Pep In Your Step

Pep In Your Step

By ThePepPodAlternative HealthHealth & Fitness
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Pep In Your Step episodes

  • Quitting adderall after 17 years: My Dopamine Reset | Pep In Your Step Ep. 1

    For 17 years, Adderall made Taylor Bauer efficient, and less human. In the first episode of Pep In Your Step, he shares how his health optimization journey started, why he walked away from stimulants, and what it actually took to rebuild his dopamine system: the supplement stack, vagus nerve training, the morning routine that got him through the first weeks, and his experience with NSI-189 and 9-Me-BC.(00:00) Welcome(01:52) Where it started(07:15) 17 years on Adderall(10:57) Two years off(14:08) The real dopamine reset(16:22) The dopamine stack(19:58) The vagus nerve(26:23) The first weeks off stimulants(28:38) NSI-189 and 9-Me-BC(33:51) A note on serotonin(34:52) What's next


    Show notes

    • Where it started: about 20 years ago, Taylor felt flat and unmotivated with no explanation. The Mood Cure by Julia Ross introduced him to amino acid protocols, and he felt different within 24 to 48 hours.
    • 17 years on Adderall: at first it brought effortless focus. Over time it cost him empathy, emotional range and presence. Ayahuasca ceremonies helped him see it clearly. He's now more than two years off.
    • Recovery takes time. Dopamine receptors downregulate and baseline dopamine drops. A brain coming off stimulants needs months to years, not weeks.
    • Remove the spikes: no amphetamines, one cup of caffeine or less (delayed 90+ minutes after waking), and far less scrolling and other cheap dopamine.
    • Core stack Taylor uses: L-tyrosine, acetyl-L-carnitine, bromantane and 9-Me-BC.
    • Add-on stack: uridine, high-DHA omega-3, magnesium glycinate or threonate, B6 as P5P, zinc, rhodiola and CDP-choline or alpha-GPC.
    • Vagus nerve training: a non-invasive stimulation device, long-exhale breathing (in for 4, out for 6 to 8), cold exposure, humming, meditation and a 15-minute walk after meals.
    • The first weeks off stimulants: supplements and salted water on waking, plus a few push-ups to get the heart rate up instead of reaching for caffeine.
    • NSI-189 has been studied for neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Taylor felt steadier and less reactive, with relief from anhedonia. 9-Me-BC is discussed for dopaminergic repair, and for him it brought back motivation and that spark.
    • Serotonin: overdoing 5-HTP or L-tryptophan can dampen drive, so be careful pushing both systems at once.



    37 min

About Pep In Your Step

From the publisher's feed

Peptides, supplements, protocols, wellness hacks. Everyone’s talking about them. Few actually explain them. On Pep In Your Step, host Taylor Bauer cuts through the noise with clear, honest conversations about what really moves the needle for your health. We break down the science, test the trends, and dig into the protocols people swear by, from peptides and supplements to recovery, longevity, sleep and performance. No miracle claims. No gatekeeping. Small doses. Big clarity.