Soviet-developed compound that appears to raise the brain's own dopamine production. Human evidence points to relief of persistent exhaustion without the crash, tolerance or withdrawal of ordinary stimulants, but almost all comes from the institute that created it, none independently repeated, none longer than four weeks. Traces persist about two weeks, ruling it out for tested athletes. (Full Review)

Protocol

Standard Russian regimen

50–100 mg daily

By mouth, for up to 28 days; the low end applies for the first week

Best time of day

Morning, before 12:00

Peak blood levels 2.75 hours after dosing in women, 4.0 hours in men

Single versus split dosing

Single morning dose

Splitting is not described in any trial and pushes exposure into the evening

Time to effect

Day 3

Antiasthenic effects appear, then build over the first two weeks

Effect outlasts the course

1 month

Antiasthenic benefit persisted after stopping

Durability of effect

2 months

No tolerance over two months of continuous rat dosing

Benefits

Medium: Reduction of asthenic symptoms; anxiety reduction without sedation

Low: Physical work capacity and recovery under heat or low oxygen; attention and operator performance during fatigue; durability of effect without tolerance or withdrawal

Speculative: Immune and inflammatory modulation; memory consolidation and synaptic plasticity

Contraindications

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (phenelzine, tranylcypromine, selegiline)

Athletes subject to anti-doping testing under any World Anti-Doping Agency code signatory, including masters and amateur competition

Pregnancy, active attempts to conceive, and breastfeeding

Anyone under 18 years

Bipolar disorder, or any psychosis-spectrum diagnosis, current or past

Uncontrolled hypertension (resting blood pressure above 160/100 mmHg) or arrhythmia

Active or recent liver disease (Child-Pugh Class B or C, or alanine aminotransferase above three times the upper reference limit)

Baseline cytopenias (hemoglobin below 11 g/dL, white cells below 3.0 × 10⁹/L)

Key Interactions

Dopaminergic drugs (levodopa, pramipexole, bupropion, selegiline, amantadine)

Antipsychotics and dopamine blockers (haloperidol, risperidone, metoclopramide)

Barbiturates and drugs cleared by liver enzymes (warfarin, ciclosporin, hormonal contraceptives)

Over-the-counter stimulants (caffeine, pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine)

Sedating antihistamines and sleep aids (diphenhydramine, doxylamine)

Supplements with additive dopaminergic effect (L-Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine, Mucuna pruriens)

Stimulant adaptogens (Rhodiola rosea, Panax ginseng, high-dose ginkgo)

5-HTP and serotonergic supplements

Heat and sauna protocols

Risk & Side Effects

High: Anti-doping rule violation in tested athletes

Medium: Insomnia, headache and irritability

Low: Blood and liver changes at supratherapeutic doses; dose-dependent behavioral and thermoregulatory disturbance; reproductive and developmental uncertainty; cardiovascular and autonomic effects

Speculative: Grey-market product quality; unknown consequences of sustained dopamine-synthesis upregulation

Monitoring

Marker	Target	Why
Hemoglobin	Men 14.0–15.5 g/dL; women 13.0–14.5 g/dL	Blood-forming tissue was the rodent toxicity target
White blood cell count	4.5–7.5 × 10⁹/L	Detects the white-cell suppression seen at high rodent doses
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)	Men below 25 U/L; women below 20 U/L	Liver was a rodent target organ and the site of metabolism
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)	Below 25 U/L	Pairs with ALT to separate liver from muscle origin
Prolactin	Within the laboratory reference interval	Dopamine suppresses prolactin, so it tracks dopaminergic tone
Resting blood pressure	Below 120/80 mmHg	Animals showed weak amplification of the blood-pressure response

Cadence: Baseline before a first course; blood work at the end of each 28-day course, then every 6–12 months where courses are repeated; blood pressure and heart rate twice weekly throughout each course and again one week after stopping

Qualitative Assessment

Time from waking to feeling functionally alert
Number of days per week with an afternoon energy collapse
Sleep onset latency and number of night awakenings
Capacity to start difficult tasks without external pressure
Irritability and background tension, rated simply
Training-session recovery time compared with the pre-course baseline

Bromantane for Health & Longevity

Protocol

Benefits

Risk & Side Effects

Monitoring

Qualitative Assessment