Safinamide – a clean dopamine booster that actually makes sense?

Deadpool99

Member
I am have been doing a shit ton of research on mental drive/motivation/mood and possible synergetic compounds with anabolics like tren that offer longer-term brain / CV safety.

Just wanted to share something that might be useful for guys running heavy cycles or anyone dealing with low drive / flat mood without wanting to touch stims.

What it is: (ChatGpt explanation here cuz I don't want to bother spelling it correctly.)
Safinamide is a reversible, selective MAO-B inhibitor that slightly raises dopamine and also tones down excess glutamate. No amphetamine-like stuff, no heart rate spikes, no insomnia. It’s been used in Parkinson’s patients long-term with a really good safety record.


So to my knowledge it seems to:
- Blocks the enzyme that breaks down dopamine which results in steadier levels, better mood and motivation.
- Reduces glutamate over-activity so thus you get less anxiety, irritability, and “wired but tired/followed by crash” feeling.
- Because it’s reversible and only hits MAO-B, there’s no weird diet or stimulant crash.

I plan on trying it, so no anecdotes yet but in theory it should be subtle at first and after a week or two you just do more things without forcing yourself. For example having to get tup walk, do errands and overall be motivated to just get up and do smth/anyth. Energy and focus should feel smoother, not jittery.

Between all the drugs and meds, my main concern was 3 things, QT prolongation, Insomnia risk, issues with BP/HR.
This ticks all the boxes, it doesn’t kill sleep if you take it before noon (even 1 pm is fine if you sleep late like me), it may actually improve sleep.

Why I think it matters for gear users:
Tren and other 19-nors can wreck dopamine balance and crank up glutamate, which is what causes the irritability, anxiety, and brain fog. Safinamide helps level that out and might even be neuroprotective, basically helps your brain tolerate the cycle better.

Dosing data:
50 mg in the morning, can go up to 100 mg if needed.
No taper needed if you stop.


Safety / what to avoid:
only issue is Don’t mix with serotonin-raising stuff (SSRIs, SNRIs, tramadol, MDMA, 5-HTP, St. John’s Wort, etc.).
Otherwise safe with test / tren / mast / GH / heart meds / supplements.
No BP or HR issues, no dependence.


Bottom line:
If you want daily motivation and mood support without stims or sleep issues, this is one of the cleanest things out there. Great add-on if you’re blasting, cruising, or just tired of feeling mentally flat.

Disclaimer:
This was smth that peaked my interest and possibly will experiment with it.
This post is for information only and not medical advice.
Everyone’s medical background and stack are different, do your own research, check for interactions, and get proper labs before starting anything new.
 
Overall what are y'alls thoughts on the compound.
Anyone with experience with it?
Is it much different than other selective MAO-B inhibitors?

I am quite tired and possibly wrong about this, but shouldn't other dopaminergic drugs like Bupropion then work similarly?
 
Is it much different than other selective MAO-B inhibitors?

I am quite tired and possibly wrong about this, but shouldn't other dopaminergic drugs like Bupropion then work similarly?
I actually got Bupropion from TelyRx and I decided to wait on it. As I wasn’t fully confident, and there was a seizure risk when using clen/t3 so I definitely had to wait and research more.

Bupropion hits harder, but it’s rougher. It blocks dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake directly, so you get a quick spike in motivation, focus, and energy, sometimes even mild euphoria. The downside is that it pushes the sympathetic system: higher heart rate, higher blood pressure, more anxiety, and insomnia are common. It also lowers the seizure threshold at higher doses and tends to burn through dopamine faster, so you can feel drained if you stop suddenly. It’s a “push” drug, good for a short-term kick, not for stability.

Safinamide, on the other hand, doesn’t force dopamine out, it slows its breakdown and smooths glutamate activity. That means cleaner, steadier energy and focus without overstimulation. It doesn’t touch heart rate or blood pressure, doesn’t affect sleep much, and actually protects dopamine neurons from oxidative stress instead of stressing them. It builds a sustainable baseline of mood and motivation that holds up long-term.

