About 6 months ago I had ordered some basic nootropics from Health Supplement Wholesalers: Noopept, aniracetam and pramiracetam. I sort of just let aniracetam and pramiracetam sit in a dark cupboard waiting to be used.
Anyway, I recently got around to trying pramiracetam a while ago, and I liked what I took. (In fact, this very post was written not long after taking a dose.)
Contents
Why pramiracetam is different
Pramiracetam is similar in molecular structure to piracetam except that it contains a dipropan-2-ylaminoethyl group. If this looks like Greek to you, it mostly is. Ha!
Here’s what our old pal Silverhydra had to say about it on the Examine.com page for pramiracetam:
Although I have no evidence to support this statement, the fact that pramiracetam is shaped like that structurally (Piraetam plus dipropan-2-aminoethyl) makes me believe that pramiracetam is a prodrug for dipropan-2-aminoethyl that merely gives off piracetam as a byproduct. It does have a bit of structural similarity to choline and pramiracetam has been noted to increase HACU after oral intake but not in vitro, so it is definitely plausible.
If you’re mostly layman like me, all you need to know is that it has a structure just like piracetam but there’s one little segment of the molecule that’s tweaked, and this makes all the difference in the world.
Essentially, it’s just like good old piracetam. The nature of the molecule however affects how it is absorbed into the body. For one, pramiracetam is fat-soluble. You can’t toss it into a cup of water and expect to shoot it down, it just floats right on top like magic dust.
I believe that this is what makes pramiracetam different from the other classic racetams is the fact that it is fat soluble. Most of your body’s cells are made of fat. The whole human brain is mostly fat. My guess is that because of its fat solubility it works more effectively.
Pramiracetam’s half-life is 4 hours, similar to piracetam.
Taking pramiracetam – Do’s and Don’ts
Again: pramiracetam is fat-soluble. This is a game changer compared to piracetam and Noopept.
If you didn’t buy it in capsule form:
- Don’t try to wash it down with water
- Don’t put it into your mouth to try and chase it down
Some people “parachute” pramiracetam, that is, they put the little dose of the nootropic onto a square of toilet paper. Yeah, I know, you wipe with that stuff. But it works for some people. Personally I haven’t tried it.
Instead, I use cod liver oil. I get a disposable paper cup (the kind you take mouthwash in) or a shotglass, mix in a 500 mg dose of pramiracetam and pour in ~1 teaspoon of cod liver oil, making sure it’s mostly suspended or dissolved, choke it down and chase it immediately with tea/water/whatever I have on hand.
The sooner you get it down, the better. Because let me tell you, of all the racetams, pramiracetam is the absolute worst in terms of flavor. Liquor is more pleasant.
What’s more, the flavor lingers and doesn’t wash off of your tongue with water very easily. It’s not fun, and this is coming from someone who takes his nootropics straight. If you can’t stomach it, don’t plan on taking it like this.
So what did I learn from this?
- DO take pramiracetam in capsules, or make your own capsules
- DO take pramiracetam with oil (I’ll explain this next)
My stimulating pramiracetam experience
Within about 15 minutes after taking pramiracetam, I feel like an old power plant in my brain has just turned on and started operating at maximum capacity.
I had tried pramiracetam before, but didn’t consider taking it with oil. I think this makes all the difference in the world. The effects hit me sooner and more powerfully than how I was taking it before (by itself and with water).
I’d describe the effect of pramiracetam as stimulating and focusing. Not in a caffeine heart-pounding, adrenaline-rush sort of way, but similar to how people describe modafinil. I’m not going to compare it to modafinil since I’ve never taken it. However, other people have compared the effects of pramiracetam to a sort of Adderall lite. I’ve never taken that either, but I can see why they would compare it:
- Focus comes more easily
- Thoughts come more rapidly
- Mental energy levels are steady
The focus and thoughts were especially interesting.
Where my mind is normally sort of like a cow methodically grazing in a meadow of grass, picking up thoughts it just happens upon in the “mindstream” and chomping on them for a while, pramiracetam is like a cart lawnmower eating through grass in a fast, focused and more directed manner.
As for focusing on tasks, I find it much easier to do so without any nagging thoughts creeping in and interrupting. It’s harder to become bored. I feel more enthralled with whatever it is that I’m doing. I’m ready to get up and go, and if it’s already going, I’m going steady.
For socializing? I think pramiracetam is fantastic. All the right words come to me, and even if they don’t I find something else to talk about, and hop from subject to subject. With pramiracetam I feel more engaged with other people and it’s a lot easier to deal with the mental noise of being in a big, extroverted type of social scenario.
After about 3 or 4 hours, it either wears off or the novel effects of pramiracetam have disappeared. Re-dosing after 4 to 6 hours brings it back a little bit, but it’s not extreme compared to the first dosage.
So this seems to be more of an occasional-use diminishing benefits type of substance. With its quick onset, I don’t really mind, as I use Noopept as my main nootropic workhorse.
Pramiracetam dosage and how to take
Generally you only want to take 250 to 500 mg of pramiracetam every 4 to 8 hours.
Personally, taking it just once a day is okay with me, right before I think I’ll need its effects. I stack mine with ALCAR and choline bitartrate since it’s often recommended to use a cholinergic as racetams seem to use up more of this neurotransmitter more quickly.
Anyway, I didn’t take pramiracetam daily because I already take Noopept, and would likely see diminishing returns from taking it often.
As mentioned before, if you have the bulk pramiracetam powder DON’T TAKE IT WITH WATER.
Instead, do one of the following:
- Mix with a small amount of oil and chase it quickly to avoid the bad flavor
- Parachute on a square of tissue paper and wash it down
- Make capsules or purchase them
If you’re squeamish about the flavor, Powder City has pramiracetam capsules.
Regardless of which form you take, be sure to take pramiracetam with an oil source or some food for better bioavailability.
There have been no problems taking it alongside Noopept, but I don’t notice any special obvious benefits either. Use it as you will, but never overdo it.
Side effects from higher doses usually include headache, drowsiness, and loss of appetite. Otherwise, it appears to be safe to take in its normal recommended dosages.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a stimulating racetam for shorter sessions of studying, thinking, getting shit done, or just going out chit-chatting with people and making friends, pramiracetam is definitely what you want.
Learn more about pramiracetam
- Powder City
- Examine.com
- Erowid (source for the powder image posted above)
Pill Scout is a nutrition enthusiast who strives to find the best substances to enhance the everyday experience.
