Pramiracetam: Benefits, Side Effects, Best Time to Take It & More

Pramiracetam

(CI-879)

Evidence: Reasonable
Possible Benefits: Reasonable
Safety: Reasonable

What is Pramiracetam?

Pramiracetam is a popular nootropic from the racetam family. It is mainly used for improving cognition and slowing down cognitive decline. People who take Pramiracetam generally experience an increase in willpower and discipline but often at the cost of creativity. This article is about the main benefits of Pramiracetam, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

Possible benefits

All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with other nootropics, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Major benefits

Slower cognitive decline – Pramiracetam can greatly slow down cognitive decline or even reverse it and rehabilitate some aspects of cognition, such as verbal fluency. This is especially the case for people with dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases.
Neuroprotective effects – The supplement appears to have relatively strong neuroprotective effects, but more research is needed to determine how neuroprotective it is and whether or not this benefit applies to people with healthy cognition.
Increased discipline and willpower – Those taking the supplement experience being more disciplined and having stronger willpower. Unfortunately, this is often at the cost of creativity.

Minor benefits

Improved memory – Pramiracetam can improve memory recall and the formation of memories. This benefit is mainly seen in people with impaired memory (due to cognitive decline, organic brain lesions, epilepsy, and other causes. Whether or not the nootropic can notably improve memory in other groups of people is not yet clear.
Reduced depression and anxiety – Symptoms of depression and anxiety are generally reduced in people with dementia, brain trauma, and those who had a stroke. This benefit probably doesn’t apply to people with healthy baseline cognition.
Improved stroke recovery rate – This racetam may be somewhat helpful for speeding up stroke recovery. However, it doesn’t seem too effective for this purpose.
Increased alertness – This nootropic can act as a very mild stimulant and can make you more alert and energetic.

Possible side effects

The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

Lower creativity – Users often report Pramiracetam decreases their creative thinking capacities.
Headaches – This side effect happens especially at high doses and is due to increased blood flow and oxygenation to the brain.
Nervousness and agitation – Some people are sensitive to racetams and experience agitation when they take them.
Difficulty sleeping – The nootropic can increase energy levels and make you more alert. When taken later in the day, it can make it harder to fall asleep and worsen your sleep quality.
Allergic reaction – An allergy to this nootropic is rare but possible.
Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the supplement on an empty stomach.
Diarrhea – You can usually prevent diarrhea or stomach discomfort by taking this supplement with a meal.
Toxicity – While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking high amounts of this nootropic could lead to chronic toxicity and cause health problems over time. Regularly taking high doses can also cause the body to develop a tolerance to the supplement. To prevent chronic toxicity or the buildup of tolerance, staying below 1500 mg in a day is best unless you have a great reason to take more.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. Always read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.

Who should not take Pramiracetam?

You should probably avoid taking Pramiracetam if you:

live in a country where Pramiracetam is illegal (in which case, one of the other racetams may be a better substitute)
are deficient in choline (racetams can deplete acetylcholine levels in the brain)
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
don’t notice any effect on brain function even after a long period of taking the supplement
are allergic to this nootropic
are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it can put some unnecessary risk to the child)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

are older and experience cognitive decline
have dementia or a different neurodegenerative disease
are an alcoholic (racetams can slightly reduce some of the side effects of alcohol on the brain)
had a stroke in the past and haven’t fully recovered yet
have a high budget for supplements and are willing to experiment with a variety of them (assuming you don’t fall into any of the categories that should avoid this supplement, Pramiracetam appears relatively safe and is unlikely to do more harm than good for most people)

How much Pramiracetam should you take?

The sweet spot typically ranges between 1000-1500 mg daily for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The higher end of this range usually provides slightly more benefits in the short term. If you plan to take this nootropic for a longer time (multiple months or years), the lower end is probably a better way to go since it is safer and you would develop tolerance faster if you were to take higher doses.

The upper safety limit for this nootropic is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than the recommended dose unless you have a great reason to do so. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period.

Like most other nootropics, it is best to cycle Pramiracetam and take about two days off weekly to reset your tolerance. That will allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.

Best time to take Pramiracetam

The best time to take Pramiracetam is in the morning or about an hour before a cognitively-demanding activity.

Do not take this nootropic later in the day unless you have a great reason to. It could worsen your sleep quality.

Pramiracetam is fat-soluble, so you should take it with food or a dietary source of fat to absorb it well.

If you take this nootropic on an empty stomach, the short-term effects will kick in faster but won’t be as pronounced because the racetam won’t absorb well.

Interactions

Cholinergics
The mechanisms of racetams and cholinergic compounds (such as CDP-choline, phosphatidylcholine, and Alpha-GPC) are highly interrelated. Racetam supplementation can deplete acetylcholine levels in the brain, which can lead to a variety of side effects people often associate with racetams, such as headaches and agitation. These side effects can almost always be prevented by taking cholinergic compounds along with racetams. Combining the two often leads to improved memory and overall cognition.

Where to buy Pramiracetam?

Pramiracetam is illegal in some countries. If you live in a country where the nootropic is illegal or only available with a prescription, it is better to choose a different racetam instead. Some racetams have very similar effects to Pramiracetam.

In most countries where the nootropic is legal, Amazon is the best option for ordering Pramiracetam and other nootropic supplements. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the Internet.

Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

Other popular racetams

The most popular and possibly useful racetams are:

Piracetam – This is the most popular racetam used primarily in people experiencing cognitive decline. Its effects are mild and mainly happen in the long term.
Oxiracetam – Compared to Piracetam, Oxiracetam is generally a stronger nootropic with more pronounced effects.
Aniracetam – The main added benefit of Aniracetam compared to other racetams is that many people report it is better for reducing anxiety and improving well-being, creativity, and holistic thinking than other racetams. Some people also find Aniracetam great for social situations.
Nefiracetam – Nefiracetam is very similar to Aniracetam.
Coluracetam – Unfortunately, Coluracetam is understudied and we don’t know as much about its effects.
Fasoracetam – This compound is also relatively understudied.
Pramiracetam – People who take Pramiracetam generally experience an increase in willpower and discipline but often at the cost of creativity.
Phenylpiracetam – This is by far the most stimulating racetam. While the other racetams are generally mild and hard to notice, phenylpiracetam is very notable. Unlike the other racetams, Phenylpiracetam should only be taken once or twice per week unless you have a great reason to take it more often.

FAQ

As with most other nootropic supplements, it is best to cycle Pramiracetam and take a break from it for about two days per week to reset your tolerance back to baseline. That will keep your body sensitive to the supplement and allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes time which can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they are often made of bovine gelatine, which rarely comes from ethical sources.

Taking the supplement before you go to bed is generally not recommended. The best time to take this nootropic is in the morning because it can increase your energy levels and make you more alert.

This nootropic should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date. However, it can lose potency over time. Keep this supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place so it remains as potent for many months or even years.

While acute toxicity is rare, taking very high amounts of this supplement could lead to various problems over time. High doses can also make you develop tolerance much faster than lower doses.

While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 1500 mg of this nootropic daily. This amount should give you most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The half-life of this nootropic in the body is about 3-5 hours. The supplement stays in your system for about a day after you consume it.

Many cognitive benefits will become notable right after you start taking the nootropic. As for the long-term benefits, you must take the supplement for about 2-4 weeks to begin noticing most of them.

Most Pramiracetam supplements on the market are vegan-friendly, but always check the label to ensure this is the case. If you buy the supplement in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

No, it does not. The supplement should not interfere with fasting in any significant way.

References

Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

TABLE OF CONTENTS