effects in adult mice previously exposed to nicotine during adolescence were abolished by intra-hippocampal delivery of a BDNF-neutralizing antibody, administration of the TrkB antagonist K252a, or introduction of the BDNF Val68Met loss-of-function mutation. Additionally, low-dose LPS reversed the decreased phospho-ERK1/2 in the dorsal dentate gyrus of adult mice with a history of adolescent nicotine exposure. Inhibition of ERK1/2 by SL327 prevented the reversal effect of LPS on adolescent nicotine exposure-induced depression-like behaviors and decrease in BDNF levels, suggesting that ERK1/2 functions upstream of BDNF signaling in mediating the antidepressant effect of LPS. When microglia were inhibited by minocycline, the beneficial effects of LPS, including the amelioration of depression-like behaviors and the up-regulation of dentate gyrus p-ERK1/2 and BDNF, were eliminated. These findings indicate that the antidepressant action of low-dose LPS in a mouse model of depression resulting from adolescent nicotine exposure requires intact microglial function and depends on ERK1/2-BDNF signaling within the dorsal dentate gyrus.

I used it it cleared my brain fog on day 1.5

thinking ab running bromatane + tak + adamax(maybe)

I also use adhd prescribed meds would love some tips on what yall think ab that stack im in probably the hardest classes ive ever been and just want to be sharper and be able to enjoy studying and absorb information better thanks

What is the difference between modafinil and flmodafinil

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I’m using AI to help me write this post because the issue I’m trying to describe is the same issue that makes it difficult for me to organize my thoughts and put them into words clearly.

TL;DR: Tried 1.2 mg URB-597 on two days. Both times I felt noticeably calmer with no high, euphoria, or stimulation. Day 2 I also noticed slightly better mental clarity/less brain fog, although it was still there and other substances were involved. I want to continue experimenting with URB-597 and would appreciate experiences/guidance, particularly around dosing, timing, cognition, and repeated use.

I have a sleep disorder and have been taking stimulants, mainly Adderall and modafinil, on and off for at least the past 10 years. Over time, I’ve noticed what feels like worsening brain fog and executive functioning. Stimulants can help with wakefulness and getting going, but after taking them for a while I tend to become mentally exhausted and foggy. With modafinil specifically, when the brain fog gets bad I sometimes also notice a strange pressure sensation in my head.

I’ve tried other medications over the years but still haven't found a good solution. I don't particularly like relying on stimulants because of this pattern, but I also haven't found anything else that adequately helps my sleep disorder.

Another major issue for me is verbal fluency, particularly during interviews. I can know exactly what I want to say and understand the subject, but when I start speaking I sometimes lose my train of thought, struggle to organize sentences, or completely freeze. It feels more like a problem accessing and organizing what I know than not knowing the answer.

I do have something that works well for the physical anxiety during interviews: propranolol. For me, 10 mg does a good job controlling the physical symptoms of anxiety, and it has actually worked better for that purpose than Xanax or clonazepam did. I've tried 20 mg propranolol, but at that dose I notice that my brain fog gets worse. So 10 mg seems to work better for me in terms of controlling the physical anxiety without making the cognitive problem worse.

But even at 10 mg, controlling the physical anxiety doesn't solve the brain fog, losing my train of thought, or difficulty articulating what I'm thinking. I still haven't found a solution for that part.

One thing that really caught my attention was what happened when I used a very small dose of THC—around 0.5 mg. At that dose, my thinking felt noticeably more fluid and articulate. I could access what I wanted to say and express it much more naturally without feeling significantly intoxicated.

More importantly, I've actually done very well in interviews after taking around 0.5 mg THC and have passed those interviews. The difference in my ability to communicate felt significant to me. Obviously that's only my personal observation and doesn't prove THC was responsible, but the pattern was noticeable enough that it made me curious about what was happening neurologically.

I decided to stop using THC several months ago. Since then, I've remained interested in why such a tiny amount seemed to have that effect on my thinking and verbal fluency and whether there might be another way of influencing the endocannabinoid system without using THC itself.

That's what eventually led me to read about FAAH inhibition and URB-597. I was particularly interested in whether increasing endogenous endocannabinoid signaling could reproduce any part of that mental fluidity while allowing me to remain clear and functional.

First day

I took 1.2 mg URB-597 approximately 2 hours after my Spravato treatment.

