stimulants and cognitive ability

[roche moloch]

Hi,

Im a thoretical physics student at one of the best universitys in the country so presurving my brain is a huge priority of mine. I was wondering if MDMA and cocaine are nurotoic if used infrequantly and at a moderate dose.

Obviously takeing drugs once or twice a month wont cause any serious impairment but im interested in whether this is because at that frequency of use the damage is minimal or because there is no damage.

Also is there any way of reducing brain damage caused by said drugs.

 

[uacvax]

there are people out there who are reporting permanent problems w/ memory and concentration from constant use of mdma, take from that wha tyou will

 

[Next_Generation]

Here is a good overview written by Earth Erowid, the article is about seven years old but is still quite accurate I believe. Take what you will from it.

Do Antioxidants Protect Against
MDMA Hangover, Tolerance, and Neurotoxicity?

 

[Jamshyd]

I can say this from personal experience: Amphetamines don't make you smarter, they only make you think you are, and at a very rapid pace. Thereore, you're doing a lot of stupid things very quickly

 

[negrogesic]

^^^I agree entirely. A good example of this was when i was in high school; the first time i took the SATs i had taken some d-amphetamine (a relatively low prescribed dose, perhaps 20mg IR), and scored high 1300s. I took it a different time without anything, and got a perfect score. People often equate speed of thought with quality or depth of thought, and this is simply not the case. Compared to other compounds, drugs like pemoline (i was prescribed this as a kid as well) and 4-MAR result in the highest clarity...

Also, dont they enforce spelling at this prestigious university?

 

[iwish]

^ lol, i was just thinking that

 

[nabollocks]

Also, dont they enforce spelling at this prestigious university?

My thoughts exactly. But we all get it wrong sometimes...

To the OP:

If you are serious about minimising harm, dont do drugs.

That said, you seem pretty keen to do some stims... If you take what the American Armed forces has to say as truth, then you would probably use dexamp or modafinil as your stim of choice.

Hope the studies go well

 

[roche moloch]

well thanks for your responses and yes, I know my spelling is bad. I’m dyslexic and English is not my first language, if what I posted is really that impossible to read I'll re-ask the question and use a spell checker this time....

1. I have no interest in taking amphetamines.
2. I am aware that intoxication will have an impact on how well you score in an exam. If I get high I will be doing it at a squat party not in an exam hall.
3. Iv already read the MDMA section on erowid but thanks for the link. I’m just wondering if anyone has up to date information. I vaguely remember reading about a meta-study last year that seemed to contradict the information on erowid.

Basically I would like to know how much MDMA and cocaine I could use without it having a neurotoxic effect, if indeed there is an amount it is safe to take

 

[mad_scientist]

There is limited evidence for the neurotoxicity of cocaine, obviously no use is the best policy but occasional moderate use of cocaine is unlikely to cause you significant brain damage.

MDMA on the other hand is well established as a neurotoxin and particularly causes damage in the prefrontal cortex, so if you want to pursue an academic career in theoretical physics then I would pretty much rule out MDMA use entirely. The areas in your brain that MDMA will damage are the exact same areas that you will need to study physics. Maybe if you had no more then half a pill at a time, no more than once every 3-4 months then it might not cause any problems but if I was in your situation I wouldn't even risk that.

 

[vecktor]

^^^I agree entirely. A good example of this was when i was in high school; the first time i took the SATs i had taken some d-amphetamine (a relatively low prescribed dose, perhaps 20mg IR), and scored high 1300s. I took it a different time without anything, and got a perfect score. People often equate speed of thought with quality or depth of thought, and this is simply not the case. Compared to other compounds, drugs like pemoline (i was prescribed this as a kid as well) and 4-MAR result in the highest clarity...

Also, dont they enforce spelling at this prestigious university?

nah peeple doing fizzicks dont have to spell right, they are mafematics n stuff

 

[Will01996]

Hi,

Im a thoretical physics student at one of the best universitys in the country so presurving my brain is a huge priority of mine. I was wondering if MDMA and cocaine are nurotoic if used infrequantly and at a moderate dose.

Obviously takeing drugs once or twice a month wont cause any serious impairment but im interested in whether this is because at that frequency of use the damage is minimal or because there is no damage.

