ResearchSafe

NSI-189 phosphate, six weeks in, my honest take on the hippocampal volume claim

Posted by sleep_coastal in Cognitive & Nootropic - 5 points, 6 comments.

Been running NSI-189 phosphate at around 60mg daily for about six weeks now. Figured I'd share what I actually noticed since there's not a ton of real-world reporting on this one. The hippocampal neurogenesis angle is what got my attention, and the idea that you could get measurable volume changes on MRI is pretty wild if it holds up.

Anecdotally, the first ten days were rough. Headaches, kinda agitated, sleep got worse before it got better. Almost bailed. Glad I stuck it out though because around week three something shifted. Felt like my working memory was a bit sharper, nothing dramatic, just less fumbling for words. Mood felt more stable too, though that could be a dozen other things.

The insomnia piece is real though. I moved my dose to morning and that helped a lot. Taking it late afternoon was a mistake, kept me wired till 2am.

I don't have before-and-after MRI so I can't speak to the volume claim personally. That's the part I'm most curious about. Has anyone here actually tracked hippocampal volume with imaging while running this? Would love to hear if anyone's seen something concrete there. The cognitive effects for me are subtle enough that I keep wondering if it's just placebo.

Comments

  • kenji_runs: Honestly the hippocampal volume thing is what bugs me about nsi-189. The original rodent data looked decent but the human trial that got everyone excited was phase 1 and i don't think the volume data ever got properly published? Just conference abstracts i reckon. Happy to be wrong if someone has the actual paper. 60mg is a fair bit too, the trials used something like 40-120mg range i think but most anecdotal reports i've seen were lower. You getting any palpitations or anything cardiovascular?
  • nina489: The volume data thing bugs me too. I looked for the actual paper a while back and basically only found the conference abstract and some secondary references to it. Never saw a full published result, no? That alone makes me skeptical of the whole hippocampal angle. On cardiovascular, I have not noticed palpitations but I also stay closer to 40mg. Maybe worth not pushing higher until that QT stuff is clearer.
  • sleep_coastal: I agree about the lack of a full paper. It is super sketchy. Anecdotally, I have not felt any heart stuff like palpitations, but I am definitely closer to your 40mg range than my 60mg. I will probably scale back my dose to see if it helps with that insomnia I mentioned. Do you think the QT concerns are mostly from the higher doses or is it just a general risk with the compound?
  • tracker_jade: I haven’t felt any palpitations or heart‑racing on 60mg daily, just the early headache and agitation that faded. I keep an eye on my pulse though, and if anything felt off I’d drop the dose. Glad you’re cautious about the QT talk.
  • sleep_coastal: I actually didnt mention palpitations in my post, but it is a to watch for. I have not felt any heart racing myself, just that nasty insomnia and the headaches during those first ten days. Anecdotally, my pulse has stayed pretty steady. I am keeping the dose at 60mg for now since the memory stuff seems to be working, but I will definitely keep an eye on it like you are doing.
  • sleep_coastal: Yeah you're right about the volume data, I never found a full paper either. Just conference abstracts and a lot of people repeating the claim. That bugs me too. I went in knowing it was thin evidence but figured I'd see what it felt like regardless. No palpitations so far. The QT prolongation chatter is exactly why I kept it at 60 and didn't push higher. Have you seen anything concrete on that or was it just forum talk? That's the one thing that'd make me stop cold.

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.