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Anyone who is currently taking Piracetam (Nootropil) should consider adding a high quality Choline supplement to their Piracetam stack. Piracetam powder has been shown to be effective on its own in numerous studies and by countless numbers of user testimonials.
However, Choline supplements help to potentiate Piracetam, making it even more effective. If you want to see greater improvements to your learning, memory, reasoning, concentration, and energy level then trying a Piracetam Choline Stack may be a great idea.
But what is the best source of Choline to take with this Racetam and how much should you take? There are four main options – Choline salt, Alpha GPC, Centrophenoxine, and Citicoline – for stacking with Piracetam. In this article we will look at more about how Choline and Piracetam synergize with each other and help you determine the right dosage ratio for these two compounds.
It should be noted that while Choline is available as a dietary supplement in the United States, Piracetam does not meet the qualifications of a supplement. Additionally, while Piracetam has been used as either a prescription or over the counter drug in various other countries around the world, in the USA the FDA has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions.
Piracetam is considered an unscheduled, unregulated compound. It is legal to buy, own, and use Piracetam, but sales within the US are limited due to FDA laws surrounding the sales, distribution, and labeling of compounds like Piracetam.
There are some specialized online nootropic stores based in the US that sell Piracetam powder, but they are limited. Most users will instead buy and import from international vendors based in countries where the sale of Piracetam is legal.
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How Much Piracetam To Use
Related Topics
- What is Piracetam?
- What is Nootropil?
- User Reviews
- What to Expect
- Effects and Benefits
- How to Take
- Suggested Dosages
- Side Effects
- Dangers & Safety
- Top Piracetam Uses
- What is Choline?
- What is Acetylcholine?
- Choline's Role in the Brain
- Using Choline Supplements
- Effects and Benefits
- Recommended Dosages
- Dietary Sources
- Possible Side Effects
- Buy Choline
- How to Take Choline Powder
- Choline Bitartrate Review
Before addressing the correct dosage for a Piracetam Choline stack, it is vitally important to make sure that you are using the right Piracetam dosage.
If you are not taking the proper dose neither ingredient in your stack will be effective. Many people feel that a low dose of Piracetam is suitable, but recent trials have shown that it is not.
In fact, the most recent journal articles on Piracetam suggests that for many years most nootropic users have been taking far too little of this substance to really see full results.
So what do the most recent studies and examinations suggest for a Piracetam dosage? Almost every research study has used a dose between 9.6 grams and 20 grams per day. Those people who saw the best results were using 4.8 grams to 9.5 grams per dosing with two to three administrations a day.
That being said, taking 20 grams right off the bat is not recommended. However, if you consider that some people only use between 800 mg or 1.6 g on average, it is evident that this low of dosages may not lead to the desired effects.
The most commonly recommended dosage is at least 4-5 grams per day of powder. This should be taken in divided administrations, two or three times daily, due to the short half-life of the compound.
That being said, everyone’s physiology is different. It is possible that you may be more sensitive to this compound and lower dosages may actually give you the results you seek. It is important to test out lower dosages first and monitor results.
Increasing your dosage when you are getting the results you want is needless; you are wasting your money using extra Piracetam you don’t need to use daily, and you run a higher risk of side effects at higher dosages. Listen to your body and determine the best dosage for your individual needs.
Before you add Choline to your Piracetam stack, it is advisable to wait at least two weeks so that you fully understand the effects of this founding Racetam. During this time, Piracetam must build up in your system to really trigger the kind of changes that are possible when taking this nootropic for cognitive enhancement.
Remember that Piracetam is believed to work by modulating receptors in the brain for the two neurotransmitters Glutamate and Acetylcholine. Some of these effects will be noticeable even your first time using this smart drug, but the real scope of benefits typically needs at least a couple of weeks to work.
Some individuals have seen success with kickstarting levels of Piracetam in their systems by using an attack dose. This involves actually using a dose that is about twice as much as your intended target for a few days to as much as a week. Since Piracetam is a safe, non-toxic, and generally well-tolerated compound, there is not much risk in using a Nootropic attack dose to start.
However, you should not continue this practice for more than a few consecutive days. After a maximum of three days, it is recommended to drop back down to your normal 4-5 gram dose. Remember that it is not necessary to use Piracetam attack dose and you will still see excellent results if you dose at the same level consistently for the first two weeks.
Instead of an attack dose, some people actually prefer starting their nootropic stack regimen with a half dose to allow their nervous system to adjust more slowly over time. Do what feels right
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Top Choline Products* ❯The Importance Of Choline
Choline is an important nutrient within the body, but unfortunately one that most people do not get enough of on a regular basis. For this reason, Choline is one of the most popular brain supplements available today.
