NAD+, Fatigue, and Me: A Slow Experiment in Cellular Hope, Potential Help for Midlife ADHD

Benefits of NAD+

I couldn’t stay awake through a damn website tutorial. Not just a little sleepy. Full-body excessive yawns. Eyes literally watering. Brain fog rolling in like a stubborn tide. Every time I sat down to work on Spicy Living, something I care deeply about, my nervous system pulled the anchor. Processing? Gone. Retention? A joke. Tasks? Half-finished mounds of self loathing and frustration.

This wasn’t laziness. This was my body slamming the brakes.

Now, let’s be clear: Retatrutide has been a game-changer for me. Steadier mood, clearer thoughts, 80 pounds down in the last year and a half. By most measures, I’m in the best shape of my life. But when I’m neck-deep in tech-heavy, spatially chaotic tasks (looking at you, design tutorials), my brain still whites out. That part - an ADHD Central Nervous System breakdown. I recently learned that- one more piece of evidence. Which got me wondering: Could NAD+ help?

Why I Bought It (And Why It Lived in My Fridge for Months)

You may think I jump on trends, but anyone who knows me will attest to prior obsessive research. NAD+ had been buzzing in my periphery for ages—hailed as a mitochondrial miracle, a cellular reset button. Biohackers swore by it. Clinics charged obscene amounts for IV drips. But what did that actually mean for someone like me? Here’s what I learned:

Pills (NR/NMN): Marketed hard, but only ~10% bioavailable. You’re paying for placebo most of the time.

Injections (Subcutaneous): ~80% bioavailability. Far cheaper than clinics, more effective than swallowing hope in capsule form.

IV Infusions: 100% absorption, but at boutique pricing ($300+ a pop) and a major time sink.

So I ordered injectable NAD+. And then… let it gather frost next to the leftover curry. Why? Because I’ve been burned before. Niacinamide (a common B3 companion to NAD+) once sent my ADHD into overdrive; flooding the kitchen sink, thoughts scattering like shattered glass-major executive dysfunction. Yet, I continued to read and watch what experiences people I trust are having. I guess I am a lurker…but I am deeply appreciative to the pioneers out there! I trust slow, low, and listening to my body’s whispers before they become screams.

What NAD+ Actually Does (Without the Hype)

Simple version: NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a coenzyme in every cell. It’s not a vitamin or hormone—it’s more like a backstage crew member keeping the show running.

Your cells use it to:

- Turn food into energy (ATP)

- Repair DNA damage

- Regulate sleep/wake cycles

- Cool inflammation

- Activate longevity pathways (sirtuins)

- Support neurotransmitters

Problem? NAD+ levels nosedive with age. By midlife, you’re running on fumes. Add stress, poor sleep, or illness, and the tank empties faster. And if you spend much time in the sun like me, they fall even more.

Remember,supplementing isn’t about superpowers. It’s about refilling what your body used to handle on its own.

How I’m Trying It (Skeptically, Safely)

Current protocol:

- 10mg daily (a microdose compared to clinic mega-doses)

- Subcutaneous injection (stomach fat, alternating sides)

- Tracking: Energy, focus, emotional clarity—not just "do I feel high?"

Today’s Day 3. No earth-shattering shifts yet, but I’m not expecting any at this dose. Healing isn’t a fireworks show; it’s a slow sunrise. If all goes well, I will gradually up my dose by 5 mg each week and keep track of how I feel, my BP, my HR, mood, irritability, energy, all the things,

Why This Matters

This isn’t about chasing youth or biohacking bragging rights. It’s about the mundane, precious things:

- Staying present in the life I’ve fought to build.

- Finishing a tutorial without yawning myself to tears.

- Wondering, gently, if there’s still room to grow.

If NAD+ helps, you’ll hear about it. If it flops? You’ll hear that too. And if you’ve walked this path already, I’m all ears.

(SPOILER ALERT - UPDATE) up to 75 mg/day and it's working amazingly well.