Lion's Mane... thoughts?

[jiu jitsu]

Anyone here try or use Lions mane. I feeml much more cognitive clarity after a month of using it. Only downbside.. I heard it can cause BDNF-induced hair loss, which is completely unrelated to DHT. Anyone have experience with Lion's Mane? If so how do you like it and have you experienced any hair loss?

 

[kisaj]

I liked it but had to stop taking it. There is definitely an improvement with mental energy- feels like you can absorb information easier and retain it- similar to Noopept. However, after a couple of weeks it made me so lethargic and I'd have to nap. I tried different doses, but taking less also reduced the effect so that was pointless. Tried cycling days and taking a break but ultimately it just made me so tired and while I cannot definitively say there is correlation, my libido just wasn't there. Could have been because I was so tired all the time.

 

[sns8778]

I liked it but had to stop taking it. There is definitely an improvement with mental energy- feels like you can absorb information easier and retain it- similar to Noopept. However, after a couple of weeks it made me so lethargic and I'd have to nap. I tried different doses, but taking less also reduced the effect so that was pointless. Tried cycling days and taking a break but ultimately it just made me so tired and while I cannot definitively say there is correlation, my libido just wasn't there. Could have been because I was so tired all the time.

We've had people over the years ask why we didn't include it in Focus XT and things like you just explained are the reason - I think that its a great product for some people but its one that's best taken as a single ingredient if experimenting with high dosing. If using it in a formula, I wouldn't go too high on the dosing - but like you said, lowering the dose makes it not nearly as effective for some people.

 

[sns8778]

Anyone here try or use Lions mane. I feeml much more cognitive clarity after a month of using it. Only downbside.. I heard it can cause BDNF-induced hair loss, which is completely unrelated to DHT. Anyone have experience with Lion's Mane? If so how do you like it and have you experienced any hair loss?

I've read that but never known anyone to actually experience an hair loss with it in real life.

Its an ingredient that seems to work a lot better for some people than others and individual response can vary a lot on it. Some people, higher dosing they feel energized and great whereas it makes some sleepy and lethargic it seems.

 

[jiu jitsu]

I liked it but had to stop taking it. There is definitely an improvement with mental energy- feels like you can absorb information easier and retain it- similar to Noopept. However, after a couple of weeks it made me so lethargic and I'd have to nap. I tried different doses, but taking less also reduced the effect so that was pointless. Tried cycling days and taking a break but ultimately it just made me so tired and while I cannot definitively say there is correlation, my libido just wasn't there. Could have been because I was so tired all the time.

Are you on trt as well

 

[kisaj]

Are you on trt as well

Yes

 

[jiu jitsu]

Yes

Dang maybe it crushed your dht

 

[kisaj]

Dang maybe it crushed your dht

No, LM is notorious for lethargy sides. Has nothing to do with DHT.

 

[NutButter]

I love taking it as a sleep aid. 1000mg of Ndepots 8:1extract gives me amazing sleep if I take it before bed.

 

[jiu jitsu]

No, LM is notorious for lethargy sides. Has nothing to do with DHT.

Interesting. Been taking it currently. Not on trt though

 

[Smont]

No, LM is notorious for lethargy sides. Has nothing to do with DHT.

I think it has something to do with cortisol. LM I think raises cortisol and then it levels off but the effects Increase over time?

Don't quote me too hard, I'm trying to remember stuff I read years ago.

 

[kisaj]

I think it has something to do with cortisol. LM I think raises cortisol and then it levels off but the effects Increase over time?

Don't quote me too hard, I'm trying to remember stuff I read years ago.

I could see something to that because it does have similar effects as an adaptogen, but it just knocks me out. The closest thing I can recall that would help cognitively like LM but make me tired was Piracetam. Very similar for me.

 

[LeanEngineer]

Anyone have experience with Lion's Mane?

Any zoo keepers here on the forums? Haha jk

I do not have experience taking this but interesting to see those who do.

 

[Smont]

Any zoo keepers here on the forums? Haha jk

I do not have experience taking this but interesting to see those who do.

Over the past 3-4 years I've taken a small interest in the different types of mushroom and some of them are pretty amazing.

Fun fact- mushrooms/fungi are closer related to humans and animals then they are related to plants!

 

[Oliver Kween]

I've read that but never known anyone to actually experience an hair loss with it in real life.

Its an ingredient that seems to work a lot better for some people than others and individual response can vary a lot on it. Some people, higher dosing they feel energized and great whereas it makes some sleepy and lethargic it seems.

@jiu jitsu

What you say is very important. You put light on the doubts that some of my friends. And especially one of them who is addicted to the Sarrms During a cycle on RAD140 + EPI (Stanoplex) 7-DHEA. (That he had already done in the past without failure.) He has done again this year with this year with care, nutrition, soprt, pct ... ect ... the most he has added and the Minlabpro, famous for his lion's mane in it. After the 1st week, around the second week, he complained about a gyno sensation .... Doubt a little he still put this on the back of this supplement with lion's mane.

He assured that it was not to joke. He does this cycle before somes years and he redone it this year without doing anything. It was almost impossible for having gyno. He stopped with Mindlabpro and everything is calm.

This is why he assumes that it may be a factor in what he had.
If that has a connection with the DHT, maybe it has played with its blood.
Lion’s Mane Effects on Testosterone - Forij.co

He has not noticed anything for his hair loss, he shaves his crane.

At the time when I was taking Mindlabpro too, I had not yet use the pH and the Samrs, so I can't tell you. By cons I had noticed and I am sure that it is not the same that I used in 2017.
The last one that I took was in 2021 and that thing was wrong, I do not felt the same effects more, even at dose x2.
The economy can be hit there too ... I noticed that certain supplement that I was taking had their recipes changed supposedly for better quality. But they removed expensive product to put in the place of coffee or spices etc etc ...


For LM in the two version that I took I did not feel a hair loss, even if I shave myself very short. No lethargic side or other

Maybe you have to be sensitive ??


So, may be i try next time: Vinpocetine...

 

[SFBlueNile]

I've been taking it off and on for a few years now. I use just under a tablespoon of a powdered version, which is a quite high dose based off the suggested dose on the package (1/3 tsp). The mental clarity was almost instant (within the 2nd or 3rd day iirc) I also had insane energy, but not uncomfortable energy like one might get from caffeine. Sleep was definitely negatively impacted for the first couple weeks, but honestly I didn't care. When it was time to get out of bed I was looking forward to dose of lions mane and coffee regardless of lack of sleep.

I probably took it for a couple months straight at first. That's when I started to realize that a lot of those profound effects I felt were now much more subtle. Also I started to feel a disconnect. Lack of emotion (both positive and negative) and also I believe its had a negative impact on my libido. I could still get it up, but sensitivity and orgasm is greatly diminished. I believe it can affect dht levels which may explain the lack of libido, although I'm also turning 40 this month so it could be partly due to age as well.

Im currently on a 3 month break from it (longest in a while) and will probably resume again but with breaks rather than dosing every day.

 

[LeanEngineer]

Fun fact- mushrooms/fungi are closer related to humans and animals then they are related to plants!

I've heard that somewhere else to. Pretty interesting!