I think your preventative approach makes some sense. I am curious why you take modafinil, and how often and in what dosages?
This I took as an experiment for mood uplifting and motivation (I’m not aware of any preventative or longevity benefits) and it is a very powerful substance. I took 50mg and yes, it makes a difference in mood and motivation though I did experience a couple side effects such as It increased my appetite drastically basically, I was hungry no matter how much I ate, plus there was a significant late afternoon crush (I took the dose in the morning). so, I’m not going to take it very often, only on rare occasion I might need a boost at work or at a certain social setting.
I am using Selegiline though regularly which had very similar uplifting mood effect as modafinil and helps me with inflammation, but I have witnessed no side effects. so, I’ve been taking Selegiline for 10 days now and intend to use it perhaps forever…I only take 1.25mg in the morning under my tongue but might up the dose to 2.5 in the future. btw, just placed an order for 600 selegiline 5mg tablets and that should last me 4-6 years depending on dose I settle on. .
Switch to Pitavastatin which does not affect insulin sensitivity but still lowers cholesterol like the other statins. This is what I do. You simply have to pay more or buy it from India or Shenzhen. Fortunately, the manufacturing plant for Pitavastatin is an hour drive north of where I live and the pharmacies around there sell it Indian cheap.
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You are mistaken. I have never said I didn’t like statins. Statins are an important drug class of great value. My point is what you said “every medication…has adversely consequences”. Many people do not consider that. Those adverse effects weigh heavier if the benefits are negligible.
My argument is not against the use of statins. It’s against using statins if they’re not adding a benefit.
Many people in the forum take statins because “normal” isn’t good enough.
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Thats an interesting question. I dont take statins. Setting up a poll may have merit.
Thanks for your response. I have used modafinil from time to time when I really need to focus on a project and get it done or at least make substantial progress. Contrary to your experience, it reduces my appetite, proving once again that individuals often react differently to a substance. I take it in the morning and start to feel great and focused about 40 minutes later. I stay in that zone for several hours, and then start to come down. The one drawback for me is the crash that comes later. Feel jittery and no longer able to work with much concentration; tired but takes longer than usual to get to sleep.
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Other than the appetite which seems we have opposite effects the rest is exactly the same. I wonder what the dose was you felt best? The highest I’ve used is 50mg and would like to increase it but I’m afraid I might start levitating and not being able to touch the ground again LOL
What does that mean? What is good enough?
I’d say good enough is less than 70 and ideally 50- 60. Mine was 124 last time I checked thus I’m taking Pita 1-2mg and Ezetimibe 5-10mg.
You have been a forum member for quite some time. You must have noticed in various threads that we have rehashed LDL-C and statin pros and cons and dosages ad nauseam. The lines were drawn on both sides, from Dr. Lipid suggesting as low as possible to Kausik K. Ray, MD et al.'s “literature-based meta-analysis did not find evidence for the benefit of statin therapy on all-cause mortality in a high-risk primary prevention setup.”
You can have the last word. I am putting this year’s long forum debate to rest as far as I am concerned.
I am following the theory that the LDL-C sweet spot is between >30 mg/dL and <70 mg/dL. And if you need statins to reach this level, that is for you to decide.
“LDL-C levels <70 mg/dL (<1.8 mmol/L) were linked to a 26% decreased risk of all-cause dementia and a 28% decreased risk of ADRD, compared with having LDL-C levels ≥130 mg/dL (≥3.4 mmol/L) in cohorts matched at 1:1 ratio”
"However, LDL-C levels <30 mg/dL (<0.8 mmol/L) did not exhibit reduced dementia risk compared with the LDL-C ≥130 mg/dL (≥3.4 mmol/L) group.
Our findings support the notion of an inverted J-shaped relationship, as we observed that LDL-C levels below 30 mg/dL (0.8 mmol/L) did not show a reduced risk of dementia compared with levels >130 mg/dL (>3.4 mmol/L), contrary to what is typically observed with LDL-C levels <55 mg/dL (<1.4 mmol/L) or 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L). This finding suggests that LDL-C levels <30 mg/dL (<0.8 mmol/L) do not significantly increase dementia risk."
Very Low LDL Levels Slash Dementia Risk - Statins Helpful
Video “How I Use Statins to Unclog Arteries” ~ Dr. Ford Brewer, MD. One thought is to use statins to prevent clogged arteries in the first place.
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The idea is that lipoproteins like Lp(a)-apoB, TRL-apoB, and LDL-apoB are causal factors for atherosclerosis and increases risk of ASCVD.
Further they are causal in a cumulative way, where decreasing levels earlier has a larger effect than later.
Normal levels can be anything from the 5th to the 95th percentile of these lipoproteins, depending on your age, the latter is actually just a measure of how much you’ve already accumulated from lipids or other related risks.
Normal is definitely not good enough – when genetic studies demonstrate the effects from decreasing from the normal, we’re talking about a reduction in lifetime CHD events. Your target depends on your overall risk profile, usually below 20th-5th percentile.
You don’t really need a big dose of LLT to get to the target if diet is low in SFA and high in PUFA at the same time.
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Sounds like a good idea. The risk of diabetes with pitavastatin is not zero but it’s relatively lower than other statins and it is somewhat low as far as muscle side effects.
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Not wanting to start still another thread I am posting this here.
“Scott Carney, Investigative journalist, anthropologist and New York Times bestselling author explores consciousness, history, climate, artificial intelligence, war, and most of all, truth.”
