Headaches are one of the most common side effects experienced in Piracetam users. The other Piracetam-derived racetams also can cause headaches. So the question is, why do these headaches occur and can they be reversed? This article will investigate the causes of Piracetam headaches and the possible routes to reverse it.

Piracetam induced headaches are often so bad that the user has to decide to terminate use. One thing to consider before assuming Piracetam is the culprit of your headaches is to rule out the other possibilities. If you are using any other supplement, cease use and isolate the Piracetam to rule out other supplements as a cause. It is also important to rule out stress and other outside factors.

Main Theory

The main theory behind Piracetam and headaches is the increased demand for Acetylcholine at the receptors. The receptors “burn out” when no Acetylcholine is available. We could not find any medical data to support this theory but it seems to be an accepted theory amongst the educated group of racetam users. It is known in medical science, that Piracetam does increase the demand for Acetylcholine. With this said, no scientific literature could be found to back up the theory that low levels cause headaches.

The main reason this theory has stuck is due to choline supplementation seeming to often solve Piracetam headaches. If you are taking Piracetam by itself and have experienced these headaches try adding in a choline source. Start with the lowest choline dose and slowly work up until the headache has gone. Don’t dose too high on choline as this has been known to cause headaches in a Piracetam stack.

Piracetam + Choline Stack Headaches

Many racetam users will take a racetam with a choline source. This is due to the above fact that choline supplements can often solve headaches when administered alongside a racetam. The main reason choline is taken with Piracetam is the potentiating actions that has been proven in human and animal models. A choline source will not always potentiate nootropic effects and a racetam taken alone can still be very effective by itself.

One thing that has been observed is headaches can be caused by the choline + Piracetam combination. This has been shown in users who don’t normally don’t experience headaches with Piracetam (or other racetams) alone. When a choline supplement is added, the headaches seem to be created.

There is no concrete theory on why this happens. Generally, it is believed that the body then has enough choline through natural diet. In this case, stop the choline and do not worry about adding it in the future.

One thing to also consider is the choline source. Not all choline is created equal and we recommend that you read this post about choline. The conversion from choline into Acetylcholine differs greatly and one may experience a headache with choline bitrate + Piracetam but not with CDP Choline or Alpha GPC.

Alpha GPC and CDP Choline are both considered nootropic by themselves and a much lower risk to cause headaches. This evidence may point that it is not the acetylcholine level causing headaches and the actual choline source itself. This is all observational and no medically published studies are available.

Still Have A Headache?

Sorry. Maybe racetams aren’t for you. There are many other mechanisms involved with Piracetam. Any of these other mechanisms may also be a cause of your headache. It may be related to Ampakine actions or possibly, the effects involved on other receptors. Just like diagnosing a medical condition, it is not always easy to tell. Most of the time, the process of elimination will be used to help solve these mysteries.