Before you decide to take nootropics, your concern for your health should be a top priority. Even though someone tells you it is safe, that might not be the case. You should research the product entirely for yourself and then make an informed decision based on sound evidence. With any new substance you are considering introducing into your body, make sure you consider the benefits and the risks.
Are nootropics harmless?
As far as nootropics are concerned, are they harmless? This can only be answered by each person individually. Safety depends on which nootropic you are considering and how your body reacts to it. Your body may be sensitive to the product or your personal chemistry may react badly with one of the nootropics. In all honesty, the only way anyone can say something is completely safe is if it has no side effects ever in anyone. This isn’t possible with almost anything because, even though it may be rare, most substances will create side effects of some sort. This is the same with nootropics. It is possible for some of them to cause some people side effects. When you are deciding whether to use a product or not, you need to weigh the benefits against the risks. Nootropics have a very low chance of any side effects that are serious. On the other hand, many drugs prescribed by your doctor can be very dangerous and even deadly. All of this needs to be evaluated when making your decision.
Nootropics and safety concerns
There have been no deaths associated with nootropics. Any hospitalizations from ingesting the nootropic alone have been extremely rare. In general, nootropics are very safe and there is a very small risk of any dangers.
Based on which nootropic you are considering, there are some side effects. They vary from substance to substance. They also vary based on what combinations they are taken in. Finally, side effects are based on the person itself. When nootropics are discussed, it is mainly ampakine groups and racetam. Since phenibut or adrafinil are not in these groups, they are not really nootropics.
As stated previously, you should always speak with your medical doctor and discuss your safety concerns. Once you have gathered all of your information, talked it over with a trusted physician and weighed the risks against the benefits, you can make a decision that best suits you.
Is Brain Damage Possible?
People are concerned about nootropics and whether they will cause damage to the brain or neurotoxicity. As far as racetams are concerned, a person may need to be concerned about damage to cholinergic acetylcholine receptors. If you are considering ampakines, there may be a concern with glutamate excitoxicity. Concern is circulating the medical community about racetam nootropics causing an overload or a burn-out effect on acetylcholine receptors. This all sounds worrisome but there have been years of study on this exact issue and it has been shown to be safe and non-neurotoxic.
Dosages that greatly exceed the recommended amounts didn’t even cause ill effects. Certain studies have actually shown that racetam can really protect certain parts of the brain including the systems involving acetylcholine. Research has been accumulating about the safety of racetam nootropics. There have not been as many extensive studies on the concern of ampakines causing glutamate excitoxicity. The older racetams that contain ampakine such as aniracetams have been tested and proven to be safe. Sunifiram is a newer racetams and hasn’t been around long enough to have extensive studies. As far as we know, they are safe in the dosages recommended.
Safely Stacking Nootropics
Racetams, ampakines and acetylcholine boosters are all safe substances that can be merged together very successfully. There may be some side effects that are low risk created by combining racetams with acetylcholine boosters. Linking cholinergics, racetams and other drugs do not seem to create any serious side effects. Currently, if you must take any prescription drugs, make sure you check with your medical doctor before adding nootropics to your daily routine. As with any medications of any kind, your family doctor can give you the best advice on what will work best for you without any harmful side effects.
