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In a small percentage of the population, using Piracetam and other Racetam nootropics can cause unpleasant headaches.
The Piracetam Headache may be short-lived or may last for several hours after use.
It might happen very infrequently or you could experience painful symptoms every time you take Piracetam. Using Piracetam may also exacerbate headaches and migraines caused by other stimuli.
So why does this negative side effect occur and is there anything you can do to prevent it? Here is some useful information on how to stop a Piracetam Headache from forming before it happens.
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Why Does Piracetam Cause Headaches?
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- Stacking with Choline
Piracetam along with Pramiracetam, Aniracetam,and Oxiracetam causes stimulation of the Acetylcholine receptors in the brain.
Acetylcholine is one of the most important neurotransmitters, responsible for a number of functions related to memory, reasoning, learning, and concentration.
It is synthesized from choline in the foods we eat, but in many cases people do not get enough choline in their diet.
While it is not known for sure why Piracetam can sometimes lead to a headache, evidence suggests that taking choline with your Piracetam lessens the risk of a headache forming.
According to this popular anecdotal theory, Piracetam use can sometimes overly tax your cholinergic system. If you do not have enough choline in your diet, then you may have a deficiency of stored Acetylcholine.
Since Piracetam increases the demand for choline in your brain, the inability to fulfill this demand may lead to the development of headache symptoms. While it should be stressed that no scientific studies have been conducted into this occurrence, it appears that this explanation makes sense for a lot of users of Piracetam and other racetams.
- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
- Boosts focus, visual perception & attention
How to Stop Piracetam Headaches
If you are experiencing persistent headaches when using Piracetam, you may very well need more choline in your diet. While choline is available in a number of common foods such as red meat, chicken, eggs, dairy, and peanuts, the amount of choline and the availability of that choline is often low. Most people will instead use a choline supplement to increase their levels.
Try stacking a small amount of any Choline supplement with your Piracetam powder. Three of the highest-quality Choline sources include Alpha GPC, Centrophenoxine, and Citicoline.
You should start your stack with the smallest recommended dosage of one of these Acetylcholine boosting supplements and then increase the dose until your headaches have ceased.
In addition to ridding yourself of this negative side effect, using a choline supplement with a racetam can intensify the positive effects and give you a greater cognitive benefit.
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Choline Stacks and Headaches
For some people though, actually taking choline with Piracetam may cause headaches, while taking Piracetam on its own does not.
Why this happens is itself a bit of a mystery, but it points to the fact that nootropics can affect different people in different ways.
If you are currently using a Piracetam Choline stack and are experiencing on-going headaches, the best option for you is to cut out your source of Choline to see if that causes the headaches to cease.
Sometimes taking too much Alpha GPC, Centrophenoxine, or Citicoline can also lead to headaches. If you think this might be the case for you, cut your currently choline supplement dosage in half for a week and record the results.
What to Do If the Headaches Persist
If you have tried Piracetam with and without choline and continue to experience headaches, it may be that this nootropic is just not right for you. Make sure that you can conclusively determine that Piracetam is the source of this painful side effect before discontinuing your usage permanently.
You can try using Noopept or Pramiracetam as alternative nootropics with similar results. Some people who experience headaches with Piracetam do not feel them with these more powerful racetams.
Another alternative is to use a nootropic with a different mechanism of action like Adrafinil, Sunifiram, or Sulbutiamine to replace some of the effects of Piracetam while avoiding further headaches.
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- Akhondzadeh S, et al . A double-blind placebo controlled trial of piracetam added to risperidone in patients with autistic disorder. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2008 Sep;39(3):237-45.
- Ince Gunal D, Agan K, Afsar N, Borucu D, Us O. The effect of piracetam on ataxia: clinical observations in a group of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia patients. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2008 Apr;33(2):175-8.
- Kessler J, et al . Piracetam improves activated blood flow and facilitates rehabilitation of poststroke aphasic patients. Stroke. 2000 Sep;31(9):2112-6.
- De Deyn PP, Reuck JD, Deberdt W, Vlietinck R, Orgogozo JM. Treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke With Piracetam. Stroke. 1997 Dec;28(12):2347-52.
- Bravo-MartÃnez J, et al . A novel CaV2.2 channel inhibition by piracetam in peripheral and central neurons. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2012 Oct;237(10):1209-18.
- Holinski S, et al . Cerebroprotective effect of piracetam in patients undergoing open heart surgery. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2011;17(2):137-42.
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment