19 replies to this topic

[strat89]

Hello - in the run up to University final-year exams I decided to up my over-the-counter cognitive enhancers to a product with a supposedly more pro-active result - Aniracetam. I had spent many days researching the benefits and limited down-sides to the product (and its predecessor, Piracetam) with countless online-forum users claiming it to be the best thing since invention of the wheel.

I have been taking the product for around 1 1/2 to 2 weeks with, what I consider, seriously adverse effects. Firstly, I have been complimenting the nootropic with an adequate Choline source from DMAE and have experienced little/no headaches (must be doing something right!). However, the problem is that I feel incredibly "spaced-out" and a significant decrease in mental agility/sharpness! Common examples being having to re-read (more than usual) textbook pages over or forgetting passwords that I know like the back of my hand. Alternatively, I also feel a slight lack of co-ordination and increased clumsiness (significantly noticed around the house and especially with computer typing). All of the observed effects are exactly the opposite of what Aniracetam is intended to do. I have altered the dosages over the days yet still experience brain-fog; the lower the dosage implements a lower brain-fog, yet it is still definitely present with no cognitive enhancement. I began taking 1500mg per day with extreme brain-fog, then proceeded to lower significantly until I am currently taking 200mg per day (sometimes twice daily 200mg morning/afternoon just to monitor effects).

So, to conclude - has anyone else experienced such disappointing effects or am I really a minority to this wonder-drug? Please detail your experiences (negative & positive) for prospective Aniracetam users and people like myself, without any positive effects!

[NOTE: I am a Final year University student studying a quants course with excellent grades - so I feel that my cognition was pretty decent pre-nootropic. Just wished for a product that would aid studying/revision/exam-prep and take a load off of stress!]

[Declmem]

This is what I get with any racetam. They're not for everyone.

[irishmonkey1992]

Yeah, I bought into the whole fascinating experiences with Aniracetam on this Forum. I got it and I feel nothing... Same with the rest of the Racetams.

[kassem23]

Yeah, I bought into the whole fascinating experiences with Aniracetam on this Forum. I got it and I feel nothing... Same with the rest of the Racetams.

Well, that's because they don't do anything substantial. Racetam's and cognitive enhancement has no merit in vivo results AT ALL.

I do not get imminst obsession with racetam's really.

[tjcbs]

Yeah, I bought into the whole fascinating experiences with Aniracetam on this Forum. I got it and I feel nothing... Same with the rest of the Racetams.

Well, that's because they don't do anything substantial. Racetam's and cognitive enhancement has no merit in vivo results AT ALL.

I do not get imminst obsession with racetam's really.

Its a whole industry built on fallout from Dean and Morgenthaler's BULLSHIT quack books.

[strat89]

I confess that I was suckered into the 'racetam craze through online sources, and with the supposed pros vastly outweighing the cons, I gave it a try. Today is the first day that I am going without any "nootropic" to see what the effects are - at this point I would have been an hour into my day on nootropics with a very spaced out feeling. I'll see what happens but I am returning to coffee as my loyal study-aid!

[OpaqueMind]

Certain people do not respond to the group of 'racetams, it has something to do with a thyroid hormone deficiency I think. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject can elaborate..
Personally Aniracetam is my favourite nootropic (along with hydergine); it makes my train of thought go like a japanese maglev train, brightens up all of my senses (sort of like a low dose of psilocybin), makes word recall instant and wide ranging so I'm never left grasping in vain for the right word, makes my memory a lot deeper (in the abstract sense of remembering facts, not specific dates or places I've been, though I've never been good at that) and just chills me out and makes me more sociable to boot. I'm sorry to hear that it doesn't work for you guys, but you haven't been fooled, it's just that some people are unresponsive/respond badly to the racetam family.

[strat89]

Certain people do not respond to the group of 'racetams, it has something to do with a thyroid hormone deficiency I think. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject can elaborate..
Personally Aniracetam is my favourite nootropic (along with hydergine); it makes my train of thought go like a japanese maglev train, brightens up all of my senses (sort of like a low dose of psilocybin), makes word recall instant and wide ranging so I'm never left grasping in vain for the right word, makes my memory a lot deeper (in the abstract sense of remembering facts, not specific dates or places I've been, though I've never been good at that) and just chills me out and makes me more sociable to boot. I'm sorry to hear that it doesn't work for you guys, but you haven't been fooled, it's just that some people are unresponsive/respond badly to the racetam family.

Interesting - another thing I have noticed is my lack of vocabulary since taking Aniracetam. I'm now commonly found saying "whats the word I'm after". If you don't mind me asking are you an academic or in intense study also? I wonder whether someone may feel greater response if their brain was not running at full capacity pre-nootropic compared to someone who was?

[caruga]

I've had fantastic results with piracetam, and then experiences similar to your aniracetam experience. It all seems very sensitive to how much you take, when you take it, how long you've been taking it, and above all, what else you're taking with it. In regard to ani, i've only just received mine but i'm waiting for some new digital scales. I tried an unmeasured small teaspoon and can't say I felt a great deal...

