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Many people are interested in improving their mental abilities and general cognitive function with supplements and smart drugs. One of the best and most effective ways to do so involves taking a class of compounds known as Nootropics.
One Nootropic in particular – Piracetam or Nootropyl – continues to be the most widely used cognitive enhancer or brain booster from the Racetam groupd of nootropics. Studies over many years (dating back to the creation of Piracetam in 1964) have shown Piracetam to be effective at enhancing mental performance with almost no toxicity.
Stacking Piracetam with the nutrient supplement Citicoline or CDP Choline has the potential make these benefits even more pronounced. What is the right way to use a Piracetam Citicoline Stack?
It should be noted that in the USA, Piracetam is an unregulated, unscheduled compound. It also does not fit the description of a dietary supplement, and cannot be sold as such. While Piracetam has been used for years as a prescription drug in other countries around the world, 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. However, 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
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Why Use Citicoline With Piracetam?
Related Topics
- What is Citicoline?
- Cytidine Diphosphate Choline
- CDP Choline Effects
- User Reviews
- Benefits for the Brain
- Comparison to Alpha GPC
- Risk of Adverse Effects
- Safe Dosage Guidelines
- How to Take
- Stacking with Piracetam
- Buy CDP Choline
- What is Piracetam?
- What is Nootropil?
- User Reviews
- What to Expect
- Effects and Benefits
- How to Take
- Suggested Dosages
- Side Effects
The first question to ask is why even use Citicoline and Piracetam together at all.
It is believed that using a Piracetam Citicoline stack results in both nootropics potentiating each other, making them significantly more effective when taken together than on their own.
Piracetam requires a certain amount of Acetylcholine to be present within the brain. The compound travels to the site of Acetylcholine receptors and binds to them, helping to make this powerful neurotransmitter more active.
The problem is that most people do not have enough Acetylcholine for these processes to happen automatically or without additional help. Acetylcholine is produced from a nutrient known as Choline.
Unfortunately, the average person does not get enough choline in their diet resulting in less Acetylcholine than what is needed for optimal functioning of your brain. This is where the Citicoline comes in.
Citicoline powder is actually a precursor to Acetylcholine. Therefore, the thought among researchers is that by supplementing Piracetam with Citicoline it is possible to increase our levels of circulating Acetylcholine within a relatively short period of time, thus allowing the Piracetam to work fully.
As levels of Acetylcholine build, it has a number of positive effects on our cognitive abilities including increased memory and learning capacity, enhanced sensory perception, improved focus, attention, and concentration, and even better motivation and overall mental energy.
The effects of using a Piracetam Choline Stack can significantly exceed those from taking Piracetam on its own. Another option is to use a Piracetam Alpha GPC Stack instead if you prefer Alpha GPC vs. Citicoline.
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Start With Piracetam Powder
But before you begin considering additional nootropics to use in a Piracetam stack, it is important to begin with taking Piracetam on its own.
For starters, Piracetam needs to build up in your system before it becomes fully effective. This means you must take it daily for as much as two or three weeks before feeling the full extent of benefits.
Once it has built up to the proper levels, it is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier with greater ease and then reaching the intended target (Acetylcholine receptor sites). Using Piracetam by itself will also allow you to observe the effects of this supplement on your cognitive abilities and come to a better determination of whether this nootropic is right for you.
Piracetam dosages need to be fairly large in order to experience the best results. It has a short half-life, so it is important to take at least two (and ideally three) equal administrations throughout the day. Most users aim for around 2 to 4.8 grams per administration. Any less and it is very possible that you will not see the potential results.
When you first start out with using Piracetam powder, you might want to take a half dose at least the first three days to make sure you do not encounter any unpleasant side effects. If you do use this dosing strategy, remember to be patient and give yourself at least two weeks before performing any benchmark tests to see how Piracetam has improved your memory or cognitive speed.
