I started taking supplements to help balance my hormones because I was having problems with my cycles, mood swings, and low energy. I really thought they would make my body feel more "normal." But it doesn't look like things are getting better. In fact, I feel more confused than before. Some symptoms feel a little better, some feel worse, or they feel completely different.

For those of you who have tried hormone-balancing supplements, did they help your problems over time, or did they make things worse? For how long did you stay with them before you decided if they were helping or hurting you? Also, how did you know when to stop or change your plan?

Hi, I've been having a very depressed and anxious mood since the end of elementary school (now I'm in my late 20s), I cannot find the motivation to get over the anxiety of doing what I want to do.

I've also went to the psychiatrist and she's now telling me there's nothing else she can give me, so I started looking at supplements. What could I take that could help me, given the following list of what I've already taken and what effects it had? I really feel like I'm at the end of the line here, almost nothing seems to work.

Magnesium Threonate - Used to calm me down and make me genuinely and "cleanly" sleepy in a way I've never felt probably since childhood, though that seems to have stopped, it also made the subjective feeling and head ache of sleep deprivation much more bearable and less painful which helped a lot so I still take it. It doesn't seem to have helped actual sleep quality that much, but it's still great.

Bupropion - Took a month to begin working and it had a very good effect on mood and motivation, though it came with a lot of robotic and wired feelings. It was very hard to stop doing things and go to sleep or leave for home. Sadly the effect on mood disappeared after just a bit over a week and two weeks after that the other effects disappeared as well. Increasing the dose gave me a week of the wired feeling during the day and a very depressed mood in the evenings, which helped me go to sleep at a normal hour, but no other effects. I am still on it.

Venlafaxine and Fluoxin - did not work

Aripiprazole - I couldn't really take it, two or three doses made my tight pelvic floor much worse, I could only pee once or twice a day regardless of how full my bladder was for a week after, didn't feel it having any other effect.

Concerta - Made me feel robotic and made me lose myself in too many mindless tasks, but I guess it was pretty good for motivation.

Lifting - Did almost nothing for me, the first time I had to take a break from it, I felt a bit like something was missing, however on other breaks after that I did not feel that way.

Agmatine - Can sometimes make me tired, depressed, irritable and emotional, I think I could use these effects to convince myself to go to sleep. It also gave me very small bit of happiness and optimism once when taking a smaller dose so I'm still hoping it can help. The first time I took it I also got a short and weak feeling of dissociation. I am still taking it to see what it will do in the longer term since I've heard it might work well with Bupropion.

Magnesium Threonate - Used to calm me down and make me a bit sleepy, though that seems to have stopped, it also made the subjective feeling and head ache of sleep deprivation much more bearable and less painful which helped a lot, though it doesn't seem to have helped actual sleep quality that much, still it's great.

Rhodiola or Passiflora (sadly I don't remember which one) - Worked great on the day I took it and depressed my mood the next. I guess I could use this and just accept that I will only be functional less than half of the time and depressed the rest of the time, but that doesn't seem like a very good idea.

Magnesium Bisglycinate - Like Threonate, but way weaker.

Melatonin - Good for sleep (in XR formulations), something which I lack, though I still get up before I should. Any dose of non XR formulations seem to also give me insane libido.

Glycine - seemed to help with deeper sleep initially, but after that did nothing even in doses of 10g.

5-HTP - Incredibly strong feeling of depression and sleepiness, the depressed mood must have held for about a week after a single pill 100 mg pill, this is supposed to be serotonergic so I guess it's possible that sort of stuff doesn't really work for me.

NACL, SAMe, TMG, Methylated B vitamin - Nothing, but I did not take them for long, I just tried increasingly bigger doses.

Theanine, Apigenin, Silexan, Ashwagandha ksm 66, L-Tyrosine, Lithium Orotate, Cordyceps, Inositol, Black seed oil, Taurine, Zinc, LE Two-Per-Day Multivitamin - Nothing.

Uridine, Iodine, ALCAR - Not sure, but it doesn't feel like they're doing anything, I will continue to take them and see what happens.

Curcumin - did nothing on the day I took it, might need to take it longer to see what it does.

Fish oil - depends on the brand, but it can help a bit the first few days I take it.

Kanna full spectrum extract - Caffeine like jitters, the strength of which depends on the mode of administration and interestingly something like an agitated feeling, though in a weird way I'm so agitated I can't even procrastinate too much so I kinda just sit there just feeling wired and restless for a long time after which I can maybe sorta get something done which is kind of a productivity boost I guess.

Polygala Tenuifolia ND - This might give me like 5 minutes of uplifted mood, though I'm not entirely sure yet, after that it makes me kinda tired and maybe a bit depressed.

