[csrpj]

best supplement for social lubrication?

[drmz]

Bacopa, makes me blablabla ALOT more that normal.

[Declmem]

drmz, on Sep 13 2009, 05:21 AM, said:

Bacopa, makes me blablabla ALOT more that normal.

You know, I've never had any noticeable effect from Bacopa. Maybe it is the brand I'm taking like Sensoril vs regular Ashwaganda.

Where do you get your Bacopa, and in what quantity do you take it?


Regarding the original question: for me, Lexapro is the best social lubricant.

[RighteousReason]

Alcohol?

[Mortuorum]

"Social Lubrication"?? Many ways to interpret such a moniker of description...........My faves would be Phenibut, Heroin combined with Cocaine, Formalin, and Straight Razors........................

[navyblue]

Alcohol (in very small amounts) had always worked for me, but the side effects such as depression just didn't jive. Bacopa made me very irritable, but everyone is different. For "social lubrication" using natural supplements, 5-HTP, Inositol, Ashwagandha, L-Theanine, or DMAE have always helped me (some better than others of course). If I had a party to go to tonight, I would probably take the 5-HTP, DMAE, or Inositol. If I had to go to something a little more serious like a meeting, then the L-Theanine, Ashwagandha, or Inositol would do the trick for me. Because Inositol has been shooting my blood pressure through the roof, I probably will be taking this out of my potential options. The ones I think that have been less controversial and seem to work about the same way for everyone is the 5-HTP and the L-Theanine, so you may want to give these a try first. Just keep in mind everyone is different. It also depends on the reason why the social lubrication does not exist. Is it depression? Is it anxiety? If depression try the 5-HTP, if anxiety try the L-Theanine, or Ashwagandha. Just my 2 cents.

This post has been edited by navyblue: 13 September 2009 - 10:02 PM

[Zoroaster]

Phenibut! I don't know why more people around here don't use it/haven't heard of it. It's one of the few supplements that you can definitely feel. It makes music more beautiful and boring conversations more interesting. It probably dumbs you down a bit so that might be a disadvantage if you're going to be hanging out with some serious people but for a party/lounging atmosphere its great. That plus a little stimulant is actually kind of euphoric. I really like 1,3 dimethylamylamine for very central stimulation (ie, without jitteriness or heart palpitations). 50 mg of 1,3 and a gram of phenibut is a very potent and pro-social combo for me.

[Zoroaster]

Also PEA! I forgot about that one! Makes me feel happy while taking the edge off of any nervousness. Combine it with an MAO inhibitor like Rhodiola for a lengthened effect. Or kava. Kava alone isn't bad either. But if you take PEA don't throw phenibut in the mix. phenibut and PEA cancel eachother out.

Alternatively, Chocamine is a chocolate extract that contains stimulating theobromines, PEA, phenylalanine (I believe) and some other good stuff. Its a great choice for a general mood booster as well.

[csrpj]

thanks for the replies so far.

now, i'd like to add a more nuance topic of discussion. i'd like to make a distinction between supplements you can take that will work when you're on it, but you can't take sustainably, versus supplements that build up in your system and generally make you a certain way round-the-clock. is this accurate? i'm thinking alcohol, phenubut, PEA in the first category, and SSRIs, bacopa, gingko, in the second. is this the case?

both kinds are welcome to be included here. i am interested in ones i can take when i go to a party, but i'm a lot more interested in ones i take that push me to be more social in general.

[RighteousReason]

Coffee/tea are good too

[Lufega]

Manganese. I have no social anxiety since I've been using it. It boosts dopamine production and the effect linger much longer than using Tyrosine.

[nito]

Lufega, on Sep 14 2009, 09:05 AM, said:

Manganese. I have no social anxiety since I've been using it. It boosts dopamine production and the effect linger much longer than using Tyrosine.

Any link for this manganese?

