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Piracetam is a cognitive enhancement substance developed in 1964 by a Romanian scientist.
Its discovery is cited as the event that lead to the founding of the class of compounds known as “Nootropics”.
These substances are more colloquially referred to as “brain supplements”, “smart drugs”, and “cognitive enhancers”.
Although Piracetam is the most well-known and studied of all the so-called smart drugs it still lacks recognition outside of the scientific community and current Nootropics users. It is becoming more and more popular every day, but the average person on the street is not likely to recognize the name of this compound.
This inevitably leads to concerns about Piracetam dangers among anyone who has never tried it or who has not had a chance to view the academic literature.
So the question is, are there any dangerous effects that can occur when taking Piracetam?
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Piracetam Dangers
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Piracetam is an extremely non-toxic and safe substance that is believed to offer far more benefits for the brain than risk of damage.
It has been called one of the least toxic pharmacologically active compounds ever discovered and has a lower LD 50 toxicity score than table salt or caffeine.
Administering as much as 8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (equivalent to a 500 gram dosage for a 150 lb person) did not result in overdose even though this is 100x a standard dosage recommendation.
In several studies conducted to assess the risk of side effects, individuals given a placebo sugar pill actually reported more side effects than those taking Piracetam.
In other studies, rodent subjects were administered a lethal toxin along with Piracetam while another group received the toxin without Piracetam. The group that did not get Piracetam saw 90% of their members perish. On the contrary, the group given Piracetam saw only 10% of their group perish with a 90% survival rate.
Not only is Piracetam unlikely to cause dangerous side effects, it may in fact prevent them and improve the health of your brain.
Despite these facts, there are still those who think that Piracetam could have dangerous effects. Most of these claims center on the fact that there are very few long-term usage studies. This is more an argument from lack of evidence than anything else.
It is true that Piracetam changes your brain chemistry in such a way that increases activity in certain key areas. We do know that Piracetam enhances the effects of other drugs such as alcohol, Adderall, Ritalin, or Modafinil. As such, it should be avoided in conjunction with large doses of these substances. However, Piracetam by itself is considered safe and exceptionally non-toxic.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
While Piracetam has been used for years as either an over-the-counter or a prescription drug in other countries around the world, in the United States the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions. Piracetam also does not fit the qualifications of a dietary supplement, and cannot be sold as such in the US.
It is true that most of the research done on Piracetam is dated and since no long-term studies were done previously, new studies should be conducted to determine long-term effects of Piracetam use. However, part of the reason for the USA’s decision not to officially adopt use of Piracetam is a medical bias against nootropics and other so-called “lifestyle drugs.”
The FDA does not approve drugs unless they specifically treat or improve certain diseases or illnesses. Since Piracetam is most commonly taken by non-impaired individuals to improve cognitive performance, it does not fall under the FDA’s guidelines of what qualifies as a drug.
They prefer to take the stance that healthy individuals should not be taking synthetic compounds unnecessarily, even if there are known benefits. This is often attributed to the risk of unknown Piracetam dangers, but most experts think that risk is negligible. This is also likely the reason why you will find that your doctor does not know about Piracetam or other Nootropics for that matter.
While Piracetam is currently an unregulated, unscheduled compound, it has been added to a list maintained by the FDA of investigational new drugs (IND). Compounds on this list are considered to still need scientific testing to determine how they should be classified. Perhaps new research studies will be commissioned and Piracetam will be able to be fairly classified and more freely available for use in the US.
Currently. 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.
How Piracetam Works
Nootropics such as Piracetam typically work by helping the brain to utilize neurotransmitters more effectively.
In this case, Piracetam crosses over the blood-brain barrier and then is taken up into the central nervous system. From here it helps to stimulate the production and release of a number of different neurotransmitters, which mediate cognitive and mental processes.
For example, Piracetam is a positive modulator of Acetylcholine and Glutamate. Acetylcholine is involved in functions related to memory formation and retention, learning capacity, and even focus and attention.
Piracetam also works by increasing cerebral blood flow and making your neuron membranes more permeable. As a result, nutrients are taken up by brain cells more readily and inter-neuron signaling may improve dramatically.
Piracetam and its fellow racetams also act like antioxidants. It is known to flush out free radicals and other toxins like lipofuscin.
Lipofuscin is a metabolic waste product; it is recognizable on the skin as age spots and also accumulates in the brain and then can have a detrimental effect on cognition and other brain functions. By removing these waste products, Piracetam can improve cellular function in the brain and it is hypothesized it may even slow down the aging process in your neurons.
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The Argument in Favor of Piracetam
Piracetam itself is often considered as the mildest Nootropic, since there are now much more potent varieties on the market. One of the classic signs of a Nootropic agent is that it offers the ability to help protect the brain with no or very few side effects.
In the case of Piracetam, studies have shown it may help protect and even reverse the damage done to brain cells as a result of alcohol abuse. It helps to enhance oxygen utilization which rapidly deteriorates during consumption.