Also is there any way of reducing brain damage caused by said drugs.

Im thoretical universitys presurving nurotoic infrequantly
takeing im

All the world is thankful that you are preserving your great brain (and that you chose Physics over Spelling for your Major).

Willie

 

[Jamshyd]

^ The OP said that English is not his first language. Stop picking on it, its annoying.

 

[roche moloch]

"All the world is thankful that you are preserving your great brain (and that you chose Physics over Spelling for your Major)."

what the fuck is your problem. I was just asking a question and giving the reason why I'm conserned about the answer. Nobody reading this is going to think your anything but a fucking pedantic idiot with no idea of what inteligence is.

 

[<pyridinyl_30>]

"1. I have no interest in taking amphetamines."

Sorry, but MDMA is an amphetamine. You can take that statement as a fact and deposit it in the bank. Do they make theoretical physicists take organic chemistry at your university?

 

[fastandbulbous]

There is limited evidence for the neurotoxicity of cocaine, obviously no use is the best policy but occasional moderate use of cocaine is unlikely to cause you significant brain damage.

Mind you cocaine is definitely cardiotoxic (all local anaesthetics are administered systemically), ands your heart is just as essential an organ as your brain. If you're wanting it purely to be able to get more work done then the one's I'd say are the best bet are (in no particular order) 4-MAR, modafinil, pemoline, and possibly methylphenidate (or desoxypipradrol). All the other commonly available stimulants are too distracting in their action.

If you can get it, my top recommendation is fencamfamine (but then it would be, wouldn't it? )

 

[roche moloch]

Im not really woried about cardiotoxicity.

So your saying I wont be damaging my bain in any way (even infentesily small)if I stick to using coke 3 or 4 times a year?

 

[vecktor]

There is a chance that anything you take can damage your brain, you could take cocaine which raises your blood pressure and causes a blood vessel to burst.
you could take amphetamine or MDMA containing heavy metal residues, and certainly damage your brain.

nothing is safe, some things have more chance of doing damage. In reality it takes a hell of a lot of damage to the brain before it becomes noticeable, moderate drug use is probably damaging but the brain adapts and it is hardly noticeable. It is worth remembering that one of the greatest mathematicians the world has ever seen Paul Erdos was amphetamine fuelled.

but the bottom line is nobody can guarantee any drug will not damage your brain.

 

[negrogesic]

As mentioned, neurotoxicity is somewhat hard to notice. If taken sparingly, your IQ will not be reduced, and most likely your memory will remain unimpaired. I think neurotoxicity issues may be more worrisome from a few very large doses of MDMA (or maybe a cocaine binge), as opposed to some occasional low-moderate doses...

Also, I wasn't trying to be a dick about the spelling, i just thought it was curious...

 

[bupropion]

^^^I agree entirely. A good example of this was when i was in high school; the first time i took the SATs i had taken some d-amphetamine (a relatively low prescribed dose, perhaps 20mg IR), and scored high 1300s. I took it a different time without anything, and got a perfect score.

Was it in the same year? My score went up about 100pts./year when I was in junior high and high school.

People often equate speed of thought with quality or depth of thought, and this is simply not the case. Compared to other compounds, drugs like pemoline (i was prescribed this as a kid as well) and 4-MAR result in the highest clarity...

This makes me want to try pemoline.........hopefully it will be brought back on the market.

 

[Ham-milton]

1. I have no interest in taking amphetamines.

You realize what the "A" in MDMA stands for, right?

There's this anti-amps paranoia now, with all the negativity associated with meth, but in reality amphetamine and probably even oral/insufflated methamphetamine are much safer, less addictive drugs.

MDMA is really in it's own league here, but cocaine is far worse.

I don't entirely agree that amphetamines don't increase mental abilities. They certainly increase the rate of thought and will boost IQ scores on tests like the WISC-III. I believe the average increase is something like 7 or 8 points for amphetamine or methylphenidate.

They seem to increase the rate and ability to make abstract leaps correctly. Like if you're trying to understand how A interacts with B, you're more likely to see the correct answer in the data. I hope that makes sense.

Their use is extremely common among aging mathematicians. I think at the age of 30, they become mandatory. (at least among the four or five I know, they all keep MPH or DAMP on hand).