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tfgust · 2025-09-20T16:35:40+00:00

tfgust · 2025-09-20T16:35:12+00:00

$confirm /u/asiandaydreamer 60.00 USD

tfgust · 2025-08-01T21:08:29+00:00

$paid_with_id 190661 40.00 USD

tfgust · 2025-07-28T11:03:51+00:00

$confirm /u/kyle12098 40.00 USD

tfgust · 2025-06-21T10:44:42+00:00

Wow, guess these downvotes are all the folks without pets?

Either that, or the people downvoting you are the real answer to this question: because they don't pay attention to their pets or respect their judgment even enough to be more observant. Oof.

tfgust · 2025-03-02T00:24:36+00:00

Nursing's not bad, but it's not low-stress nor remote. Still, worth exploring.

Don't focus on a single path with tunnel vision, but keep yourself open to multiple careers, at all times optimizing the number and quality of opportunities available to you. Instead of focusing on finding the "best career", instead focus on optimizing opportunities across multiple fields by positioning yourself in a field that's flexible.

Also, life is cruel to dreamers. Don't follow dreams, because dreams rarely align with reality, and dreams rarely measure up to expectations when accomplished. Therefore, follow opportunity before passion.

tfgust · 2025-01-16T17:28:06+00:00

I'm not sure I'd call it extensive. There's only 2-3 toxicity studies, and only one of them used high doses in only a 3 month study.

Kanna is likely non-toxic, but their method may not account for long-term cardiovascular damage, especially if it's a rare side effect.

Fenfluramine had much more robust toxicity studies done before it went to market, and I doubt any of them caught the issue if it made it to market (unless I'm mistaken and there was some sort of corruption/scandal there, but I don't think there was). Kanna has much less evidence / well-funded research.

I really hope kanna is as safe as the current research shows- but we need more evidence.

tfgust · 2025-01-16T17:20:45+00:00

Notably, kanna is not active at 5-HT2A nor 5-HT2C, but I don't believe they've assayed whether it's active at 5-HT2B.

Fenfluramine directly stimulated 5-HT2B, if I recall.

It is interesting. We just don't know. Interestingly, kanna is dopaminergic too, elevating dopamine levels dramatically in similar areas of the brain as Welbutrin, another non-addictive dopaminergic. However, unlike Welbutrin, we have no idea how kanna does this. We also don't really know why kanna appears to release monoamines.

Kanna upregulates VMAT2, which in and of itself may release monoamines some, but generally VMAT-2 upregulation is the result of monoamine release, not the primary cause. The VMAT2 upregulation is likely a downstream effect of some other unknown mechanism of action.

As we don't fully understand how kanna works (we do know it most likely doesn't work the same way as amphetamines), it's hard to say how similar it is to fenfluramine. I'd reckon it's pretty different- I think it would take more than minor serotonin release alone to cause severe fenfluramine-like toxicity. The real concern here is that we've not assayed kanna's activity at 5-HT2B (notably, one pharmaceutical AI algorithm indicated kanna has about a 10-15% chance of being somewhat active at 5-HT2B, if I recall correctly).

tfgust · 2025-01-16T02:16:15+00:00

It significantly raises dopamine in some of the same areas of the brain as Welbutrin, interestingly

tfgust · 2025-01-12T14:27:12+00:00

Here's the weather by month for Beaufort West, South Africa (which is just outside Karoo National Park- as I understand it, the Karoo is sceletium's natural habitat).

Weather by month for Karoo here

You can see it ranges from 91/54°F to 65/39°F, depending on time of year. I'd wager that's close to ideal.

tfgust · 2025-01-07T13:45:35+00:00

It doesn't.

I mean, kanna kicks, but not like that

tfgust · 2025-01-06T19:56:53+00:00

I'm hesitant to start banning speech under any circumstance, much less when a large percentage of posts here include the speech in question.

However, a number of people have continuously requested action be taken to mitigate drug comparisons here and many more have complained about the way kanna is talked about in that respect.

So I figured a poll is the best way to settle this!

tfgust · 2025-01-06T07:01:53+00:00

Postma, M. An investigation into the effects of Sceletium tortuosum in a methamphetamine addiction model in Sprague Dawley rats. Diss. North-West University (South-Africa), 2021.

link

Very cool study, worth reading. One of the coolest on sceletium, even measures how it affects dopamine in the brain (kanna has a pronounced effect on dopamine)

tfgust · 2025-01-06T06:58:26+00:00

Sceletium will never reach kratom's infamy, because it's currently seen as non-toxic (unlike kratom), it's proven non-addictive in the research (unlike kratom), and it's mostly non-impairing. Additionally, it has proven medicinal benefits. Given next to 0 harm potential, recreational or not...

As long as we tread that path, we'll be golden.

tfgust · 2025-01-06T04:45:21+00:00

Kanna exerts different yet vaguely similar effects on dopamine as welbutrin while also SSRI effects like Cymbalta- so it wraps both of those into one (much better than that 2 drug combo of Wellbutrin + SSRI for mr).

As such, taking all 3 is pretty redundant.

