Yohimbine HCl: My experience

[dnbaker]

Background: I am very insensitive to stimulants. I've been a real caffeine abuser in the past. I had read good things about Yohimbine, most notably [Search google for "yohimbine soccer" because I can't post links] . I gave it a shot as a step-up pre-workout stimulant. I have used it 3 times.

6'3'', 190#. BF% 12-17, 7 months lifting experience. (Calipers come in the mail today.) Currently bulking.:bb3: I was hoping that the YHCL would help the bulk stay clean, AKA nutritional repartitioning.

1. Dosage: Unknown. Finger scraping edge of plastic bag containing YHCL, licking of finger. (OK, unscientific.)

Results: Negligible feelings, possible weak diuretic effect, comparable to caffeine. Most likely placebo.

2. Dosage: 25mg.

Results: Elevated blood pressure. Warm sensation in thorax. Higher heart rate. Workout at the gym caused mild headaches. Possibly due to electrolyte imbalance or blood pressure. Felt MUCH better after a workout.

3. Dosage: 60mg

Results: Seriously reduced aerobic capacity. Blood pressure sky high. Temperature up. Sweating all day. No amount of deodorant would help. Nausea. Warming sensation all over body. Most especially in the abdomen. As time went on, the side effects grew worse. Anxiety. Easily angered. Up all night due to sweating.
At my workout, I got painful pumps in my forearms doing even lighter weights.
Drank water like crazy. I'd drink 1.5L and pee 3x+ an hour.
Blood pressure still elevated to 143/79 @83BPM days afterward. For reference, last December, when I gave blood, it was 117/60 @ <60BPM.
I have gained weight since then, including significant fat, but I don't know how much BF affects BP.
Pupils dilated.

Summary:

Don't take too much!
Don't take too much!
Don't take too much!
It seems to work wonderfully at shedding fat.
I would not use this on a bulk (like I tried.) This is because of the nausea, reduced training efficiency, loss of electrolytes, and general dehydration.

Hope it helps- I will log the actual supplement in the future during a cut. I would take this PWO in order to shuttle nutrients effectively/increase inflammatory response.

[JaredGalloway]

U might wanna pick up psarm (2mgs of yohimbine per cap plus other goodies) so u can gage the dosage a lil better...personally i have only once gone above 10mgs a day (200mgs, i calculated wrong)...and it was a horrible experience...but 10mgs was tolerable...just as long as i didnt take it too close to my workouts...great post very informative...

[jjohn]

I hate Y HCL. I can take it trans. though and it works well for those trouble areas.

[crewchief182]

Yohimbine for me, was a heart attack waiting to happen. Always look to make sure none of my supps contain this now. BP skyrocketed and headaches were awful. Hate that stuff. Do be careful with this product.

[bla55]

I've used this for quiet some time overall now and I really didn't get those sides you guys are describing...

I'd take about 10mgs in the morning plus another 10 in the afternoon, preety close to workout time. I got a good pump, was sweating more than usual, yes, but heck, its freezing here most of the time so I was ok with that.

Never influenced me bad at the gym whatsoever.

[cjszip]

Hysterical. I loved the descriptions that followed the "60mg dosage" area... Awesome chronicle of a totally spun out junkie. "As time went on, the side effects grew worse. Anxiety. Easily angered. Up all night due to sweating... Grinding teeth, getting in quarrels often. walking home. almost hit by taxi. got in fight w/ driver. had little coordination and lost fight. went home. girlfriend wouldn't stop asking what happened to me. yelled at her and slammed the door. couldn't leave it at that. had to hit her. bugs crawling on skin. need nap but feel unsafe. girlfriend will seek revenge. need to get her away. can't find plastic bags. girlfriend is hiding things from me to make me feel stupid. lashing out at girlfriend. nose is bleeding. continue to search for plastic bags. can't focus. keep getting distracted from task at hand. eyes dry. jaw hurts. blood everywhere. grinding teeth. cat sees right through my soul. need to get rid of the cat. can't see straight- light particles. need hobby. called friends. no one answered. girlfriend ruined all of my relationships. Friends are concerned at how I've been acting lately. God damn girlfriend." ....Classic.

I've never used more than 20mg and never had side effects. However, at 20mg, results are difficult to gauge, so I'd imagine that higher dosages (maybe not quite 60...) would be more effective for fat loss. I just like using 5mg with my ephedrine/caffeine. Side effects VERY mild, but it DOES increase the effects of EC.

[dnbaker]

I've used this for quiet some time overall now and I really didn't get those sides you guys are describing...