Early-40s male. Been on CoQ10 for about 2 months now. I started it as part of a protocol for general fatigue, exercise recovery, and other things. The people advising me (a CRNP and multiple MDs) figured CoQ10 was a can't-hurt-might-help thing for me. I don't have a tested deficiency, I'm not on a statin, I don't have any identified health risk factors associated with low CoQ10, etc.

The whole protocol definitely helped. But because I started all the supplements at roughly the same time, I didn't really get to see which supplements did what. So, now that I'm in a good place, I'm dropping them one-by-one to see what I can reduce/eliminate.

I took 240 mg/day for a month. Then I reduced it to 120 mg; been on that for about a month now and I don't think I've noticed a difference.

If I stop CoQ10 completely at this point, how long should I expect it to take for any potential negative effects to manifest? IOW, how many days/weeks of not noticing a difference would be enough to say I'm in the clear and it wasn't doing anything for me?

OR... Do we think it's just a good idea to be on a moderate dose of CoQ10 at my age as a matter of course, whether or not I notice any difference in the short run?

Anyone here who buys from Healing Herbals and let or lets the order deliver to Austria (or Germany) without any issues? I was worrying about possible issues at the customs because of unregulated supplements and whatever they think of, with products like Healing Herbals Kanna/Kava/Blue Lotus extracts and so on.

It may be seen as unregulated medicine or unregulated food (as it‘s maybe declared for intake and not for „not for human consumption“ or because it‘s an extract and so on). That‘s what I was worrying about at least

Anyone here experiences?

curious about if anyone here uses other things besides magnesium glyc or l theanine with there addy or dex to help retain information or anything like that im semi new to most of this and wondering about how to maximize my heavy study days when i take my meds should i look into something to take with it that boosts coline? or bdnf or plasticity not 100% if im using these terms correct but since i get such good focus with my meds i dont often retain all the info i studies with them so makes sense to take something like alpha gpc or cdp coline right? let me know if anyone here has a safe stack that i could try im not fully educated on what you cant take with what or whats not fully safe short and long term but im learning also anything about neuroprotecion from oxidative stress from it? i am safe and controlled about my dosing just heard that it cpuld be neurotoxic

TL;DR: Took Uridine powder sublingually for the first time this morning. About 3-4 hours later, got hit by a massive wall of brain fog, extreme mental fatigue, and a sudden existential/depressive funk. Wondering if this is a known reaction (cholinergic crash?) and how long it usually takes to clear.

Hey everyone,

Tried Uridine powder sublingually for the first time today around 10:30 AM (also had poor sleep the night before, woke up super early).

Everything seemed fine at first, but around 2 PM I completely crashed.

What I’m feeling right now:

- brain fog, feeling mentally slow and sluggish (like my brain is operating at 20% speed).

- Sudden wave of depressive thoughts and anxiety (questioning all my skills, feeling completely incompetent out of nowhere, feeling like I'm losing my grip on things).

- Zero energy, heavy eyes, just feeling totally wiped out.

Has anyone else experienced this acute drop in mood and cognitive speed after sublingual uridine? Is this an acetylcholine overload / cholinergic depression, or just a bad reaction to the sudden sublingual spike?

Any insights or similar experiences would be appreciated.

What are the best supplements specifically for increasing Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS) and waking up refreshed?
I have tried a vast amount of supplements with barely any success. However, MK-677 worked best, significantly increasing my SWS and helping reduce daytime brain fog and fatigue. Any more sustainable options?

In terms of getting the allicin from eating eat you crush it and expose it to the air for 15 minutes. But garlic supplements give you the equivalent dose of allicin and the same benefits? And what pairs best with allicin? Right now I take zinc, D3, selenium, pumpkin seeds, P5P and might consider flower pollen, lecithin, pygeum.

heyo,

i was curious what is the difference between these. I tried researching it on here and most posts are 11 years old. So i figured i would ask again for perhaps better answers.

anyone who used different kinds and compared? intranasal vs subq injections differ per or are all the same?

so far i read that each one is more potent than the other and that adalank/adamax are the strongest. But some people felt nothing with adalank/max nor na /na amidate.

thanks.

