Selegiline

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Mechanism

Selegiline is selective irreversible MAO-B inhibitor. MAO-B is an acronym for: Monoamine oxidase B, an enzyme located in the mitochondrial exterior membrane. It catalyzes the deamination of amines and plays an important role in the metabolism of neuroactive and vasoactive amines in the central nervous system. In English: Monoamine oxidase B catalyzes the break down of the neuroactive amines dopamine and phenylethylamine; by its inhibition, less dopamine and phenylethylamine are deaminated, and thus brain-dopamine/phenylethylamine levels significantly increase, and oxidative stresses are decreased. Nootropic or nonsense? Let’s find out.

Uses

•Neuroprotective
•Immune-system booster
•Protects DNA from oxidative stress by hydroxyl and peroxyl radical trapping
•Increases production of superoxide dismutase (an enzyme which hinders the production of free-radicals
•At low doses extends the life-expectancy of rats (for all you rats out there) by 30% in clinical trials.
•Enhances drive and Libido
•Increases cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s patients and some healthy individuals.
•At low doses may guard the serotonergic terminals damaged by the popular recreational drug MDMA (ecstasy) (too high a dose can lead to mortalities and this use is strongly unrecommended)
•Enhances focus and concentration via dopamine interaction in the hippocampus.
•Protects and boosts kidney health and function.

Issues

Two forms of Selegiline currently exist on the market, these are Selegiline hydrochloride and Selegiline citrate respectively. The citrate form is greatly more bioavailable and more difficult to come by; but fear not, when consumed with a fatty meal, its hydrochloride sister loses little efficacya and will yield all of its sister’s nootropic effects

Dosage

At the specification of Jozsef Knoll (the original developer of Selegiline) I take 2.5mg of selegiline hydrochloride with a fatty meal, once every three days; however dosing is age-band specific and doses as high as 5mg daily for those over 50 are recommended. It is also important to consume Selegiline early in the morning as you may experience a positive, but long lasting stimulant type effect.

Experiences

At 2.5mg twice weekly I have noticed a non-placebo boost in libido, motivation and concentration levels and general daytime wakefulness; at some 2$ weekly, there’s little reason not to invest in this life-extending, motivation boosting nootropic which for me is a contender for the king of nootropic chemicals.Update:

After continued use in my nootropics stack. This nootropic began to cause a residual degree of anxiety which only subsided after cessation of this chemical. I would recommend that anyone with an anxiety disorder avoid this nootropic as… it takes up to 20 days for MAO-B to be replenished and for anxiety symptoms to fade.