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Piracetam (Nootropil) remains to this day the most widely used nootropic compound people take to give their brains a boost.
While other nootropics like Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, Pramiracetam, and Noopept are more powerful, Piracetam is a great introductory Racetam for first timers and casual users.
Taking your Piracetam powder in a stack can help you get even more out of this “smart drug” by providing synergistic benefits to brain health and cognitive ability.
One Piracetam stack that is known to be highly complementary is using this nootropic along with Centrophenoxine – a cholinergic compound that may enhance the effectiveness of racetams.
Why use Piracetam and Centrophenoxine together? This article will answer that question and help you decide whether this nootropic stack is right for you.
Memory
Attention
Brain Health- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Piracetam Guide
Related Topics
It’s not surprising why Piracetam has become so popular online: this nootropic is believed to increase your brain power with extremely low toxicity and potential for side effects.
Users say it can improve the way you think and make it easier to remember even obscure details and recall them when you need them most.
In research studies Piracetam has been seen to increase blood flow and oxygenation of the brain, which may lead to higher energy levels, better motivation, greater focus, and enhanced mood.
The increase in working memory capacity is so substantial that many users say that Piracetam actually makes them smarter – especially when studying lots of concepts at once.
It is believed that Piracetam has these effects because it stimulates the cholinergic system of your brain. Acetylcholine is a key neurochemical necessary for cognitive ability, which is used to send and receive signals between the synapses in your brain. Acetylcholine is also a component in the maintenance and development of neurons and synapses, making it easier for you to store information and creating new connections between different parts of your brain.
All of the functions of Acetylcholine are thought to be improved by Piracetam use due to increased levels of the Acetylcholine neurotransmitter. Users say that taking Piracetam will help you think better, remember more, learn faster, and generally improve your brain power.
In the USA, Piracetam is an unregulated, unscheduled compound. While Piracetam has been used for years as either a prescription drug or an over-the-counter drug in various countries around the world, in the United States the FDA has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.
Piracetam also does not meet the qualifications of a dietary supplement and cannot be labeled or sold as one.
It is legal to buy and own Piracetam for personal use, however due to FDA laws surrounding the sales, distribution, and labeling of compounds like Piracetam there are not many vendors that sell it.
There are some specialized online nootropic stores based in the US that still sell Piracetam, but the number of these vendors is limited. When it is difficult to find a domestic vendor, many users will instead import Piracetam from countries where the sale of this compound is legal.
You may find Piracetam tablets for sale online, but you will need many of them each day to reach the suggested dosing and this can get fairly expensive. Purchasing bulk Piracetam powder may be more cost-effective for you if you decide to use higher dose amounts.
The most commonly suggested dosage of Piracetam for full benefit is between 4-5 grams taken twice a day, though some people take as much as three dosages per day. Your personal dosage will differ based on your personal sensitivities and needs. It is recommended to start with a low dosage and work your way up to higher dosages.
Brain Health
Memory
Neuro- plasticity- Supports memory & heightens acetylcholine
- May reduce lipofuscin & beta-amyloid residue
- Boosts brain health & fights aging
Centrophenoxine Guide
Centrophenoxine is a source of Choline for the body – the compound necessary to make Acetylcholine for the brain.
Centrophenoxine is not typically used on its own as a nootropic but is most often found in a stack with racetams or other natural nootropics.
However, even using Centrophenoxine independently of other supplements may enhance cognitive capacity. With long-term use, Centrophenoxine is though to be neuroprotective and may prevent symptoms of mental decline associated with aging.
This choline supplement may be able to improve the health of your brain cells, keeping them alive for longer and preventing the deterioration of neurons and synapses.
In a study on age-related loss of memory on mice, taking Centrophenoxine was found to actually slow down or reverse the aging process in the brain.
It is believed to affect the brain by improving energy metabolism and increasing the uptake of glucose – the main fuel source that the brain uses.
Taking this nootropic may also improve oxygen levels in your brain, leading to better alertness and concentration. This can make your brain more productive in the short-term while also keeping your brain healthier in the long-term.
The research on Centrophenoxine has been very promising so far, however more research is still needed to determine all the effects it may have. At this time the FDA has not approved Centrophenoxine as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions. It is available as a dietary supplement only.
Based on user reviews, a typical dosage of Centrophenoxine is between 500 mg and 1000 mg per day split between the morning and afternoon. You will find Centrophenoxine 500 mg tablets online, but they can be as much as 5-10x more expensive than purchasing bulk Centrophenoxine powder so it is more cost-effective to buy the powdered version.
You can then mix your powder with other nootropic powders in water or fill your own pill caps at home.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Piracetam Centrophenoxine Stack
Why do people use Centrophenoxine with Piracetam in a stack? Think of it like this: Piracetam tells your brain to release more Acetylcholine, and Centrophenoxine makes it possible for your brain to have more Acetylcholine to release.
Choline is found in a lot of foods that we commonly eat, but its presence is often not high enough to meet daily requirements. In fact, population studies have determined that 9 in every 10 Americans is choline deficient.
Choline is a precursor of Acetylcholine and is necessary for the production of this neurotransmitter in the body. If your choline levels are too low, then Acetylcholine levels may be low as well.
The Racetam nootropics essentially increase the demand for Acetylcholine in your body. In some cases, taking Piracetam may cause headaches if you do not have enough of this neurotransmitter stored away.
It has been hypothesized that when Acetylcholine stores become depleted it can cause receptors to “burn-out,” leading to the classic “Piracetam headache.” Stacking a supplemental source of choline with your Piracetam is thought to help minimize or eliminate these headaches by providing the body with more of the raw materials needed to make Acetylcholine.
Besides possibly causing headaches, not having enough choline can mean that you are not getting the full benefit from your nootropics. That means that your Acetylcholine levels are not as high as they could potentially be, putting an upper limit on the cognitive enhancement that you may receive.
These are the main reasons why taking Piracetam and a source of Choline together has become the norm, and this combination is the most common starting stack for new nootropic users. There are several different sources of Choline in addition to Centrophenoxine, such as Alpha GPC and Citicoline. Which source you pick is up to your needs and budget.
If you want to get the best results from your Piracetam dosage, consider taking it in combination with a choline supplement like Centrophenoxine to amplify the effects and get even more out of your nootropic stack.
Side Effects
Both Piracetam and Centrophenoxine are reported to be safe in research studies, but they have the potential to cause adverse effects in some users.
Some individuals experience side effects that cause them to withdraw from taking the drug. In one study, individuals with post-concussive syndrome were found to experience a higher rate of negative effetcs linked to Piracetam use.
In addition to headaches, the adverse effects associated with Piracetam include nauseau, brain fog, irritability, difficulty sleeping, changes in auditory or visual perception, fatigue, anxiety, tremor, hyperkinesia (increased muscle movement), increased libido, weight gain, agitation, muscle weakness or depression.
Centrophenoxine has the potential to cause negative effects including dizziness, lightheadedness, feeling of over-excitement, headaches, restlessness, burning sensation in the mouth, nausea, gastrointestinal upset, appetite suppression, difficulty falling asleep, irritable mood or anxiety.
Furthermore, Centrophenoxine contains DMAE which has been identified as teratogenic. This means that it is believed to increase the risk of abnormalities in embryonic development at the initial stages of pregnancy. In one mouse study, high dosages of DMAE resulted in defects in mouse embryos.
Centrophenoxine should not be used by women who are currently pregnant or who may become pregnant. Use of Piracetam is also contraindicated for these populations due to a lack of research on its safety for developing unborn infants.
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Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment