Noopept

Other names Omberacetam, N-Phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine Ethyl Ester, GVS-111

Some users report Noopept improves their focus, working memory, and mood. But what does the science say about its efficacy for these purposes? Read on to find out.

This nootropic has no healthy human placebo-controlled studies that meet our inclusion criteria. Negative side effects can occur if used carelessly, so make sure you’re aware of the risks of Noopept.

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Benefits

Read about the effects of Noopept in relation to the amount of evidence we've found

Can noopept enhance your cognitive performance?

No research has been conducted on the cognitive effects of noopept alone in healthy humans.

In one study [1], self-administered massage of the head and neck together with noopept improved professional performance in (presumably healthy) elderly teachers when compared with elderly teachers receiving a single dose of the nootropic. The enhancement effect lasted for 1-2 months. However, there are several factors that reduce our ability to make any conclusions about the efficacy of noopept based on this study:

The study seems to not have been placebo-controlled
The full text of the study is not available in English (or any other language) so it's hard to know exactly what was found and how the study was conducted
The self-massage may have been the entire reason for the effects seen (although the fact that effects lasted for months after makes that unlikely)
The dose of noopept was not mentioned in the English abstract
It is unclear exactly what the control group did, so perhaps the "enhancement" that was seen in the group taking noopept for several weeks was nothing but a lack of impairment that something they didn't do, but the control group did do, resulted in

To conclude, this study is the only one we've found that has examined the effects of noopept in healthy humans. It does support the notion that noopept is an effective cognitive enhancer. However, it is hard to make any conclusions based on this study considering the severe limitations of the information available.

Noopept for improved mood and reduced nervousness

In a study [2] in patients with abnormal levels of fatigue, Noopept was used in 10 mg doses twice daily.

Noopept had the following effects:

"Noopept was found to produce positive therapeutic influences on cognitive deficit and neurosis-like symptomatology in patients with emotional lability (asthenic) disorder of vascular origin and post-concussional syndrome."

While these findings are promising for healthy individuals who are looking to improve their mood and reduce their nervousness, they are not from a study in healthy individuals. It is crucial to keep in mind that findings from studies that examined the effects of a substance in diseased people may not reflect the effects of that substance in healthy people. It may be that noopept only helps people with poor mood to get into a decent mood and that it does not help people with a good mood feel even better.

Noopept may be effective for healthy people, but until more research has been conducted in healthy humans, it is impossible to say.

You can read user experience reports and reviews from people who have used noopept in the frequently asked questions section below.

Risks

The legality and side effects of Noopept

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Noopept

How does noopept work?

Noopept stimulated expression of both nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the rat hippocampus:

"In the hippocampus, expression of mRNA for both neurotrophins increased after acute administration of Noopept. Chronic treatment with Noopept was not followed by the development of tolerance, but even potentiated the neurotrophic effect." [5]

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of noopept have not yet been fully discovered by researchers.

Should you use noopept?

One thing that is certain about the effects of noopept is that we know relatively little about them. There is a lack of high-quality research, especially in healthy humans.

Because of the lack of research on noopept, we never recommend that people use it.

If you have already decided to use it, here are some guidelines to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks.

How much and how often should you dose noopept?

Anecdotal reports from dosages used by self-experimenters posting how they use it on the web tend to be between 5 and 40mg of noopept once for acute effects or consistently every day for long term effects. In one study where 21 people were given noopept, 10mg was given twice daily.

How does it feel when you take noopept?

The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking noopept is like.

Anecdotal noopept experience reports and reviews from Reddit

One redditor said:

"Took noopept regularly for over six months. I gradually became an impatient asshole for most of that time." [6]

Another person on Reddit said:

"I completely lost my personality, I could not smile or laugh even, I completely lost all emotion, drive, and passion, and the only thing I felt was a deep sadness. I worried about all the possibilities of what has gone wrong, researching for hours on end about Noopept and the possible outcomes to come up with a reason. I am only touching on the subject but this year has been hell! And with all the worrying I eventually became depressed but didn’t accept this at the time. I distanced myself from all my friends, I have always been very strong but I leaned on my girlfriend and I can’t believe I still have her. I could not feel love for her or anything at all. I was completely thrown off my life course and could not plan anything in my head I just couldn’t picture it, it was blank. I am very driven to make something of myself but this was lost. When something goes wrong you can usually summon all your energy to fight it and be positive but this was out of my control." [7]

And a third person said the following:

"I have been taking noopept for about 3 years and I can tell you that I have had excellent results regarding my memory improvement, concentration and it helps me to relax, currently I am combining it with a source of acetylcholine to improve the benefits" [8]

Anecdotal noopept experience reports and reviews from Erowid

One person said they had the following effects when they used noopept:

”... I began remembering childhood memories I thought were long ago forgotten as if they happened yesterday. I began concentrating on obscure ideas and thinking/planning them through. What I was even less prepared for was within only a matter of weeks my mood had improved, even with added stressors as well as the rise of some very depressing work issues. I began to enjoy music more, even more than when I take amphetamines and/or psychedelics! I had more energy and was considerably more motivated to do just about anything! I became more outgoing, friendly, less self-conscious, I even started dancing at parties!” [9]

Another person on Erowid said they experienced the following:

”... T + 0:00 I put 20-30 mg of noopept in a water bottle, shake vigorously, and begin drinking.

T + 0:30 I begin feeling effects such as slight physical stimulation, improved mood, improved focus, and dramatically increased verbal fluidity. Verbal fluidity is the most pronounced effect.

T+0:45 Over the next fifteen minutes, I begin to feel a large push in motivation. This is the second most pronounced effect.

T+1:30 The effects are peaked. If I have sipped the water slowly, they will last quite a while and I will be very productive. I call this “the writing drug” because I can write much faster, better, and more efficiently while under its influence.

T+3:00 The effects are just beginning to fade. I still have some time, but it’s time to start wrapping up my work.

T+4:00 The effects are winding down noticeably. I may develop a slight headache or feel a bit tired, but these effects aren’t very severe.

T + 5:00 Effects are gone. ...” [10]

What is a racetam?

Noopept is a nootropic that is sometimes classified as a racetam

It is a family of compounds with several nootropics that people tend to respond very differently to. Many people report beneficial effects from one or a couple of them, while they get no benefits from others. The reasons for this high degree of individual variance in how different people respond to different nootropics have not yet been elucidated by researchers.

All racetams are similar in chemical structure but different in nootropic effects.

Other than noopept, here are some racetam compounds that are used by some self-experimenters for cognitive enhancement purposes:

Piracetam
Oxiracetam
Phenylpiracetam
Aniracetam
Coluracetam
Fasoracetam
Pramiracetam
Nefiracetam

What substances may stack well with noopept?

There's no high-quality research on the effects of combining noopept with other substances, such as nootropic drugs or supplements. The safety and efficacy of the below-listed combinations are supported only by anecdotal reports.

People tend to report better effects from noopept when they also use:

Choline sources, such as Alpha-GPC, Choline Bitartrate, or CDP- Choline
Fasoracetam
Coluracetam
Theanine

Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.

Studies

Studies conducted on the effects of Noopept in healthy humans

Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023