Probably the only nootropic that I have taken and felt a real impact is 5-HTP. However, the impact I saw was not what I had expected.
My wife picked up some at Costco a while back to see if it would help lower my anxiety. I didn’t notice any real impact there. But when I took it in the evenings, I found myself drinking alcohol less. I did some research, and I discovered that 5-HTP has been shown to reduce one’s desire to drink.
Now, I just take 100 mg as soon as I get home from work, and I’m good to go for the evening.
As for the supplement, it is expensive. I tried to save some $$$ by buying bulk powder, which I now regret. 100 mg is tough to accurately measure without a higher-end scale; plus the powder is fluffy, cohesive, and insoluble. Next time I’ll pick up some pure 5-HTP pre-made capsules for a little extra cash.