Why do people use piracetam?
People who self-experiment with piracetam often state they use it to improve their:
- Intelligence
- Sociality
- Memory
- Learning
- Focus
There is a lack of solid scientific evidence for the effectiveness of piracetam for any of these purposes, especially in healthy humans.
How does piracetam work?
Piracetam exerts cholinergic [6] and glutamatergic [7] activity, but the neuropsychopharmacological effects of piracetam have not yet fully been discovered by researchers.
Should you use piracetam?
One thing that is certain about the effects of piracetam is that we know relatively little about them. There is a lack of high-quality research, especially in healthy humans.
Because of the lack of research on piracetam, we never recommend that people use it.
If you have already decided to use it, here are some guidelines to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks.
How much and how often should you use piracetam?
In studies on humans, doses between 1200 and 4800mg are usually given.
The frequency of dosing varies between studies. It is usually taken two to three times spread out throughout the day, every day for several weeks.
Anecdotal reports from dosages used by self-experimenters posting how they use it on the web tend to be around the same.
What substances may stack well with piracetam?
There's no high-quality research on the effects of combining piracetam with other substances, such as nootropic drugs or supplements. The safety and efficacy of the below-listed combinations are supported only by anecdotal reports.
People tend to report better effects from piracetam when they also use:
- Choline sources, such as Alpha-GPC, Choline Bitartrate, or CDP- Choline
- Hydergine
- Omega 3
- Aniracetam
Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.
How does it feel when you take piracetam?
The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking piracetam is like.
Anecdotal piracetam experience reports and reviews from Reddit
One redditor reported the following:
"I've been trying Piracetam for a while and initially, it has been amazing. I have much less anxiety. I am more confident, more energetic, more fluent and I think better.
That said, after a few months of daily use, my memory has deteriorated really badly. For example, I forgot the names of my co-workers I used to work. I forgot very simple and easy things that I should remember." [8]
Another person sharing their experiences on Reddit said the following:
"i took 1.6g of piracetam (2x 800mg pills) and i noticed that within 15 minutes my vision became extremely sharp and enhanced, with extreme colour saturation (about as strong as the time i took shrooms (2g)) and i noticed i became really sleepy, but not "sleepy" in the normal sense, but in the sense of "im really relaxed" my mind became really empty (which i thought was weird since i tought is was gonna make my mind race), i was able to visualize and imagine things in my head in detail (so much so that i went "blind" for a couple of moments due to my daydreaming like state occupying my vision)" [9]
A third person said:
"I can speak more clearly and fluently, in both my native language and English. When on work, I'm brainstorming more ideas than I can say, the troubleshooting part of the job is easier. It's like cheating, I can really quickly locate a problem and fix it. My thoughts are clearer and I can visualize more vividly. Before taking piracetam I absolutely didn't remember any dreams, but now I'm dreaming for hours on end and remember most of the scenarios." [10]
And yet another redditor said:
"I took my first dose of 800mg of piracetam today and felt no noticeable effects at all but I was very irritable and had amplified emotions of anger and injustice." [11]
A fifth person on Reddit said they had the following experiences when they used piracetam for studying:
"... I definitely just feel more clear. I am currently studying quantitative portion of my GRE everyday and I have felt less frustrated, able to focus more, and able to trudge on through the parts where I'd normally just close the book and lay down for 10 minutes. Another interesting thing is, I've been having these vivid dreams every night since I started.. I rarely remember my dreams in the morning but.. these are something else. I also am recollecting a lot of my childhood memories.. not necessarily bad ones but random, neutral memories that I have stored somewhere.. It's really weird. ... I was a bit short tempered this week.. When I was in the zone, I just wanted to be left alone and I was a bit impatient with people at work and my spouse but it is definitely controllable." [12]
Yet another redditor said they experienced cognitive and emotional benefits:
"I have to say, this stuff is quite phenomenal. It makes me super motivated and focused. When I’m not doing something productive I’ve felt almost a tug to go do something better with my time. I haven’t felt any effects socially which I know does happen with a lot of people. It has slightly improved my mood although I also feel just a tiny bit more robotic. I have been feeling much more self aware than normal, and that’s coming from someone who has long been an extremely self aware and introspective person." [13]
What is a racetam?
Piracetam is a nootropic in the racetam family of compounds.
All racetams are similar in chemical structure but different in nootropic effects.
Other racetam compounds that are used by some self-experimenters for cognitive enhancement include:
- Aniracetam
- Oxiracetam
- Phenylpiracetam
- Omberacetam, also known as Noopept (sometimes classified as a racetam, sometimes not)
- Coluracetam
- Fasoracetam
- Pramiracetam