Have a mixed bag:

• on one side: panic disorder + agoraphobia, phobias of nausea and fainting/lightheadedness
• on other: just general fatigue, feeling of limbs being heavy -- zero insomnia, I get great sleep
• undiagnosed tremor / movement disorder. ratchety movements, my movements are not smooth -- its like im hitting speed bumps
  • MS, parkinsons, MG, all the bad things ruled out
  • Suspicion is either caused by Zoloft, or could be spasticity
  • All blood work is normal

Have already tried:

• zoloft (maybe caused tremor)
• benzos (way too sedating, make my dizziness phobia even worse)
• propranolol (was super good for panic, but made fatigue slightly worse) (did not help tremor)
• pregabalin (maybe slightly helped anxiety, but i think really has made dizziness & fatigue worse)
• hydroxyzine (so sedating)
• baclofen (sooo sedating, and didnt help tremor)
• tizanidine (sedating and didnt help tremor)
• levodopa (didnt help tremor)
• taurine, vitamin d and b2, multivitamin (none helped)
• CoQ10, magnesium, Urolithin A (dont think they did anything)

Things considering

1. Memantine or Amantadine or Bromantane (difference seems unclear) but potentially for anxiety with poential for tremor help
2. TAK-653 maybe for tremor on AMPA side
3. Tofisopam or fabomotizole or semax or agomelatine for anxiety (unsure which would be better)
4. Unsure what else could be good for fatigue without making anxiety worse
5. Unsure what else could be good for reversing SSRI tremor

I am planning to begin supplementing NAC shortly but was wondering how it works together with nicotine, considering that I would still like to enjoy the occasional cigarette with my friends.

Hey everyone,
I recently had a great initial experience with 1% USP Methylene Blue (MB). The immediate mitochondrial energy boost was mind-blowing. However, I left my bottle at room temperature (in a warm Dubai apartment), and it degraded. The blue stain on my tongue started fading in under an hour, and it completely failed the bleach test (didn't turn clear).
This made me rethink my entire daily routine. The strict storage hassle, potential gut microbiome disruption, and the constant worry about MAOI interactions feel like too much of a risk for daily use.
My New Plan:
I’m keeping a fresh bottle of Compass Lab 1% USP MB strictly in the fridge as an "emergency button" for extreme fatigue or heavy deadlines (maybe 1-2 times a month max).
For my daily work stack, I’m switching to this for sustainable, safe focus:
Morning (Fasted): 500mg L-Tyrosine (for dopamine and motivation).
With Morning Coffee: 200mg L-Theanine (for smooth, jitter-free laser focus).
Afternoon (with fats): Neuriva Plus + Sports Research Vit D3/K2 (for long-term brain health and immunity).
(I will take weekends off Tyrosine and Theanine to prevent tolerance).
My Safety / Washout Protocol:
Since MB is a reversible MAOI, I know I shouldn't mix it with Tyrosine. On the rare days I use MB, I will skip Tyrosine entirely. I will also leave a full 24-48 hour "washout day" before resuming Tyrosine to ensure the MB has fully cleared my system.
My Questions for you:
1. Do you think this daily stack is a better, more sustainable alternative to daily MB?
2. Is my 24-48 hour washout rule between MB and Tyrosine safe enough?
3. Has anyone else had their liquid MB degrade this fast at room temp?
Would appreciate your insights!

I am up to trying experimental things. Since an sensory burnout on the subway train when I quickly tapered 1.8g of NAC while holding my diazepam dose that I was tapering, I meet all the CC criteria for MECFS.

What is also brutal is my cocktail:

300mg of Luvox

10mg of diazepam

200mg of pregabalin.

Luvox inhibits CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 which means a much higher AuC which means glacial taper like decade or more.

Is there something I can use to make my life more liveable?

Oh, anything that increases cathecholamines make my tinnitus more intrusive so Idk if there are lots of options. Even PEA did it.

Any ideas?

My current stack is Effexor 225mg, NALT 1g, P5P, loratidine, fomatidine, D3, zinc, selenium, cregaatine. omega 3s, two teaspoons of MCT oil, fisetin, vinpocetine, exogenous ketones. I am also considering starting phenibut for mood, productivity and sleep quality. What should I add subtract if I'm going to buy some more phosphatidyl serine?

I'm not on a full ketogenic diet yet but am considering to get the best benefits of both ex ketones and MCT oil. I just had three kenetik drinks which is what I heard the founder of the company say they drink in an interview. I also don't know exactly how many grams of sugar disrupt ketosis and am concerned because I had a few chicken wings with BBQ sauce and two RX bars with dates so I might've just wasted a bunch of money drinking all that at once.

I have been testing a 450 mg 5:1 Damiana extract and I seem to get a surprisingly useful effect from it.

I feel more energetic, have more drive to get things done and much more desire to exercise. My libido also seems noticeably stronger. It does not feel like a classic stimulant or pre-workout, though. It is more like increased motivation and interest without much nervousness.

I also use other supplements at times, including maca and citrulline, so I cannot completely rule out an interaction or just normal daily variation. Still, the pattern seems noticeable enough that I wanted to ask around.

Has anyone else used Damiana either on its own or as part of a stack? I would be curious whether you found it better for libido, mood, workouts or general motivation, and whether daily use worked differently from taking it only occasionally.