=> Re: "Hey there!!! Do you guys wanna know a fun fact about..." | In: u/AsherFisc
Yes. Drugs of the mind can make you think differently, feel differently, exist differently.
2024-12-18 · 6 weeks ago
I’ve heard people claim modafinil is safer than caffeine. Do you think this is an accurate claim?
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 19 at 01:27:
@satch Short answer: No, it is not “safer”. That by itself is a whole topic that highly depends on individual responses to either drug.
Longer answer: Caffeine is obviously more readily and widely available, while modafinil is a controlled substance (at least in the United States) that is only available by prescription. Depending on where you look, you’ll find widely varying claims of which one is safer, especially when comparing risks vs. benefits.
Important to note that there is no drug that can replace sleep or even “safely” delay the need for sleep. If you need to sleep, then you should sleep.
@satch part 2:
Modafinil has a mechanism of action that isn’t totally understood. It’s mostly believed to be stimulating by increasing synaptic dopamine levels in your brain, increasing its overall activity. Dopamine, among many other things it does, is involved in wakefulness. Many stimulants like amphetamines or methylphenidate work partially by increasing dopamine levels.
Caffeine is believed to work by blocking a neurotransmitter (a hormone used by your nervous system) called adenosine. Adenosine is involved in making you sleepy. Caffeine blocks the “receptors” that adenosine binds to so it can’t activate the “pathways” that make you feel sleepier.
THIS IS A VERY SIMPLIFIED EXPLANATION.
@satch (unneeded) part 3:
Any chemical substance affecting the brain, including medications, illicit substances, natural chemicals, or whatever, can affect two different people in wildly different ways. For example, one person can’t drink caffeine because it makes them super panicky, but they can tolerate the stimulating effects of modafinil just fine. On the other hand, a different person can’t take modafinil because it causes them severe insomnia since its effects lasts so long. Some people with psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia should generally avoid stimulants (unless the potential benefits outweigh the risks) since it can exacerbate symptoms.
Long story short, it depends. Ask your doctor.
I find modafinil makes me fuzzy. I did not enjoy coding on it. Maybe it's good if you want to stay up for 3 days and shoot people.
=> 👺 daruma · Dec 19 at 03:10:
I find anything that affects my dopamine to be annoying. I can feel the adverse reaction when my system try to rebalance my dopamine. This is not limited to substances, but activity like sex or online shopping. Are there some psychopharma drug that doesn't act on dopamine but could help enhance the mind? For example psylocibine ?
@daruma, sadly, that is the part of 'the human condition'! Everything good turns to meh, and then you feel like shit!
=> 🚀 mimas2AC · Dec 19 at 08:57:
Do spiders like caffeine? ;)
=> 🚀 mimas2AC · Dec 19 at 19:36:
Maybe someone knows something about spiders on drugs. The famous photos of the web construction are impressive. What does a laboratory setup like this look like today? Still relevant in the field of psychopharmacology? Sources?
Are we talking about learning how to build web applications from spiders on drugs?
=> 🚀 mimas2AC · Dec 19 at 20:01:
take a look here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_psychoactive_drugs_on_animals
=> 🐦 wasolili [...] · Dec 20 at 00:30:
any fun facts about the pharmacology of kanna?
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 21 at 15:56:
Hi everyone. I got busy the past couple days, but I am here to resume this convo.
@daruma (PART 1) So, as far as drugs that can enhance the mind, I guess it depends on what you mean by "enhance". For general cognition, there's a few options that may help. The first things that come to my mind are cholinergic boosters, like donepezil, rivastigmine, or just straight up choline supplements. Other options include combinations, like L-thenine + caffeine, where the L-Theanine can reduce the jitteriness from the caffeine and help with focus.
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 21 at 16:10:
@daruma (PART 2) Some drugs, called "racetams", are popular in nootropic communities (see r/nootropics). Piracetam, Oxiracetam, Aniracetam, and Phenylpiracetam are good examples. Racetams' mechanism of action are unclear. Another racetam, levetiracetam (Keppra) is used to treat epilepsy, but doesn't seem to help cognition. YMMV.
There's also nicotine, which I DO NOT recommend due to its highly addictive potential.
Creatine is one that's commonly used by bodybuilders since it helps your body produce protein, but it also helps your cognitive processes, especially reasoning skills.
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 21 at 16:18:
@daruma (PART 3) Memantine (aka Namenda), which is used to treat dementia (similar to donepezil and often used in addition to it), works by slowing your brain's glutamate function. Glutamate is the most prominent neurotransmitter, and it functions by stimulating neurons. Too much can lead to "cognitive rigidity" and reduces neuroplasticity (your brain's ability to adapt), so slowing it can help your brain's "flexibility". In Alzheimer's, it is used to help against excessive nerve death caused by excitotoxicity (too much nerve stimulation). It's unclear how effective it is in the general population, but some say a short course can help reverse dopamine-based stimulant drug tolerance.
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 21 at 16:23:
There's plenty more that can help with cognition, but the best way to improve cognition (if you are having problems like stress, vitamin/mineral deficiency, poor sleep, etc.) is to remedy the problem itself. That will be the best and longest-lasting solution to cognitive dysfunction. B Vitamins are helpful for cognition. A standard B complex has helped me, and it's generally pretty safe, since your body simply eliminates excess it can't use. Vitamin D is one that you can actually overdose on, since it accumulates and you can get too much over time. Vitamin C can block the absorption of stimulants, so you should generally take Vit C supplements away from stimulants or they won't work.
=> 🐦 wasolili [...] · Dec 22 at 06:30:
Other options include combinations, like L-thenine + caffeine, where the L-Theanine can reduce the jitteriness from the caffeine and help with focus.
L-theanine is really nice. I found out about the caffeine+l-theanine stack over a decade ago and have refused to drink an energy drink or take a high dose of caffeine without it ever since. Though my preference is to just get good enough sleep that excess caffeine is unnecessary.
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 22 at 13:57:
Are you referring to that satire video where the spiders were given various drugs? The caffeine spider was quite hilarious!
=> 🐰 AsherFisc [OP] · Dec 22 at 14:00:
That’s awesome that it worked for you, @wasolili ! I have personally found l-theanine to be effective just by itself for helping to prevent excessive nervousness or anxiety, but it doesn’t really work if you’re already anxious, you know? I would recommend it. It seems relatively safe for most people. If you have mental illness, however, I would advise consulting your doctor or pharmacist first.
=> 🐰 AsherFisc
Hey there!!! Do you guys wanna know a fun fact about psychopharmacology? Also, Ask a question and I’ll try to answer the best I can!!!
=> 💬 20 comments · 1 like · 2024-12-18 · 6 weeks ago This content has been proxied by September (3851b).Proxy Information
text/gemini; charset=utf-8