Can a pill make you more self-confident and assertive?

[Neuron]

Posted in another forum.

Pharmacopsychiatry. 2006 Sep;39(5):175-9.
Noradrenaline might enhance assertive human social behaviours: an investigation in a flatmate relationship.

Tse WS, Bond AJ. Department of Applied Social Studies, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave., Hong Kong. [email protected]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to explore the role of noradrenaline on the social behaviour of healthy volunteers when they were interacting with a familiar person, their flatmate. Interaction with the flatmate was explored in a cooperative game situation. METHODS: Ten pairs of same-sex healthy volunteer flatmates aged 18-25 years were recruited for the experiment. All volunteers gave written informed consent and the study was approved by the institutional ethical committee. A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial of reboxetine versus placebo was conducted. In each of the 10 pairs of volunteers, one (subject) volunteered to take the tablets and the other (flatmate) received no treatment. Reboxetine (4 mg/bd) and placebo were administered orally as identical capsules for 2 weeks. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either reboxetine or placebo first and there was a two-week washout period following the first treatment. At baseline and the end of each treatment, they filled in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Adapation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS), and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Then, they were instructed to play the Tangrams game. This task elicits face-valid social behaviours such as cooperation, giving commands and unilateral grasps. RESULTS: Analysis of covariance showed that there was a statistical trend for reboxetine treatment to increase commands (p=0.055). CONCLUSION: This study presents preliminary evidence that two weeks' enhancement of noradrenaline transmission induced by reboxetine makes healthy volunteers more self-confident and assertive.

 

[Gutterpump]

This seems pretty interesting.. the one thing that I didn't like that I've read about this drug is how it affects benzos, which personally I like to relieve occasional insomnia or anxiety.

"The potency and duration of the effects of benzodiazepines can be increased because reboxetine interferes with their excretion."

Would be interesting to know to what extent it could effect them.

Would also be interesting to see when/if this drug will be approved by the FDA in America.

 

[Neuron]

This seems pretty interesting.. the one thing that I didn't like that I've read about this drug is how it affects benzos, which personally I like to relieve occasional insomnia or anxiety.

"The potency and duration of the effects of benzodiazepines can be increased because reboxetine interferes with their excretion."

Would be interesting to know to what extent it could effect them.

Would also be interesting to see when/if this drug will be approved by the FDA in America.

Ahh in that case it would not be for you. However I would like to suggest trying other compounds that can help with your insomnia and anxiety while improving sleep better than benzos such as Cyproheptadine which can be an useful alternative to benzodiazepine hypnotics in the treatment of insomnia. Cyproheptadine may be superior to benzodiazepines in the treatment of insomnia because cyproheptadine enhances sleep quality and quantity whereas benzodiazepines tend to decrease sleep quality.[1]

[1] PMID: 17287588

Reboxetine has been used in europe for well over a 6 years however it's probably not going to be applied to the FDA for approval anytime soon.

 

[Gutterpump]

Thank you I will definately look into that.

Recently during bouts of insomnia, I have been combining 3-5grams of phenibut with 1mg of lorazepam...which works synergistically on the gaba receptor (not sure how safe this combo is though but so far so good). Only very occasionally doing this though..

I am really looking into stablon now, dropping the wellbutrin and adding in deprenyl w/ the stablon (tianeptine). Sounds like it would be a great combo but I'm still researching how safe they would be together and how well they would work together. Now I've got one more thing to research hehe.

 

[Neuron]

Thank you I will definately look into that.

Recently during bouts of insomnia, I have been combining 3-5grams of phenibut with 1mg of lorazepam...which works synergistically on the gaba receptor (not sure how safe this combo is though but so far so good). Only very occasionally doing this though..

I am really looking into stablon now, dropping the wellbutrin and adding in deprenyl w/ the stablon (tianeptine). Sounds like it would be a great combo but I'm still researching how safe they would be together and how well they would work together. Now I've got one more thing to research hehe.

