Okay, I spend about 12 hours per day on my computer and it's beginning to catch up to me. I've tried almost every tactic to reduce fatigue to no avail... I've seen all these advertisements for these focus supplements and stuff... anyone have any experience with em?
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any pill poppers?
- Thread starter macthegreat
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I've never taken pills for it but I've found little combats tiredness effectively. Whilst at uni 2 years back I used to make my way through 2 Energy drinks a day, sometimes 3 and I'm very sensitive to caffeine (just a can of Coke can throw me into light panic). Even sugar-free energy drinks didn't help much.
To boost all round alertness and to help with fatigue just eating correctly and exercise help in the long run. Back when I was doing my weekly day-long hikes over the nearby hills my overall energy was up.
To boost all round alertness and to help with fatigue just eating correctly and exercise help in the long run. Back when I was doing my weekly day-long hikes over the nearby hills my overall energy was up.
Energy drinks will only seem to work for a short period, and you'll end up being more fatigued than before. Please avoid them.
As everyone has recommended, exercise, a healthy diet and a good night's rest is the way to go. If you simply don't have time for a thorough sleep, try taking a 20 min. nap.
As everyone has recommended, exercise, a healthy diet and a good night's rest is the way to go. If you simply don't have time for a thorough sleep, try taking a 20 min. nap.
Always read the disclaimer:
Not only are those pills useless, they may be very dangerous, having never been medically tested.
Additionally, their "scientific" claims raise every red flag in the book: vague, unsubstantiated claims with no specific results or studies.
"These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."
Not only are those pills useless, they may be very dangerous, having never been medically tested.
Additionally, their "scientific" claims raise every red flag in the book: vague, unsubstantiated claims with no specific results or studies.
Yeeeears ago back in high school, we had to pull an all nighter for some exam and we tried no-doze to keep us up. It definitely worked, but it also made us shake and stuff haha. I definitely wouldn't recommend it!
Back in college, I just used red bull if I needed to stay awake for some task. That would work somewhat, but not that well.
These days, if I need to be pepped up at work, I just settle for a diet coke
. But man I really can't pull the all nighters like I used to... if I'm super exhausted, I'm pretty worthless at work.
Back in college, I just used red bull if I needed to stay awake for some task. That would work somewhat, but not that well.
These days, if I need to be pepped up at work, I just settle for a diet coke
. But man I really can't pull the all nighters like I used to... if I'm super exhausted, I'm pretty worthless at work.
Many over the counter diet pills are stimulants and will help you stay awake and alert, but shouldn't be taken long term. For long term use, your safest bet is probably good old fashion coffee or black tea. Eventually, you probably should also try to get into a regular sleep routine, even if you aren't sleeping that many hours, so your body can adjust properly.
im going to go against the grain here....
DayQuil will keep you up, its basically cough sirup. Ritalin or Adderall you could find from a friend who has ADHD, for them all it does is calm them, for you, its like 10 red bulls.
DayQuil will keep you up, its basically cough sirup. Ritalin or Adderall you could find from a friend who has ADHD, for them all it does is calm them, for you, its like 10 red bulls.
if you wanna stay awake get your doc to give you some aderall, or ritalin, the 30mg XR adderals are what I used to take and can een tell you that I stayed up for three days straight popping them. Anyone try 5 hour energy?
Thanks for the replies. But, I'm not looking for a stimulant or anything loaded with caffeine.. That just gives me a headache and leaves me groggy... looking more into the herbal side of things.
Here's a wikipedia list of pretty much everything even remotely effective at improving concentration.
But omaigawd, I just had a look at the Supplement Facts for that Focus Fast thing you linked to, and it looks like they took everything in the page I linked to earlier, minus prescription meds, and put it all in a pill
But omaigawd, I just had a look at the Supplement Facts for that Focus Fast thing you linked to, and it looks like they took everything in the page I linked to earlier, minus prescription meds, and put it all in a pill
Here's a wikipedia list of pretty much everything even remotely effective at improving concentration.
But omaigawd, I just had a look at the Supplement Facts for that Focus Fast thing you linked to, and it looks like they took everything in the page I linked to earlier, minus prescription meds, and put it all in a pill
Hmm, so I take it as a good thing? I may just give this sucker a try.
Ever occur to you that popping pills may only mask the problem?
Get up and get out! Go outside and move around. Start playing a sport or something. Please.
Time for some Education.......
