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Piracetam is considered to be the fundamental compound of both the Racetam and Nootropic families of compounds.
These cerebroactive substances have been used as cognitive enhancers for improving concentration, memory, and focus.
Piracetam capsules have an extensive history of use as a treatment for a number of medical issues around the world. However, in North America it is most frequently taken in order to enhance mental functioning and intelligence.
In the United States, current regulations prohibit this product from being marketed as a ‘dietary supplement.’ Piracetam is currently an unscheduled and unregulated substance, and has been added to the list of investigational new drugs (IND) maintained by the FDA. At this time, the FDA has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.
Buying Piracetam in the US can be difficult due to FDA laws surrounding the sales, distribution, and labeling of compounds like Piracetam. It is legal to buy and own Piracetam for personal use, and many people will import from countries where the sale of Piracetam is legal.
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Brain Health- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Piracetam Basics
Related Topics
- What is Piracetam?
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- User Reviews
- What to Expect
- Effects and Benefits
- How to Take
- Suggested Dosages
- Side Effects
- Dangers & Safety
- Top Piracetam Uses
- Effects on Memory
- Piracetam for ADHD
- Where to Buy
- Bulk Piracetam Powder
- Is Piracetam Legal?
- Piracetam vs. Aniracetam vs. Oxiracetam vs. Pramiracetam
- Comparison to Noopept
- Top Piracetam Stacks
- Stacking with Choline
Piracetam is the first Nootropic compound to have been developed.
It was first synthesized in 1964 by scientists at the Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB.
The lead developer on this team, Dr. Corneliu E Giurgea, actually coined the phrase Nootropic in order to describe this compound. The word itself comes from a combination of Greek words and means to ‘bend the mind.’
Piracetam capsules were first made available for clinical purposes by the UCB company during the early 1970’s. They are sold as over-the-counter drugs in many European countries and have been used by millions of people all around the globe at this point. Piracetam is also classified as a prescription drug in some countries including Australia.
There are a number of different ways in which Piracetam is thought to work, although we still do not fully understand all of these mechanisms of action. One of the first things to note about the action of Piracetam in the brain is that it leads to increased glucose oxidation and metabolism.
In research trials this effect has been seen to be quite pronounced in those suffering from Alzheimer’s. It is also believed to increase cell membrane fluidity, resulting in improved delivery of nutrients and removal of waste build-up. These mechanisms of action are likely related.
Piracetam capsules are also observed to exert influence on several powerful brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters.
Glutamate receptors are modulated, which results in greater calcium influx into neurons. Brain systems that use Glutamate are believed to play a central role in Long Term Potentiation which is the process that occurs between two neurons when memories are encoded.
Piracetam may increase the rate of formation for new neural connections and generally heighten the synaptic plasticity of the brain.
This founding nootropic also contributes to higher levels of Acetylcholine activity in the brain. The Acetylcholine excitatory neurotransmitter is thought to be primarily responsible for several functions related to memory, reasoning, and learning.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Why Use Piracetam Capsules?
Piracetam has a number of benefits that are enthusiastically sought out by students, people who want an edge at work, and older individuals who want to keep their mental faculties sharp.
Piracetam is observed to lead to increases in short-term working memory capacity. This has been borne out in numerous clinical studies. A short two weeks of use at 1200 mg per day results in significantly better performance on backwards word recall tests.
Piracetam has also been shown to improve memory functioning and verbal processing in dyslexic students. That study used a 21 day trial period at 4800 mg of Piracetam capsules daily.
A number of other studies have also shown Piracetam to be effective at defending against cognitive decline. This is especially true in aging patients, as well as people who are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s. In a number of test, it was shown to significantly attenuate the deterioration of cognitive function as a result of these diseases.
Additional benefits of Piracetam capsules include the potential to help protect the brain against damage. This may be especially true in cases of excessive alcohol consumption and low oxygen levels within the brain.
