Nefiracetam for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet

Nefiracetam for Health & Longevity

Created on 07/21/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 4.8 Audit

Nefiracetam is a lab-made cognition compound developed in the 1980s to treat memory loss. Animal studies consistently show it can restore memory and protect brain tissue after injury, but human trials in dementia, depression, and apathy were largely negative. It was never approved, its long-term safety is unknown, and today's unregulated supply is unverified. (Full Review)

Protocol

Dose
50–150 mg/day
Community nootropic range; far below the 600–900 mg/day used in trials
Timing
Split, earlier in day
Morning and early afternoon; short half-life warrants two doses, avoid late dosing to protect sleep
Administration
With dietary fat
Lipophilic; taken with fat to aid absorption
Time to effect
Acute effects
Within hours
Rapid absorption after dosing
Memory benefit
Days to weeks
Animal memory effects required repeated dosing
Stable impression
1 to several weeks
Time for a reliable read on benefit

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Children and adolescents
  • Significant liver disease (Child-Pugh Class B or C)
  • Significant kidney disease
  • Seizure disorder
  • Unable to obtain a verified-purity product
Key Interactions
  • CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers
  • Sedatives and central depressants (barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opioids, anesthetics)
  • Alcohol
  • Sedating antihistamines and liver-metabolized OTC drugs (diphenhydramine, acetaminophen)
  • Cholinergic supplements (alpha-GPC, citicoline, huperzine A)
  • Other racetams (piracetam, aniracetam)

Risk & Side Effects

  • Medium: Headache, gastrointestinal upset, and nervousness; central nervous system depression at high doses
  • Low: Hepatic enzyme elevation
  • Speculative: Testicular toxicity; renal papillary necrosis; unknown long-term safety in healthy adults

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
ALT (alanine aminotransferase) ~10–26 U/L (women), ~10–33 U/L (men) Detects liver stress from hepatic metabolism
AST (aspartate aminotransferase) ~10–26 U/L Complements ALT for liver-cell injury
eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) >90 mL/min/1.73m² Screens for kidney effects flagged in animal studies
Creatinine ~0.6–1.1 mg/dL (women), ~0.7–1.2 mg/dL (men) Direct kidney-function marker underlying eGFR
Urine specific gravity / concentration 1.010–1.025 Early animal kidney injury reduced urine concentrating ability

Cadence: Baseline before first dose, recheck at 4–8 weeks after starting, then every 3–6 months with continued use and any time new symptoms appear

Qualitative Assessment

  • Memory and recall in daily tasks
  • Focus and mental clarity
  • Mood and motivation
  • Sleep quality (watching for disruption)
  • Headache, nausea, irritability, or nervousness as tolerability signals