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A SHORT INTRO TO HYDRAFINIL
So many people go online in search of the pill that Bradley Cooper uses on the TV show Limitless. That’s because the world is getting competitive with every passing second and only the strongest get to live. And no, we are not talking about physical strength but mental prowess. The truth is, the pill that Bradley Cooper supposedly use to get ahead of everyone in everything does not exist. However, there are similar pills in the market. Pills are formulated to give users an extra edge in their memory, information processing, and overall cognitive performance. This basically makes them smarter than regular people who are not using the pills. Multiple studies into one of the popular nootropics of all time, Modafinil, shows that indeed certain nootropics can improve cognitive performance.
As you can imagine, these pills are usually in high demand. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get smarter? It also translates to mean that the industry is very profitable, and as a result, there are so many nootropics on the market. Unfortunately, not all of them work. Even worse, some of them are known to contain harmful compounds, while others are contaminated. In summary, using the wrong nootropics can cause multiple side effects, some of which can be very dangerous, especially if the user has a complicated medical history.
In today’s review, we’ll be going through another well-known cognitive enhancing drug known as Hydrafinil to determine whether it is worth trying and more importantly, if it is safe to use.
What is Hydrafinil?
Hydrafinil is also known as 9-fluorenol or simply as fluorenol produced by Cephalon Pharmaceuticals. It is a powerful analog nootropic supplement of the prescription drug Modafinil. However, unlike Modafinil, you do not require a prescription to use Hydrafinil. The supplement is available on various online stores, but only a handful of them can offer 99.9% pure Hydrafinil.
The most interesting bit about Hydrafinil is that it is about four times more eugeroic and euphoric than Modafinil. This is as exciting as it is scary. The fact that it is powerful should mean that users can enjoy more benefits with minimal doses. However, studies also caution that powerful supplements can be overwhelming to the body, particularly in users with low tolerance.
On the flip side, some people find Hydrafinil undesirable due to its short half-life. This supplement has an estimated half-life of roughly 4 hours, which is 2 hours less than most nootropics. So yes, Hydrafinil is a powerful nootropic with a massive impact, but the effect will be in and out almost instantly.
How Does Hydrafinil Work?
The answer to how exactly nootropics work remains a mystery. These substances act on the complex brain pathways that are still not very well understood. Also, there is very little research on nootropics on human subjects. The details we have on how nootropics work are mostly based on speculations.
Anecdotally, it is believed that Hydrafinil works as a:
- 5-HT6 Antagonist – This helps in boosting the concentration of dopamine and norepinephrine in the prefrontal cortex. It also increases the secretion of glutamate and choline in different sites of the brain. An increase in the production of the neurotransmitter glutamate is known to enhance learning and memory.
- Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor – It is reported that dopamine affects different focus, alertness, motivation, and several other key functions in the body. An increase in dopamine leads to improved cognition and other functions, including sleeping.
What are the Benefits of Hydrafinil?
Nootropics come in different variants. They all deliver unique benefits. This means that a particular nootropic may be remarkable but not ideal for you, depending on your needs. For instance, you can have a nootropic with excellent memory-enhancing capabilities. However, if all you want is an increase in concentration and focus, then the memory-oriented nootropic is not exactly ideal for you.
The good news is that most nootropics deliver several benefits, so you’ll always be getting extra perks if you buy the right product.
That said, here are the key benefits of Hydrafinil:
- Improves Attention – Individuals with attention deficit disorder are likely to find Hydrafinil very helpful. It’s believed that the supplement increases one’s ability to sustain focus by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine in the prefrontal area.
- Enhances learning and memory – The upregulation of dopamine and norepinephrine, together with the increase in the neurotransmitter glutamate is believed to boost learning and memory. This is very beneficial and not just to students and professionals, but to everyone else, including the elderly. Sadly, the use of supplements is not encouraged among seniors.
- Motivation – Some users report an increase in motivation after using Hydrafinil. This could be a result of a rise in dopaminergic receptors (D1R). However, there is no clinical study showing a direct relationship between Hydrafinil and D1R.
- Increase in energy – Substances that increase norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations are also known to boost neurophysiologic energy. This explains why some users report a noticeable increase in energy after taking Hydrafinil.
- Boosts wakefulness – Animal studies show that Hydrafinil is approximately 39% more eugoric than the popular Modafinil. It’s believed that humans can also enjoy the same benefit of wakefulness, but there aren’t any human trials to prove that.
- Enhances mood – Hydrafinil may have a subtle mood enhancement effect on users. This is linked to the increase in dopamine and norepinephrine, which may also cause a slight increase in serotonin levels.
While the list of Hydrafinil benefits is impressive, the lack of human trials puts everything in question. This is a problem that’s not exclusive to hydrafinil but to most other nootropics on the market. Fortunately, anecdotal evidence seems to support most of the efficacy claims purported by the supplement. Hopefully, human trials will shed some light on the supplement in the near future.
Side Effects of Hydrafinil
Most of the people who are using Hydrafinil have not reported severe adverse reactions. However, due to the lack of human trials, the long term effects of the drug remain unknown. This calls for caution when buying and using the supplement. The market is hugely unregulated, so purchasing impure Hydrafinil capsules or powder is possible. If you are going to use the supplement, do your research and make sure that you are buying it in the highest purity possible. You should also ensure that you follow the dosage guideline accurately.
Hydrafinil Dosage
Being such a powerful supplement, it’s crucial that users monitor the dosage closely to avoid adverse reactions. That said, the standard dose is 50mg. It’s advisable that the supplement is taken once per day, preferably in the morning.
Some people do use the supplement two or even three times a day, while others are known to increase the dose to 100mg. This is very dangerous, especially if you have no prior experience with the supplement. Even the people who’ve been using it for some time are advised against taking it more than twice within 24 hours and never go beyond 100mg per day.
Can I Stack Hydrafinil?
Hydrafinil can be stacked with other nootropics to boost its performance. Given how powerful it is, it’s advisable to stack Hydrafinil with mild non-stimulating nootropics such as Aniracetam, Piracetam, Centrophenoxine, Alpha GPC Choline, and CDP Choline. Be very careful with the doses when stacking multiple supplements.
Pros and Cons of Using Hydrafinil
The use of Hydrafinil comes with both advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
- It’s less stimulating, and hence the risk of crash, jitters, and anxiety is reduced significantly.
- Hydrafinil delivers a subtle and clean effect.
- It’s by far more potent than other CEDs such as Modafinil in terms of stimulating wakefulness.
- It’s easily available on multiple online stores.
- Hydrafinil is more affordable than Modafinil and other nootropics.
Cons
- There is no human trial supporting the claimed benefits.
- Possible long term side effects remain unknown.
- There is no clinically proven dosage.
- The market is unregulated so getting fake and contaminated Hydrafinil is possible
Where To Buy Hydrafinil?
Hydrafinil is available online. Prices start at around $24.00 for a 2g package of Hydrafinil powder. You can also buy it in bulk with 10g costing roughly $65.
Final Thoughts
I can’t stress enough how vital it is to buy Hydrafinil from the right supplier and use it as recommended. Remember, there are no human trials done on this supplement and so, abusing or using a contaminated version of the supplement can have dire consequences. Therefore, do your due diligence if you want to enjoy some of the benefits reported by other users without suffering adverse reactions in the process.