5 replies to this topic

[experimenting]

Hello all.

 

I've found this forum massively useful, and while I'm not knowledgeable enough to make meaningful contributions, I'd like to draw upon the collective wisdom once again. Essentially I'm looking for a quick comparison of a few nootropics as I'm seeking to tweak my stack.

 

First, piracetam. With the help of those on this forum, I self-diagnosed a tendency of my nmda receptors to get into a permanently downregulated state upon the consumption of certain drugs, namely alcohol. Piracetam relieves this condition, so upon taking it for the first time I noticed a massive benefit as I was "reset" to baseline. I used piracetam consistently for about a year and had excellent results for reflexes/focus/motivation, with the trade-off of somewhat impaired memory, some fatigue, and some body composition issues--it seemed to impair my metabolism and I put on fat much more easily. 

 

It's worth noting that I was using piracetam without supplemental choline, which might explain the negative side effects. I never got headaches so I never self-diagnosed a lack of adequate choline, but it's possible the mental fatigue and memory issues were signs of too little AcH. I've since tried it with CDP-choline and have had better results--but my use has been sporadic and I'm aware that piracetam builds up over time, so this isn't too indicative of anything.

 

For the last few months I've been using CDP-choline on its own, 250mg once daily. I find it stimulating, relaxing (must be the uridine) and great for memory (increased AcH). I also use l-carnitine as a fat burner (I tried ALCAR, but it produced anxiety for me). 

 

So this mini-stack is both cheap and effective, but I'm looking to get to the next level. I've come up with a few avenues:

 

1) Piracetam + CDP choline. As noted both of these have worked well for me in the past individually, and have a synergy, so why not combine them and see how I go?

2) Coluracetam. Having browsed the forum I bought 1g and tried 10mg twice today. I was using piracetam concurrently though so I can't report accurately on it just yet.

3) Noopept/anything else. I tried noopept a few times, didn't stick with it, so again can't report.

 

My objectives are two-fold. I want the clarity, sharpness, and firepower of a racetam when it's working well (as piracetam once did for me). Motivation is key for me-and to that end I wouldn't be as interested in anything anti-anxiety as that seems to blunt me. I'd also like longer-term effects, hence the coluracetam/noopept.

 

What I absolutely DO NOT want is anything remotely sedating. I had a terrible experience with Ashwagandha, like alcohol, it seemed to put me into a dulled-out, downregulated state, hence the piracetam I've been taking the last few days to lift me out. 

 

Coluracetam interests me as the feedback reports indicate the sharpness of piracetam with some long-term benefits as well. But little is known about it (and it seems interest has waned on these forums). Same with noopept. Pira+CDP is the reliable/safe way to go but had some side effects and doesn't seem to confer any long-term benefits. I work in a high-stress job, and piracetam got me into the hyper-vigilant state necessary to perform at a high level, but didn't really expand my thinking at all. 

 

Sorry for the ramble-any thoughts? Am I asking for too much?

Edited by experimenting, 07 December 2016 - 02:02 AM.

[jroseland]

I've taking Racetams for about 5 years...

 

I feel like I have an excellent stack for clarity, sharpness, and motivation

 

Piracetam

Oxiracetam

Pramiracetam

Noopept

Alpha GPC (small amount)

Rhodiola

NIcotine 

[Baten]

Piracetam

Oxiracetam

Pramiracetam

Noopept

Alpha GPC (small amount)

Rhodiola

NIcotine 

 

My take:

 

Piracetam made me really stuck into my own thoughts over a long span (took it well over a year), I quit taking it because I almost started feeling autistic for lack of a better word, and because I often had headaches which were not resolved by choline supplementation as is often recommended.

 

Oxiracetam make me manic. I was literally drowning in ideas but not in a good way, I felt like a total nut.

 

Pramiracetam definitely made me smarter, but I was also still taking piracetam at the time. I could write with a much more apparent intellect compared to baseline. Reading things I wrote back then, I would think "Is this even me?". Still, not a keeper because it suppresses emotions as well as sexual inhibitions (emotions and libido turned 'off', can be a little scary since you don't want to stay in this state I suppose). I felt like a robot over time so again, not ideal.

 

Noopept I only took a couple of times and noticed only negatives. Doesn't seem like a good brain enhancer. Perhaps in really low doses it could be worth an addition, but I wasn't a fan.

 

Coluracetam gave me enhanced vision. That's it. No intellectual benefit whatsoever. Totally not worth the price, for me at least.

 

Phenylpiracetam increased focus quite a bit, but in a different fashion from say caffeine. My girlfriend would tell me that I would be "really silent and focused" and I wouldn't even notice, even when doing something mundane like watching TV. I grew tolerance quite quickly over time so again, no lasting benefit.

 

Fasoracetam gave a little boost when I needed to study, perked me up when I was in a slump but then again so would a strong coffee. Again not something I would purchase again, a little underwhelming.

 

None of them impressed me to the point of proclaiming it a definitive "recommendation". I think a lot of anecdotes on the net are more than a little exaggerated. That's not to say that a stack like jroseland's couldn't work quite well, it would just quickly end op costly and personally I wouldn't be comfortable mixing so many things. I'd rather spend my money on herbal extracts like bacopa bacognize or GS15-4 ginseng from nootropicsdepot;

Edited by Baten, 15 December 2016 - 06:39 PM.

[jroseland]

 

 

 

 

None of them impressed me to the point of proclaiming it a definitive "recommendation". I think a lot of anecdotes on the net are more than a little exaggerated. That's not to say that a stack like jroseland's couldn't work quite well, it would just quickly end op costly and personally I wouldn't be comfortable mixing so many things. I'd rather spend my money on herbal extracts like bacopa bacognize or GS15-4 ginseng from nootropicsdepot;

 

Try adding Nicotine. Wow

[Junk Master]

I really like a stack of Phenylpiracetam and  Coluracetam.  Very synergistic in my opinion.  I cycle between this combo and noopept.  I make my own intra-nasal noopept complexed with cyclodextrin and find it to be a different animal than oral noopept.  That said, I believe the effects of noopept are cumulative and take a couple of weeks to really notice.

 

As for Piracetam, I still enjoy it in what most people would consider very large doses for a week or two because of the slight mania it induces in me.   Plus, it's very forgiving with choline sources v. phenylpiracetam or noopept, where I can often end up with headaches.

[experimenting]

Thanks all.

I'm going to spend the next few months trying a few of the race Rama out and see how I get on.

After a two week break from nootropics, I just started on piracetam 400mg x1 and I'm really quite enjoying it. You don't get the mania/feeling of total superiority that you would at a higher dose, but you get a noticeable benefit and for me the side defects were much reduced.

I have to say one thing-it seems people around here are super dosing perhaps to their detriment. These substances are powerful-why not try lower doses and let the benefits subtly accumulate?