Aniracetam: A clumpy focus drug for nerds
Aniracetam modulates the Ampakine receptor in the brain and interestingly, Ampakinic drugs have actually been investigated by Darpa. Which is the shadowy military research organization that there are all kinds of crazy (and not so crazy) conspiracy theories about. So if the US government wants to hire me to broker an interstellar peace arrangement with aliens or travel back in time to save JFK you can find my resume on LinkedIn.
The packet it comes in is pretty small but the dosage needed for effect is a lot lower than Piracetam. A dosage of 1500–2000 milligrams puts me into a very focused state for 3–6 hours.
Aniracetam reminds me of Modafinil in that I don’t feel very energetic on it, I just find myself focused on whatever I’m doing. I’m not distracted by checking Facebook and email every 15 minutes. I’m a classic ADHD personality so anything that helps me to be immune to distraction while working is well worth my money.
I think I’m going to list Dual N-back brain training as a cofactor of Aniracetam because the two compliments each other so nicely. While I was enhanced on Aniracetam I got my highest brain training scores along with actually enjoying the usually bore-yourself-to-tears dual n-back game. This makes me think that Aniracetam would be a good cognitive enhancer for competitive gamers.
The viscosity of the Aniracetam is not exactly ideal for consumption in powder form, when you scoop the Aniracetam out of the baggy and dump it into a glass of water it clumps right up, even if you try to mix it up with a spoon or straw. I drink it like a shot and chase it with a glass of green tea to wash down the clumps. I’ve taken a lot of weird-tasting supplements and some…
Taste like gasoline
Taste bitter
Taste natural, earthy, and green
Aniracetam in comparison has a very boring taste, it kind of tastes like dirt — once when I was a kid I ate dirt, so I know!
Overall, I can see why people pay extra for Aniracetam in pill form, with 90 grams in capsules costing $28 and 125 grams in powder running $60.
The packaging is very no-frills and utilitarian, one thing I appreciate is that it is double-bagged in a metallic baggy and a plastic baggy. As a traveler who carries these powders over international borders, I also appreciate that it comes with a certificate that states what it is, in case I need to prove to a border guard that it’s legal.
I can tell when the Aniracetam kicks in because I get sweaty palms.
Those who are acquainted with Piracetam know that you need to take choline with it to balance your neurotransmitters. Otherwise, you can get a headache from being too focused. I’m not taking any choline supplements right now, however, I don’t get this with Aniracetam. I took it at quite high dosages and I never got any headaches.
Aniracetam has a reputation as a social smart drug, which is something that I experimented with. I did about four grams of Aniracetam over the course of a day that was particularly socially demanding; I had to lead a class of foreign language students for several hours (something I do for fun.)
Then I had sushi with friends followed by a night of dancing. This day I was definitely wittier, more self-amused, and I was a little smoother in my second language, but it was a pretty subtle effect. I partied on a stack of Aniracetam, Phenibut, and I also drank a single beer. I slept well and woke up feeling not exactly hungover but I was tired which is probably due to staying up dancing till 2 AM.
It didn’t turn me into Casanova or give me Obama-like public speaking skills. It gave me an edge but won’t be my go-to social smart drug going forward.
There’s this idea of a Hedonic Setpoint, which is the level of pleasure that you find novel. This is why some people are perfectly satisfied by spending their weekend watching football and drinking a beer whereas other people need to race a sports car, go skydiving, party in a crazy nightclub, or have group sex to be entertained. I think similarly we all have different Stimulatory Setpoints that are adjustable like the Hedonic Setpoint. I know that my stimulatory setpoint is pretty high since I drink a lot of coffee and consume a lot of Nootropics.
I probably would not purchase this again because…
- I’ve got a lot of other Nootropics that I need to field test.
- I didn’t find it more or less cognitively enhancing than Piracetam. At the rate I’m consuming this little 50-gram bag, Piracetam is a better value.
- For only a little more cash I can get it in capsule form that I just have to swallow as opposed to the awkward experience of consuming it in its powdered form.
However, I could see myself returning to Aniracetam if I had a project that was going to require a next-level focus for 30–45 days.
A lot of people are non-responders to or get headaches from Piracetam so I would recommend Aniracetam to them because it is a very proven smart drug, yet it has a different mechanism of action.
About Pharmaceutical Grade Aniracetam
The purity, dissolution, and absorption of a given vitamin are 3rd party tested and verified to meet regulatory standards that come from national Pharmacopeia. Pharmaceutical Grade can be obtained without a prescription but typically they are sold by licensed health care practitioners. Companies that distribute this grade will typically be Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified, so look for GMP Certified on the labeling and websites of the products you order from. It’s required to be 98–99% pure, you’re never going to get 100% pure, but this grade is required to be within a couple of percentage points of it.
