Overview
Phenylpiracetam, also called fonturacetam or carphedon, is a phenylated derivative of piracetam developed in the Soviet/Russian nootropic tradition. The added phenyl group changes potency and produces a more stimulant-like profile than classic piracetam. It is used in some countries as Phenotropil, but it is not FDA-approved in the United States.
Mechanistically, phenylpiracetam is not fully mapped. Animal and pharmacology studies suggest effects on operant behavior, fatigue resistance, memory models, and possibly dopamine transporter-related activity for specific stereoisomers. The practical user experience often includes alertness, drive, cold tolerance, and reduced fatigue, but the human evidence base is not robust by modern standards.
Phenylpiracetam is prohibited in sport by the World Anti-Doping Agency under the name fonturacetam. That matters for competitive athletes even when use is outside competition, because anti-doping rules can be strict and product contamination is common in the nootropic market. It should not be treated as a benign cognitive vitamin.
This guide explains what is known, what is extrapolated, and what should stay cautious: stimulant-like side effects, tolerance, sleep disruption, anxiety, blood pressure concerns, sourcing risk, and the difference between Russian clinical use and FDA-reviewed approval.
Quick facts
- Mechanism
- Phenylated racetam with stimulant-like nootropic activity
- Primary use
- Cognition and fatigue research
- Evidence
- limited
- FDA
- Not approved
- Route
- Oral capsules or tablets
- Typical results
- Acute stimulation and alertness with tolerance risk
Chemical information
Phenylpiracetam has molecular mass 218.26 g/mol and formula C12H14N2O2. It is a small racetam derivative, not a peptide, with a phenyl group attached to the piracetam scaffold.
How Phenylpiracetam works
Phenylpiracetam appears to combine racetam-like neuromodulatory effects with a stimulant-like behavioral profile. The phenyl substitution likely improves blood-brain barrier penetration compared with piracetam and may change interaction with monoamine systems. Evidence for precise receptor binding remains incomplete, so user-facing claims should stay conservative: alertness and fatigue resistance are more defensible than broad intelligence enhancement.
Early Russian preclinical work reported stronger central neurotropic effects than piracetam, including activation of operant behavior and effects in amnesia and vestibular models. Later work on R-phenylpiracetam stereoisomers has explored dopamine transporter inhibition and anti-inflammatory or neuroprotective effects in animal models. These findings are interesting but do not define an approved clinical protocol.
Compared with classic racetams, phenylpiracetam is more likely to feel stimulating. That can be useful in fatigue research but can also cause insomnia, irritability, anxiety, appetite suppression, and blood pressure concerns. Tolerance is a common user report, though formal tolerance studies are limited.
The regulatory and sports context is unusually important. WADA lists fonturacetam as a prohibited stimulant. For athletes, even small exposures from mislabeled products can create consequences. For non-athletes, the same fact signals that phenylpiracetam has meaningful stimulant pharmacology and should not be stacked casually with other stimulants.
- Phenylated racetam: Structural modification increases CNS activity compared with piracetam
- Stimulant-like profile: Users may experience alertness, drive, and reduced fatigue
- Monoamine uncertainty: Dopamine transporter findings exist but do not fully explain effects
- WADA prohibition: Listed as fonturacetam under prohibited stimulants
- Tolerance concern: Repeated use may rapidly reduce perceived benefit
- Sleep impact: Late dosing can disrupt sleep and increase next-day fatigue
Pharmacokinetics
Published human PK information is limited and not comparable to FDA labels for approved stimulants. Claims about duration and dosing are often based on Russian product use or user reports rather than modern PK trials.
| Parameter | Value | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Oral | Most use involves capsules or tablets |
| Half-life | Not well established in open Western sources | Avoid precise claims without formulation-specific data |
| Onset | Often reported within hours | Subjective stimulation may guide unsafe redosing |
| Metabolism | Limited public human data | Interaction prediction is uncertain |
| Stereochemistry | R- and S-isomers studied | Isomer-specific effects may differ from racemic products |
| Testing | Relevant to anti-doping | Athletes should avoid due to WADA listing |
Dosing & administration
There is no FDA-approved phenylpiracetam dose. Russian clinical or product dosing practices should not be automatically applied to unregulated powders or imported capsules. Users should be especially cautious with product identity and stimulant stacking.
