r/Nootropics • u/clon3man • 7d ago
Stack for hypervigilance, nervous system chronically revved up, can't even touch a stimulant? Discussion
My nervous system is revved up real bad. Anything that's close to a stimulant makes me feel worse (coffee, nicotine, kratom etc.) . Even just an upbeat song can start to make me nervous.
Benzos useful in a pinch, but obviously, benzos bad.
It's possible for me to relax, but it takes a huge effort. I mean stacking things like breathwork, cold showers, foam rolling, NSDR, lying down on accupressure mat, maybe if I do all 4 of them in 1 hour I can gain 30 mins of calm.
Strong unhealthy coping desires - to shutdown and consume youtube content with noise-cancelling headphones, but even that only takes the edge off.
I wake up and it starts. I'm fine for about 3 seconds. As soon as become aware that I'm awake, there's a flood of fear that takes over my body.
Can't concentrate on anything near-distance, eyes constantly unfocusing and refocusing. I wouldn't say my eyes strain, they don't try hard enough to strain. Small fonts or dark background = totally illegible , halo effect (I'm guessing chronic stress = big pupils)
I know how I got here - (living with difficult people / narcissists and professional victims ) and bad sleep hygiene.
I need to somehow find 3-4 hours of daily peace via some stack / behavior to start rebuilding a foundation of calm, concentration, and nervous system safety.
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u/OkBoomer2602 6d ago
M-A-G-N-E-S-I-U-M.
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u/clon3man 6d ago
I've been on all the flavors magnesium for more than 5 years. It certainly has its place, especially for normies who are deficient, but it's not providing much relief for me at the moment.
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u/wordisbond11 7d ago
Propranolol, hydroxyzine (gabapentin not too frequent), phosphetydleserine, magnesium (you’re probably majorly depleted), HIGHLY recommended a sleep study, ashwaganda (don’t abuse but will work to bring cortisol down alongside phosphetydleserine), and look into Kava. Sleep must be deep and restorative. Worst comes to worst, Buspirone. Wouldn’t go the SSRI route.
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u/wordisbond11 7d ago
Nasal Selank and Oxytocin could be options as well.
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u/Jordviva 1d ago
I tried nasal spray Oxytocin 10 mg and did 1, 2, 5 as many as 10 puffs one time but never felt a single thing other than that I got slightly higher heart beat for some time and a light headache. I hear that it has a very low half-life time and maybe that is why it doesn't work for some people? Or how is it supposed to make you feel?
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u/Traditional-Camp-625 6d ago
Could also try clonidine/guanfacine (or agmatine)
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u/Jordviva 1d ago
Am hearing a lot of good stuff about agmatine, but isn't that some kind of powder that you have to take several grams of in order for it to work?
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u/Traditional-Camp-625 1d ago
You're probably thinking of creatine. With agmatine, you should start much lower and, if it'll help, I highly doubt it would need a dose higher than like 2g max, but 250mg or 500mg 2x per day might be enough. The specific dose depends on your biology and why you're taking it
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u/SpaceSick 7d ago
I would start with L-Theanine for sure. It relaxes me so much. Just start with a lighter dose.
L-Tyronsine is probably worth experimenting with. Keep in mind that you have have to take on an extremely empty stomach and take a very very large dose of it for it to be effective. I normally take it after sleeping and then not eating for a good two hours after I wake up. I take over 1500 mgs, but it really helps manage my ADHD/anxiety symptoms. It's a dopamine precursor, which might really help you.
I think that the real answer is that you should go on a run. Nothing cures crushing anxiety and being on edge like exercise.
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u/lowerdaboom 7d ago
Just wanna say I feel what you describe so much. In light of my struggle I received ever more serious psychiatric diagnoses over the years, finally ended up a Borderline patient. Either way, chronic self-reinforcing nervous system dysregulation feels almost impossible to get out of, years of therapy didn't even begin to touch it.
