Nootropic profile

Pirisudanol

A pyridoxine-pyroglutamate ester nootropic formerly marketed in Europe that enhances cholinergic and GABAergic neurotransmission for age-related cognitive decline.

Educational only: this is not medical advice. Always check with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement.

What is Pirisudanol?

Pirisudanol (marketed under brand names Nadex, Stivane, and Mentis) is a nootropic compound that consists of a pyridoxine (vitamin B6) ester linked to pyroglutamic acid.

What it does for you

Community and editorial ratings, out of 5:

🍃

Anxiety & Calm

2.5 editorial

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🧠

Cognitive Enhancement

3.5 editorial

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Energy

2.5 editorial

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🎯

Focus

3.5 editorial

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💾

Memory

4.0 editorial

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☀️

Mood

3.0 editorial

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How to take it

  • Standard clinical dose: 300-600 mg per day, typically divided into two or three doses taken with meals
  • Starting dose: 100-200 mg taken twice daily, with gradual upward titration over 1-2 weeks based on tolerance
  • Post-stroke rehabilitation: Higher doses up to 600 mg daily were used in clinical settings for post-stroke cognitive recovery
  • Duration of treatment: Clinical trials typically ran for 8-12 weeks, with some studies extending to 6 months of continuous use
  • Administration: Oral tablets or capsules, taken with food to improve absorption and reduce gastrointestinal side effects

Watch out for

  • Generally well-tolerated: Clinical trials reported a favourable safety profile with most adverse effects being mild and transient, including occasional...
  • Market withdrawal context: Withdrawn from some European markets not primarily due to safety concerns but rather due to insufficient evidence meeting updated...
  • Vitamin B6 accumulation: Long-term high-dose use carries theoretical risk of peripheral neuropathy associated with excessive pyridoxine intake, though...
  • Drug interactions: May interact with levodopa (reducing its efficacy) and other drugs metabolised by pyridoxine-dependent pathways; caution advised with...
  • Contraindications: Should be avoided in patients with known hypersensitivity to pyridoxine or pyroglutamic acid; not recommended during pregnancy or...

The science, if you're curious.

  • Increases acetylcholine release in cortical and hippocampal regions by providing pyridoxine as a cofactor for choline acetyltransferase, the enzyme...
  • Supports GABA synthesis through pyridoxine's role as a cofactor for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the rate-limiting enzyme in GABA production, thereby...
  • The pyroglutamic acid moiety participates in the gamma-glutamyl cycle and may modulate glutamatergic neurotransmission, supporting learning and memory processes
  • Pyridoxine serves as a cofactor for aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, which is essential for the synthesis of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine

Where to find it

  • Clinical trial evidence: Bompani and Scali (1986) - double-blind placebo-controlled trial of Pirisudanol in elderly patients with cognitive decline, published in Neuropsychobiology
  • Pharmacological profile: Ban (1975) - "Psychopharmacology for the Aged" reviewing the mechanisms of Pirisudanol and related nootropics in Current Medical Research and Opinion
  • Pyroglutamate cognition research: Grioli et al. (1990) - "Pyroglutamic acid improves the age associated memory impairment" in Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology
  • European regulatory history: Documentation from French and German pharmaceutical registries regarding the marketing authorisation and withdrawal of Pirisudanol-containing products
  • Nootropic classification: Giurgea and Salama (1977) - classification of nootropic drugs including Pirisudanol in the broader context of cognitive enhancers

Frequently asked

A pyridoxine-pyroglutamate ester nootropic formerly marketed in Europe that enhances cholinergic and GABAergic neurotransmission for age-related cognitive decline.

The main benefits people report from Pirisudanol are: Anxiety & Calm, Cognitive Enhancement, Energy, Focus, Memory, Mood.

Standard clinical dose: 300-600 mg per day, typically divided into two or three doses taken with mealsStarting dose: 100-200 mg taken twice daily, with gradual upward titration over 1-2 weeks based on tolerancePost-stroke rehabilitation: Higher doses up to 600 mg daily were used in clinical settings...

Generally well-tolerated: Clinical trials reported a favourable safety profile with most adverse effects being mild and transient, including occasional...Market withdrawal context: Withdrawn from some European markets not primarily due to safety concerns but rather due to insufficient evidence meeti...

Increases acetylcholine release in cortical and hippocampal regions by providing pyridoxine as a cofactor for choline acetyltransferase, the enzyme...Supports GABA synthesis through pyridoxine's role as a cofactor for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the rate-limiting enzyme in GABA productio...

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