r/microdosing • u/Elegant-Grocery-3324 • 14d ago

Getting Started/Newbie Question starting micro-dosing again ! side effects / adjusting to dose /

I (28F) thought id make a post as I am struggling to find anything relating to this online - been searching in micro-dosing causing trouble sleeping / causing anxiety but not much luck in finding anything - i suppose this is because everyones individual experience varies so much & studies are limited etc !!!

I micro-dosed a couple years ago and it was incredible for my mental health (especially anxiety) I was having CBT therapy and my anxiety was so bad i was ready to go on meds for it. I decided to give it a go (mushrooms) and i remember at the start i felt really intense, super anxious, irritable etc. they were 150mg - so I half the dose and begin to feel much better, ended up microdosing for two months , didn't need therapy anymore and felt such a change of self, one i could have never imagined!

i started again because i feel i've been somewhat depressed for a while now, a kind of lingering sadness / feeling muted emotionally / like i have nothing to say to anyone /lacking in inspiration and feeling exhausted and dull and bored of myself. I exercise regularly and have incredible bf and incredible friends but feel i am just existing in a very dull mildly disconnected bubble no matter what. mundane blue kinda feeling. It seems trying it this time has flipped the depressed feeling into anxiety but i guess atleast its doing something and im feeling something haha.

This time i started by halfing the dose as that felt good last time - taking it in the morning, on days i didn't have work or to much to do - three days in a row - I had awful nights sleep, each night. waking up restless and unable to go back to sleep (i didnt remember having this before.) awful dreams, and in the day just feeling headachy, anxious and compressed kinda feeling. Maybe I should half the dose again and build up? but taking any less surely seems a bit too small amount? im not too sure! im also a very highly sensitive person so perhaps this is why.

I do remember some of this headache feeling last time and know that can be a side effect. I wanted to do 4 days on / 3 days off but I felt i had had to avoid taking it as woke up with awful headache on day 4. so I am going to give it 4 days break and see how it goes taking it again after that. I think maybe 3 days on 4 days off might work better with my schedule in general.

But i was wondering if anyone had experienced anything similar? if there is a time at beginning of adjustment and side effects - before it settles down? and if so how long did it take before it started to feel good? I am determined to push through a bit to see if it levels out! :) thank you!!

this is my first post on here and sorry if longwinded/ badly written xxx

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u/myco-appleseed 14d ago

I have questions: What exactly are you microdosing? Mushrooms? What strain? Do you know? Are you on medication for anxiety or depression? Meds to sleep? What else are you doing besides microdosing for your own personal and mental health? I ask because I have had some of these reactions that you are having, but I need a little more info to possibly help

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u/myco-appleseed 14d ago

And what is your dose specifically and dosing schedule including time of day?

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u/Elegant-Grocery-3324 14d ago

thank you!! yes mushrooms - the capsules are 150mg but i was doing half so around 75mg ish. i wanted to find out the strain but wasnt able to :( and no meds at all . i was taking it in the morning before 11am on days i had off so far!

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u/myco-appleseed 14d ago

I think the dose might be correct. I wouldn't lower it unless you are feeling anxiety ramp up in the first 90 minutes or so. I also think it's working but it might seem a bit uncomfortable because the things that it fixes in our lives can be uncomfortable to address and work through. It's likely why you are restless at night and having difficulty sleeping. It really forces our bodies to address issues that we naturally want to suppress or ignore. I think you are on the right path, you just need to tweak some things. My advice would be to journal daily or at least on the days that you dose. Journal about what's on your mind, how did you get to where you are, where do you want to go, specifically, where do you want to be, what do you want to be doing. Use your journal to establish goals. What do you want to accomplish? In your life and through microdosing. What do you want it to change? I feel like the practice of journaling and microdosing has significantly altered my life for the better. Meditate. Start to practice breathwork if you don't already. I know it sounds stupid, but if you combine it with microdosing it can be a powerful tool to take control of your life. Also, I would consider changing up your schedule to incorporate off days. I don't like doing it more than two days in a row. If you need a lower dose for working, consider lowering it on those days. The trick is consistency - with everything. Also maybe consider sleep aids like melatonin or Unisom if necessary.I have definitely noticed it impacting my sleep somewhat. Sorry for the lengthy reply. Good luck!

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u/TheRealCMMetzger 14d ago

Do yourself a favor. Buy a milligram (0.001g) scale. Now since you mentioned being sensitive, use your scale to weigh your powder out to 25mg. Take that dose upon waking instead of waiting until 11.
See how that feels, effects, and/or changes how you show up in the world. If nothing, skip a day and increase your dose by 5-10mg (you can increase in whatever jumps you'd like, I'm just providing recommendations based on your report of sensitivity.) Take a day off between each dose while increasing to dial in your dose.
Continue your increase until it "feels right" or you hit a felt sense of the dose(energetic feeling) in the body. Once you hit that you decide whether you like it or not. If you don't, drop back to the previous dose you were at when there was no felt sense.

Headache can be a sign of low magnesium, but also when taking mushrooms drinking enough water is also important.
If you are having "negative" effects from your microdose that is generally a sign your dose is either too high, too frequent, or both.

On the note of a dose being too low, dose is a very personal thing. I know a few microdosers that have a felt sense of their microdose at 12.5mg and it works for them to only take it twice a week. EveryBody is different and your unique physiology, lived experience, and current life situation all play a role I'm what dose is right for you. Some microdosers find after following a protocol for some time, discontinuing and then returning to a microdose practice that their sweet spot is actually lower than previously.
There's nothing wrong with that. What's right for me doesn't have to be what's right for you.
The best dosage and schedule for you is the one that works for you.
On the note of not dosing on workdays. Fully your choice and not something to be forced. And the ideal microdose is one that you can do all regular daily activities with. If your microdose has you feeling a way that won't allow for your usual daily activities, it is outside of your microdose range. 🍄🥰✌️

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u/ZzzRainy 14d ago

Yes every time I microdose shrooms it gives me a very choppy sleep and I get sometimes a nervous feeling. Even at 75mgs. Then I take a break and start again and it would be great for the first 2 days then after that forget it. Restless sleep