What would you add to a 80+ year olds stack for learning and memory?

#1

Here is the stack of the 80+ year old.

  1. GLP1 (ozempic)
  2. Statin (atorvastatin)
  3. Sulfonylureas (Gliclazide)
  4. Ace inhibitor (ramapril)
  5. Metformin and Sitagliptin
  6. Beta Blocker (bisoprolol)
  7. Pantoprazole
  8. Aspirin (81mg)
  9. Sometimes use a multi vitamin & mineral, various vaccines etc.

In good health. No issues with blood tests or imaging scans.
Though the issue is more with using computers and remembering how to use it, typing well etc.
To think more logically, better typing speed etc.

They have been using a computer for decades (only minimally, a few hours a week on average) but the skill acquisition does not seem to stick or progress if you get what I am trying to say.
Forget some basic computer stuff at times, which is the most concerning.

Not sure to add to the stack, or try something else. Any ideas welcome.
Maybe some type of computer tutorials for windows or whatever?

Perhaps get a different computer?
They use a laptop and it might be too small for them (keyboard, and screen), perhaps an all in 1 computer with touch screen and bigger keyboard?

Try video games? They were doing a typing game and were getting better at typing speed & progressing, but once they stopped it, their typing went back to using a few fingers to type out whatever instead of using all fingers.

In regards to their lifestyle, they sleep around 6 -7hours, but it’s a bit broken sleep like say sleep from 10pm to 3am or 4am, make a coffee, go back to bed for 30mins to an hour.
Then start the day with more coffee and food. Maybe no coffee after 3pm or so?
As they do use coffee sometimes around 6 or 8pm. 1 glass of wine perhaps 3 times a week.

Energy and thinking is good for the age, but the computer type thinking is not so good.
-Perhaps try a sleep medication such as zopiclone? They do not like melatonin very much due to morning grogginess.

-Do blood test for hormones? Maybe eventually try testosterone if lower than 300 level?

-Any thoughts on other foods, supplements or meds? (higher protein? acetylcholine type medication? Modafinil? more eggs or fatty fish? creatine?

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#2

I would try adding ketones. MCT might work, it’s the cheapest form. Go slow with this if you haven’t tried it before. Salts work great for me, but it seems to take quite a bit. I buy it by the bag. The esters are great, but absolutely horrid tasting. I quit after one tub. They hit so hard I would get a buzz. Good stuff all.

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#3

Got an update on this person. They did a blood test which tested some markers they’ve never tested before. They were still on the same stack posted above, plus 1000 vit d/day. No multi vitamin.

-B12 levels: 200 - a bit low, so started to supplement 1000mcg b12/day.
-Vitamin d: 72 nmol/l, just outside normal range, considering to double up and take 2,000IU/day.
-TSH (thyroid): 1.35, good.
-Ferritin: 72, ok.
-RBC: 4.4, a bit low. B12 might help this also.
-Testosterone (total): 483 ng/dl, good.

It’s not rare to see people online say statins or any of the above medication lowers testosterone, when it’s not the case for everyone.
I was surprised to see testosterone at this level.
This person has been on a high dose statin for around 25 years, and taken some of the other meds listed above probably for around the same time.

Though they don’t like taking so many pills as they call it (unlike most of us here) - I’m guessing that a multi vitamin & mineral with some boron, an Rx of dutasteride (or finasteride), a PDE5i (cialis, viagra etc), and some weight lifting (or more cardio/walking) could get the testosterone levels possibly to around 600ng/dl - 800ng/dl.

#4

FWIW…

Add Glycine and NACET( yes NACET not NAC) using the original Baylor published dosing.

AI-generated answer.

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The original Baylor College of Medicine GlyNAC trial protocol administered glycine at 1.33 mmol/kg/day and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) at 0.81 mmol/kg/day (often cited as 0.1 mmol/kg/day in weight-based approximations, resulting in ~1.33g glycine and ~1.33g NAC for a 70kg adult) once daily for 16 to 24 weeks .