Whether you agree with him or not, he has many videos exposing fraudulent YouTube health videos.
Still another warning to be careful lest we off ourselves. Let the geezers like me try them first.
Why are the Wellness Elite Getting Sepsis? | Mark Hyman and Jordan Peterson
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Hyman is on my list of do not trust. Peterson is a brilliant guy but health is not his area of expertise.
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It’s hard to be certain of anything when the placebo effect is so powerful. Aside from pharmaceuticals, the only supplements I am certain are doing something for me are (for good or bad I cannot say): green tea (caffeine), cacao (theobromine, caffeine), methylene blue, lithium orotate, creatine, grapefruit juice, beer/wine (alcohol). Everything else (only a few) is faith based.
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I think I will be switching to selegiline if I don’t experience adverse side effects.
Good luck on the new journey. I tried LDN and Selegeline over two years ago with no positive results. The LDN seemed to bring my mood down and I noticed nothing from Selgin. But, I don’t think I was using just 1 to 1.5 mg Selgin. Maybe that’s the key. Whatever the case, my foggy and dated research of that time is that Selgin will take longer before you notice anything, especially compared to Modafinil. But, as you normally do, keep us informed. If it works for you I may want to try it again with that lower 1 to 1.5 mg dose of Selegeline.
I certainly agree with you on your LDN experience. LDN did nothing positive. Currently, I am still happy with modafinil. I haven’t pushed the button on selegeline yet.
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I’m afraid for those that feel/felt nothing on LDN most likely they won’t feel much on selegiline either. For me they felt almost same except selegiline was a bit more potent (especially mg for mg), but neither was nowhere near modafinil. I think if I closed my eyes and took either LDN at 8mg (btw I now take 8mg LDN as 4.5mg’s wasn’t doing enough for me) or Selegiline at 2.5 mg I wouldn’t be able to know which one I took that’s how similar the effect is (basically LDN at a dose of about 4X to selegiline seems to have relatively same effect for me). Though neither gets near the positives of Moda but as stated earlier Modafinil gives me an afternoon crush, and weirdly It increases my appetite (not known to have this effect) and neither selegiline nor LDN gives me those sides.
I am constantly reminded of how effed up the supplement industry is. Somehow I missed this:
YouTube: “Cheap Creatine Isn’t Worth It: 2 Impurities May Surprise You”
(dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine)
Now, I have to wonder if I have also caused harm to myself from creatine supplements by not checking the sourcing. I have been primarily using BulkSupplements, but I have also used Horbäach.
Bulk Supplements sources from China, and they do not test for dicyandiamide or dihydrotriazine. I do not know about Horbäach, but since it is cheap, the same probably applies.
YouTube: “Cheap Creatine Isn’t Worth It: 2 Impurities May Surprise You”
(dicyandiamide and dihydrotriazine)
The cheapest alternative that I have found that is sourced from Germany is: MYOXCIENCE found on Amazon and other sources.
Is MYOXCIENCE a Safe Bet?
Yes. MYOXCIENCE uses a specific raw material called Creavitalis®, which is produced by AlzChem in Germany.
- Gold Standard Sourcing: Creavitalis is the wellness-focused sister brand to Creapure®. Both are manufactured in a dedicated facility in Germany using a patented “closed-system” process.
- Purity Guarantee: Because it is German-made and pharmaceutical-grade, it is guaranteed to be 99.9% pure.
- Testing: It is specifically batch-tested to ensure DHT is undetectable and DCD levels are far below safety limits set by international standards.
Dicyandiamide and Dihydrotriazine
In trace amounts, these chemicals are generally considered to have low acute toxicity for humans, but they are viewed as significant indicators of poor manufacturing quality—particularly in creatine supplements.
- Dicyandiamide (DCD)
This is a precursor used in the synthesis of creatine. While it is not considered highly toxic at typical supplement levels, it is a marker of incomplete purification.
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Safety Thresholds: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends that DCD levels should not exceed 50 mg/kg in finished products. Some lower-quality generic supplements have been found to exceed 100 mg/kg.
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Potential Risks: Chronic high exposure in animal studies has shown potential effects on the kidneys and liver, though human data at supplement dosages is limited.
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Chemical Hazard: In an extremely acidic environment like the stomach, there is a theoretical risk it could convert into more toxic hydrogen cyanide, though this is not commonly reported from standard supplement use.
- Dihydrotriazine (DHT)
Dihydrotriazine is a byproduct of non-optimized chemical production. It is considered more concerning than dicyandiamide due to its chemical structure.
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Carcinogenic Potential: While specific human toxicity data is lacking, DHT is structurally related to known carcinogens, leading many researchers and quality-control experts to recommend avoiding products that contain it.
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Usage Context: It is most frequently identified in creatine manufactured using lower-grade raw materials or less refined processes.
How to Minimize Risk
Because dietary supplements are not strictly regulated for purity before they hit the market, these “trace” chemicals often go undetected by consumers.
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov) +2
- Look for Third-Party Testing: Choose products with seals from organizations like NSF International, Informed Sport, or USP. These groups test for contaminants and verify that what is on the label matches what is in the bottle.
- Source Matters: Higher-quality creatine, such as that labeled as Creapure (sourced from Germany), is widely recognized for using a specific water-washing process that eliminates these impurities.
- Check the FDA Recalls: You can monitor the FDA’s Recalls and Safety Alerts for supplements that have been flagged for adulteration or contamination.
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