I'd take about 10mgs in the morning plus another 10 in the afternoon, preety close to workout time. I got a good pump, was sweating more than usual, yes, but heck, its freezing here most of the time so I was ok with that.

Never influenced me bad at the gym whatsoever.

I think that 20 mg/day is a good amount for me. It's slightly under the 2nd dose I took, which was just the slightest bit high. I've seen some unmistakable spot reduction. I think it's even been somewhat anabolic. I believe that the increased inflammation improved nutrient delivery, and it may even be anticatabolic.

I used to be obese when I was a younger teenager, and no matter what I do, I still have chest and ab fat (Down to 150# at 6'3''! at one time), and now my chest becoming flatter for the first time.

Thanks for all the replies.

[ShakesAllDay]

You can save a little money when buying bulk powder, but this is one compound that I prefer to buy in caps. I must be Y-HCL sensitive, because it only takes 2-6mg for me to "feel" it. I questioned the low-dose 2mg caps at first. Not anymore.

[Esox Express]

Hysterical. I loved the descriptions that followed the "60mg dosage" area... Awesome chronicle of a totally spun out junkie. "As time went on, the side effects grew worse. Anxiety. Easily angered. Up all night due to sweating... Grinding teeth, getting in quarrels often. walking home. almost hit by taxi. got in fight w/ driver. had little coordination and lost fight. went home. girlfriend wouldn't stop asking what happened to me. yelled at her and slammed the door. couldn't leave it at that. had to hit her. bugs crawling on skin. need nap but feel unsafe. girlfriend will seek revenge. need to get her away. can't find plastic bags. girlfriend is hiding things from me to make me feel stupid. lashing out at girlfriend. nose is bleeding. continue to search for plastic bags. can't focus. keep getting distracted from task at hand. eyes dry. jaw hurts. blood everywhere. grinding teeth. cat sees right through my soul. need to get rid of the cat. can't see straight- light particles. need hobby. called friends. no one answered. girlfriend ruined all of my relationships. Friends are concerned at how I've been acting lately. God damn girlfriend." ....Classic.

Sounds like an Alice in Chains song.

I've taken 15 mg/day for several days and I didn't feel anything..... and I'm just a lil guy.

[DragonRider]

I gave it a shot as a step-up pre-workout stimulant. I have used it 3 times.
1. Dosage: Unknown. Finger scraping edge of plastic bag containing YHCL, licking of finger. (OK, unscientific.)

Results: Negligible feelings, possible weak diuretic effect, comparable to caffeine. Most likely placebo.

2. Dosage: 25mg.

Results: Elevated blood pressure. Warm sensation in thorax. Higher heart rate. Workout at the gym caused mild headaches. Possibly due to electrolyte imbalance or blood pressure. Felt MUCH better after a workout.

3. Dosage: 60mg

Summary:

Don't take too much!
Don't take too much!
Don't take too much!

The effective dose for Y hcl is 2.5 to 5 mg per dose 3 times per day.
You are very lucky you didn't kill yourself at those doses.

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herb.../a/Yohimbe.htm
In Germany, yohimbe is on the Commission E (the country's herbal regulatory agency). list of unapproved herbs because of concerns about the herb's safety and effectiveness.
Yohimbe is not recommended because it has a very narrow therapeutic index. There is a relatively small dosing range--below it, the herb doesn’t work and above it the herb is toxic. Side effects of normal dosages may include dizziness, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure. As little as 40 mg a day can cause severe side effects, such as dangerous changes in blood pressure, hallucinations, paralysis. Overdose can be fatal.

[DragonRider]

Sounds like an Alice in Chains song.

I've taken 15 mg/day for several days and I didn't feel anything..... and I'm just a lil guy.

I weigh 240 and REAL yohimbine HCL (not yohimbe bark) makes me feel like I'm on speed if I take more than 5mg in one day.

[cjszip]

I weigh 240 and REAL yohimbine HCL (not yohimbe bark) makes me feel like I'm on speed if I take more than 5mg in one day.

I'm 170 and I've taken 20-25mg Y-HCL and felt fine...

...This is reason for concern.

[Hyde12]

To those that have taken Yohimbine: Did you take your blood pressure after taking Yohimbine? I think Yohimbine lowers BP because it is a alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist. In theory, this means it should lower BP like an alpha blocker (Flomax). When I take yohimbine I get almost the same sides as Levitra (facial flushing, voodoo heart beat, etc).

So, what this means it that Yohimbine is going to lower Noradrenaline and Noradrenaline is what is responsible for PNS stimulation.

[Rhyno]

I think Yohimbine lowers BP...this means it should lower BP like an alpha blocker.