I wouldn't listen to the sceptics just yet. There's mileage to be gotten out of these things, you just have to have the patience to figure it out. At least that's true for my physiology.

Edited by caruga, 01 March 2011 - 12:08 PM.

[caruga]

Also it may be worth trying very small doses, <100mg. I respond to piracetam on a mere 200mg and ani is supposed to be many times stronger.

[maxwatt]

Just another data point:

I found piracetam did nothing. The first time I used aniracetam, it was effective, enhancing memory and concentration. Some months later, I ordered from a different source (this one NOT blister packed, capsules in a bottle.) This batch did nothing.

[kenj]

Aniracetam is the one 'nootropic' I'm coming back to of all racetams, - I do not take it daily, but I've taken it, somewhat intermittently, for over 5 years, FWIW. The effects for me in the beginning were much like OpaqueMind so explicitly describes. However, repeated trials only yielded much lesser effects, at least from what I could percieve. Good enough, thou' to pop a capsule 4-5x/week, when I had a bottle in stock. FWIW, aniracetam intensifies/extends the mood elevating aspects of caffeine, if you happen to benefit from that.

strat89,

maybe drop aniracetam for now and try cdp-choline at 500mg, plus huperzine-A (100-200mcg), and see where that takes you.

[Ichoose2live]

Strangely, when I put the palm of my hands on my forehead, I feel strong pulsations and when I take four grams or more of Piracetam, I can feel it without putting my hands. I think it's because I have a lot of blood flow in my head. I have read somewhere that this kind of thing happens when an artery of the brain is blocked or not widely circulating.
Moreover, when I did my physical training (weight training) I could feel my brain beating, as though it would explode. The beating were so intense, as if my brain were mimicking the shots of a Desert Eagle at each pulsations.
Which leads me to believe that it is related to the high blood flow of the brain and that it is purely connected to Piracetam.

Edited by Ichoose2live, 01 March 2011 - 04:44 PM.

[gcurrie]

Interesting - another thing I have noticed is my lack of vocabulary since taking Aniracetam. I'm now commonly found saying "whats the word I'm after". If you don't mind me asking are you an academic or in intense study also? I wonder whether someone may feel greater response if their brain was not running at full capacity pre-nootropic compared to someone who was?

I think you are taking the wrong substance for the task. (As if you were trying to hammer nails wth a screwdriver, and therefore concluding that 'screwdrivers are useless.')

I've been taking racetams for seven years. I'm convinced that the effects on me are anything but placebo. However, I am baffled by those who take racetams for studying. In my experience, the racetams do not increase or enhance a lot of the skills needed for intense study (concentration, focus, linear comprehension and recall) but instead increase some more 'creative' modes of cognition that can actually interfere with intense study.

For example, I would not use racetams to help my studies, but I would (and have) used them to compose music. I find that there is a 'nonlinear' effect where I discover an unusual modulation, variation or tonality, whereas I normally would have merely gone with habit or logic and done the default action (which ends up with a correct yet unoriginal solution).

The racetams - for me - provide a 'bigger picture' style of cognition that is only appropriate for some things and not others.

For what I believe you desire, I use low-dose deprenyl. It gives me increased focus (without tunnel vision) and motivation to finish instead of getting lost in ideation.

[Ichoose2live]

I ran out of Aniracetam and I can see my weakness... Perfectionism, procrastination, anxiety, unable to focus because of procrastination and anxiety. When I start to read something my anxiety takes over me and I start to think that it's not the right time to learn and do stuff, when I have no restriction... Aniracetam gave me a superhuman confidence. Now I'm lacking of force, the powerless effects are so annoying. I NEED THIS STUFF!

Edited by Ichoose2live, 03 March 2011 - 10:15 PM.

[OpaqueMind]

Certain people do not respond to the group of 'racetams, it has something to do with a thyroid hormone deficiency I think. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject can elaborate..
Personally Aniracetam is my favourite nootropic (along with hydergine); it makes my train of thought go like a japanese maglev train, brightens up all of my senses (sort of like a low dose of psilocybin), makes word recall instant and wide ranging so I'm never left grasping in vain for the right word, makes my memory a lot deeper (in the abstract sense of remembering facts, not specific dates or places I've been, though I've never been good at that) and just chills me out and makes me more sociable to boot. I'm sorry to hear that it doesn't work for you guys, but you haven't been fooled, it's just that some people are unresponsive/respond badly to the racetam family.

Interesting - another thing I have noticed is my lack of vocabulary since taking Aniracetam. I'm now commonly found saying "whats the word I'm after". If you don't mind me asking are you an academic or in intense study also? I wonder whether someone may feel greater response if their brain was not running at full capacity pre-nootropic compared to someone who was?

It's odd that you noticed a lack of vocabulary, it generally seems that is the most noticable effect of the racetams :S I'm a first year university student but I really don't study intensely at all, except in esoteric and non-related subjects. I guess you could make the comparison of nootropics as a steroid for your brain, if you don't work out while on them, it makes no difference, likewise only when rewiring your brain by learning new stuff will it have a positive effect.

