Racetams: An Overview

Piracetam and similar nootropics belong to a class of drugs known as racetams. These drugs all have a nucleus of pyrrolidine, an organic compound with the formula C₄H₉N. While all of the racetams are neuroprotective and all behave as cognitive enhancers, each one has unique effects.

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Which is the best? It depends on what you’re using it for. Here’s an overview of the most popular racetams, so you can decide which one best suits you.

Piracetam

Piracetam is the oldest of the racetams and a starter racetam for many newbie nootropic users. The word “nootropic” was invented to describe Piracetam. Because Piracetam has been studied since the 1960s, we know more about it than any other racetam, so if you want a nootropic that’s been extensively researched, it’s the one for you.

Piracetam in the Scientific Literature:

• Prevents amnesia in oxygen-starved rats
• Enhances memory in older people with age-related cognitive decline
• Improves the level of consciousness of people in comas
• Improves cortical function in chronic alcoholics
• Was shown to enhance memory in a study of 16 college students
• Was shown to speed up reaction time in a study of 30 college students

Speed of action and bioavailability

Piracetam is water soluble and therefore does not cross the blood-brain barrier easily. Therefore, it takes a while for it to take effect.

It is almost 100% bioavailable.

Dose

A usual Piracetam dose can range from 1500 to 4800 milligrams per day.

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Aniracetam

Aniracetam can do something that Piracetam can’t – enhance mood. People take Aniracetam not only to improve their cognitive ability but also to reduce fear, anxiety and depression. Animal studies show that it increases sociability, and people often take it to help with social anxiety.

Aniracetam in the Scientific Literature:

• Enhances learning in rats
• Enhances memory in monkeys and pigeons and restores memory in monkeys given scopolamine
• Restores memory in mice given electric shocks or scopolamine
• Improves cognitive function in rats with traumatic brain injury
• Reverses learning and memory deficits in rats with foetal alcohol syndrome
• Reduces anxiety and increases sociability in mice
• Decreases fear and increases sociability in rats
• Improves cognitive performance and mood in people with dementia

Speed of action and bioavailability

Aniracetam is fat soluble and therefore crosses the blood-brain barrier easily. That means it’s fast-acting. Some people claim they can feel the drug’s effects within a few hours of taking it. However, it has a bioavailability of only 0.2%, so it does not stay in the system very long.

Dose

Because Aniracetam is not long-lasting, it must be taken throughout the day. Recommended doses range from 750 to 4000 milligrams each day, divided into four doses per day.

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Oxiracetam

Oxiracetam is a newer, more powerful drug than Piracetam, and therefore a good choice for someone who already has experience with Piracetam and is ready for something stronger.

While it has neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties, it is not a mood enhancer.

Oxiracetam in the Scientific Literature:

• • Protects rodents from amnesia caused by physical or chemical injury
  • Restores cognitive ability in rats with traumatic brain injury
  • Protects rats from deficits in social recognition caused by the administration of trimethyltin
  • Improves cognitive performance in people with brain damage and non-Alzheimer’s-related dementia
  • Has been shown to be more effective than Piracetam in reducing dementia symptoms in people with vascular dementia
  • Has been shown to be more effective than Piracetam in reducing dementia symptoms in people with brain injuries

 

Speed of action and bioavailability

Oxiracetam is water soluble, and therefore not very fast-acting. It has a relatively high bioavailability between 68 and 82 percent.

Dose

You only need to take Oxiracetam once a day. Your dose can range from 600 to 3000 milligrams per day.

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Pramiracetam

Pramiracetam is a very strong nootropic, suitable for an advanced racetam user who can handle a very powerful drug. Research performed on rats suggests it’s between 10 and 15 times as strong as Piracetam.

Pramiracetam in the Scientific Literature:

• • • Enhances spatial learning in rats
    • Prevents chemically induced amnesia in mice
    • Improves memory retention in rats at a much lower dose than PIracetam does
    • Improves cognitive ability in men with cognitive problems caused by head injury and anoxia
    • Reduces amnesia in healthy volunteers given scopolamine

 Dose

Pramiracetam is fat-soluble and crosses the blood-brain barrier quickly. It should be taken two or three times a day, for a total of 75 to 1500 milligrams per day.

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Phenylpiracetam

Phenylpiracetam is the athlete’s racetam. In addition to improving memory and learning ability, it acts as a mild stimulant and enhances physical performance. Some sporting organisations, including the Olympics, have banned it. Like Aniracetam, it is also a mood enhancer.

An extremely powerful racetam, Phenylpiracetam is between 20 and 60 times stronger than Piracetam and probably not the racetam of choice for beginners.

Phenylpiracetam in the Scientific Literature:

• Acts as a memory enhancer and antidepressant in mice
  • Protects locomotor, research and memory functions in rats with cerebral ischemia and increases their survival rate
  • Increases physical endurance and resistance to cold
  • Improves memory, attention and coordination, decreases muscle weakness and reduces anxiety and depression in people with encephalopathy

 

Dose

Phenylpiracetam is extremely strong, so it’s recommended that you start with no more than 100 milligrams in a day. Do not take more than 300 milligrams in one day.

Phenylpiracetam should not be taken late in the day, as it can cause insomnia. You can divide your dose into morning and early afternoon doses.

You can develop a tolerance to Phenylpiracetam, so you shouldn’t take it every day. Either take it only occasionally, when you need an especially powerful cognitive enhancer or try a one-week on, one-week off schedule. You can take another racetam on your week off.

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Buy Piracetam Online Review Comparison Table

Originally posted on Oct 13, 2014, last updated on March 30, 2024.