When people find out that I have a lot of experience with nootropics, there are a few questions that always seem to come up. One question that comes up often is “Are there any nootropic alternatives to Adderall?”

For some people, the answer is yes. And that alternative is called phenylpiracetam. A lot of people report similar improvements in focus, mood, energy levels, memory, and motivation from phenylpiracetam that they do from Adderall. However, it doesn't have anywhere near as many side effects and the potential for addiction is much, much less.

The popularity of phenylpiracetam is steadily increasing. More and more people are using it as a substitute for Adderall. I, myself, have used phenylpiracetam as part of a stack to replace Adderall. It provides many of the same focus-enhancing and mood-boosting effects, but without the overstimulated feeling that I sometimes get with Adderall.

If you're looking for a recreational drug that will get you high, this isn't it. But if you are looking for a safer alternative to Adderall, then you're looking for phenylpiracetam.

What Is Phenylpiracetam?

It is a powerful nootropic that can improve memory, focus, motivation, anxiety levels, and mood. Phenylpiracetam has been extensively studied and has been shown to be generally safe and effective.¹

This interesting nootropic was developed in Russia during the early 1980s. Russian scientists created phenylpiracetam by adding a phenyl group to the well-known drug, piracetam.² They found that by doing this they had created a compound much more potent than piracetam. In fact, it is estimated to be as much as 60 times more potent than piracetam.³

Phenylpiracetam is available without a prescription in the United States.⁴ This is why it has become so popular as an over-the-counter alternative to Adderall. However, it is only available in Russia and several European countries with a prescription. It is sold there under the names Carphedon, Phenotropil, and Nanotropil Novo. Various spellings have been used including fenotropyl, phenotropil, and fenotropil. Phenylpiracetam is also sometimes call fonturacetam.⁵

It is so effective at improving mental and physical performance that it has been banned y the World Anti-Doping Agency.⁶ They don't go around banning worthless supplements. They only ban things that work. And phenylpiracetam works. That's why it's such a popular Adderall alternative.

But it's not just nootropic users who have found phenylpiracetam to have Adderall-like effects. There's plenty of science to support these claims. Let's look at some of the science behind phenylpiracetam's benefits.

Phenylpiracetam Benefits

In 1983, Russian scientists looked at the effects phenylpiracetam had on rats.⁷ In particular, they wanted to see if it has sedative, anticonvulsant, muscle-relaxing, and other nervous-system effects. The researchers found that phenylpiracetam has anti-amnesia, focus-enhancing, and stimulating effects. They used the phrase psychostimulant (nootropic) action to describe the effects of phenylpiracetam.

A more-recent study published in 2020 also used rats to explore some of phenylpiracetam's properties.⁸ The researchers uncovered several interesting findings. They found that phenylpiracetam is able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is the body's way of keeping harmful chemicals out of the brain. This study was the first to fully demonstrate that phenylpiracetam is able to get through it. Additionally, the researchers found that phenylpiracetam has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.

A human study from 2010 looked at the effect phenylpiracetam had on stroke victims.⁹ For one year, participants (400 total, 200 in each group) either received normal stroke rehabilitative treatment or the normal treatment plus 400 milligrams (mg) of phenylpiracetam daily. The patients in the phenylpiracetam group showed significantly more improvement than the patients who did not receive it.

Other human studies have shown similar results. In 2005, researchers gave participants with encephalopathy (brain disease) 200 mg of phenylpiracetam a day for one month.¹⁰ They found that phenylpiracetam improved motor coordination, higher brain function, memory, and attention.

Between human studies, animal studies, and anecdotal reports, here are just some of phenylpiracetam's benefits:

• Increased Focus
• Improved Mood
• Improved Memory
• Increased Motivation
• Improved Physical Performance
• Increased Alertness
• Decreased anxiety
• Increased Ability To Learn

Unfortunately, no human studies have been done that look specifically at the nootropic effects of phenylpiracetam in healthy volunteers. However, between all the animal studies and clinical trials done on people with various illnesses, there is a lot of evidence to support the claims made my phenylpiracetam users.

How Does Phenylpiracetam Work?

