The risks of combining supplements

This is a cautionary story about what happened to an avid biohacker named Max. Always on the quest for optimal health and performance, Max delved into the world of supplements and compounds with unwavering enthusiasm, absorbing information from articles, forums, and podcasts on biohacking. Little did he know, this journey would lead him through a series of perilous encounters and valuable lessons.

In his pursuit of overcoming his depression, Max decided to experiment with Kanna, an herb known for its PDE4 inhibitory properties and Serotonin releasing effects. Wanting to improve his mood further, he paired it with 5-HTP, a serotonin precursor. He was also taking creatine for the performance enhancing and muscle growth benefits. Unbeknownst to Max, creatine is known to speed up the antidepressant effects of SSRIs and desensitize 5-HT1A auto receptors, likely contributing to enhanced serotonin release.

Unfortunately, this 3-supplement combination proved to be a dangerous cocktail, resulting in an episode of serotonin syndrome. Max experienced a racing heart, nausea, and a frantic dash to the bathroom. In a disoriented state, he slipped on the floor, vomiting uncontrollably. Muscles twitching out of control, Max attempted to stand up, holding his chest in distress and debating whether to call for an ambulance. Fortunately for Max, he slowly began to feel better a few hours later.

Undeterred by this scary pitfall, Max was determined to continue his biohacking journey. Believing he was taking Lions Mane for its nootropic, antioxidant and health benefits, he discovered that it left him with low motivation. But that wasn't his only problem. Max's wife expressed dissatisfaction over his vanished sex drive. Unraveling the mystery, after seeing our blog, Max found that Lions Mane agonized Kappa Opioid Receptors (KORs), reducing dopamine levels and affecting the motivation center, leading to his newfound apathy, and that it also increased dynorphin binding, thereby lowering his luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels.

After many bad experiences, and in his pursuit of overall health and desire to boost his fallen testosterone levels, Max decided he couldn't possibly go wrong incorporating a seemingly harmless vitamin D supplement into his regimen, however this supplement not only contained vitamin d, but calcium as well. Unaware of the delicate balance between vitamins and minerals, the absence of magnesium and vitamin K2 in his diet, coupled with the calcium supplement, resulted in hypercalcemia. After a few weeks, Max found himself grappling with heightened anxiety, restlessness and nausea, symptoms which reminded him of the serotonin syndrome incident and lead to him developing PTSD.

Max has since stopped all supplements except for the ones we have recommended to him and he's doing much better. He asked if we could share his story as a cautionary reminder, urging others to tread carefully in the vast landscape of biohacking to avoid the pitfalls that awaited the reckless and uninformed.

Supplements can have risks.

So, what are supplements for? They are designed to help you supplement a deficient state, and there can be various reasons why our bodies are in deficient states these days, with a significant contributor being modern society. This society has woven a web of traps that, if we don’t know how to navigate them, can leave us feeling sick and dysfunctional. 

So it makes sense for 'biohackers' to take supplements to enhance their well-being, but every supplement should be taken with intent and purpose. The last thing you want is for some supplements, designed to help you, be the reason you are not feeling great. You don't want to be on something that can worsen your risk of developing something. My background in electronic repair and design equips me with a rigorous and well-informed scientific methodology, providing a strong foundation for approaching male optimization.

So, everything I recommend here at Unyielding Vigor, including the lifestyle, nutrition and supplements contained within our courses, is backed by as much scientific literature as possible, all designed to help you avoid scary pitfalls.

Unleash Your Vigor and Conquer Your Limits,

-Brenden Henry