Key Protocol Details

  • Dosage : Approximately 1.33 grams of glycine and 1.33 grams of NAC per day for a 70 kg individual.
  • Duration : Interventions were conducted for 16 weeks and 24 weeks .
  • Administration : Capsules were taken once daily , though specific timing (morning vs. evening) was not strictly mandated in the trial.
  • Participants : The pilot trial focused on older adults (aged 70–80), while a subsequent 2023 RCT tested various doses (1.2g to 5.4g) in older adults.
  • Context : This high-dose protocol was designed to correct glutathione deficiency by providing both rate-limiting precursors, glycine and cysteine (via NAC), simultaneously.

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#5

All good guidance and I would first want to rule out possible statin induced brain fog – not common but real – B12, etc.

With that in mind, the intervention for which we have abundant positive evidence is vigorous exercise appropriate to your level of fitness. Progressive all body resistance training ~2-3 times per week. a HIIT program reaching near maximum heart rate once per week, some form of Zone 2 exercise most days.

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#6

I do not mean to minimize these issues. Your aggregate perceptions are likely the most trustworthy. However, new things “not sticking” is somewhat common at 80 and not a sign of more substantive deterioration.

To add to my comment above, if pathology is developing rapidly I recommend a good structural assessment. We are at the edge of breakthroughs.

#7

That dose is pretty low which is good.
He did mention to possibly try a RTD (ready to drink) protein shake with 30g per day, so that’s a start.
I’ll share this info with him. He’s not into longevity like us here lol.
So it will be hard to sell him on adding 5-10 extra products.

That’s good to hear. I’l pass on some of those ideas you mentioned above with training.

#8

At 80, high levels of NAC need a kidney function check.

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#9

Review the original paper, it is 1.33mg per kg of body weight.for the glycine

On other threads on this forum is a link to the original paper

AI is not correct all the time

AI-generated answer.

Please verify critical facts.

…a simplified rule of 100 mg/kg/day for both compounds, which aligns with the molar calculations used in the trials (approx. 6.7 g glycine and 6.7 g NAC for a 70 kg person).

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#10

A memory stack that works for me: (By that I mean that I definitely feel subjective results.)

Galantamine, 8 mg, morning and evening (don’t take right before bedtime unless you want vivid dreams).

Bacopa Monnieri, 2 grams, standardized to 50% Bacosides

L-Ergothioneine (EGT) 25 mg morning and evening.

Cognizin Citicoline, 500 mg, morning and evening. There is no head-to-head clinical evidence proving that Cognizin is biologically superior to plain, generic citicoline (CDP-choline) of equal purity.

C8 oil powder, 8 grams, in my morning coffee

Creatine, 8-10 grams, in my morning coffee. There is a growing body of clinical evidence that creatine aids cognition—specifically memory and executive function, mostly in older adults.

I do take NAC, glycine, etc., but not specifically for memory.

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#11

Good to know, thanks!

Yeah, that’s a much higher dosage. Thanks for the clarification.

That’s a nice stack for sure. I’ll tell him about this, and that you are in your 80’s as well IIRC.
Looks like you dropped the modafinil.

#12

Aside from ruining a great pour over :anguished:, do you find that you get a consistent energy boost from C8 oil powder? Is AM the only time you take it?

#13

Some things to consider: read about them as they are not studied via any vigorous RCT’s.

Lithium orotate: I take 1 mg daily. Was taking 5 mg. Developed edema and read that lithium orotate can cause. No edema at 1 mg

Intranasal insulin --have been taking for over a year. Cannot tell if it has helped but no bad effects.

PDE5 inhibitor, eg tadalafil --purportedly enhances blood/oxygen perfusion in the brain. Have been taking for about a year, and no effects that I can perceive.

So, these are three low risk, inexpensive interventions with some suggestive data but nothing conclusive.

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#14

Once they got good at typing using the game perhaps they should have started writing more often? Writing is quite mentally stimulating.

Yes stop after 3pm at least. Decaf can be used after this time.

I wouldn’t jump straight to this. Try high dose glycine and taurine. Up to 30g glycine and 6g taurine. Try to alter caffeine intake. Utilize exercise during the day to make them more sleepy at night. Morning sunlight exposure, and reduce blue light exposure later in the night. Try everything that isn’t a sleep drug first.

Yes look into this. This sometimes is all it can take to give people zest for life back.

I’m not seeing the word “exercise” anywhere in this. I’d also start a cautious exercise regimen to build muscle, strength, cardio and flexibility. Start small, slowly build up.

