[ablekh]

Hmm ... This is an interesting comment. Without intending to debate with you on the topic (I'm not an expert on this), I can say that, so far, I have only a positive impression from the only nootropics substance that I have personal and quite lengthy - several decades - experience with: Nootropil aka Piracetam. I have started using it periodically back in high school - following advice of a very good doctor neurologist whom I and my family have known for years - to improve my memory, attention span, resilience to stress etc. I have never experienced any side effects (including sleep problems and depression). I have continued using it periodically while studying at university (usually, close to and/or during exams and other stressful times). That was in Europe several decades ago. After immigrating to US some 20 years ago, I have used Nootropil and Piracetam several times over the years (for several weeks at a time), but I had to resort to asking friends traveling from Europe to US to get it for me, since it is not yet widely available here (fortunately, people are allowed to import it for personal use, which was the case). I feel that I would significantly benefit now from taking Nootropil, as my mental sharpness, attention span and memory are not what they used to be (not to mention a lot of stress and sleepless nights that I have gone through over the recent years due to some extremely challenging family circumstances). I've been exploring some buying options (including relevant info on Reddit), but various things have distracted me from getting Nootropil and, hopefully, improving my shape and life. Of course, I realize the importance of "good sleep, exercise, social exposure, and good diet" and I'm doing my best in this regard, though, for various reasons, definitely not enough. In any case, there is always some room for improvement. Having said that, I believe that Nootropil can help me further enhance various aspects of my health and life to complement the positive effect of the above-mentioned best practices.

[copperx]

I agree that Nootropil has amazing effects on cognition. However, it stimulates erythropoiesis, and I’m not comfortable with that. That’s why I prefer modafinil.

[ablekh]

I've never heard about - and experienced myself - such erythropoiesis stimulation side effect of Nootropil. Is it documented in multiple solid studies somewhere? I'm wondering about whether it might be a potential side effect of a very limited scope (i.e., affecting only a small subset of people).

I have never tried modafinil (or any other nootropics) - will read more about it. However, based on my very brief review, it appears to be much less safe than Nootropil along with a questionable effectiveness as a "cognitive enhancer". Plus, unlike Nootropil, it is considered a controlled substance in the United States.