Ideally we can create an protocol for you that uses the least amount of drugs and improves your overall health.

Tianeptine can be safely taken with deprenyl. There is no direct or indirect interaction here. Plus the anxiety effect and neurorestorative of tianeptine can be very beneficial.

Phenibut works very much like benzos I would suggest keeping the phenibut dosage below 1 gram or simply choosing a less tolerance inducing sleep enhancer.

 

[Gutterpump]

I only rarely use phenibut..maybe once a week, twice tops. Benzos are a differest story though, I use them basically eod but would like to drop them.

I'm looking into the Cyproheptadine now but it says not to take with anti-depressants. I'm guessing because of it's intended use as an anti-histamine - if it's taken during the day alongside ssri's etc, it would make you pretty drowsy and knock you right out. Other than that it appears safe to take occasionally while taking deprenyl + stablon.

I'm thinking my protocol would look like this:

5mg-10mg deprenyl mon-fri (cycle off on weekends)
3-4 x12.5mg stablon daily

 

[Neuron]

I only rarely use phenibut..maybe once a week, twice tops. Benzos are a differest story though, I use them basically eod but would like to drop them.

I'm looking into the Cyproheptadine now but it says not to take with anti-depressants. I'm guessing because of it's intended use as an anti-histamine - if it's taken during the day alongside ssri's etc, it would make you pretty drowsy and knock you right out. Other than that it appears safe to take occasionally while taking deprenyl + stablon.

I'm thinking my protocol would look like this:

5mg-10mg deprenyl mon-fri (cycle off on weekends)
3-4 x12.5mg stablon daily

Cyproheptadine would not be taken with SSRI's or MAO-A inhibitors. It may or may not interaction with an SSRA however so if you do go with stabon then you may want to avoid it.

In which case you may want to look at Gabapentin.

 

[Force of Green]

Cyproheptadine would not be taken with SSRI's or MAO-A inhibitors. It may or may not interaction with an SSRA however so if you do go with stabon then you may want to avoid it.

In which case you may want to look at Gabapentin.

Gabapentin is generally a good mood stabilizer.

 

[Gutterpump]

I've been reading up on Gabapentin today. It seems with most people it's great for insomnia. Some people it helps them just to fall asleep only, other it helps keep them asleep on it's own. With some people it gets them wired up which seems odd, but this effect only seems to happen above 300-600mg. Going to look into it some more..

I've decided to go with the protocol I posted above, but am going to start the deprenyl at 5mg and the stablon at 3x12.5 daily..and will take it from there and see how it goes. Starting this in 3-4 weeks once I get off the wellbutrin. I also made a post over at Brainmeta to see what people think of that protocol and to see if anyone has experience with the two together.

 

[Rabidpanda25]

I've been reading up on Gabapentin today. It seems with most people it's great for insomnia. Some people it helps them just to fall asleep only, other it helps keep them asleep on it's own. With some people it gets them wired up which seems odd, but this effect only seems to happen above 300-600mg. Going to look into it some more..

I've decided to go with the protocol I posted above, but am going to start the deprenyl at 5mg and the stablon at 3x12.5 daily..and will take it from there and see how it goes. Starting this in 3-4 weeks once I get off the wellbutrin. I also made a post over at Brainmeta to see what people think of that protocol and to see if anyone has experience with the two together.

Gabapentin is somewhat effective for insomnia, and overall has effects similar to our benzo's. But... it does feel like you re medicated when you re taking it, even at a low dose. Unlike when taking a benzo, you just feel much better, and may even forget that you took it. But gabapentin so far, hasn't proved to have much addiction potential. Which if you have taken benzos for any period of time, you know all about. Nothing works as well as they do, but nothing is as bad as coming off them.

 

[Nightwanderer]

yes,
look at all the erectile dysfunction pills they have for men nowadays. If our self confidence wasn't so intertwined with our libidos, the market for them wouldn't be booming.