Trying to decide whether to use Piracetam vs Pramiracetam?
Both Piracetam and Pramiracetam fall into the classification of compounds known as Nootropics.
These cognitive enhancers pose a lot of benefits for individuals who would like improve their memory, gain better concentration, and enjoy greater amounts of motivation and energy.
By stimulating important synapses in the brain, nootropics like Piracetam and Pramiracetam are thought to change the way your brain thinks for the better. As such, they are in hot demand among university students and people working in competitive fields.
Despite their relative similarities, there are a number of differences between Pramiracetam and Piracetam which should be thoroughly understood before deciding which one to use.
Before starting, it is important to discuss the legality and availability of Racetams in the United States. The Racetams are unregulated, unscheduled compounds in the US.
Piracetam specifically has been used for many years in various countries around the world as a either an over-the-counter or a prescription drug. However in the US, the FDA has not approved Piracetam as a drug to prevent or treat any conditions. The same goes for the other Racetams as well.
Additionally, they do not meet the qualifications of dietary supplements, and cannot be labeled or sold as such.
It is legal to buy and own these compounds for personal use though. However, due to FDA laws surrounding the sales, distribution, and labeling of unregulated compounds, buying Racetams, and most especially Piracetam, within the US can be difficult.
There are some specialized nootropic stores online based in the US that sell Racetams, however they are limited. Also, while they may carry some Racetams, they often do not carry Piracetam, which is often the starting nootropic that many first-time users will take. Because of this, some people will instead import from countries where the sale of Racetams is legal and regulated.



- Promotes neuron health & synaptic plasticity
- Supports memory recall & learning
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Piracetam Introduction
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The concept of using supplements or drugs to create a better brain was really born with the development of Piracetam by UCB Pharmaceuticals.
Piracetam is the oldest of the Nootropics, developed back in 1964 by a Romanian scientist.
It has undergone the most testing and research of all Racetams and has been determined to be very safe and non-toxic. As a water soluble powder, this compound mixes very easily with water or juice and is quite simple to use.
While many of the health supplements you eat do not actually circulate to the brain, Piracetam is able to easily cross the blood-brain barrier. This barrier separates your neurons from the flow of blood which is actually toxic if it comes into contact with your nerve cells.
Piracetam is a derivative of GABA – a neurotransmitter that is produced naturally in the brain from Glutamate. However, according to the research results that have been collected in the past 50 years, even though it is a GABA derivative, Piracetam doesn’t actually effect GABA activity or levels in the brain.
Instead it is believed to exert its influence on two other key neurotransmitters within the brain, Acetylcholine and Glutamate. These two substances are thought to play a vital role in learning, memory, and cognition.
Piracetam is thought to work by binding to the receptor sites for both of these neurotransmitters. What this technically does is to help amplify the amount of excitation within the brain neurons.
Neurons communicate to each other through a massive system of billions of synapses which are essentially sites where different nerve cells are able to send and receive signals. These transmission occur by way of chemical neurotransmitters such as GABA, Acetylcholine, and Glutamate.
By increasing the activity of these synapses, your brain is able to store more information and recall memory much faster. Other processing skills are made more sensitive as well.
Other evidence suggests that Piracetam positively influences the levels of calcium and potassium in your brain. We all know that electrolytes are important for cognitive functions to be at their prime. When these chemicals are properly balanced in the brain, they facilitate greater electrical activity which is the main determining factor of brainpower. By enhancing the electrolyte balance in your neurons, Piracetam may be able to optimize your brain’s performance.
Based on users reviews, Piracetam has been effective for both everyday use in health adults as well as in individuals who suffer from ADHD or other cognitive deficits. Piracetam powder is noted for being rather fast-acting with a half-life of around 2 hours.



- Improves focus, productivity & motivation
- Supports cognition & memory
- Heightens alertness & mental acuity
Pramiracetam Introduction
Developed in Belgium during the 1970’s as an enriched version of Piracetam, Pramiracetam is the strongest of all the most common Racetam family members. Most researchers consider this compound to be as much as 30 times more potent than Piracetam.
This analog of Piracetam delivers its benefits much quicker and the effects can be much more noticeable. One of the reasons for this increase in potential activity is the fact that Pramiracetam is fat soluble unlike Piracetam which is water soluble.
This means it is more bioavailable and more concentrated. As a fat soluble substance, Pramiracetam should be taken with foods or fish oil capsules. If used in the form of a powder, than it should never be mixed with water (it will clump and never fully dissolve); try stirring it into a glass of milk instead.
Piracetam Effectiveness
The most pronounced Piracetam benefits are often seen in the areas of memory and learning. Piracetam users are normally able to see an increase in their working memory and long-term memory and possibly even faster recall.
A lot of users report that it becomes easier to understand even complex concepts and that they do not have to work as hard to remember new information.
This improvement in your memory can bear out in subtle ways, such as being able to recall entire dreams or having greater detail recal from conversations, facts, or figures, etc. Mental processing capacity may also be enhanced, with many people reporting that things just seem to flow better.
Piracetam also has been seen to have positive implications on energy levels and motivation or drive. This includes an overall enhanced feeling of clarity and alertness. Attention, focus, and concentration are all reportedly heightened and you may find that you do not procrastinate as much because tasks just seem easier to complete. This is reinforced by the fact that Piracetam may also serve as a mood enhancer, even reducing stress and anxiousness.
Another benefit that most users report after using Piracetam is an enhancement to their senses and perceptual field. This will ordinarily manifest itself in the form of much clearer vision, as well as hearing deeper and richer sounds. Some people are quite overwhelmed by this experience, causing a distinct emotional reaction to vivid images or booming music.
It has been hypothesized that Piracetam may also contribute to improved overall health of your brain through proper nutrient supply and better energy metabolism. There is even evidence to suggest that Piracetam can be a potent antioxidant, helping to rid the brain of toxins.

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Benefits Of Pramiracetam
Pramiracetam has been described by some users as Piracetam on steroids. Most of the benefits are quite similar, except that they are usually much more pronounced. This includes improvements in memory, recall, and learning capacity.
Many users and studies also report that it helps to improve fluid intelligence, making common tasks seem much easier and even effortless. Overall mental energy, clarity of thought, attention, focus, and concentration are other areas of noted improvement.
Interestingly, Pramiracetam’s main effects seem to be upon increasing choline uptake into the hippocampus area of the brain. This is also thought to be helpful in developing new synapses and nerve connections along with improving the overall communication between both hemispheres of the brain. This may lead to longer-term memory improvements, advanced and logical thinking enhancements, and even unlocking additional areas of thought.
One of the specialties of Pramiracetam is increasing productivity by giving the user what is described as intense amounts of focus. Some research have suggested that Pramiracetam may one day replace Adderall as a safe alternative with low risk of side effects.
Differences Between Piracetam vs Pramiracetam
The main difference between Pramiracetam and Piracetam is the potency. The benefits seen with both Racetams are quite similar, however Pramiracetam is considerably stronger and faster-acting.
If you have already tried and received good results from Piracetam, than you will most likely see a number of increased benefits from Pramiracetam. That being said, it is also more expensive – both in terms of its price per grams, but also in terms of the average price per dosage. This may come into play if you are a student on a budget.
Additionally, it is not recommended that a brand new user to Nootropics begin with Pramiracetam. If you are a beginner in the world of Nootropic, then Piracetam is the best place to try out the class of Racetams for your first time.
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Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment