If you’re a fan of my You Tube channel you know I am a huge fan of Piracetam. It’s one of the original and most well studied nootropics out there. I’ve used it off and on for well over 2 years with great success. I’ve used Piracetam enough to experience the nootropic to its full extent.

Because of my extended use I’ve also experienced all the lovely and not-so-lovely side effects of Piracetam. Let’s dive into some of the side effects I’ve experienced on my personal nootropic journey.

**Note** At the bottom I have a video on this topic if you prefer to watch.

1.) The infamous Piracetam headache

I’m going to get the most common side effects out of the way first. When I started taking Piracetam I had no idea about the headaches until they started happening. I was disappointed to say the least but still took to the internet to see if there was some kind of explanation. I was happy to see this is a very common side effect of Piracetam usage. By simply adding a high quality Choline source I was able to rid myself of the headaches and experience all the powerful mental benefits Piracetam had to offer.

Long story short, Piracetam burns through your Acetycholine levels. In order to feed the mind more of this crucial neurotransmitter you must supplement with Choline – a direct precursor to the creation of Acetycholine.

Not everybody gets the headaches however. If you have never used Piracetam I recommend experimenting without the Choline and only adding a Choline source if the headaches surface.

2.) Insomnia

Piracetam is mentally stimulating. You’ll find yourself falling in love with new ideas. Initially this burst of creativity will indeed keep you up at night, especially if you dosed late in the day. I noticed the Insomnia does go away with time as you become acclimated to the effects of Piracetam.

3.) Enhanced logic

Piracetam appears to activate the logical part of the brain. I don’t know if there’s scientific data to back this up but I can say this – as a person who tends to react emotionally I am much more logical and analytical on Piracetam. A unique side effect indeed. If you consider yourself more “creative” as opposed to analytical you might benefit greatly as the Piracetam enhances the logical side of your mind.

4.) Reduced anxiety

Piracetam significantly reduces my levels of anxiety. As a high anxiety individual the dramatic drop in my day to day anxiety did not go unnoticed. I always hear people saying Piracetam doesn’t work. I have to assume these people don’t deal with anxiety. The effects of Piracetam are most pronounced in people with mental deficits. I consider a mental deficit to be anything from anxiety, depression, and even brain fog. If you have anxiety I highly recommend Piracetam.

5.) Emotional bluntness

On a normal day I wake up with anxiety. There’s a certain fear surrounding the things I have to do for the day and the people I have to interact with. On Piracetam my typical emotional response is severely blunted. Shit just doesn’t effect me when I’m on Piracetam. This is a welcome change from constantly overreacting and over dramatizing the situations I find myself in.

6.) Mania

If you’re prone to mania Piracetam can actually induce a full blown manic episode. A manic episode is characterized by intense confidence in anything you do. This might sound great but this intense feeling of power you feel has a subsequent downswing of depression and helplessness. Those of you without Bi-Polar disorder need not to worry however. This side effect seems to only effect individuals with the condition.

7.) Irritability

On Piracetam I’ve found myself becoming downright irritable at people and situations. I chalk this up to Piracetam bringing your life into a stark focus. Piracetam makes it easy to get into a flow of work and the last thing you want is that flow to be interrupted. It also appears to induce a very low tolerance in stupid people and stupid behavior. When not on Piracetam I generally have a higher tolerance for people and the things they do. On Piracetam, I find myself becoming annoyed more often and far less patient.

8.) Aggressiveness

Not physically violent aggression. Aggression in the sense where you can go from a feeble person who never stands up for themselves to a vocal person unafraid of speaking up or doing what’s right especially in front of other people. I consider Piracetam a God send for meek individuals who occasionally need to address a confrontational situation.

Conclusion + video

Different people will experience different side effects from using Piracetam. The way Piracetam effects me might not be the way Piracetam effects you. For you, maybe you experience only a handful of these side effects. Maybe you will experience all. All I can say is experiment safely and stay within the recommended dosages until you get a handle on the nootropic.

Thanks for reading and drop me a comment with your experiences as well.