If you’re looking for a powerful nootropic that will give you laser-like focus and improve your ability to memorize new information without affecting your mood, you’re in the right place. Pramiracetam is an powerful nootropic that users report can increase learning, enhance focus, improve memory, increase logical and technical thinking, and improve overall cognitive performance. The reason why a lot of people like pramiracetam is that it is able to do these things without affecting mood or anxiety levels. Many people are looking for a way to boost cognitive performance without changing the way they feel. This is where pramiracetam really shines. Some people prefer nootropics that, in addition to boosting memory and focus, also reduce anxiety. Aniracetam is a good example of this. Other people like nootropics that provide a mood boost in addition to improving focus and memory. Noopept and sulbutiamine are two of many examples.
But if you’re looking for a nootropic that has the potential to increase focus and improve memory without affecting your mood or anxiety levels, pramiracetam might be exactly what you’re looking for. Now let’s take a look at what pramiracetam is.
What Is Pramiracetam?
Pramiracetam is a powerful nootropic, a mild stimulant, and a member of the racetam family. These are a group of chemically-similar substances, many of which are popular nootropics. As far as the racetams go, pramiracetam is one of the most powerful. In fact, experts consider it to be between 15 and 30 times stronger (and possibly even more so) than the prototypical racetam, piracetam.
Unlike many of the other nootropic racetams, pramiracetam exerts its cognition-boosting effect without changing mood or anxiety levels. This is due, at least in part, to its ability to influence the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Pramiracetam increases high affinity choline uptake (HACU) which allows the brain to synthesize more acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is known to play a vital role in memory and learning.
But while pramiracetam has a strong effect on acetylcholine, it doesn’t seem to have much of an effect on any of the neurotransmitters associated with mood or anxiety. Research has shown that pramiracetam does not have much affinity for serotonin, dopamine, GABA, or norepinephrine receptors in the brain.
In some European countries, pramiracetam is a prescription drug. It’s sold under the brand name Pramistar and is used to treat memory and attention problems in older people with certain types of dementia.
Pramiracetam was first discovered in the late 1970s and researchers have been studying its potential benefits ever since. Let’s now take a look at the nootropic benefits of pramiracetam that users are reporting and see what the science has to say about it.
Pramiracetam Benefits
Pramiracetam has been claimed to provide a number of cognition-boosting effect. These effects have been reported by many users, some of which the science seems to support. Here are some of the nootropic benefits of pramiracetam that people have been reporting:
- Increased focus
- Improved working and long-term memory
- Enhanced learning
- Advanced logical/technical thinking
- Higher sensory awareness/perception
- Overall improved cognitive performance
Pramiracetam Research Findings
There has been a bit of research done that supports many of these claims. A study published in 1994 found that pramiracetam improved the memory of both old and young men. The participants (two groups of twelve males, one young, one old) were given the drug scopolamine which is known to cause amnesia. Then they were given either pramiracetam or a placebo. Regardless of age, the men in the pramiracetam group show reduced amnesic effects while those in the placebo group did not.
Another study published in 1991 set out to see if pramiracetam would help young men who had sustained brain injuries. The participants were either given 400 milligrams (mg) of pramiracetam three times a day (TID) or a placebo. The results showed that participants in the pramiracetam group showed clinically significant improvements in memory, particularly in delayed recall, while those in the placebo group did not. And the improvements of the participants in the pramiracetam group lasted the entire 18-month length of the study.
Lastly, a study published in 1996 looked at how pramiracetam compared to memory training at improving learning and memory. Healthy, older people were broken up into four groups: pramiracetam only, pramiracetam and memory training, memory training only, and a control group. The participants in the pramiracetam groups performed significantly better than those in the memory training only or control group.
As you can see, several human studies have demonstrated pramiracetam’s memory, learning, and overall-cognition-boosting properties. And in all of the studies mentioned above, the participants given pramiracetam did not report any serious side effects.
Pramiracetam Dosage
Different studies have used slightly different pramiracetam dosages. Between 3-400 mg three times a day seems to be effective at improving memory and learning. Alternately, you could take 5-600 mg twice a day which should also be effective.
Pramiracetam is fat soluble. However, scientists have not scientifically demonstrated whether pramiracetam absorbs best on an empty stomach or when taken with food. Being a fat-soluble nootropic, pramiracetam is likely best absorbed when taken with a small meal. Aim for something that has at least 10 grams of fat (ideally unsaturated fat).
The nootropic effects of pramiracetam can be noticeable after the very first dose. However, it may take days or even weeks of daily dosing to experience the full benefits of pramiracetam.
Stacking Pramiracetam
Taking more than one nootropic at a time is common among experienced smart-drug users. This is called stacking. While pramiracetam can be quite effective on its own, users often stack it with other nootropics to maximize cognitive performance.
Pramiracetam seems to stack well with most other nootropics. There are positive reports of users stacking it with other racetams, various adaptogens, and even modafinil. But the one type of nootropic that users report the biggest benefit of stacking with pramiracetam is choline sources.
As we discussed above, pramiracetam increases HACU. By stacking pramiracetam with a choline source, you give the brain everything it needs to synthesize acetylcholine. Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine. That means the brain uses choline to make acetylcholine, a powerful neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory.
While there are a variety of choline sources out there, two have remained at the top of the list: Alpha-GPC and CDP-choline. There are countless reports of users stacking one of these choline sources with pramiracetam and getting good results.
Pramiracetam Side Effects
Taking a choline source with pramiracetam can eliminate headaches.
At recommended dosages, participants generally tolerate pramiracetam well, and it has few potential side effects. However, some mild side effects can occur. Some users have reported headache, upset stomach, insomnia, and other mild side effects after taking pramiracetam. The side effects disappeared as soon as the participants stopped taking pramiracetam.
If you experience a headache after taking pramiracetam, it may be due to insufficient choline levels. That’s why a lot of users stack it with a choline source. Many people who have reported getting headaches from pramiracetam say that adding a choline source like alpha-GPC makes the headaches go away.
Several studies have demonstrated pramiracetam’s safety. Researchers published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry noted that pramiracetam “demonstrated a wide margin of safety in animals and was well tolerated in normal human volunteers.”
Another study looked at how a single dose of pramiracetam affected normal volunteers. The researchers administered either 400 mg, 800 mg, 1,200 mg, or 1,600 mg of pramiracetam on an empty stomach or a placebo to the participants. The researchers found pramiracetam to be free of side effects at any dose level.
Also read our blog on Why What You Eat Affects How You Feel: the Brain-Gut Connection