[golden1]

phenibut lasts a while if that what you are asking, I can feel it the next day

[tlm884]

Alcohol but moderation is the key. Too much and I become "too" social. My pants fall off and I make out with other guys.

[Declmem]

tlm884, on Sep 14 2009, 02:13 PM, said:

Alcohol but moderation is the key. Too much and I become "too" social. My pants fall off and I make out with other guys.

Haha, this makes me thankful that my inhibitions are strong enough to overcome any amount of alcohol.

I vomit long before I lose inhibitions.

[Zoroaster]

csrpj, on Sep 14 2009, 02:53 AM, said:

thanks for the replies so far.

now, i'd like to add a more nuance topic of discussion. i'd like to make a distinction between supplements you can take that will work when you're on it, but you can't take sustainably, versus supplements that build up in your system and generally make you a certain way round-the-clock. is this accurate? i'm thinking alcohol, phenubut, PEA in the first category, and SSRIs, bacopa, gingko, in the second. is this the case?

both kinds are welcome to be included here. i am interested in ones i can take when i go to a party, but i'm a lot more interested in ones i take that push me to be more social in general.

I think your categorizations are correct, but I don't think bacopa or gingko are going to do anything long term for you in terms of social abilities. I've taken both periodically throughout my life, sometimes for long periods of time and I've never noticed any social changes. They're both quite mild. Also, I think bacopa affects my alertness too much to be taken during the day.

If you want something you can take long term that will have a noticeable effect I'd really recommend rhodiola rosea. Its an anxiolytic, gives a mild boost to both dopamine and seratonin, and gives you a slight energy boost. Mild but noticeable, and safe for long term use. Another great one is L-Theanine. Great anxiolytic that's great for you over the long term. And its affects are far more noticeable than bacopa imo.

Also, if you're willing to go the pharmaceutical route, propanolol or any non-selective beta-blocker does wonders for social anxiety if that's your issue. And they're safe over the long term.

[csrpj]

so you feel the effects from the l-theanine if you're not "on" it but in general taking it (say once daily)?

i thought beta-blockers aren't good for your brain to be taking consistently... no? and they fit in the first (while-you're-on-it-only) category, right?

[Zoroaster]

csrpj, on Sep 18 2009, 12:33 AM, said:

so you feel the effects from the l-theanine if you're not "on" it but in general taking it (say once daily)?

i thought beta-blockers aren't good for your brain to be taking consistently... no? and they fit in the first (while-you're-on-it-only) category, right?

Sorry I misunderstood your categories. I really just focused on this last sentance, " i am interested in ones i can take when i go to a party, but i'm a lot more interested in ones i take that push me to be more social in general."

You won't really feel theanine or beta-blockers when you're not taking them. The "beta-blockers are bad for your brain" thing was based off of one well-publicized studyl. But the bulk of the research out there shows they have no long term affect on cognition. At least that was the result of the research I did a while back on them when I started taking beta blockers occasionally.

If you want something that you can take daily that you'll feel even when you're not taking it, you could actually try low dose phenibut. I've heard of people going for a few months on low doses with success but I'd research it for a while first. That stuff is pretty powerful. You could also try 5-htp or st johns wart, if you think your social interactions could benefit from a general mood boost. And I think Rhodiola is still a good choice. But don't put all those together or you'd be risking pushing your serotonin a little to much. I've also heard good things about DL-phenylalanine over the long term.

[pycnogenol]

Zoroaster, on Sep 20 2009, 03:03 AM, said:

If you want something that you can take daily that you'll feel even when you're not taking it, you could actually try low dose phenibut.
I've heard of people going for a few months on low doses with success but I'd research it for a while first. That stuff is pretty powerful.

What is considered a "low dose" of phenibut? 500 mg? Less?

This post has been edited by pycnogenol: 20 September 2009 - 01:46 PM

[mdma]

Dont know if its been said before but Picamilon can be great for social interaction. Such thing like giving a speech or just talking to an audience for me i believe Picamilon reallly help. And of course Piracetam for the verbal skills.