L-theanine has been a miracle drug for me. Took away a lot of my depression/energy issues.
Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
21–30 of 223 posts
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#22Be careful. A lot of the drugs with strong effects necessarily have long term consequences from repeated use owing to their mechanisms of action. You risk making yourself 'dumber' over time with prolonged use. Especially, with the amphetamine based crap that US doctors seem okay to use for medical purposes despite most of the developed world not doing so, and using safer alternatives.
Out of curiosity, have you heard of any negative long term side effects from Modafinil and it's derivatives? (I don't think they are based on 'amphetamine')
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#23NO!
I investigated nootropics extensively. If you want to know the fruits of my research:
* anything that "works" has a very pronounced psychoactive effect on the brain. Which is scary in the long-term.
* by far the biggest cognitive boost you can get is SLEEPING WELL! Do this FIRST! It's easy to fix and gives a huge boost in output.
* caffeine works as well as many nootropics, with little to no side-effects if taken sensibly. Also combine with Theanine if wanting to venture into the world of "probably works and has harmless side-effects".
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#24I took piracetam years ago when I was considering a career change and prepping for the LSAT exam. I believe that its legal history is somewhat similar to ephedra... 10-15 years ago you could buy it over-the-counter or online, but since then it's been taken off the market in the U.S.
Regardless, my experience was that its only value is the placebo effect. If a substance actually does anything real, and there is potential for a pharmaceutical company to patent and profit from it, then you can generally rest assured that it will be scheduled to require a doctor's prescription. For just about everything, the over-the-counter options consist of vitamins and quackery. So either blatantly break the law, or don't.
As an aside, what is the point of taking a serious nootropic for software development? Typically, a coder's problem isn't failure to get into a groove once they have uninterrupted time. The typical problem is not having uninterrupted time in the first place. Like most people here, probably, I work in an open floor plan environment. I'm subject to constant "drive-by" interruptions that could have been handled better via email, and a neverending roar all around me as colleagues literally scream at each other about Reddit memes or video games or the latest superhero movie.
Do you have a drug that would allow me to completely shut off my hearing, peripheral vision, and other sensory input? So that I can work without having to blast music through $300 noise-canceling headphones (which itself impairs focus, but is the lesser of all evils)? If so, then I would gladly break the law to find a pharmaceutical escape from contemporary office plans that sacrifice productivity for the ability to squeeze headcount into the smallest possible space.
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#25NO! I investigated nootropics extensively. If you want to know the fruits of my research: * anything that "works" has a very pronounced psychoactive effect on the brain. Which is scary in the long-term. * by far the biggest cognitive boost you can get is SLEEPING WELL! Do this FIRST! It's easy to fix and gives a huge boost in output. * caffeine works as well as many nootropics, with little to no side-effects if taken…
You seem to contradict yourself, because caffeine is a nootropic.
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#26NO! I investigated nootropics extensively. If you want to know the fruits of my research: * anything that "works" has a very pronounced psychoactive effect on the brain. Which is scary in the long-term. * by far the biggest cognitive boost you can get is SLEEPING WELL! Do this FIRST! It's easy to fix and gives a huge boost in output. * caffeine works as well as many nootropics, with little to no side-effects if taken…
I agree with you about sleep, it's very underrated for cognitive ability and memory development.
Did your research turn up anything negative about Modafinil?
I find Modafinil to be much more powerful than caffeine, however I do worry about long term side effects, even though my research suggests they are safe to use.
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#27Not a nootropic as such, but fuelling my brain on ketones rather the glucose has made an incredible difference in concentration and cognitive ability. (Ketogenic = High fat, carb restricted diet)
How large a difference? I'm willing to try anything that gives me the focus of Modafinil without actually taking drugs.
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#28NO! I investigated nootropics extensively. If you want to know the fruits of my research: * anything that "works" has a very pronounced psychoactive effect on the brain. Which is scary in the long-term. * by far the biggest cognitive boost you can get is SLEEPING WELL! Do this FIRST! It's easy to fix and gives a huge boost in output. * caffeine works as well as many nootropics, with little to no side-effects if taken…
I agree with you about sleep, it's very underrated for cognitive ability and memory development. Did your research turn up anything negative about Modafinil? I find Modafinil to be much more powerful than caffeine, however I do worry about long term side effects, even though my research suggests they are safe to use.
See my article on the topic for more detailed, in-depth view of modafinil and start-ups:
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#29Be careful. A lot of the drugs with strong effects necessarily have long term consequences from repeated use owing to their mechanisms of action. You risk making yourself 'dumber' over time with prolonged use. Especially, with the amphetamine based crap that US doctors seem okay to use for medical purposes despite most of the developed world not doing so, and using safer alternatives.
You are making some broad statements that could benefit from link to a study. And what would you consider safer alternatives?
Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?
#30Not a nootropic as such, but fuelling my brain on ketones rather the glucose has made an incredible difference in concentration and cognitive ability. (Ketogenic = High fat, carb restricted diet)
How large a difference? I'm willing to try anything that gives me the focus of Modafinil without actually taking drugs.
Good sleep and exercise will do that for you (speaking from experience).