Choline has a powerful effect upon our memory, learning, and cognition because it acts as a precursor to Acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine is perhaps the most important neurotransmitter in the brain for synaptic plasticity and communication between neurons. When you maximize your Acetylcholine levels, you can achieve greater neural activity and speed up the transmission of signals in your cerebrum.
Choline itself can be obtained through the diet especially in those items considered to be “brain foods”. There are a number of natural sources for this vitamin-like compound including eggs, dairy, red meat, and fish. The problem is that as many as 90% of people in the world are deficient in Choline. This is due to a number of reasons such as poor diets, stress, and lack of exercise.
If you are choline deficient then you will not have enough Acetylcholine in your nerve cells to meet the increased demands that occur when taking a nootropic like Piracetam. That is why using a Piracetam Choline stack is such a good idea to ensure that you are able to get the full benefits from Racetam nootropics.
With so many different choices for Choline supplements, what source should you use? Unfortunately, the Choline bitartrate products that are most common in the marketplace are actually quite inefficient sources of this compound. They are only about 13% active ingredient and not all of that amount actually reaches your brain where it is turned into and stored as Acetylcholine.
Two of the best Acetylcholine precursors are Alpha GPC and CDP Choline (Citicoline). These higher quality choline supplements are more bioavailable and actually directly convert into Acetylcholine in the brain. Another great choice is Centrophenoxine which stimulates enhanced Acetylcholine production.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
How Much Choline To Use?
High quality Choline sources are sold in either capsule or powdered formulations, though the powdered formats tend to be about 1/5th the price of their tablet counterparts. If you are using Alpha GPC or Citicoline powder, the proper ratio of Piracetam to choline is approximately 8 to 1.
That means if you are taking 4.8 g of Piracetam, you will want to use about 600 mg of your Choline source. This ratio of your stack will depend on what choline source you use so if you did end up switching to a lower quality Choline supplement like Choline Bitartrate, you will need a larger dosage.
Remember that this ratio is a general approximation that represents the “Line of Best Fit” for most users. Piracetam and Choline will affect everyone slightly differently and depending on your diet you may naturally need more or less choline than someone else. Be prepared to adjust this ratio up or down according to the effects observed.
If you feel a significant boost in clarity of thought, improved sensory perceptions, more fluidity to your daily actions, etc… then you likely have the ratio about right. But do not be afraid to experiment with different Piracetam Choline stack dosages until you have it just right. You may even need to adjust the amount of Piracetam up or down or consider adding other nootropics to your stack as well for the greatest amount of cognitive enhancement.
Neurocetam Plus Review
Some medications are sold with a pre-formulated combination of Piracetam and choline supplement.
Neurocetam is a brand of Piracetam manufactured by Micro Labs in India. This company also sells a Neurocetam Plus product which contains 500 mg of CDP Choline with 800 mg of Piracetam.
This nootropic drug is sold over-the-counter in India and may be prescribed to treat the neurological symptoms of stroke, uncontrollable muscle movements, traumatic brain injury, memory loss due to aging or Alzheimer’s disease.
The advantages of taking one pill of Neurocetam Plus instead of two separate pills may appeal to some indivduals. However, the downside is a higher cost compared to generic ingredients and less flexibility in dosages.
Note that the ratio of choline provided by this supplement is high given that a dosage of 800 mg of Piracetam is used. As a nootropic, many individuals take between 3 – 8 times this dosage of Piracetam per day.
If you were to use an equivalent 3-8 times greater dosage of CDP Choline, you would increase the risk of adverse effects.
As a nootropic supplement stack, it is generally better to purchase these ingredients separately and to titrate the dosages to determine the right combination for you.
Some individuals may experience a worsening of negative effects when using high dosages of CDP Choline and may experience better results with 100 – 200 mg per day.
Possible Side Effects
While Piracetam and Choline are both considered safe and even neuroprotective, there have been some mildly uncomfortable side effects reported in a small number of reviews and experience logs.
The most common side effect of this combination is headaches. If this occurs while you are using the Choline, then back off the dose of your Choline supplement for a few days and see if things improve. One the other hand, if you are experiencing headaches just from the Piracetam, then go ahead and include a bit of Choline immediately to prevent your Acetylcholine receptors from burning out.
The Piracetam Choline Stack was actually first developed by researchers as a way to reduce symptoms of the so-called “Piracetam Headache” that some individuals experience if they are Acetylcholine deficient when using this nootropic.
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Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
1 Comment
Thank you for this advice. I was just researching piracetam when I came across the studies showing how choline amplifies it’s effectiveness. Knowing the correct dosing, as you’ve provided, along with good sources is very helpful. I can’t wait to try this. Just have to wait for my next payday :)