It is also thought to impede the destruction of neurons in the hippocampus during periods immediately following alcohol withdrawal. It may even reduce short-term memory loss associated with marijuana use and the hypoxia that can occur due to tobacco smoke.
Piracetam is also quite effective at boosting cognition. This includes heightening memory formation and increasing learning capacity. Many users also experience a much faster rate of thought processing and even an expanded attention span and ability to concentrate.
Some users note that they have heightened sensory perceptions, especially in areas of sight and sound (colors are reported as more vibrant and sounds fuller and richer).
There are also people who swear by Piracetam as helping them to achieve a state or condition known as lucid dreaming, in which they are actually aware while dreaming and can control it as the dream unwinds itself.
Piracetam side effects are nearly non-existent, with reports of less than 10 percent of users having any kind of negative reaction. Some mild side effects may occur with use, including headaches, mild anxiousness, nervousness, feeling agitated, and drowsiness. Headaches are the most reported side effects, and they are most commonly caused by a deficiency in Acetycholine.
Piracetam can increase the activity of Acetylcholine in the brain, which can lead to burnout of receptors if stores of this neurotransmitter are depleted. It is often found that taking a high-quality choline supplement with your Piracetam can alleviate the headache by providing more precursor material to make Acetycholine.
Overall, rather than being dangerous to the brain, Piracetam may actually be neuroprotective and may keep your brain functioning at optimal levels even late into life.
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- Mondadori C, Ducret T, Petschke F. Blockade of the nootropic action of piracetam-like nootropics by adrenalectomy: an effect of dosage. Behav Brain Res. 1989 Aug 1;34(1-2):155-8.
- Chouinard G, et al . Piracetam in elderly psychiatric patients with mild diffuse cerebral impairment. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1983;81(2):100-6.
- Navarro SA, et al . Analgesic activity of piracetam: effect on cytokine production and oxidative stress. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2013 Apr;105:183-92.
- Kretschmar JH, Kretschmar CH. On the dose-effect relationship in the therapy with piracetam. Arzneimittelforschung. 1976;26(6):1158-9.
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment
11 Comments
My husband has short term memory. He is 84. Do you think this will help him?
Hi Lois,
Yes Piracetam has been shown to improve memory in individuals with age-related memory loss. Other supplements that can improve short-term memory include Huperzine A, Alpha GPC and Phosphatidylserine. You should try combining Piracetam with a supplement like Alpha Brain which contains many of these other memory-boosting compounds.
It is alright to use it as a memory enhancer for reviewees or for academic purposes to get good grades at school?
”by a Bulgarian scientist”
I am Romanian and I can confirm that it was a ROMANIAN scientist who invented it. His name is Corneliu Giurgea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corneliu_E._Giurgea
Is it ok to take Piracetam with L-Methylfolate ? I am taking both and don’t see any side effects?
Thanks
Hi James,
I can’t find any information regarding interactions or safety of use of L-Methylfolate (Deplin) and Piracetam. There is one thread on Longecity with a user describing taking the two of these together, but no noted side effects or safety warnings. Even though L-Methylfolate is naturally produced in the body to cross the blood-brain barrier, there may be a question as to safe dosages when combining these to. For this reason, it is best to discuss with your doctor when combining supplements or drugs.
Hi Sir,
My mom suffers from a brain atrophy, she cannot talk , walk or remember anyone, is there something to help her with?
Thank you.
Yo en una oortunidad en mi época de estudiante llegué a tomar Nootropil (piracetam) ya que leí que esto podía aumentar la capacidad de atención y concentración.
Sin saber en aquella época que tenía síndrome de Asperger, tomaba este fármaco por creer que tendría la mente más alerta (dicho en venezolano “estar más pilas”), pero lo que hizo fue ponerme muy ansioso y acelerado y hacerme más despistado.
Con el tiempo, al descubrir mi síndrome vi que lo que pasaba era que estaba sometido a excesiva presión y eso era lo que explicaba el porqué de mis despistes debido a lapsus mentales.
Hello, I before suffered from autism, although say it is shameful, but in internet not it drop me the face of shame, I am Venezuelan, and I had subnormal levels of sociability, I can attest that taking piracetam combined with acetylcholine off me this disease, but need yet taking the pills, which so far is not scientifically accepted, not even close, until there a cure for autism, then this heal me, and I am immensely grateful to the person that created, companies that manufacture and to you that promoted, but still still a lot of work, as yet no psychiatrist one that indicate to you the pills to solve psychiatric or psychotic or any mental impairment problems, if there is any space to discover more things about science and life, is this. Please by all those who are suffering, bow down to discover this.
I agree with you that Piracetam may be very helpful for the user. However, the only reason of your positive comments about this nootropic are the references you used. All articles are 30 years old, with the exception of one that only talks about analgesic effects.
Mi sobrino de 8 años lo estaba tomando para el síndrome de déficit de atención y le causó muchos problemas ansiedad depresión incluso afectó su equilibrio y coordinación ya no puede caminar y empezó hablar incoherencias, ese fármaco es un peligro y casi nadie lo advierte