The Piracetam Attack Dose
Another way to start a Piracetam regimen would be to use what is known as an ‘attack dose’. The idea here is to up the intake to a level between two and three times what would be considered normal Piracetam doses for a short period of time to start. This could mean up to 12 grams per day, divided into three equal administrations.
A Piracetam attack dose may help you build up the required levels of Piracetam within your system in a shorter period of time. Once you feel the initial effects, it is important to drop back down to the normal dose. Use an attack dose for no more than 3 or 4 days.
If negative side effects occur while you are using attack dose levels, then it may be necessary to reduce the dosage down to normal levels and slowly build levels in your body instead.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
Adding Citicoline to your Piracetam Stack
After a week or two of experience with taking Piracetam supplements and having no negative side effects, you can then add a Choline supplement like Zynapse Citicoline (CDP Choline) to your stack.
By staggering when you start each nootropic, it will enable you to compare the effects and benefits of each of these supplements in kind so you know specifically whether one is helping you achieve greater cognitive power or simply adding to the cost of your stack.
In general, a Citicoline Piracetam stack is relatively affordable compared to other nootropic stacks and products, but you certainly do not want to be spending money on additional ingredients if they are not actually producing positive effects for you.
Some people choose instead of direct Citicoline supplementation to focus on eating foods rich in Choline. Good choline sources include eggs, fish, peanuts, almonds, spinach, cauliflower, chicken, liver, and soybeans. If you are able to get enough choline in your diet just from changing certain lifestyle factors that is generally the best way to go.
However, the choline found in foods – phosphatidylcholine – is only about 13% pure choline which means it can take a lot of additional eating to achieve levels that are synergistic with Piracetam. That is why Citicoline is a more realistic option for most people.
Citicoline has a higher bioavailability and is better at penetrating the blood-brain barrier than some lower quality choline sources. In order to use a Piracetam Citicoline Stack, you should take approximately a 5 – 1 ratio of Piracetam powder to Citicoline powder up to a maximum of 500 mg Citicoline per dosage. Make adjustments as needed depending on your results.
Potential Side Effects
Are there any side effects that you should be considered with when using a Piracetam Citicoline Stack? The most reported side effect of this combination is headaches. This is another reason for separating the elements of the stack initially, since the Piracetam alone is usually responsible.
If you get headaches while only using Piracetam, then begin Citicoline supplementation immediately, as the cause may be due to a low levels of Acetylcholine causing burnout at receptor sites. The addition of a choline source can often eliminate the “Piracetam headache.”
On the other hand, if the headaches do not start until after the Citicoline supplementation has begun it may be due to choline itself. Consider changing your dosage ratio or cease using Citicoline altogether. As with all nootropic and stacks, your results may differ from those of other individuals and it is important to listen to your own body to determine the ideal regimen for yourself.
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Neurocetam Plus
Neurocetam Plus is a medication produced by Micro Labs in India and distributed by B & B Inc.
This nootropic drug contains a combination of 800 mg Piracetam with 500mg Citicoline per tablet.
In India, it is available to buy over the counter or online without a prescription. Itmay be of benefit to individuals who prefer to take one pill per day instead of two, but it costs significantly more than generic Piracetam and CDP choline.
Neurocetam Plus is indicated for the treatment of ischemic stroke, uncontrollable muscle jerk head trauma, cognitive dysfunction, age-related memory decline, Non-progressive neuromotor dysfunction, Alzheimer’s Disease, Glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease and cerebrovascular disease.
According to patient information for this drug, it may interact with Cilostazol, Clophenoxate, Clopidogrel, Dipyridamole, Eptifibatide and L-Dopa.
This drug should not be used by individuals with an allergy to Piracetam or other pyrrolidone derivatives, cerebral haemorrhage, Huntington’s disease, kidney dysfunction, or by women who are pregnant or lactating.
If you are interested in taking Neurocetam Plus, consult with a doctor to determine whether this drug is appropriate for you and what the best way to use it is.
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Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment