Nanogen - PharmXpert Academy

difficult weight loss), I start them on a low dose of thyroid (i.e.,
½ to 1 grain of Armour® Thyroid), and gradually increase the
dose every month or so, based on one’s clinical response. As
long as the heart rate remains in the normal range (60-75 beats
per minute), and the patient feels well, I believe there is very
little chance of excessive thyroid being consumed.
The single best treatment for elevated homocysteine is
anhydrous betaine (trimethylglycine - TMG), in a daily dose of
3,000-5,000 mg. Another advantage of TMG (besides lowering
homocysteine) is that it converts to the antidepressant, SAMe.
While SAMe is fairly expensive, TMG is amazingly cheap.
Besides, TMG tastes good, and can be added to virtually any
beverage (milk, juice, coffee, etc).
[Ed.- IAS provides betaine/ TMG in the Bio En-R ‘Gy C®
powder drink].
Q. I’m currently using 2400 mg of Nootropil®/ piracetam
daily to help me in my studies. Some days I get very
focused clarity, but other days I don’t seem to achieve
as much as I’d like to. I was wondering why this might
be- do I need to adjust my dose or might I be better off
on another piracetam related supplement? I would
appreciate any advice.
- S.P., New York
A: Frankly, I haven’t noted much difference between the
various Nootropics (piracetam, aniracetam, pramiracetam, etc.)
when taken in equipotent dosages. Therefore, I don’t think
further increase in your dosage of Nootropil® /piracetam,
or switching to one of the other piracetam analogs would
result in further improvement. Instead, I would add one or
more cognitive enhancers that act via different mechanisms,
such as vinpocetine, which increases cerebral oxygen uptake
and glucose metabolism, centrophenoxine (Lucidril), or
the relatively fast-acting desmopressin nasal spray [Ed.- as
mentioned above]. Another ‘wake up’ anti-depressant cognitive
enhancer is deprenyl/ selegiline - especially, the fast-acting
sublingual drops.
[Ed.- IAS provides piracetam/ Nootropil® 800 mg tablets,
plus in liquid form, aniracetam/ Ampamet® in 750 mg tablets
and a generic/ Ani-Pro in 750 mg capsules, pramiracetam
in 300 mg capsules, vinpocetine/ Intelectol® in 5 mg tablets,
centrophenoxine in 250 mg tablets and deprenyl (Dep-Pro)
in 20 ml/ 300 mg liquid with 1 drop = 1 mg].
Q. Dr Dean, I have your book the GHB, the Natural Mood
Enhancer, which is a great resource for anyone who wants
to learn about this remarkable substance-- but which has
sadly been banned in many parts of the world. When it
was legal, I was able to use it very successfully for helping
me sleep. I am not ‘officially’ an insomniac, but consider
myself borderline. Is there anything similar to GHB that I
could try, (legally of course) that you can suggest that will
help me get better sleep at night?
- A.B., Australia
A: Neurontin (gabapentin) is a GHB analog, which is
approved by the FDA as an anti-seizure medication, and also
for fibromyalgia, restless legs, and nerve pain due to diabetic
neuropathy and shingles. The most common ‘side effect’
of Neurontin® is ‘somnolence’ (i.e., it will induce sleep, in
appropriate doses). It is a very safe drug, used in doses as high
as 3.4 grams/day. Usually, restful sleep will result from doses
ranging from 600-1800 mg about an hour before bedtime.
Another related substance is GABOB (gamma amino hydroxy
butyric acid), available in 500 mg tablets as Gamibetal®.
Gamma amino hydroxy butyric acid is also in Gamalate (at
37 mg) along with GABA (75 mg), magnesium and B6. IAS
also stocks 5HTP (50 mg capsules), L-tryptophan (500 mg
capsules) and melatonin tablets (3 mg), which also may help
restore your sleep to normal.
Q. I would like to know if there are supplements
particularly good at helping mild forms of depression. I
don’t have anything to be depressed about, but some
days I don’t feel like getting out of bed.
- D.R., Florida
A: Taking your question at face value, without considering the
myriad of potential causes, I’m guessing that your sleep is not
as restful as it possibly could be. Tryptophan (1500-2,000 mg)
or 5HTP (150-200 mg) at bedtime have sleep-inducing and
anti-depressant effects. IAS carries both of these nutrients.
Also, melatonin (3-6 mg) can be taken along with tryptophan
(or 5HTP). Neurontin®/ gabapentin, as mentioned above, is an
excellent sleep-inducer when used in appropriate doses—and
GHB (of which Neurontin® is a chemically-related analog)
is a superior antidepressant. When taken in appropriate doses,
Neurontin® results in very restful sleep, and enables one to
awaken refreshed, and literally ‘bounce out of bed’ (similar to
the sleep-wake profile of GHB). Hypothyroidism can also be a
cause of low energy and depression so please see my response
to the question above.
Q. Dear Dr Dean, I read with interest your interview and
your own personal smart drug regimen. I noted that
you like to use modafinil for alertness and attention but
that the cost puts you off. I concur! But have you ever
used adrafinil, and if so, how do you see it comparing to
modafinil?
A: Yes, I’ve used adrafinil, but do not find its effects quite
as profound as those from modafinil or Nuvigil®. However,
that may just be me. Others have told me that they have
experienced virtually identical effects from adrafinil and
modafinil, and prefer to use adrafinil due to its more reasonable
pricing. It all seems to depend on ‘biochemical individuality.’
[Ed.- IAS provides adrafinil/ Adra-Pro and via www.
modafinil-store.com the three major brands of modafinil,
Alertec®, Modiodal® and Provigil®].
www.antiaging-systems.com // Order hotline: 1-866-800-4677 // e-mail: ias@antiaging-systems.com
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