Thread: Galantamine having no effect?

Originally Posted by moe007

Ive tried Galantamine 3 times now. All three times, it only made me stay up from the time I took it, for 2 hours, then fall asleep regularly.

No lucids, no HI, not even SP. Just got a little numb, and my heart was beating faster.

Also, ive heard that alot of people complain about side effects. Ive had none so far.

Ive tried 4mg-500mg choline once, and 8mg galantamine-700 choline twice. Both had almost no side effects, nor worked. I woke up feeling a little lightheaded. But nothing noticeable, like nausea or GI pain.

The fact that it doesnt effect me isnt what bothers me. Its that I cant get lucid. ... Ive been trying everything, for a long time. I finally thought Galantamine would work. And nothing.

I went to sleep and woke up 5 hours later. Took the 8mg galantamine and 700mg choline, and went to sleep. I know it takes it 45 mins to peak plasma levels, but that doesnt bother me because it would take me 45 mins to WILD.

So i started the WILD, and eventually i started feeling my limbs get numb. But No flying sensations, falling, or sheets moving. Which usually happens to me. Also no HI. I didnt see anything, nor hear it.

...I know for a fact that I have a very strong tolerance to everything. But people say 4mg galantamine is very powerful for them, and Ive tried the 8mg and still didnt feel anything.

Oh and i have the Galantamind 4mg/200mg choline bottle, so im sure its not a fake or empty pill.


Should i try 12mg galantamine-1000mg choline?

It sure sounds like you've tried everything moe007.

Are you a smoker by any chance?

It seems like the galantamine doesn't work nearly as well for smokers.

Also, the chemical make up in a persons body at the time they take the galantamine seems to have a profound effect on how effective it is.

I had been taking St. Johns Wort for quite some time before I began taking the galantamine to raise my seritonin level which had been causing me to have really vivid dreams already.

So when I started taking the galantamine it was very effective, even with only 4mg of it, although I later raised it to 8mg.

Now, after having taken it close to 40 times with over 80 percent success, it has really started becoming ineffective lately.

But I think I know why, so I am cutting back on some other things like GABA that I had been taking every day, as I think this may have made me more insensitive to the galantamine.

You would probably be better off checking into some other products like St Johns Wort or 5-HTP that help raise the seritonin level, and taking these before going to bed, rather than taking any more of the galantamine than you are currently taking

I am a nonsmoker.

I usually take 5-HTP supplements 3-4 nights a week, for vivid dreaming and increasing serotonin levels.

Ive read Yuschaks book, read just about everything on the forums. Tried 5-htp, melatonin, amino acid blend, galantamine.. everything.

I just have a strong tolerance to everything.



Im stuck. I dont know what to do.

12mg galantamine?

I think that you should learn how to have lucid dreams without supplements before you waste any more money.

We've wondered if people would be able to go from being non-lucid dreamers to lucid dreamers just by using supplements. I thought not because you still go thru the same thought processes in the dreams when you are lucid. I know that other people who aren't trying to become lucid who have taken the supplements report having vivid dreams, but they aren't automatically lucid dreams (even if they know that lucid dreams exist.)

So, unfortunately, maybe you should go back to natural for a while, get your techniques worked out and do whatever it is that makes your brain able to become lucid, then come back and use the supplements. I think you'll save a lot of time and money in the long run.

Have you spent enough time working on techniques for inducing lucid dreams? Instaed or reading Yuschak, read LaBerge.

I agree with Moonbeam. I also use supplements quite often, as it does bias the situation in your favor. However, without a good foundation of classic techniques, your trying to run before you walk.

It takes time to experiment with different methods, finding one which works for you. Please stick with those efforts for a while until you can Lucid dream maybe a few times a month. Then experiment with lucid aids. You'll do better in the long run.

Ive had 3 lucids before, and Ive already read LaBerges book.

but they were a long time ago, and I have been in a dry spell for a year.


Ive tried everything

Originally Posted by moe007

Ive had 3 lucids before, and Ive already read LaBerges book.

but they were a long time ago, and I have been in a dry spell for a year.

Ive tried everything

It certainly sound like you have tried everything moe007.

The only thing I might suggest is to vary your approach to using the galantamine a little.

Since 8mg of galantamine is already keeping you awake for 2 hours, taking more would probably just keep you awake longer, which would not be good at all.