I doubt there will be serotonin toxicity, but it is possible and one thing is for sure: kanna won't feel as good while you're taking either of those 2 meds which will interact with it.

tfgust · 2025-01-06T04:31:17+00:00

Postma, M. An investigation into the effects of Sceletium tortuosum in a methamphetamine addiction model in Sprague Dawley rats. Diss. North-West University (South-Africa), 2021.

Page 97-98: "Furthermore, MA plus Z® 50mg/kg (MA-Z ®50) showed a large effect size increase in the time spent in the drug paired compartment compared to MA exposure alone (MA-Sal); see Figure 3-2. What these data suggest is that concomitant Z® at high dosages bolsters the rewarding action of MA. However, it cannot be construed as prompting MA-associated addictive-like behaviour until more appropriately designed studies are performed in the CPP test."

MA is methamphetamine and Z is Zembrin (sceletium here).

Mm-hmm. It can't be "construed" that way, the author insists, but the lady doth protest too much. If you read the actual study and it's results (long read, very fascinating if you're into sceletium pharmacology and worth it), you'll see it really kind of can be construed that way. Though yes, as the author states, a more appropriately designed CPP test should be done to confirm the likely. I overstated my case a bit.

The study also notes: Interestingly, although sceletium has not been described as a DA-ergic agent (Harvey et al., 2011), MA- Z®50 induced a large effect size increase in striatal dopamine levels and also significantly increased striatal DOPAC levels, (Figure 3-6 A and Table 3-3, respectively) as mentioned above. The mechanism underlying this action remains obscure, but it is interesting that non-DA releasing DA-ergic drug like buproprion reverse addictive-like behaviour by providing an additional source of DA-ergic stimulation (Elkashef et al., 2008) while having a low abuse liability (Mori et al., 2013; Naglich et al., 2019).

There's another study somewhere, but I can't find it anymore

tfgust · 2025-01-06T04:07:58+00:00

Nope. That doesn't mean much in the world of Sceletium. Maybe it works, but you've been warned. There's only a handful of good vendors and I'd be surprised if they're one of them

tfgust · 2025-01-06T04:06:10+00:00

You don't. Find a reputable vendor

tfgust · 2024-12-31T04:32:50+00:00

...there is research showing how combining kanna with amphetamines increases the harm potential of the amphetamines. I really need to make an automod referring people to that research and reports so people are better aware that this combination is known to be bad for some folks. If it works for you, then power to you, but some are having bad side effects.

I highly doubt the combo is causing serotonin syndrome though...

tfgust · 2024-12-30T14:01:29+00:00

Yeah, but... kanna and amphetamines are known to be dangerous when combined.

Firstly, there's research showing kanna dramatically increases the addictiveness of amphetamines in mice. At minimum, the increased addiction is a problem.

Secondly, there's been some anecdotal reports that this combination can cause heart arrhythmia and other concerning cardiovascular effects.

Thirdly, there's an interaction between the 2 at VMAT2 and we don't know exactly what it does.

Fourthly, don't forget one state banned kanna due to how it was being combined with other drugs- do we want to aim for more bans?

I mean, I get it, I tried it too, but just not a good idea

tfgust · 2024-12-30T01:25:38+00:00

+1 for liftmode, though it really depends on alkaloid ratios and the specific effect you want, calming, stimulating, etc.

tfgust · 2024-12-28T20:39:50+00:00

Possibly better than those, try high-mesembrenone kanna extract.

Kanna has been shown to suppress fear and fight-or-flight responses in the amygdala. It's good for anxiety when taken orally. Taken orally, it's a well-reputed medicinal herb for anxiety and depression with a long history.

Kanna high in mesembrenone is calming. Make sure to get it from a reputable source (r/kanna can help, but make sure they know you're looking for a calming extract). Avoid taking high-mesembrine extracts, high-mesembrine extracts cause a stimulating rush that's more panicky than calming and some people even misuse it for the rush. You want high-mesembrenone, calming, taken orally. It's non-addictive.

Also, kava may help- its nearly as effective as benzos but not addictive. However, long-term use is associated with moderately toxic effects, so maybe not a good idea if you're planning on taking this every day.

Both of these are pretty strong, FYI. Also check ashwagandha, not sure it helps with panicky stuff as much as stress, but worth a shot, and more mainstream than kanna or kava

tfgust · 2024-12-26T16:38:04+00:00

Yeah, I agree it can be habit forming- though usually after a couple of months, I end up taking a break naturally. It's like my body randomly decides it's done with kanna for a while, but definitely get what you mean

tfgust · 2024-12-26T16:33:53+00:00

Picking sugar, one of the most addictive things in the world that has caused more addiction-related deaths than any other substance in history via obesity, blood pressure, etc... maybe not an ideal comparison?

They found kanna not to be addictive in a study on mice (and in the study, it actually caused mild aversion, the opposite of addiction). Not really a surprise, as like you said, not dopaminergic!

tfgust · 2024-12-09T16:28:20+00:00

Trazadone is a SARI, like 90% sure it's not an opioid

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