How does it feel when you take oxiracetam?
The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking oxiracetam is like.
Anecdotal oxiracetam experience reports and reviews from Reddit
Two people on Reddit reported reoccurring migraines after the use of Oxiracetam [10].
Several people have reported that their experience of listening to music is enhanced with Oxiracetam [11].
One person reported the following effects:
"By far my favorite racetam, I feel both more awake and more secure with myself the times I take it. It’s a profound effect that even goes over into antidepressant and anxiolytic action." [12]
And another person reported:
"It gave me a pleasant, clear-headed sensation. Didn't really help my productivity, though." [13]
One person successfully used 600-700mg twice daily to finish their dissertation:
"Oxi gave me a significant increase in focus, to the point where I could work for 2-3 hours without even checking facebook. I was just reading/writing all the time. It's something that I could NEVER experience in real life. Would top it up with occasional Red Bull and a sandwich. The focus was just laser-sharp. It also helped me with memory (was clearly retaining more info in both short-term and long-term). [...] Among side effects was a slight headache and brain fog, which, however, did not stop me from focusing on my work." [14]
Another redditor reported negative anxiety side effects [15].
But another person said it had a positive if any, effect on their anxiety levels:
"I have only had Oxiracetam 3 times in 400 milligram doses, so I am no expert. In my experience, makes me feel very alert and awake, and I can concentrate on activities for longer. Tasks are completed more efficiently and persistently. I feel a slight but noticeable alleviation from anxiety, not worsening. Things that are normally anxiety-provoking tend to not worry me so much when using Oxiracetam. I tend to move towards the situation to try and fix it rather than trying to avoid it when I take Oxi." [16]
Finally, one redditor reported the following effects:
"Just doing a report on how oxiracetam has made me feel consistently the past 7-8 times I've taken it. [...] First time I took it, it was about 800 mg. I definitely felt that I was in a different headspace than I usually am; slightly more on edge, but not in an unpleasant way. My vocabulary was more creative and playful. I wouldn't say I was more focused, in fact I'd say I had a stronger tendency to daydream and fall into my own thoughts, but with a strong sense of meta-cognition at the same time, having the ability to distance myself from my own mind and look at it from a rational perspective. It does seem to bring some anxiety (and I am by no means an anxious person) so that's weird, even when I don't co-ingest with caffeine. [...] I am constantly aware of my ego and the thoughts that are popping up, and I get to analyze and grasp them however I want with such depth and objectivity that I'll end up getting teary-eyed and completely mindblown. It gets even crazier, music hits my emotions as if they could be summoned with a Jukebox. I can put on melancholic classical music and instantly get into a melancholic vibe, like deeply embedded within it and the entire mindset surrounding it, for then to put on an uplifting track that will propel me right back out of it and allow me to view things with an entirely different lens within minutes. I even ended up writing several poems (which by the way, I have never done, and I've never been able to get into poems at all) where every word was carefully catering to the exact emotions I would feel, I then proceeded to read different poems online which I really enjoyed. Again, I've NEVER thought much of poems, but using oxiracetam, I certainly do."
Anecdotal oxiracetam experience reports and reviews from YouTube
One user reported mental stimulation [17].
Another person reported beneficial cognitive effects when sleep-deprived or affected negatively by hangovers [18]. He reported it helped him write blog posts effectively.
What is a racetam?
Oxiracetam is a nootropic in the racetam family of compounds.
All racetams are similar in chemical structure but different in nootropic effects.
Other racetam compounds that are used by some self-experimenters for cognitive enhancement include:
- Piracetam
- Aniracetam
- Nefiracetam
- Phenylpiracetam
- Omberacetam, also known as Noopept (sometimes classified as a racetam, sometimes not)
- Coluracetam
- Fasoracetam
- Pramiracetam
Should you use oxiracetam?
One thing that is certain about the effects of oxiracetam 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 oxiracetam, 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 use oxiracetam?
Human studies in people with cognitive impairment tend to use doses between 600 and 1600mg. It is usually taken daily.
Anecdotal reports from by self-experimenters posting how they use it on the web tend to be around 400-700mg, 1-3 times daily.
What substances may stack well with oxiracetam?
There's no high-quality research on the effects of combining oxiracetam 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 Aniracetam when they also use:
- Choline sources, such as Alpha-GPC, Choline Bitartrate, or CDP- Choline
- Aniracetam
- Caffeine
Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.
What is the half-life of oxiracetam?
Oxiracetam has a half-life of around 6h in healthy humans [19].
When does oxiracetam reach peak levels in the blood?
Oxiracetam, when used orally, reached peak concentrations in the serum of healthy humans after 1-2h [20].
Is oxiracetam active when used orally?
Yes, oxiracetam was administered orally in all studies that we have come across. Some of these studies found cognitive benefits (in diseased people) from oxiracetam use.
Additionally, in a pharmacokinetic study (a study that examines how drugs move through the body), the following was found:
"The absolute availability of oral oxiracetam was 75 +/- 7%." [21]
Which are the active ingredients in oxiracetam?
Oxiracetam exists in two chemical forms, as (S)-oxiracetam and (R)-oxiracetam. Usually products that are sold online contain a mixture of the two. One study that was published in Nature [22] found that only the (S)-oxiracetam form exerted mechanisms that have been shown to preserve cognitive functions in cases of lack of blood supply to the brain. Any potential cognitive enhancement effects of oxiracetam in healthy humans would therefore likely be thanks to the (S)-oxiracetam form.
How does oxiracetam work?
Oxiracetam alters energy metabolism in the brain [23] and exerts cholinergic activity [24].
The neuropsychopharmacological effects of oxiracetam have not yet been fully discovered by researchers.