So instead of taking a higher dose, you might just try concentrating on getting to sleep after you take it so that awareness that is keeping you awake for 2 hours might be able to get into your dreams and cause you to realize you are dreaming.

To get to sleep you might try not staying up so long before going back to bed, or just going back to bed immediately after taking it.

You might also try taking 200 to 300 mg of L-Theanine with the galantamine as it can help in relaxing and falling asleep.

Galantamine is not some miracle supplement that automatically causes people to become lucid as certain companies like to advertise.

It just makes a person more mentally aware, which is why so many people have trouble falling asleep after taking it.

So, I would just work on trying to get to sleep faster, so that the galantamine which peaks after 90 minutes, can help make you aware in your dreams which should start occurring after about 90 minutes, right when the galantamine is peaking.

Best of luck to you, and I hope you get lucid real soon!

"I've tried everything" is a rather strong statement. Have you? There are many people who believe meditation is a great lucid aid, it's the corner stone of Tibetan Dream yoga. Have you read up on that subject in general, or at least tried to master meditation? Meditation is effective because it trains you to focus, quiet your mind and shut out extraneous thought. It's the extaneous thoughts which prevents you from lucidity. Think about it, every night you're caught upp in a dream fantasy. You get sucked into this fantasy mistaking the unreasonable for real, overreacting to pleasant and distasteful things, etc ... Most people in waking life are half asleep anyway. Practicing mindfulness while meditating and while awake in general will most certainly bleed into your dreamspace.

anyhow, if any of this resonates w/ you, check out the book by Rinpoche called "The Tibetan Yogas of dream and Sleep".

There are many wayes to induce lucidity. Keep searching. As I said before, there's a significant period of trial and error. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another.

I really have tried everything.

Ive done every different variation of WILD i can find, meditation, Astral projection, OBE, etc etc.

Ive tried supplements, nothing worked in lucidity except for the amino acid blend, and it worked only once.

Ive tried strengthening my recall, my reality checks throughout the day. everything.


I thought galantamine would push me over the edge that i got to with regular WILD.

the 3 times i tried galantamine, it kept me up for 2 hours, in semi-sleep paralysis state.

I was numb, but not paralyzed. Eventually i fell asleep, and dont remember any dreams.

Although, when i tried the amino acid blend, i fell asleep and had a VERY short lucid dream, ending a dry spell of over a year. Too bad it was only a 2 second lucid dream.



I litterally HAVE tried everything.



Can anybody explain EXACTLY how to use galantamine? In order to use it to its fullest potential?

Have you tried alpha-GPC as a choline source?

Also like iadr said, the theanine helps a lot to get back to sleep.

Ive tried theanine, but it just made me fall asleep. It didnt help in getting to SP or HI.

As for Alpha gpc? Ive heard of it, but why cant i just use regular Choline?

The doses ive tried and havnt worked are:

Galantamine/choline:

4mg/500mg
4/700
8/850

Even on the 8mg galantamine, nothing.


Is there something im doing wrong?

Wake up after 5 hours, take it, wait a little, go to sleep, WILD, try to enter SP and HI and SLIP into a dream.


I cant get to HI, i can get to semi-SP

Have you tried brainwave entrainment? Have you tried keeping completely still? That combination with Galantamind is what finally worked for me to get WILD.

I wangt to clarify some. When I suggest meditation, I am proposing a tool to re-train your mind. Like I said, most people are not very aware during the day. I hope you understand what I mean by that.

Meditation should allow you to develop better focus and awareness in general. However this is a long process. My claim would be the rewards are worth it.

Realistically though, you'll probably have to meditate at least 6 months or so before perceiving major noticable results.

Originally Posted by moe007

Is there something im doing wrong?

Wake up after 5 hours, take it, wait a little, go to sleep, WILD, try to enter SP and HI and SLIP into a dream.

I cant get to HI, i can get to semi-SP

Maybe try to wake after 4-4.5 hours instead of 5, and also maybe try to go to sleep right away after taking the supplements, without waiting.
You can also try to just fall asleep without trying to WILD ( go for a DILD ).
Also you can try without any 5-HTP or melatonin at bedtime.
Another thing to try is Galantamine/Choline + Amino blend. Yuschak's experience with it was that is caused shorter lucid episodes due to the increased likelihood of awakening, but since you have high resistance to supplements, it might work for you.