Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#1

Post by rayalez » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 10:49 AM UTC

What do you think about them?

Which ones do you take?

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#2

Post by jacques_chester » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:15 PM UTC

I take Ritalin, prescribed for ADHD-I. It's made a positive impact on my life.

From time to time I am able to actually get stuff done.

I also trialled dexedrine (which made me behave like a ... not nice person) and strattera (which did nothing for me).

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#3

Post by hellodevnull » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:16 PM UTC

Modafinil. Works great (14 hours of focus and productivity). At $5 a pop it's not something I can afford daily.

If something cheaper becomes available I'd use it.

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#4

Post by koalala » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:20 PM UTC

Dexamphetamine. 1*5mg = 3 hours of uninterrupted coding, with maybe 1 minute total spent looking away from the screen to rest my eyes.

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#5

Post by dEnigma » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:22 PM UTC

hellodevnull wrote: post #3

Modafinil. Works great (14 hours of focus and productivity). At $5 a pop it's not something I can afford daily. If something cheaper becomes available I'd use it.

That doesn't seem that expensive, I know some people spend this much for a single cup of coffee.

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#6

Post by afswashere » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:25 PM UTC

I use Modafinil (Modalert) once a week. It allows me to work with 100% focus and productivity for 24 hours... so my week is like this: Mon. to Wed. = meetings readings, learning and planning... then I take a pill and execute hard.

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#7

Post by auganov » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:27 PM UTC

I take Piracetam, I'm not sure if it works, I'd say no so far (half a year). I'm very interested in nootropics that would work long term (whole life, all the time). Unfortunately most that have a profound effect seem to level-off etc (say Adderall). So I don't think I'll ever try that kind.

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#8

Post by PaulHoule » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:30 PM UTC

hellodevnull wrote: post #3

Modafinil. Works great (14 hours of focus and productivity). At $5 a pop it's not something I can afford daily. If something cheaper becomes available I'd use it.

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrafinil

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#9

Post by mariuolo » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:30 PM UTC

I've taken Aniracetam for a while. It didn't make me as nervous as Piracetam.

Went on and off and noticed some memory improvement.

Re: Ask HN: Do you take nootropics?

#10

Post by noir_lord » Sat, Mar 21, 2015, 12:31 PM UTC

dEnigma wrote: post #5

hellodevnull wrote: post #3

Modafinil. Works great (14 hours of focus and productivity). At $5 a pop it's not something I can afford daily. If something cheaper becomes available I'd use it.

That doesn't seem that expensive, I know some people spend this much for a single cup of coffee.

It's all relative.

For a chunk of humanity $5 is their entire discretionary daily spend (and for some it is their entire daily spend).