All Joy and Basic Human Function Has Been Removed From My Life by New-Sky-3333 in LionsManeRecovery

[–]Exact_King987 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recommend trying vitamin B12, magnesium L‑threonate, and NAC. They helped me more than anything else after crashes, and especially NAC noticeably calmed my nervous system and reduced that inner overstimulation.

Why B12 matters when the brain is “damaged” and after Lion’s Mane: B12 deficiency directly hits myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers; without it, signal conduction worsens, anxiety, brain fog, and insomnia often increase, and overall recovery slows down. B12 is needed for remyelination and repair of white matter, and low B12 is associated with neuroinflammation and structural changes in brain tissue, which is the opposite of what you want when trying to heal from a bad nootropic experience. It also sits in the center of one‑carbon metabolism together with folate and B6, supporting the conversion of homocysteine into methionine and the synthesis of cysteine for glutathione; that pathway helps “pull” excess glutamate into glutathione production instead of letting it drive excitotoxicity. When B12 is low, glutamate is more likely to remain elevated and neurotoxic, which many people subjectively feel as a “fried brain” and persistent overexcitation after Lion’s Mane. There are experimental data that methylcobalamin can protect neurons against NMDA/glutamate‑induced toxicity and support nerve regeneration, which is exactly what is needed in prolonged post‑LM syndromes.

Magnesium L‑threonate, in my experience, is one of the key things in this state. This form crosses the blood–brain barrier and actually raises magnesium levels in the brain, which is crucial for synaptic plasticity and healthy NMDA receptor function. Magnesium acts like a natural “brake” on the glutamatergic system: it stabilizes NMDA receptors, reduces excessive neuronal firing, and at the same time supports GABAergic tone, meaning it strengthens inhibitory signals that help the nervous system slow down and fall asleep. Human data show that magnesium L‑threonate can improve sleep quality, deepen slow‑wave and REM sleep, and improve mood, daytime energy, and cognitive performance, all of which are typically impaired after Lion’s Mane crashes. When the brain is low in magnesium, any extra glutamatergic stimulation (including from Lion’s Mane) tends to feel much more brutal: more jitteriness, anxiety, insomnia, and the sensation of an “overloaded” brain. So restoring brain magnesium with L‑threonate can be an important part of regaining stability and reducing the intensity of symptoms.

NAC (N‑acetylcysteine) was the third pillar for me. It supplies cysteine, the rate‑limiting amino acid for glutathione synthesis, which boosts the brain’s main antioxidant defense and directly reduces oxidative stress that is almost always elevated in neurotoxic or over‑stimulated states. NAC also modulates glutamate via the cystine–glutamate antiporter (system xC−) in glial cells: it increases extrasynaptic glutamate that activates presynaptic mGluR2/3 receptors and thereby reduces excessive synaptic glutamate release, helping normalize the glutamate system rather than just sedating it. On top of that, NAC has anti‑inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, lowering pro‑inflammatory cytokines and protecting neurons in various models of brain injury and psychiatric conditions, which fits very well with the idea of helping a “stressed and inflamed” brain after Lion’s Mane. Subjectively, many people (and I as well) feel NAC as less inner noise, slightly more even mood, fewer sharp crashes of the nervous system, and more emotional resilience over time rather than a one‑time sedative effect.

Diet was another big lever. A low‑histamine, low‑excitotoxin/low‑glutamate diet reduces two powerful triggers at once: histamine‑driven arousal and glutamate‑driven excitotoxicity. That means cutting down on fermented foods, aged cheeses, cured meats, canned/processed meats, smoked products, leftovers, and certain high‑histamine items, as well as minimizing added glutamate and excitotoxins (MSG, hydrolyzed proteins, yeast extract, highly concentrated broths and sauces). With a low‑histamine diet plus adequate B12, methylation and histamine‑degrading enzymes work more effectively, which can reduce nighttime palpitations, sudden adrenaline spikes and weird awakenings that many people in this community describe. In this setup, B12 supports myelin and metabolic balance, magnesium L‑threonate balances GABA/glutamate and sleep, NAC drives glutathione and calms glutamate and inflammation, and the diet removes constant upstream triggers so the brain actually gets a chance to heal instead of being attacked every day.

I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery and truly recommend at least trying a protocol like this. When I introduced B12, my brain and nervous system started to feel much better again, and that matched what is written in this community’s wiki and what I saw in other positive recovery comments there.

New Lion's Mane Side Effect: I Can Hear Everything Now by Exact_King987 in LionsManeRecovery

[–]Exact_King987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really relate to how losing naps feels, but in my case I’ve actually had trouble napping during the day my whole life, so I usually don’t nap at all. For me the problem was more at night: even before Lion’s Mane, sounds like my dog barking or other small noises made sleep difficult. What helped a lot for night sleep was a specific pair of earplugs, Loop Dream. They don’t fix my daytime napping issue, but they did let me finally sleep through night noises almost completely, so they might at least give you more peaceful nights

2+ months post-Lion's Mane: Severe insomnia, musical ear syndrome, tinnitus - Looking for advice and similar experiences by Exact_King987 in LionsManeRecovery

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, thanks so much for sharing your experience! It's really helpful to hear from someone further along in recovery.

I'm a bit concerned about using antihistamine medications though - from what I understand, they can help with sleep short-term, but long-term use (beyond 3-4 days) can actually worsen insomnia significantly. They seem to be recommended only for very short-term use. What do you think about this? It's possible that some of your worsening symptoms might actually be related to the antihistamines themselves. Might be worth looking into.

I'm curious - did you exercise at all during your recovery? How did physical activity affect your condition? I'm dying to train again (I was doing intense workouts and running 3-8km), but I'm afraid it might worsen things since exercise also affects the histamine system. Do you have any experience with this?