I also don't think there is a full capacity for a brain to run, neurons can be connected an inconceivable amount of ways, so different brain structures lead to different skills for everybody, and you can't really compare them quantitively.

[truboy]

Certain people do not respond to the group of 'racetams, it has something to do with a thyroid hormone deficiency I think. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject can elaborate..
Personally Aniracetam is my favourite nootropic (along with hydergine); it makes my train of thought go like a japanese maglev train, brightens up all of my senses (sort of like a low dose of psilocybin), makes word recall instant and wide ranging so I'm never left grasping in vain for the right word, makes my memory a lot deeper (in the abstract sense of remembering facts, not specific dates or places I've been, though I've never been good at that) and just chills me out and makes me more sociable to boot. I'm sorry to hear that it doesn't work for you guys, but you haven't been fooled, it's just that some people are unresponsive/respond badly to the racetam family.

I ran out of Aniracetam and I can see my weakness... Perfectionism, procrastination, anxiety, unable to focus because of procrastination and anxiety. When I start to read something my anxiety takes over me and I start to think that it's not the right time to learn and do stuff, when I have no restriction... Aniracetam gave me a superhuman confidence. Now I'm lacking of force, the powerless effects are so annoying. I NEED THIS STUFF!

Guys can you describe the dosages/stacks you are taking to get so AMAZING results.
I realise that stack matters a lot! Do you take choline source with it? Fish OIL?
I never took ANIRACETAM but i am taking PIRACETAM for close to 2 years.

[longevitynow]

Many times on Piracetam I have had amazing results, and many times nothing. I've been a lot less impressed with aniracetam, which seems to be more of a mental sedative for me. Someone else suggested super small doses (60 mgs or so) and I've fond that that dose seem to be best for me. Taken before bed (just a pinch) I have dramatically better dream recall; more and I will wake up in the middle of the night. Perhaps you and I were enamored by Aniracetam being an ampakine, this class of drugs that is supposedly miraculous for memory enhancement. Well so far that hasn't seemed to have really panned out. In general I notice more with racetams when combined with caffeine or other stimulants.

[Deckah]

Guys can you describe the dosages/stacks you are taking to get so AMAZING results.
I realise that stack matters a lot! Do you take choline source with it? Fish OIL?
I never took ANIRACETAM but i am taking PIRACETAM for close to 2 years.

From what I gathered. A few people are taking around 2-3 doses a day @ around 1/4 Tsp, which is around 650-700mg.

As far as what to take it with. Some people state piracetam with fish oil seems to help effects in some way, or not help it's effects, but make it noticeable sooner? Not
sure if the same reasoning is around aniracetam, but Ive heard mentions of taking it with food (fat source?/fat soluble). Maybe someone can clarify on the above. Could
pop it in a shake with coconut oil if putting down a meal isn't easiest @ the time of dosing.

[dupez]

For people who use caffeine as a study aid, keep it low dose. Caffeine has been shown to inhibit learning and broad cognitive functioning (source:wikipedia). i use a bit in the AM to wake me up.

"Memory and learning Researchers have found that long-term consumption of low dose caffeine slowed hippocampus-dependent learning and impaired long-term memory in mice. Caffeine consumption for 4 weeks also significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis compared to controls during the experiment. The conclusion was that long-term consumption of caffeine could inhibit hippocampus-dependent learning and memory partially through inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis.^[51]

In another study, caffeine was added to rat neurons in vitro. The dendritic spines (a part of the brain cell used in forming connections between neurons) taken from the hippocampus (a part of the brain associated with memory) grew by 33% and new spines formed. After an hour or two, however, these cells returned to their original shape.^[52]

Another study showed that human subjects—after receiving 100 milligrams of caffeine—had increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and the anterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain that controls attention. The caffeinated subjects also performed better on the memory tasks.^[53]

However, a different study showed that caffeine could impair short-term memory and increase the likelihood of the tip of the tongue phenomenon. The study allowed the researchers to suggest that caffeine could aid short-term memory when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but also to hypothesize that caffeine hinders short-term memory when the train of thought is unrelated.^[54] In essence, caffeine consumption increases mental performance related to focused thought while it may decrease broad-range thinking abilities."

Piracetam has worked great! I take:

Piracetam 2-3G
Alpha GPC 600mg / ALCAR 1G
~2G Fish oil

I rotate ALCAR and A-GPC. I find that ALCAR works better - maybe its because my diet is already pretty good on choline.

This is also stacked with my workout stack on the weekends, and sometimes my vitamin stack.

I find that when i'm on Piracetam, the most noticeable thing is music. I love it! I'm usually changing the song on my ipod all the time, but with Piracetam I just let it play. The subtle things make a difference. I believe ALCAR has been shown to increase NGF (will have to check sources on that).

I ordered some aniracetam to try, since i've been successful with piracetam.