I've seen a lot of evidence supporting that yohimbine raises blood pressure. I've notice this myself as well, although I cannot give you specific 'before and after' numbers. Can you pull up any studies to confirm your claim? Not trying to start an online sh*t-fest, just looking for accurate info.

[Hyde12]

My bad, it seems to incease it. I found some other interesting stuff that I will post when I get a chance. Wierd how it decreases vasoconstriction, but increases BP.

Oral yohimbine increases blood pressure and sympathetic nervous outflow in hypertensive patients.Grossman E, Rosenthal T, Peleg E, Holmes C, Goldstein DS.
Hypertension Unit, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.

Yohimbine is an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist that is FDA approved for treatment of impotence. The drug is an indolalkylamine alkaloid chemically similar to reserpine and is believed to act through sympatholysis. We examined effects of oral yohimbine on blood pressure (BP) and plasma levels of catechols in patients with essential hypertension, a condition in which most drug treatments can produce impotence. In 25 unmedicated hypertensive subjects, vital signs were measured and blood samples were obtained through an indwelling antecubital venous catheter at baseline and 1 and 2 h after subjects ingested 4 5.4-mg tablets of yohimbine. Mean blood pressure (MBP) increased by an average of 5 mm Hg (p < 0.01), plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels increased by 66% (p < 0.001), and plasma dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG) levels increased by 25% (p < 0.01) at 1 h after drug administration. The magnitude of the pressor response was unrelated to baseline MBP but positively correlated with the baseline NE level (r = 0.61, p < 0.01) and with the yohimbine-induced increment in plasma NE (r = 0.4, p < 0.01). The results indicate that yohimbine does not inhibit and actually stimulates sympathetically mediated NE release in humans and that the increased NE release produces a pressor response. Yohimbine should be administered with caution to patients with high BP, especially in individuals with evidence for increased basal sympathetic outflow or those undergoing concurrent treatment with tricyclic antidepressants or other drugs that interfere with neuronal uptake or metabolism of NE.

PMID: 7690091 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[DragonRider]

I'm 170 and I've taken 20-25mg Y-HCL and felt fine...

...This is reason for concern.

No cause for concern at all. Mine is prescribed and I am monitered by my doctor.

[poison]

I effin hate the ****, at any dose. It's the devil.

[thebigt]

Hysterical. I loved the descriptions that followed the "60mg dosage" area... Awesome chronicle of a totally spun out junkie. "As time went on, the side effects grew worse. Anxiety. Easily angered. Up all night due to sweating... Grinding teeth, getting in quarrels often. walking home. almost hit by taxi. got in fight w/ driver. had little coordination and lost fight. went home. girlfriend wouldn't stop asking what happened to me. yelled at her and slammed the door. couldn't leave it at that. had to hit her. bugs crawling on skin. need nap but feel unsafe. girlfriend will seek revenge. need to get her away. can't find plastic bags. girlfriend is hiding things from me to make me feel stupid. lashing out at girlfriend. nose is bleeding. continue to search for plastic bags. can't focus. keep getting distracted from task at hand. eyes dry. jaw hurts. blood everywhere. grinding teeth. cat sees right through my soul. need to get rid of the cat. can't see straight- light particles. need hobby. called friends. no one answered. girlfriend ruined all of my relationships. Friends are concerned at how I've been acting lately. God damn girlfriend." ....Classic.

I've never used more than 20mg and never had side effects. However, at 20mg, results are difficult to gauge, so I'd imagine that higher dosages (maybe not quite 60...) would be more effective for fat loss. I just like using 5mg with my ephedrine/caffeine. Side effects VERY mild, but it DOES increase the effects of EC.

you are right, that nails it on the head. classic junkie paranoia. reminds me of a cheech and chong movie. great post.

[BadTrip]

Like I read above that **** IS the devil. I took my second and last dose this AM. It's been the worst experience of anything I've ever taken. Clem, ephedra caffeine are baby **** along side of what this does. The last thing i'd like to do is have sex. In fact I'd drop some serious cash right now just to end this bad ride. I only joined to post this. Stay away from this **** or like others recommended take a very small dosage the first few times.

yohimbe 225 mg's yielding 9mg yohimbines
Product: Male response

My response: **** this ****! I mean maybe use it if you are trying to kill someone / yourself...

[holmes215]

I had yohimbe in blue up by controlled labs, took three times, ended up ****ting myself silly twice and the third time i had cold shakes and threw up at my gym. Never will take again. Its effective for weight loss b/c you lose your appetite and excrete your whole digestive tract