Creatine is good for this age group. I’d probably go higher protein. Modafinil is fun but I would resolve the caffeine, exercise, hormone and sleep issues first before adding in additional levers like this.

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#15

I agree with this choice.
No insulin at this time because they do run low blood sugars already sometimes with their stack + nutrition, so they gotta be careful.
Lithium would be a hard sell, but I think it would be good to try.

Yeah, keeping up with the writing would have been ideal.
They prefer watching tv & movies, and reading books.

I agree but he does not like decaf.

Haha he’s not like us here with high dose amino acids and other supplements.
Would be a good idea to perhaps try baking something like a big cookie or donut with the creatine, glycine, taurine and whatever else. That’s the only way I could see someone like him taking many supplements at once.

Walking or house work is the only exercise.
I’ve asked him to workout at the gym, or try push ups - the reply was a no to both.
Saw some good stuff on this forum about zopliclone from a study, so that’s why I mentioned it.

Actually, this thread was made back in Nov 2025, so I just updated it this week with the blood testosterone result above which was 483. Much higher than I expected.

Creatine would be a solid choice.

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#16

No, I have not dropped modafiinil.
I take it primary to lift old age morning fog and for it’s wakefulness properties.

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#17

Exercise ergometer aim to reach 100 watt / 45 min, 3 times a week.

Multivitamin, Centrum Silver if it’s not too large, to reduce morbidity from nutrient deficiencies and improve cognition.

Encourage healthy eating and hydration but recognize appetite might reduce so eating enough becomes important.

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#18

I don’t find that to be true at all. I am particular about my coffee; I grind my coffee beans at the time I make my morning coffee. After the coffee is brewed I add the Nutricost C8 MCT Oil Powder and use a “SIMPLETASTE Milk Frother Handheld Electric Foam Maker, Drink Mixer.” The C8 powder dissolves very well. The C8 powder is very much like adding cream to your coffee. It doesn’t ruin the taste at all.

Basically, I do keto in the morning. No carbohydrates. I eat two meals a day, breakfast and supper, which is not keto. If I feel hungry during the day, I have a protein shake. The object is to keep an even energy level throughout the day.

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#19

Thanks. I was wondering specifically about the C8 but perhaps you have not assessed its near term effects in isolation. I doubt that I could answer that question about many of the supplements I take in combination.

As for the spoons that measure out our lives, I’m pretty sure the world can be neatly divided into two parts: those who tolerate adulteration of their coffee and those who do not.

#20

I am trying to understand why some people suffer from morning grogginess when taking melatonin at night. I take a massive dose, 1 gram at night, and I have no morning grogginess.

I asked Gemini Pro 3.1 for an explanation.

FWIW: (a tidy, selected summary of the relevant answers):

The grogginess isn’t caused by the melatonin itself, but by the fact that the hormone is still active in the bloodstream when the person is trying to wake up.

The morning grogginess people complain about usually comes down to two distinct factors: individual liver metabolism (which explains why your high dose doesn’t bother you) and the exact sleep maintenance issue you pointed out.

Here is what is actually happening beneath the surface.

The “Melatonin Hangover” (Metabolism)
Melatonin is meant to have a very short half-life in the body — typically 20 to 50 minutes. Your liver processes it using an enzyme called CYP1A2.

However, individual livers process this hormone at drastically different speeds:

Fast Metabolizers: Your liver clears melatonin efficiently. Even though you take a very large dose, your body processes it and clears it from your bloodstream before morning. By the time you wake up, your levels have dropped back to their natural daytime baseline.

Slow Metabolizers: Some people have less active CYP1A2 enzymes due to genetics, age, or interactions with other medications. For them, a standard dose lingers in the blood for 8 to 10 hours. When their alarm goes off, their brain is still flooded with a biological “sleep signal,” resulting in that heavy, groggy feeling.

Melatonin is a chronobiotic (a sleep initiator), not a traditional sedative. It signals the brain that it’s time to sleep, reducing the time it takes to nod off. It does almost nothing to maintain sleep. If someone suffers from sleep fragmentation—waking up at 3:00 AM due to a warm room, a blood sugar drop, stress, or sleep apnea—melatonin will not keep them asleep

When these people wake up exhausted the next morning, they often blame melatonin for making them “groggy,” when in reality they are just experiencing the severe fatigue of fragmented, low-quality sleep.