Piracetam Research

Supplements Nootropics
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Some interesting research on the classic piracetam, and stacking it with basics like choline, since it seems like the “golden oldies” lose their luster and appeal in favor of tantalizing new things that may or may not pan out. But often the classics still work, are readily available, very affordable, and have well-established safety profiles.

Piracetam is the original and most researched racetam. While it is most often used and studies for its effects on cognitive decline and/or impairment, it has also been shown to have effects on health adults, including decreased EEG complexity (indicating increased cooperativity of brain processes) and improved verbal learning.

HUMAN RESEARCH

Study 1:
Duration: Acute
Subjects: Male University Students (mean age: 26.7 years)
Doses: 2.4g, 4.8g, 9.6g, Placebo
Results:

After oral ingestion (1-1.5 h), both measures showed significant decreases from placebo to 2.4 g piracetam. In addition, Global Dimensional Complexity showed a significant return to placebo values at 9.6 g piracetam. The results indicate that a single dose of piracetam dose-dependently affects the spontaneous EEG in normal volunteers, showing effects at the lowest treatment level. The decreased EEG complexity is interpreted as increased cooperativity of brain functional processes.

Study 2:
Duration: Acute
Subjects: Male Volunteers (aged 30-47, mean age: 36 years)
Doses: 2.9g, 4.8g, 9.6g, Placebo
Results:

Piracetam mainly affected the map landscape of the time segments following the triplet’s last digit. U-shaped dose-dependent effects were found; they were strongest after 4.8 g piracetam.

Strongest effects were found after 4.8 g piracetam, while 2.9 g showed marginal and 9.6 g showed no or even contrary effects as compared to placebo.

Study 3:
Duration: 14 days
Subjects: Male and Female College/University Students
Doses: 3x4 400mg or Placebo
Results:

No effects were observed after 7 days but after 14 days verbal learning had significantly increased.

Summary of Healthy Human Research:
So we have 3 studies on piracetam in healthy, young and/or non-elderly subjects. The two acute studies found used doses ranging from 2.4-9.6g, and both found that 9.6g was not effective. One study found 2.4g to be superior to 4.8g on EEG measures, while one found 4.8g to be superior to 2.9g on EEG measures, while the third study dosed 400mg 3x4, for a total of 4.8g/day.

So we can probably say the optimal dosing of piracetam in healthy non-elderly subjects is 2.4-4.8g per serving, and per day. So either 2.4g 1x/day, 2.4g 2x/day, or 4.8g 1x/day are all likely to be effective doses.

Now, that’s it for studies in healthy humans, but we do have some rodent studies showing synergy between piracetam and choline:

RODENT RESEARCH

Study 1:
Info: Piracetam and Choline
Animals: Rats

Summary: 100mg/kg piracetam + 100mg/kg choline was superior to 200mg/kg of either alone, and repeated dosing was superior to acute dosing
Note: 100mg/kg in rats = 1.2g for a 75kg person, 200mg/kg in rats = 2.4g for a 75kg person

Study 2:
Info: Piracetam and CDP-Choline
Animals: Mice

Summary: doses of CDP-Choline (10mg/kg = 60mg for a 75kg person) and piracetam (200mg/kg = 1.2g for a 75kg person) that were ineffective alone were effective combined. CDP-Choline (100mg/kg = 600mg for a 75kg person) and a combination of CDP-Choline (50mg/kg = 300mg for a 75kg person) and Piracetam (500mg/kg = 3g for a 75kg person) were found to not only completely prevent scopolamine-induced amnesia, but “also significantly increased the retention of the memory traces in the scopolamine-treated mice compared with the retention observed in the control animals.”

Summary of Rodent Research:
Rodent studies show that there’s synergy between piracetam and choline, and that repeated use is superior to acute use. By combining choline and piracetam, you may be able to use sub-optimal doses of each and still get benefits, or use effective doses of both and get more benefits. I’d still opt for at least 1.2g piracetam if you’re taking it with choline, and, if you’re using CDP-Choline, I’d ideally still want an effective dose of 250mg, but perhaps you could also half that to 125mg if you really want to save money, based on some rodent studies anyway.

TL;DR:
-Piracetam’s optimal dosing scheme for healthy non-elderly subjects is likely 2.4-4.8g per serving and/or per day when taken alone

-Rodent studies show synergy between piracetam and choline, with ineffective doses of each being effective together, and repeated dosing being superior to acute dosing

-Perhaps you could lower the dose of piracetam to 1.2g when taking it with choline, but 2.4g may be the best dose here, as it’s effective in healthy humans alone, and even if it is potentiated, it’s still not approaching the super-high 9.6g dose that was found to not be effective. CDP-Choline is a good choline source to pair with piracetam, and perhaps you can get away with small doses under 100mg based on the synergy noted in rodent studies, but I’d still opt for a dose of 250mg that’s been shown to be effective alone in healthy humans. This 2.4g piracetam + 250mg CDP choline is also pretty close to the human equivalent of a combined 3g piracetam and 300mg CDP-Choline found to be very effective in a rodent study referenced above.

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Edit: moved to the nootropics section, where it should be

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Love these roundups you do.

Also those are some pretty damn big doses

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Thanks. 4.8g piracetam is definitely a big dose, but 2.4g isn’t too expensive. $0.52/serving (3x 800mg caps) capped from Nootropics Depot, or $0.21/serving as a powder. And if you’re taking it with a solid choline source, you may be fine with 1.2g, which isn’t bad at all really. You’re not going to find Piracetam in many/any multi-ingredient products really, so it’d probably be an add-on anyway, so no reason not to dose it in a logical way IMO.

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another anecdotal report, it worked best for me when cycled

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Cycled how?

Edit: I also can’t help but wonder if maybe you got used to the effects/benefits, so cycling helped you to “feel” it again when you restarted. But perhaps you had the benefits the whole time, they just because more subtle; almost a new baseline?

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I can’t say I had an X time on/off schedule but I would take a break when A. As you said I wouldn’t “feel” the same mental stimulation or B. I would feel mentally fatigued. I will say though that nothing compares to the first few doses.

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Interesting. I’ve heard things like that, a fast subjective-feeling tolerance buildup, with phenylpiracetam, but not so much with piracetam.

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I’ve experienced this mental “fatigue” with either large doses of Racetams or consistent use of them. It varied from company to company, so i’m sure it had to do with sourcing.

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Did you take them with a solid dose of choline?

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Yes I did my good sir (and or ma’am, not trying to assume your gender here LOL). I played around with varying amounts or nothing at all some days. Fasted, and fed states. Very interesting to see how an individuals chemical make up might cause these “deteriorating” feelings one might get on occasion. It’s almost as if with consistent use, it starts to zap your mind of the necessary nutrients needed

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Haha, I’m a sir. But not an actual “Sir.” Not been knighted yet I’m afraid.

I’ve never noted anything like that with racetams, but I do tend to stick to only Piracetam or Noopept, and generally either 2.4g/day Piracetam or 10-20mg Noopept, but I have went up to 30mg/day at times since it was in a product I used. But I always used it with CDP-Choline and an AChE-I like huperzine. I only use aniracetam on occasion, and phenylPiracetam on very rare occasion, and I almost never mix my racetams.

But I also almost always take them with caffeine too, and a good amount of other noots, so perhaps it’d take a lot for the overall experience to be negative.

But like you said, we all react differently, but I’m still of the school of thought that, as a general rule of thumb, Piracetam is best with daily use.