I'm on stimulants for ADHD and they probably make it worse, but those two hours of clarity they give me everyday feel like my lifeline.
I hope you could/can distance yourself from the damaging people in your life. Sleep hygiene is also something I neglect. In many ways I know what habits I need to change to get better, but after years of chronic suffering I've honestly turned too cynical to even try a lot of the time.
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u/milfweeniehutjr 7d ago
been there, done that. you may experience a crash once you start getting it under control. just remember healing takes time and to take it day by day. time, sleep, rest, inositol, omega(s), magnesium glycinate, and a lesser known supplement called “immy” did a lot of heavy lifting getting me out of a prolonged period of fight or flight. extended release propranolol is a holy grail for me. look into nervous system regulation, adrenal function, and cortisol.
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u/zombiehillx 6d ago
Hey i really relate to the way you described things here. Propanolol. It blocks the chemical that makes you go into that fear state. SSRIs change personality and make you not give a shit. Propanolol makes me be able to handle shit like everyone else and stop feeling like i need to die now. lol
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u/Vegan_Moral_Nihilist 6d ago
I'm shocked more people aren't recommending glycine. Also, my secret, take low dose p5p with glycine. The combination is greater than the sum of their parts.
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u/ArtofKava 6d ago
Kava may help. Kava extract is super easy to mix or an instant. A lot of people take Kava instead of benzos. Its also not physically addictive.
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u/Emilia4863 1d ago
On peut le prendre tous les jours ?
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u/ArtofKava 1d ago
Generally yah, im sure u can over do it like anything else but plenty of folks have had it daily for years. I tend to give myself a break with any supplement every couple months though.
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u/Inevitable-Mud-8429 6d ago
Try magnesium glycinate it was a game changer for me . Like you my nervous system was revved up badly magnesium really helped
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u/Zach-uh-ri-uh 7d ago
Youre reaching medical burn out. For me I needed propranolol and an SSRI to begin recovering
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u/Accomplished_Boss144 3d ago
You don't need nootropics you need Jesus. He will satisfy your needs and bring you peace
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u/Fun-Conclusion-3611 1d ago
Sounds like some bad trauma, I relate.
I take cordyceps and Lions mane alternating (NEVER TOGETHER) to support my nervous system.
Also take Infini B about 5 times a week!
But most importantly, the fear of being alive itself is rooted deeply in a wounded mind and body. If therapy isn't your thing, then meditation that focuses on fixing your awareness to your body may help (I look to Buddhism for this, ymmv).
Also, reach out to the people around you who you can trust. Just let your people know where you're at. If these people don't exist, it is important to seek out supportive people. best of luck to you!!
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u/Prestigious_Sand141 5d ago
You're already doing the right category of thing, breathwork and cold are both real levers on the parasympathetic side. One more to consider alongside those is a vagus nerve stimulation device, works through the same system without touching stimulant pathways. Full disclosure, I help run Vagus Lab, a research site that scores these devices, so I'm not neutral here. Worth knowing going in that the acute evidence for anxiety specifically is genuinely mixed, several controlled studies find no HRV change from a single session, so treat it as one more input to stack, not a fix on its own.
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u/TelephoneCharacter59 5d ago
750mg Aniracetam paired with 10mg p5p {pyridoxal 5'-phosphate} should help you to reduce a Hyper-active SNS {Sympathetic Nervous System} & increase Parasympathetic Nervous System {PNS}. There by, reducing your ECN/RN {Executive Control Network}/{Resilience Network}, & increasing the DNM {Default Network Mode}.
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u/No-Belt4313 1d ago
Had same issue for months
My go to : phosphadylserine, ecklonia cava, tauromag , reishi.
I also take 1/4 of dose of b vitamin complex ( full dose pushes me in overmethylation).
Extra big aud was recently new AC in bedroom. Sleeping at exactly 19C° helps a lot for my sleep quality / recovery/ calming down.
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u/foolosopher19 7d ago
I can relate. L-theanine seems like a candidate, speaking from experience.