So yeah, bupropion feels stronger, but at the cost of more stress and side effects.

Safinamide is milder, but far cleaner and safer, the better choice if you want something you can run daily without wrecking sleep, BP, or mental balance.
 
I actually got Bupropion from TelyRx and I decided to wait on it. As I wasn’t fully confident, and there was a seizure risk when using clen/t3 so I definitely had to wait and research more.

Bupropion hits harder, but it’s rougher. It blocks dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake directly, so you get a quick spike in motivation, focus, and energy, sometimes even mild euphoria. The downside is that it pushes the sympathetic system: higher heart rate, higher blood pressure, more anxiety, and insomnia are common. It also lowers the seizure threshold at higher doses and tends to burn through dopamine faster, so you can feel drained if you stop suddenly. It’s a “push” drug, good for a short-term kick, not for stability.

Safinamide, on the other hand, doesn’t force dopamine out, it slows its breakdown and smooths glutamate activity. That means cleaner, steadier energy and focus without overstimulation. It doesn’t touch heart rate or blood pressure, doesn’t affect sleep much, and actually protects dopamine neurons from oxidative stress instead of stressing them. It builds a sustainable baseline of mood and motivation that holds up long-term.

So yeah, bupropion feels stronger, but at the cost of more stress and side effects.

Safinamide is milder, but far cleaner and safer, the better choice if you want something you can run daily without wrecking sleep, BP, or mental balance.
From a pure “Boost” and immediate response Bupropion clearly will get u there, but at such higher risks, many drug interactions, dependence/tolerance. And gives you that “Stim” effects which leads to crash later on, making it worse in the long game.

Imo Safinamide is a daily driver and can be used long term even as a protective manner. Which is a great bonus. Most other stuff I saw had a significant drawback but this one seems to be the best bet.
 
I actually got Bupropion from TelyRx and I decided to wait on it. As I wasn’t fully confident, and there was a seizure risk when using clen/t3 so I definitely had to wait and research more.

Bupropion hits harder, but it’s rougher. It blocks dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake directly, so you get a quick spike in motivation, focus, and energy, sometimes even mild euphoria. The downside is that it pushes the sympathetic system: higher heart rate, higher blood pressure, more anxiety, and insomnia are common. It also lowers the seizure threshold at higher doses and tends to burn through dopamine faster, so you can feel drained if you stop suddenly. It’s a “push” drug, good for a short-term kick, not for stability.

Safinamide, on the other hand, doesn’t force dopamine out, it slows its breakdown and smooths glutamate activity. That means cleaner, steadier energy and focus without overstimulation. It doesn’t touch heart rate or blood pressure, doesn’t affect sleep much, and actually protects dopamine neurons from oxidative stress instead of stressing them. It builds a sustainable baseline of mood and motivation that holds up long-term.

So yeah, bupropion feels stronger, but at the cost of more stress and side effects.

Safinamide is milder, but far cleaner and safer, the better choice if you want something you can run daily without wrecking sleep, BP, or mental balance.
Edit: I believe Bupropion isn’t a neurotoxin per say, it doesn’t directly kill neurons or cause structural brain damage like methamphetamine or MPTP. But because it’s a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, it raises catecholamine turnover in the brain.

So basically my understanding is that:
- More metabolic stress on dopaminergic neurons.

- More potential for oxidative wear, especially if you already have other oxidative or inflammatory loads (e.g., Tren, GH, sleep deprivation, stimulants).

Over time, that oxidative stress can contribute to dopaminergic fatigue, tolerance, or subtle dysregulation, not destruction, but definitely strain.

From the clinical data I discovered at the time I wanted to take it (thankfully I didn’t):

Long-term human data show no structural neurotoxicity, but people often develop tolerance, anxiety, or emotional blunting after extended use.
 
I had a post about low mood/energy and fatigue so I spent a good 2-3 weeks researching and doing blood tests. So this hits pretty close to home.
 
Something that sounds similar is methylene blue. It does all those things for me anyway. Definitely helped me to feel normal on deca. Feel some extra energy. I use 5 or 10mg. It's also available everywhere and cheap
 

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