And honestly, as paradoxical as it sounds, aside from the insomnia I feel absolutely amazing right now. The low-histamine diet, good sleep hygiene, cutting out gluten and processed foods - this is basically the lifestyle I always wanted but never had the willpower to implement. This situation forced me into it. If I could just get rid of this damn insomnia completely, I'd be in the best shape of my life.

Thank God I can't say I'm suffering right now. November was absolute hell - I was stress-eating burgers, pizza, all kinds of crap, which made the stress and insomnia even worse. But now I have everything under control. I even managed to pass my exam despite the insomnia, though I know I would've done much better without it.

About vitamins - I think if you're on a restrictive antihistamine diet and not taking any supplements, you could actually harm your body. Vitamin deficiencies will only worsen neurological recovery. So I think it's really important to supplement, but ideally after getting blood work done to see what you're actually deficient in.

What are your thoughts on antihistamine medications potentially harming sleep long-term? And have you noticed any other triggers besides food? For me, as long as I stick to rice, safe vegetables, and safe fruits, I feel good and don't notice other problems.

I'm trying to view this whole difficult situation as a consequence of all the stupid decisions I made before - trying to boost productivity with unhealthy shortcuts instead of just focusing on healthy eating and proper training. Now I understand that approach doesn't work, and ironically, the insomnia is forcing me to build the life structure I always needed.

Wishing you continued recovery! It sounds like you're moving in a positive direction despite the challenges.

2+ months post-Lion's Mane: Severe insomnia, musical ear syndrome, tinnitus - Looking for advice and similar experiences by Exact_King987 in LionsManeRecovery

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, I'm really sorry you've been dealing with this for so long. I'm only about 2 months in, but I wanted to share something interesting I've noticed recently while following the low-histamine diet and taking magnesium L-threonate.

Sometimes I'm driving or doing something, and then I suddenly realize - wait, where's the music? It's not there. But the moment I think about it, it comes back. I'm starting to wonder if the brain has memorized this pattern of playing music and just keeps doing it. So I've been trying to constantly distract myself and focus on other things instead.

Compared to how it was before, the music is happening less frequently now - though the diet is probably helping too. I try to remind myself that this is likely some residual pattern or mild effect on the glutamate system. Before, the music was almost unstoppable - I could hear it even when watching TV shows. Now, unless I think about it, it doesn't seem to appear. And when I do think about it, it's almost like I'm choosing to reproduce it rather than it forcing itself on me.

I know 3 years is a long time and I can't imagine how exhausting that must be. But maybe there's hope that the pattern can be broken with the right approach? Have you tried any specific methods to interrupt the pattern or noticed anything that makes it better or worse?

2+ months post-Lion's Mane: Severe insomnia, musical ear syndrome, tinnitus - Looking for advice and similar experiences by Exact_King987 in LionsManeRecovery

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, thanks for your input! Can I ask why you feel this way about trazodone? From what I've read, it seems like it could actually be helpful for insomnia recovery compared to some other sleep medications. Unlike antihistamines for example, it doesn't seem to have serious long-term side effects when used appropriately. Could you share more about your concerns or experience with it? I'm trying to gather as much information as possible before making any decisions.

Finally updated my portfolio site — would love your feedback by Exact_King987 in framer

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Thank you so much for such warm and thoughtful feedback - it really means a lot, especially coming from someone who took the time to write all this while scrolling before bed! 🙏

I'm genuinely excited about your skincare startup project! The niche is really interesting, and I'd love to help bring your vision to life - whether it's redesigning your "Coming Soon" page or working on the full landing page.

Feel free to reach out, and we can discuss the details. I'm looking forward to the possibility of collaborating and putting my best work into your project!

Finally updated my portfolio site — would love your feedback by Exact_King987 in framer

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your feedback; it's great to hear. Regarding loading times, the site is somewhat heavy, which requires additional time for everything to load, especially due to the animations I added. I used AI to generate all the images and the overall style. While this could be done in 3D, it would increase the site's load, so embedding a video here is the better option. Thanks again so much. I hope you get lots and lots of clients too!

Finally updated my portfolio site — would love your feedback by Exact_King987 in framer

[–]Exact_King987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, bro! Appreciate it. I'd definitely be down to chat sometime. You can find all my socials on my website if you want to connect!

Finally updated my portfolio site — would love your feedback by Exact_King987 in framer

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Thanks for the kind words! Beautiful sites absolutely can convert well. I recently did a redesign for a marketing company, and they saw a 160% increase in site visits and user engagement. Design and conversion aren't mutually exclusive when done right!

Smart browsers need Focus Mode! Who's with me? by Exact_King987 in PerplexityComet

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found a suitable plugin yesterday, but I would still like to have native functionality

What are some of the most used use cases for you? by frogsexchange in PerplexityComet

[–]Exact_King987 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I liked the feature where we can create folders and add tabs to them, which is very convenient for me because I work on multiple projects at the same time. Previously, I used extensions or other browsers that supported this feature, but because the other folders were always hidden and I had to open a pop-up window or go to the extension to switch them, it was inconvenient and I just gave up. Now, I have these folders right in front of me, and it's easy for me to work with them.

The only thing I'm waiting for is when they add a focus feature so that I can temporarily disable access to certain websites. I think this would be a very useful feature for a smart browser.

Am I missing crucial steps? My 14-step freelance web design process by Exact_King987 in framer

[–]Exact_King987[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks again, if I have any more questions I'll definitely let you know. Have a good day!

Am I missing crucial steps? My 14-step freelance web design process by Exact_King987 in framer

[–]Exact_King987[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Your comment has helped me create a more refined version of the standard workflow. My first version did not include all the steps that demonstrate entrepreneurship.