Just because it has that disclaimer, doesn't mean that the supplement is harmful or non-effective. That disclaimer is required to be printed on all supplement labels as a result of the DSHEA act. The DSHEA act is the law which was enacted to define a dietary supplement as anything taken orally which contains dietary ingredients, and is designed to supplement the diet. Much like a little pill that you make out of ingredients from your cupboard, they can become harmful when taken in tandem with or within a certain amount of time of certain prescription drugs, that's why you should always tell your doctor if you are of have been taking a supplement, and why an EMT crew will ask you about medications (including supplements) that you have been taking if they arrive to help you in an emergency. There is nothing in a supplement that is inedible, or that has been shown to be dangerous upon ingestion in humans, except perhaps in the case of extremely large amounts being consumed in short periods of time (hypervitaminosis), but that can happen if regular food is over-consumed too.
Supplements may include: Vitamins, Minerals, herbs or botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars and metabolites. Also notice that on the label it says serving size rather than dose, and has a supplement facts panel not unlike a nutrition information panel. The label must also mention the part of each plant used.
And the structure function statement that you mentioned is also required to be printed. All that means is that the supplement doesn't contain a chemical which is intended to diagnose or cure illness (like a regular drug is intended to do), and that people should be informed that the supplement has not been evaluated in that light. It is a regulation to keep supplement companies from claiming that their supplements can cure cancer or AIDS etc. If they want to claim that, they have to go through the FDA's drug approval process and prove their supplement to have the actual valuable medicinal properties, as well as the safety and efficacy to be useful in treating disease.
What supplement makers can do is make vague associations between their ingredients, and some of the benefits that those ingredients have been shown to have in other studies. Statements such as "Antioxidants have been shown to promote cell health" are acceptable for supplements.
So what I'm trying to say with all this is that you shouldn't write a supplement off as dangerous or useless just because it has a governmentally mandated disclaimer. There is still regulation that goes into dietary supplements, but it's not the multi billion dollar, decade(s) long type of regulation that prescription and OTC drugs must go through which for obvious reasons in much more rigorous and important. An "extremely dangerous" supplement is still not going to make it to the shelves, unless perhaps your definition of "extremely dangerous" is different than mine.
Their scientific claims made by these companies are vague only in the sense that they don't have to necessarily be in reference to the supplement, but rather to it's ingredients. They can freely cite highly published and respected studies as they pertain to an ingredient in the product. It's true that eating a good healthy and balanced diet will completely eliminate any need for taking one of these supplements, if you are getting something that makes you alert from a supplement, then diversifying your diet to include whatever plant source that ingredient came from will do just as good to help you.
In short, don't write them off as dangerous or bogus, but don't waste your money either! Just eat right, exercise, and get out of the house and off your computer once in a while. You'll get all the benefits of a supplement and more!
SLC
I agree, supplements will keep fatigue away for a few hours or so but you will crash hard and fast. You will also stop producing quality work, assuming you still can produce after 12 hours.
I am fully aware of the DSHEA. I stand by my original statement.
With few exceptions, dietary supplements are completely useless, especially those that claim to "boost your memory," "boost concentration," or "boost your immune system." (The latter being the most egregious because it's simply not possible.)
They can also be extremely dangerous, requiring no pre-approval before they enter the market. "All natural herbal supplements" can be just a potent as any prescription drug, without the oversight and testing that would otherwise be required. A dosing inconsistency or drug interaction, while unlikely, could kill you. Furthermore, the misleading claims made by many dietary supplement manufacturers encourage people to take supplements in leu of real and necessary drugs and a trip to their doctor.
However, most just do nothing. Absolutely nothing.
You're assertion that they require NO pre-approval is misleading. The FDA does oversee dietary supplements in the same way they oversee food (you do know that FDA stands for Food and Drug Administration right?).
You seem to be implying that it is possible to slip some sort of dangerous chemical into a supplement. That just simply isn't the case Eric. The FDA evaluates the ingredients in the supplements, and their form, if it's anything that can chemically alter the structure or function of the body in a way that is outside of normal, then it's a drug and requires the extensive testing and development that other drugs must go through.
In a sense you are correct in saying that supplements are potentially dangerous, in the context that they aren't evaluated for years and years before being introduced into the market. But there are many many examples of drugs which were found to be deadly or dangerous after previously being FDA approved which were pulled from the market, and supplements which can be demonstrated to be harmful are also generally pulled. The last time I was able to dig up anything about potentially dangerous ingredients in supplements was in 2004. More recently the FDA has determined that cough medicines must be restricted from use in very young children.
Prescription drugs kill 106,000 people every year in the USA, and supplements are linked to an average of 16.
Look I'm no fan of supplements, I too think they are a waste of time. But for you to insinuate that they are dangerous (and that's just what you did) is wrong. 0.03% of the entire population will die this year as a direct result of taking prescription drugs. 0.000005% by supplements.
What's important to take from all of this is to realize that there is no such thing as a safe drug, and I'd extend that to supplements as well. But it's plain to see that supplements have a safety record that prescription drugs can't even dream of. Supplements in general are indeed safe.
SLC