Serious Brain Science
Jun. 22nd, 2013 03:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I'm thinking of doing a kratom double-blind test on myself to see which varieties work best for my purposes. Because studies performed on just one person definitely yield useful data! This is the methodology I've come up with:
1) Measure out three one-teaspoon doses of every plain-leaf variety I've got (except the ones of which I don't have enough for that, I guess) into little airtight containers/baggies of some kind. Add a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder to obscure the color, fineness of the blend, and scent. Scotch-tape a label onto each one saying what it is.
2) Add six baggies that are just cocoa, or cocoa and corn starch or wheatgrass powder or whatever, for placebo purposes. And maybe also do six of some non-kratom things that'll give me kratomish side effects? Kratomish side effects are basically constipation and sometimes sleepiness and sweating.
4) Have someone else remove these labels and apply random-number labels to each one, writing down the numbers next to the corresponding sample's name on a piece of paper, like so:
(I probably shouldn't use Benadryl unless I can figure out a way to get the pink off, or to pink up the other samples.)
Assistant will then seal the list into an envelope, and I'll keep it somewhere until the last day of the experiment.
5) Use the packets every other day, in order, first thing after waking up and mixed with some yogurt. In spreadsheet, log time of use, time effect perceived, strength and duration of perceived effect, etc. I already keep a spreadsheet logging what I eat and drink, my medications, exercise, hours of sleep per night, and How Gross I Feel, so this does not present a serious change in my daily routine.
(I keep this spreadsheet because I suffer from unhealthy levels of anxiety about my health. I had a brain tumor once, you know! This definitely means that I need to make spreadsheets forever and ever.)
1) Measure out three one-teaspoon doses of every plain-leaf variety I've got (except the ones of which I don't have enough for that, I guess) into little airtight containers/baggies of some kind. Add a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder to obscure the color, fineness of the blend, and scent. Scotch-tape a label onto each one saying what it is.
2) Add six baggies that are just cocoa, or cocoa and corn starch or wheatgrass powder or whatever, for placebo purposes. And maybe also do six of some non-kratom things that'll give me kratomish side effects? Kratomish side effects are basically constipation and sometimes sleepiness and sweating.
4) Have someone else remove these labels and apply random-number labels to each one, writing down the numbers next to the corresponding sample's name on a piece of paper, like so:
1 - red Borneo
2 - green Thai
3 - placebo
4 - Benadryl (sarah why did you grind up some benadryl, i mean this powder is slightly pink and it is totally obvious that it is the benadryl)
(I probably shouldn't use Benadryl unless I can figure out a way to get the pink off, or to pink up the other samples.)
Assistant will then seal the list into an envelope, and I'll keep it somewhere until the last day of the experiment.
5) Use the packets every other day, in order, first thing after waking up and mixed with some yogurt. In spreadsheet, log time of use, time effect perceived, strength and duration of perceived effect, etc. I already keep a spreadsheet logging what I eat and drink, my medications, exercise, hours of sleep per night, and How Gross I Feel, so this does not present a serious change in my daily routine.
(I keep this spreadsheet because I suffer from unhealthy levels of anxiety about my health. I had a brain tumor once, you know! This definitely means that I need to make spreadsheets forever and ever.)