Phenylpiracetam
Also known as: Phenotropil, Actitropil, Carphedon, Fonturacetam
Lower numbers = closer to natural. Higher numbers = more enhanced.
Why this rating?
Phenylpiracetam is a racetam nootropic (piracetam with an added phenyl group) with stimulant-like properties. It does not build muscle, burn fat, or raise anabolic hormones by any mechanism - it is a cognitive/stimulant compound, not a physique one. The important asterisk: it is explicitly WADA-prohibited in-competition as a stimulant (S6) - in fact the only racetam on the Prohibited List - which is a compliance/eligibility issue for tested athletes, not a physique effect. It is rated 1 (basically natty, no effect on the muscular/physique scale) because it does not move your natural muscle, fat, or hormone ceiling by any path.
Overview
A stimulant nootropic that is the 4-phenyl-substituted analogue of piracetam. It was developed in 1983 as a medication for Soviet cosmonauts (Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Problems). It is characterised as a selective atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor and is used for cognition, stress tolerance and fatigue - and is prohibited in-competition by WADA.
Purpose & Use Cases
Cognitive Enhancement
Used to improve cognitive performance and memory; the phenyl group adds a stimulant, focus-promoting quality piracetam lacks.
Stress / Fatigue Tolerance
Reported to increase tolerance to stress and improve asthenia and fatigue - the origin of its cosmonaut-era development.
Mood / Asthenia
Associated with improvement in symptoms of depression and anxiety in its Russian clinical use.
Benefits
- Stimulant-like focus and wakefulness on top of racetam cognition
- Increased tolerance to stress and reduced fatigue
- Reported improvements in asthenia, depression and anxiety (Russian clinical use)
- Fast-acting (short 3-5 hour half-life)
Good to Know
Piracetam plus a phenyl group = a stimulant nootropic
Phenylpiracetam is the 4-phenyl analogue of piracetam. That single added phenyl group gives it stimulant-like, focus-and-wakefulness properties (it acts as an atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor) that plain piracetam does not have. It was developed in 1983 for Soviet cosmonauts and approved for medical use in Russia in 2003.
The only racetam on the WADA Prohibited List
Phenylpiracetam is banned for in-competition use by WADA as a stimulant (category S6) - and is explicitly noted as the only racetam on the Prohibited List. A tested athlete using it for focus would fail an in-competition test, even though it has no physique-altering effect.
Tolerance and stimulant sides
Because it is stimulant-like, users report tolerance with daily use and side effects such as insomnia, agitation, flushing and raised blood pressure. It is best used intermittently and not alongside other stimulants. Pairing with a choline source (alpha-GPC) is common to blunt racetam headaches.
Dosage Guidelines
| Experience Level | Dosage Range |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 100 – 100 mg/day |
| Intermediate | 100 – 200 mg/day |
| Advanced | 200 – 400 mg/day |
Available as 100mg oral tablets (Wikipedia); Russian prescribing literature does not publish a standard dose range, so figures here are community/nootropic-vendor-derived (e.g. Nootropics Expert), not clinical - flagged as such. 100mg taken once or twice daily (i.e. up to 200mg/day) is the commonly cited standard protocol; some sources describe up to 400mg/day as a practical ceiling with no clearly added benefit beyond it. Tolerance to the stimulant effect builds quickly with continuous daily use, so intermittent patterns (only on demand days, or roughly a week-on/week-off cadence) are commonly recommended over open-ended daily dosing. Frequently paired with a choline source (e.g. alpha-GPC) to offset the racetam headache.
Side Effects
Headache
commonRacetam-class headache, attributed to increased cortical acetylcholine turnover/demand; widely reported by users and nootropic vendors (community-derived, not part of the formal clinical side-effect list).
Pair with a choline source (e.g. alpha-GPC or CDP-choline); reduce dose if it persists.
Insomnia / Sleep Disturbance
commonStimulant-driven insomnia, worse with later dosing.
Dose earlier in the day; reduce dose.
Psychomotor Agitation
uncommonRestlessness/agitation from CNS stimulation.
Lower dose; avoid stacking other stimulants.
Flushing / Feeling of Warmth
uncommonFlushing and a sensation of warmth.
Usually transient; reduce dose if bothersome.
Increased Blood Pressure
uncommonRaised blood pressure from stimulant activity.
Monitor blood pressure; avoid combining with other stimulants.
General Mitigation Strategies
Dose earlier in the day to limit insomnia and avoid stacking with other stimulants (additive agitation and blood-pressure rise). Pair with a choline source (e.g. alpha-GPC) to offset the common racetam headache. Tolerance builds with continuous use, so intermittent use is common. It is unapproved in the US and prescription-only in Russia.
Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)
Not a hormone and does not affect the HPTA. No PCT required.
How It Works
Phenylpiracetam functions as a selective atypical dopamine reuptake inhibitor (the R-enantiomer also acts on norepinephrine reuptake and on alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors). Adding a phenyl group to piracetam gives it stimulant-like activity on top of the racetam nootropic profile - improving cognitive performance and memory, raising tolerance to stress, and improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, asthenia and fatigue.
Fundamentals
Reference on the practices relevant to Phenylpiracetam: how they are done and where they go wrong. Not a recommendation to use it.
Legal Status
Prescription medication in Russia (approved 2003); USA: unapproved drug, unlawful to sell in supplements, food or medicine.
Legal status varies by country and changes over time. This is a general summary, not legal advice.
WADA Status
Phenylpiracetam is on the list of stimulants banned for in-competition use by WADA and is explicitly noted as the only racetam on the Prohibited List (per Wikipedia). Prohibited in-competition (S6), permitted out-of-competition.