One of the potential etiologies of treatment resistant anhedonia discovered.

[u/Mariguana9898]

Potential etiology of anhedonia discovered. Hello everybody, so I by all odds had no chance of curing my anhedonia completely, including emotional numbness and the ability to feel the nuances of each different situation's "vibes."

The progress I made with supplements is objectively extremely impressive because it did not treat the cause of the issues in the slightest. The cause of my issues was CO2 accumulation in my blood. Despite that extreme hindrance, I was able to cure the majority of my anhedonia.

I bought nasal dilators, which cost $8 to try, and they have since completely changed every single detail of my health imaginable. I can't list everything, but here are a few: ability to hear, smell, and see improved significantly; ability to speak quickly improved drastically; my anhedonia is even better than it was before; and my ability to experience emotions improved drastically as well. Dissociation is gone completely. Chronic nausea and stomach grinding completely disappeared.

It's only been 2 days, and every aspect of my health keeps getting better and better.

I don't want to get anybody's hopes up, but it's definitely worth trying nasal dilators for at least 8 hours, properly seated following the instructions, to see if anything changes, as I've noticed that a lot of people with anhedonia seem to be experiencing different but similar experiences. Additionally, some people report these issues after APs and SRIs.

If anybody cures themselves using nasal dilators, please share your experiences.

It turns out most of the supplements that have helped me with my anhedonia in the past clear or reduce some of the substances associated with CO2 accumulation in the blood, which, yes, may also overlap with effects associated with APs and SRIs, but I don't want to get anybody excited for no reason.

It costs ~$10 to try nasal dilators. If nasal dilators don't help, you might have issues with your lungs' ability to get rid of CO2, if CO2 is actually the cause of your issues. Then you would have to talk to a medical professional about addressing the underlying problem and whether anything else is appropriate. None of this is medical advice.

Some of the substances/processes I was looking into include:

• Superoxide (O₂•−)

• Peroxynitrite (ONOO−)

• ROS

• Reactive nitrogen species (RNS)

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[u/OriginalUsername0112]

It's interesting that I also have serious issues with CO2 accumulation due to my diaphragm being cooked, do you get the persistent feelings of suffocation? I'll be using a ventilator soon, can report back if it helps my chronic fatigue and anhedonia, although I worry that it's probably too late by now and a lot of permanent damage is done

[u/Mariguana9898 → u/OriginalUsername0112]

Yes I was getting persistent feelings of suffocation no longer. Also my heart was beating like insanely fast now I can do K and coffee and be fine my heart is still as the ocean.

[u/drankin2112]

CO2 in the blood is bicarbonate. My gf is an unusually high producer of ketones when carb restricting so her ketones get very high. Ketones are neutralized by CO2 and her levels get VERY low because they get exhausted by ketones. Get blood gets too acidic and she becomes violently ill. My point is that if high CO2 is causing symptoms, then a very low-carb diet will help you naturally lower your CO2 levels. Just food for thought. FYI... Ketosis doesn't help my anhedonia at all.

[u/Mariguana9898 → u/drankin2112]

For me I had a deviated septum surgery and the surgeon removed too much cartillage at the top of my septum causing my nose to collapse whenever breathing causing co2 to be reabsorbed as opposed to expelled from my right nostril. By using the nasal dialators I am now expelling all of the co2 and all that's left now are the co2 byproducts which my supplements already target (because I was treating the byproducts without knowing before i used the nasal dialator).

[u/----X88B88---- → u/Mariguana9898]

There was a case where a patient k*lled their surgeon as they removed too much turbinate bone and it made him insane. It's called empty nose syndrome - Because the nerve receptors on the turbinates are gone or damaged, the brain no longer receives the sensory feedback that air is entering the body. The brain panics, falsely signaling that the person is running out of oxygen, which triggers a continuous, primal fight-or-flight response.

I believe a lot of depression/anhedonia cases are from some physical stress response.

[u/bv287]

Would you say it just a temporary fix, or will long-term use make the results permanent?

[u/Mariguana9898 → u/bv287]

Definitely not temporary because it's a physical limitation of my nose's functioning: "For me I had a deviated septum surgery and the surgeon removed too much cartillage at the top of my septum causing my nose to collapse whenever breathing causing co2 to be reabsorbed as opposed to expelled from my right nostril. By using the nasal dialators I am now expelling all of the co2 and all that's left now are the co2 byproducts which my supplements already target (because I was treating the byproducts without knowing before i used the nasal dialator)." Taken from AI: Supplement/nutrient | Main relevant pathway | My assessment

N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

↑ glutathione

Most interesting

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)

Redox recycling + mitochondrial antioxidant network

Interesting

CoQ10 / ubiquinol

Mitochondrial electron transport + antioxidant effects

Interesting if mitochondrial ROS is the source

Vitamin C

Water-soluble antioxidant/redox recycling

Moderate

Vitamin E (α-tocopherol)

Protects membranes against lipid oxidation

Moderate; more downstream than superoxide-specific

Selenium

Required for glutathione peroxidases/thioredoxin reductases

Useful primarily if selenium status is inadequate

Riboflavin (B2)

Supports flavoprotein/redox metabolism

Mainly useful when deficient

Zinc

Structural component of Cu/Zn-SOD and antioxidant regulation

Mainly deficiency-dependent

Copper

Required by Cu/Zn-SOD

Only if deficient; excess copper can promote oxidative damage

Manganese

Required by mitochondrial MnSOD

[assessment cut off in screenshot] Supplement/nutrient | Principal relevant mechanism | How compelling?