Phenylpiracetam works, at least in part, by increasing certain neurotransmitters in the brain and by improving the way they interact with each other. It is easily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and, as mentioned earlier, is able to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Some of the neurotransmitters that phenylpiracetam works on include acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and norepinephrine.¹¹¹² These neurotransmitters are known to play a vital role in focus, motivation, memory, mood, energy, pleasure, and learning.

Given that phenylpiracetam affects all these different neurotransmitters, it's not surprising that people report a variety of powerful nootropic benefits from using it. Now let's look at how to take phenylpiracetam.

Phenylpiracetam Dosage

The recommended phenylpiracetam dosage is anywhere from 100-600 milligrams a day.¹³ It is recommended that you start with a low phenylpiracetam dose and work your way up as needed. Many people have great results with as little as 100 mg.

Many nootropic effects of phenylpiracetam can be felt after a single dose. However, some users like to take it daily at a dosage of 1-200 mg 2-3 times per day. As we'll see in the next section, within this dosage range phenylpiracetam seems very safe.

A lot of phenylpiracetam users like to take it with a choline source like alpha-GPC. One of the neurotransmitters phenylpiracetam works on is acetylcholine. By taking it with a choline source, you ensure that your brain has enough of this neurotransmitter. This can boost the effectiveness of phenylpiracetam and may help to reduce some potential side effects.

Phenylpiracetam is fat soluble and can be taken with or without food. Most people report that it works best when taken on an empty stomach. However, if you experience nausea when doing this, try taking it with food. It should still work, but you may need a higher phenylpiracetam dose to get the desired results.

Phenylpiracetam Side Effects

Phenylpiracetam is generally well-tolerated and most people don't experience any side effects. It has been extensively studied around the world and is generally considered to be safe. In fact, it has been shown that even high doses of phenylpiracetam over a long period of time do not produce any serious side effects.³

However, some people do experience mild side effects. Though rare, they can include headaches, nausea, irritability, insomnia, and gastrointestinal problems. Most of these side effects can be avoided or reduced by changing the way you take phenylpiracetam.

If you experience headaches from phenylpiracetam, taking a choline source like alpha-GPC with it will usually get rid of them. If you experience nausea and gastrointestinal distress, trying taking phenylpiracetam with food. A small meal or snack is best, something that includes at least a few grams of (ideally healthy) fat. And if you experience insomnia, either reduce your phenylpiracetam dosage or take it earlier in the day.

Where To Buy Phenylpiracetam

Although phenylpiracetam over-the-counter alternative to Adderall, it is very rarely found in stores. Over-the-counter simply means that it is available without a prescription.

If you want to try this popular Adderall alternative, you have to buy phenylpiracetam online. There are a handful of nootropic vendors that sell it. Until recently, you could only find phenylpiracetam in powder form. But now some vendors are starting to carry phenylpiracetam capsules.

If it's phenylpiracetam capsules that you want, the best place to buy them is Pure Nootropics. They have excellent products, fast shipping, reasonable prices, and great customer service.

If it's phenylpiracetam powder you're after, you'll want to check out Science.bio. They have an awesome selection of high-quality products, reasonable prices, fast shipping, and excellent customer service. They also offer phenylpiracetam in a liquid solution.

Conclusion

If you're looking for an Adderall alternative, phenylpiracetam could be it. Many users report Adderall-like effects from it: improved mood, memory, and motivation, decreased anxiety, and enhanced focus.

However, not everyone who tries phenylpiracetam experiences these benefits. While many do, a lot of people report that it does little or nothing for them. Since everyone's brain chemistry is different, the only way to know if it will work for you is to try it yourself.

Personally, I do experience a lot of phenylpiracetam's benefits. More than anything, I find that it increases my focus and motivation. And it does so without making me feel overstimulated like Adderall sometimes does. However, for me, I wouldn't say that phenylpiracetam is a substitute for Adderall. They share many of the same benefits, but the subjective experience is different.

By stacking phenylpiracetam with other nootropics, I have been able to reproduce all of Adderall's effects. If you really want to recreate the effects of Adderall with nootropics, check this out: The Adderall Stack.

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