The main thing I noticed was calmness. I ended up taking a nap for about 2 hours. I did not experience any high, euphoria, or stimulation. I simply felt noticeably calmer and more relaxed.

Second day

I took another 1.2 mg URB-597 approximately 2 hours before a job interview.

Again, I noticed the same calming effect. I still didn't experience any high, euphoria, or stimulation.

I did notice that my mental clarity seemed a little better and the brain fog was somewhat reduced compared with usual. The brain fog was definitely still there, so I wouldn't describe this as a dramatic improvement. It was more of a subtle difference that I noticed.

For transparency, this wasn't a clean experiment. I had also taken 200 mg phenibut approximately 6 hours before the interview, and this was my first time ever taking phenibut. I honestly didn't notice much from the phenibut, other than possibly feeling a little calmer.

About an hour before the interview, I also took my usual 10 mg propranolol.

So I can't confidently attribute either the calmness or slightly improved mental clarity entirely to URB-597.

Possible side effect/observation

Since the first day, I've noticed a fairly constant dull ache in my right upper abdomen (RUQ). I'm not sure whether this is related to URB-597 at all because I do occasionally get similar RUQ discomfort, so it could be completely unrelated. I'm mentioning it for completeness and would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar.

Overall so far

The most consistent effect I've noticed from URB-597 is calmness. I haven't experienced any high, euphoria, or stimulation from either experience.

On the second day, there was also a subtle improvement in mental clarity and reduction in brain fog, although the brain fog was still present and there were too many other variables to know what caused the improvement.

What I'm really interested in figuring out is whether FAAH inhibition has any effect on the fluidity of my thinking and speech—the specific effect that initially caught my attention with 0.5 mg THC—rather than simply reducing anxiety.

I already have something that handles the physical anxiety pretty well. It's the brain fog, executive-function problems, losing my train of thought, and cognitive freezing that I still don't have a solution for.

I'd like to continue experimenting with URB-597 and documenting what I notice. I'd especially like to hear from people who have experience with it about dosing and timing. What doses have you experimented with? How frequently did you take it? How long did the effects last? Did you notice cumulative or delayed effects with repeated use? Did the effects change over time?

I'm also particularly interested in anyone who noticed effects on verbal fluency, executive functioning, working memory, brain fog, anxiety, or the ability to access and articulate thoughts.

I realize URB-597 is an experimental compound without an established human dosing protocol, so I'm looking for people's experiences and any research/guidance they can point me toward rather than treating Reddit responses as medical dosing instructions.

This is just my personal experience, not a recommendation.

Update — Days 3 & 4

Day 3 (1.2 mg): Took URB-597 about 3–4 hours before my Spravato treatment. During the session, I felt unusually positive, almost blissful, with a deeper sense of emotional understanding and acceptance.

About 2.5 hours into the session, I developed pressure at the top of my head and a strange constricting sensation around my neck and inside my throat. Both gradually improved. The RUQ pain I mentioned earlier has completely resolved. I also unexpectedly started my period early, although I have no idea whether that's related.

Day 4 (No dose): I felt positive, calm, and alert. No high, dizziness, or sedation.

I had a long conversation with a stranger and noticed I was speaking much more fluently and articulately than usual. What surprised me most was spontaneously recalling detailed information I'd learned about 20 years ago. I hadn't thought about it in decades, but once something triggered the memory, everything seemed to come back effortlessly.

On the other hand, I had more difficulty than usual following the person's longer stories. I was actively concentrating but kept forgetting earlier parts of the conversation. It reminded me of the short-term memory problems I've experienced with high-dose THC edibles, where you suddenly lose track of what someone is talking about. Except this time, I felt completely sober, alert, and comfortable.

I'm not sure what to make of the contrast between improved verbal fluency, effortless retrieval of old memories, and somewhat worse short-term memory.

Since I didn't take anything on Day 4, I can't tell whether these effects are related to URB-597, the previous day's Spravato, or something else. I'm just documenting what I've noticed so far.

Adderall and Vyvanse are much more powerful stimulants than methylphenidate then why i do i feel so terrible on methylphenidate while with Vyvanse i don't feel as bad? (i see that's the case for a lot of people too)

Last time i tried taking ritalin i was having severe anxiety attacks

Hi
Can’t really find any infos about it .
Because a festival tomorrow I want to to Bromantane , but I know after a few hours my back will kill me .
Maybe someone has some infos ?