There are also studies showing Piracetam capsules may prevent damage due to oxidative stress, aid in recovery from stokes, platelet reduction, and treatment for acute acoustic trauma injuries.
Piracetam dosages can be anywhere from 600 mg up to 9,600 mg per day. The typically recommended daily range seems to be between 1,200 and 4,800 mg with most users saying that best results are achieved using above 2,400 mg per day.
Piracetam has a U-shaped dosage curve which means that using more than the suggested amount can actually decrease mental performance. According to most clinical study findings, the benefits obtained from higher doses begin to decline dramatically past about 5000 mg per day.
That being said, all nootropics are subject to significant degrees of individual response and you may need to experiment to determine the dosing that works best for you.
Since Piracetam is water soluble it does not need to be taken with food. Using Piracetam capsules with a meal can further delay the absorption of the active ingredient into your bloodstream which means it can take longer to discern any changes.
Encapsulated forms of Piracetam are already known to have a slower absorption rate than bulk Piracetam powder. As such, an empty stomach is recommended when taking this nootropic compound.
It does have a decidedly bitter taste, so following it up with juice or some other flavored drink is advised.
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Piracetam Capsule Dosages
Most users find that spreading the daily allotment over several equal administrations helps maintain a stable and consistent supply within the body. It is often recommended to begin with a low dose and work your way up slowly, only after becoming familiar with the effects.
Although you could try an ‘attack dose’ right away, this is not generally advisable, since it usually results in headaches.
Most Piracetam capsules come in 400 mg or 800 mg pills (such as the Nootropil capsules which are one of the most popular brands). This can make it somewhat inconvenient given the high dosages required to achieve optimal results. Depending on the type of tablet you buy, you could end up taking 6-12 pills per day.
Another option is to purchase powdered Piracetam which is not only cheaper but also allows for easier administration of personalized dosages. This can be a good strategy when stacking Piracetam with supplements such as Alpha GPC, Citicoline, or even with other nootropics such as Aniracetam.
Is Piracetam Safe?
Despite being non-toxic, safe, and generally well-tolerated, Piracetam does have some fairly common side effects reported. These include anxiety, insomnia, drowsiness, agitation, and headaches. Most of these become worse as dosage levels increase or when stacking this nootropic with supplements.
You may find that side effects are temporary and that your body begins to adjust to the presence of this compound quite quickly. Of all of the side effects linked to this substance, Piracetam Headaches are the most common.
This symptom is usually caused by Acetylcholine receptor site burn-out which can occur when you are not getting enough choline in your diet. Since choline is a precursor to Acetylcholine, adding a quality Choline supplement to your routine may eliminate the occurrence of this side effect.
Alpha GPC or Citicoline are two of the best Acetylcholine supplements to stack with Piracetam capsules due to their greater bioavailability. Taking Piracetam in this way will ensure the greatest potential increase to your memory, learning, and reasoning faculties.
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- Fontani G, Grazzi F, Meucci M. Effect of piracetam plus choline treatment on hippocampal rhythmic slow activity (RSA) and behavior in rabbits. Life Sci. 1984 Sep 10;35(11):1183-9.
- Peuvot J, et al . Piracetam-induced changes to membrane physical properties. A combined approach by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance and conformational analysis. Biochem Pharmacol. 1995 Oct 12;50(8):1129-34.
- Rameis H, et al . Pharmacokinetics of piracetam: a study on the bioavailability with special regard to renal and non-renal elimination. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1994 Sep;32(9):458-65.
- Kampman K, et al . A pilot trial of piracetam and ginkgo biloba for the treatment of cocaine dependence. Addict Behav. 2003 Apr;28(3):437-48.
- Keil U, et al . Piracetam improves mitochondrial dysfunction following oxidative stress. Br J Pharmacol. 2006 Jan;147(2):199-208.
- Gualtieri F, et al . Design and study of piracetam-like nootropics, controversial members of the problematic class of cognition-enhancing drugs. Curr Pharm Des. 2002;8(2):125-38.
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment