PlainPill

Donepezil vs Piracetam for memory

Short answer: For memory, more users report improvement with Donepezil — 100% of 7 reports, versus 89% of 241 for Piracetam.

Donepezil has 221 meta-analyses and 406 randomized trials on PubMed; Piracetam has 119 and 117.

Based on 21 reports about Donepezil and 1,463 about Piracetam. Not medical advice.

Donepezil
Medication
Piracetam
Supplement
Users say it helped74%helped4 reports · few reports53%helped688 reports · high confidence
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mixed
ResearchAResearch: StrongAResearch: Strong
Meta-analyses / RCTs221 / 406119 / 117
Mainly used for
Focus
% reporting improvement
100% (3)80% (458)
Memory
% reporting improvement
100% (7)89% (241)
Mood
% reporting improvement
100% (2)74% (116)
Energy
% reporting improvement
—78% (69)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
—86% (57)
Common side effectshypotension, demotivation, anhedonia, heart palpitationsheadache, drowsiness, irritability, insomnia
Typical dose reportedNot listed250 mg / daily
Donepezil
Latest review conclusion

ChEIs, memantine, and GV-971 all can slow the progression of AD but have different effects on respective assessments. Donepezil and GV-971 were relatively well tolerated.

Medicine (Baltimore), 2024 ↗
What a user said
“This is by far the number 1 nootropic in the world in my eyes. Nothing even comes close to this one.”
Full Donepezil profile →
Piracetam
Latest review conclusion

High-level evidence related to pharmacological strategies for managing Lewy body dementia is rare. Strategies for important areas of need in Lewy body dementia, such as autonomic symptoms and caregiver burden, have not been investigated, nor have the views of patients and caregivers about pharmacological strategies.

Am J Psychiatry, 2015 ↗
What a user said
“The effects were wonderful, they still are to me-- verbal fluidity, increased motivation, quicker thinking, better recall, pro social, wake up in the morning with ZERO grogginess.”
Full Piracetam profile →

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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate