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Underground > Laboratory >

DMAE: any side effects?

18:40 / 15.05.07

Hi.
I'm Hal, I'm new, I've been a lurker a while, I don't think I've posted.
Nice to meet everyone.
Now:

I'm very interested in "smart drugs", and I've read some of the old threads about them on here. I'd really like to try DMAE. But I get nervous about taking ANY form of drug/medication/substance/etc. without knowing what harm it can cause.
So just to play it safe:
What negative effects, if any, have people experienced from DMAE?

A friend of mine with a science background told me some scary stuff.
But I'm inclined to not believe her.

Thanks!

18:49 / 15.05.07

I took DMAE back in the late 80s. I experienced some of the touted "smart" effects, but also had trouble sleeping. I'd lie awake thinking about things. Some of that was probably due to a recent breakup, but it was definitely helped along by the stuff.
I never experienced any untoward health effects or physical problems.

By the way, I think there's a smart drugs topic already in here somewhere...

Here?. You may find other ideas.

18:51 / 15.05.07

A friend of mine with a science background told me some scary stuff.
But I'm inclined to not believe her.

I'm either very happy for you, or very afraid for you. You might want to unpack that one, somewhere, in terms of if you're just disinclined to believe people with science backgrounds, this particular person, et cet.

In other more on-topic news, the research seems to be really polarized, or so it appears when it comes up in non-specialist articles. Not just in terms of side-effects, but as to the universality of its nootropic effects. So, you're probably better off sticking to things we know loads about and have a clear history of brain-enhancement, like ginseng or beer.

07:14 / 16.05.07

I never experienced any untoward health effects or physical problems.

Out of interest how long were you taking it for and what sort of dose/frequency?

A friend of mine with a science background told me some scary stuff.

Well the wiki mentions a 2007 study that suggested it damages cell reproduction if applied topically (ie to the skin). What studies there are on it don't seem to have found a whole lot in the way of side-effects.

Hal, assuming you intend to use this stuff, how long were you thinking of taking it for? Are you going to use it short-term for study purposes.

My personal opinion would be to look into something which has had more conclusive research done on it.

10:51 / 16.05.07

I never experienced any untoward health effects or physical problems.

Out of interest how long were you taking it for and what sort of dose/frequency?

Ummm two dropperfuls once a day for ummmm six weeks? The effects showed up about two weeks in.

sorry I can't be more precise than "dropperful". It was around 20 years ago....

13:17 / 16.05.07

I'm either very happy for you, or very afraid for you. You might want to unpack that one, somewhere, in terms of if you're just disinclined to believe people with science backgrounds, this particular person, et cet.

It's the particular person whom I doubt, not science itself. No worries.

Well the wiki mentions a 2007 study that suggested it damages cell reproduction if applied topically (ie to the skin).

I'd be taking the kind of tablets that you can buy in a health food store. Y'think that's safe?

Hal, assuming you intend to use this stuff, how long were you thinking of taking it for?

I was gonna give it six weeks or so to kick in, and then see what happened.

14:09 / 16.05.07

I'd be taking the kind of tablets that you can buy in a health food store. Y'think that's safe?

I would have thought so, but I'm not aware what sort of trials supplements have to pass through in the US (they're a little crappy over here in the UK).

Have a look at the recommended dose on the tablets when you buy them, and maybe start off at the lower end (ie if it says two to three pills twice a day then perhaps stick with two). Keep your intake of them at regular intervals and don't up your dose if you don't feel any different after a couple of weeks. Everyone's metabolism is a little different.

Take care, and if you notice any adverse side-effects then my advice would be to stop immediately (might be an idea to consult a doctor before starting them, you never know they might have some helpful advice).

Evil Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor and my pharmaceutical days are long in the past (well, the human-orientated ones anyway). So my advice should be considered as not coming from a professional.

15:41 / 16.05.07

Can I add that if you are planning on having babies, or if there's any chance you might have one during this time, think again. This advice obviously applies to many drugs and substances legal and not, but there are reports of developmental abnormalities in mice with DMAE.

19:19 / 24.05.07

My experience:

Negative: neck and head aches, general muscle tightness -- higher the dose, more likely to experience side effects

Positive: alertness without speediness

04:05 / 03.06.07

Its a precurser to Choline. Take it with L-Acetate-Carnitine and you get the building blocks for acetol-choline, a neurotransmitter affecting memory recall and general cognitive function. I take that combo sometimes when cramming for something, and its quite effective. Looses effectiveness rapidly if done over a period of time. Its like eating 5-HTP to get more seratonin - it doesn't give you more, it makes it easier for you to make it yourself by suppling more raw materials. Maybe it works the way we think, maybe not, but I saw results with it as cheap over-the-counter brain food.

10:50 / 05.06.07

Hal, how is this going? Any positive or negative results yet?

23:55 / 07.06.07

Not much in the way of effects just yet, but it's been three weeks and I've heard it can take six. (By the way, I'm taking a 130mg pill daily-- the recommended dose was one or two, and if nothing's happened after six weeks, I'll bump it up to two a day and give it another few weeks.)

In the last few days, I've sort of felt more focused than usual, on and off, but nothing I wouldn't chalk up to a placebo effect and/or the mood I happened to be in. I've also had some aches in my knees and lower legs, and don't know whether that has anything to do with anything.