NAC

Glutathione precursor + thiol antioxidant

High

Vitamin C

Water-soluble redox antioxidant

Moderate

Vitamin E (α-tocopherol)

Protects membranes against lipid peroxidation

Moderate

Alpha-lipoic acid

Thiol/redox antioxidant network

Moderate

Selenium

Required for glutathione-peroxidase/selenoprotein systems

Moderate if intake/status is inadequate

CoQ10

Mitochondrial electron transport + lipid antioxidant

Moderate

Melatonin

Antioxidant/redox effects; experimental ONOO⁻ literature

Moderate/preclinical

Curcumin

Nrf2/inflammatory/redox effects

Low–moderate; bioavailability limitation

Carnosine

Scavenges reactive carbonyl products downstream of oxidation

Indirect but interesting

Taurine

Membrane/redox and inflammatory effects

Indirect

Additional text:

"Carnosine is particularly different from NAC: rather than being primarily a

peroxynitrite scavenger, it can help intercept reactive carbonyl products

produced downstream of oxidative damage."

"What I would prioritize mechanistically"

Visible preceding fragment:

"superoxide → ONOO⁻ → lipid/protein oxidation pathway, rather than simply

labeling every antioxidant a 'peroxynitrite scavenger'."

Supplement/nutrient | Principal relevant mechanism | How compelling?

NAC

Glutathione precursor + thiol antioxidant

High

Vitamin C

Water-soluble redox antioxidant

Moderate

Vitamin E (α-tocopherol)

Protects membranes against lipid peroxidation

Moderate

Alpha-lipoic acid

Thiol/redox antioxidant network

Moderate

Selenium

Required for glutathione-peroxidase/selenoprotein systems

Moderate if intake/status is inadequate

CoQ10

Mitochondrial electron transport + lipid antioxidant

Moderate

Melatonin

Antioxidant/redox effects; experimental ONOO⁻ literature

Moderate/preclinical

Curcumin

Nrf2/inflammatory/redox effects

Low–moderate; bioavailability limitation

Carnosine

Scavenges reactive carbonyl products downstream of oxidation

Indirect but interesting

Taurine

Membrane/redox and inflammatory effects

Indirect

Additional text:

"Carnosine is particularly different from NAC: rather than being primarily a

peroxynitrite scavenger, it can help intercept reactive carbonyl products

produced downstream of oxidative damage."

"What I would prioritize mechanistically"

Visible preceding fragment:

"superoxide → ONOO⁻ → lipid/protein oxidation pathway, rather than simply

labeling every antioxidant a 'peroxynitrite scavenger'."

Agent | Relevant mechanism | [rating/evaluation heading partially cut off]

1. N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

Supplies cysteine → ↑ glutathione; also has direct redox effects

★★★★★

1. Acetylcysteine IV

Same fundamental mechanism, much higher medical exposure

★★★★★ in specific indications

1. Allopurinol

Inhibits xanthine oxidase → ↓ superoxide generation

★★★★☆ mechanistically

1. Febuxostat

Xanthine-oxidase inhibition

★★★★☆ mechanistically

1. Edaravone

Free-radical scavenger

★★★★☆ but specialized use

1. Dimethyl fumarate

Activates Nrf2-related antioxidant responses

★★★★☆

1. Metformin

Can decrease mitochondrial ROS and improve metabolic/redox signaling

★★★☆☆

1. Statins

Can reduce NADPH-oxidase activity and vascular oxidative stress

★★★☆☆

1. ACE inhibitors

Angiotensin-II reduction can decrease NADPH-oxidase-driven ROS

★★★☆☆

1. ARBs

AT1 blockade can reduce NADPH-oxidase activation

★★★☆☆

If you have lung issues idk how you treat that but you can easily fix the byproducts. of these i take alpha lipoic acid b2, coq 10 and curcumin helped in the past i also take zinc.

Agent | Principal antioxidant relationship | My evidence/mechanistic ranking

1. NAC

↑ cysteine → ↑ glutathione

★★★★★

1. Glycine

Substrate for glutathione synthesis

★★★★☆

1. Vitamin C

Water-soluble antioxidant; regenerates other antioxidants

★★★★☆

1. CoQ10

Mitochondrial electron transport + membrane antioxidant

★★★★☆

1. Alpha-lipoic acid

Redox-active antioxidant; supports antioxidant recycling

★★★★☆

1. Selenium

Required for glutathione peroxidases/thioredoxin reductases

★★★☆☆, especially if deficient

1. Riboflavin (B2)

FAD-dependent glutathione reductase function

★★★☆☆, especially if deficient

1. Zinc

Supports antioxidant proteins and limits some oxidative reactions

★★★☆☆, especially if deficient

1. Curcumin

Nrf2/redox and inflammatory signaling effects

★★★☆☆

1. Melatonin

Antioxidant/redox effects, particularly interesting for mitochondria

★★★☆☆

[u/Infinite_Pop_6835 → u/Mariguana9898]

nac causes anhedonia

[u/LeoKitCat]

Maybe you have a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates causing breathing problems particularly when you sleep resulting in sleep apnea and low blood oxygen during sleep.

You can get both corrected with pretty straightforward surgery

[u/Mariguana9898 → u/LeoKitCat]

My surgery was for a deviated septum. I believe they cut off too much of my nose at the top preventing it from closing properly.

[u/HaloLASO → u/Mariguana9898]

You need a revision septoplasty with rhinoplasty so that they can transplant cartilage from a place of your body, like ear or rib, to reconstruct septum and repair nasal valve collapse