DMAE
Also known as 2-dimethylaminoethanol, Deanol aceglumate, Deanol acetamidobenzoate, Deanol benzilate, Deanol bisorcate, Deanol cyclohexylpropionate, Deanol hemisuccinate, Deanol pidolate, Deanol tartrate, Dimethylaminoethanol, Dimethylethanolamine.
I was at a 2600 meeting last night when a fellow hacker mentioned DMAE to me. He told me that he bought it at a health food store and took some, and it caused him to think extremely clearly and quickly. Now I am not one to trust all of those bullshit herbal supplements, but this sounded extremely tempting. He said it could temporarily increase your IQ by 15%. Imagine if that were true . . . I thought. Then I decided, it's worth it to do a little more research rather than writing the whole idea off.
Now I, despite my supposed brilliance, I suffer from a very extreme case of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, and am the type who will head off to do some simple thing like go use the latrine, and within twenty seconds forget where I am going. Too many thoughts, too many ideas, too many things to be distracted by . . . most medicines aren't safe to take whilst breastfeeding. What can a person of my same misfortune do?
DMAE. Most drugs don't interest me. Who would want to lose their inhibition/get wired/hallucinate willingly? I can't find the pleasure in it, and thus conlclude these people who do are nuts. But to think clearly? To think more quickly? Like unclogging a drain in my head and opening the way to all kinds of new thoughts and ideas. Brilliant ones, no less! I think I'll give DMAE a try . . .
2-dimethylaminoethanol
Dosage: 100-500mg taken orally. As with any medication, start off at a lower dosage first. Take during the early part of your day, as DMAE can cause insomnia if taken before you sleep.
Purpose: Generally causes a person to be more alert and focused. Potential for use in people with ADHD. In correct dosages, DMAE has also been reported to cause vivid dreams. DMAE has also been reported to minimize lipofuscin buildup in the brain and enhance acetylcholine synthesis.
Side Effects: DMAE may possibly cause headaches, drowsiness, confusion, depression, insomnia, overstimulation, restlessness, vivid dreams, high blood pressure, hypomania, constipation, and urticaria. Every person is different. You may experience few or several side effects.
DO NOT TAKE THIS SUPPLEMENT if you experience a neurological disorder such as schizophrenia or depression (as DMAE can aggrivate such disorders), have tardive dyskinesia, have high blood pressure, or are taking anticholinergic drugs (as it decreases their effect). Do not take this drug with other herbs or supplements.
Background Info: The DMAE based drug, Deanol, was marketed in the early eighties by Riker Laboratiories under the brand name "Deaner" as a prescription drug for treatment of hyperactivity disorders in children. It was taken off of the market because efficacy of the drug was not sufficiently established. Children diagnosed with behavioural disorders showed significant improvement in clinical trials with Deanol.
Is it safe? When used appropriately, yes. I suggest you talk to your doctor before taking DMAE, though. Do not exceed the recommended dosage. Drug class is unknown as no studies have been conducted of use in pregnant and nursing women. If you are pregnant or nursing, play it safe and wait until you aren't anymore if you are going to take this supplement.
CONCLUSION: I personally plan on trying this supplement sometime after I am no longer nursing. After doing all of this research, I've concluded that it seems safe enough to try. Remember when taking supplements to do as much research as you can, and get your doctor's approval first, too.
To name a few sources:
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/hm.html - Quackwatch.org
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1092513&dopt=Abstract - National Library of Medicine PubMed
http://www.raysahelian.com/dmae.html - Ray Sahelian, M.D.
http://www.immunesupport.com/glossary/d.htm - immunesupport.com