Because tolerance and insomnia are common practical issues, daily use is hard to justify from the evidence base. Any research-style use should separate phenylpiracetam from caffeine, amphetamines, modafinil, yohimbine, or other stimulants until individual response is clear.
Competitive athletes should avoid phenylpiracetam entirely unless an anti-doping professional has reviewed the situation. WADA lists fonturacetam explicitly, and no cognitive benefit is worth an avoidable anti-doping violation.
Important: These dosing ranges are not FDA-approved. Any use should be under qualified medical supervision.
Side effects & safety
Phenylpiracetam has less severe dependence literature than phenibut, but its stimulant-like profile, uncertain long-term safety, and WADA status call for restraint. It is not FDA-approved and should not be used to push through illness, sleep deprivation, or cardiovascular symptoms.
Common
- • Insomnia
- • Irritability
- • Headache
- • Anxiety or jitteriness
- • Reduced appetite
- • Dry mouth
Serious / potential risks
- • Marked blood pressure or heart rate elevation in susceptible users
- • Panic or agitation when stacked with stimulants
- • Positive anti-doping test risk
- • Unknown long-term neuropsychiatric effects
- • Contamination or substitution from unregulated suppliers
Drug interactions
Interaction data are limited; risk assessment is based on stimulant-like effects and pharmacology.
| Medication | Interaction | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Amphetamine or methylphenidate | Additive stimulation and cardiovascular strain | Avoid unsupervised stacking |
| Modafinil or armodafinil | Increased insomnia, anxiety, and overstimulation | Use caution |
| MAO inhibitors | Theoretical monoamine-related risk | Avoid without physician guidance |
| Caffeine | More jitteriness and sleep disruption | Start low or avoid combining |
| Antihypertensives | Stimulant effects may complicate blood pressure control | Monitor blood pressure |
Storage & handling
Lyophilized (powder)
- • Store at -20°C to 4°C (freezer or refrigerator)
- • Protect from light and moisture
- • Stable for 12–24 months when stored properly
- • Keep in original sealed container until reconstitution
Reconstituted solution
- • Refrigerate at 2–8°C after reconstitution
- • Use bacteriostatic water for multi-dose reconstitution
- • Typical stability: 14–28 days refrigerated
- • Do not freeze reconstituted solution
Cost & availability
| Source | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nootropic vendors | Variable capsule or powder pricing | Quality and authenticity vary |
| Imported products | Market dependent | Regulatory and customs status may vary |
| Sports compliance | Potential career cost | WADA-prohibited status is the main issue for athletes |
The bottom line
Phenylpiracetam is best understood as a stimulant-leaning racetam with limited high-quality Western clinical data. It may improve alertness and fatigue in some users, but it is not FDA-approved, can disrupt sleep and anxiety, and is prohibited in sport as fonturacetam.
Best for
- • Researchers studying racetam analogs
- • Short-term fatigue and vigilance research
- • Users who can monitor sleep and blood pressure
- • Non-athletes aware of stimulant risk
Not for
- • Competitive athletes
- • People with uncontrolled hypertension
- • Anxiety-prone stimulant responders
- • Daily unsupervised cognitive enhancement
Related compounds
Pancragen
Related entry from the same enrichment batch for comparison of evidence, handling, and user-safety context.
Phenibut
Related entry from the same enrichment batch for comparison of evidence, handling, and user-safety context.
Phenibut FAA
Related entry from the same enrichment batch for comparison of evidence, handling, and user-safety context.
Pielotax
Related entry from the same enrichment batch for comparison of evidence, handling, and user-safety context.
Frequently asked questions
References
- [1] Bobkov IuG, Morozov IS, Glozman OM, Nerobkova LN, Zhmurenko LA. Pharmacological characteristics of a new phenyl analog of piracetam--4-phenylpiracetam. Biulleten Eksperimentalnoi Biologii i Meditsiny (1983). PMID: 6403074
- [2] Malykh AG, Sadaie MR. Piracetam and piracetam-like drugs: from basic science to novel clinical applications to CNS disorders. Drugs (2010). doi: 10.2165/11319230-000000000-00000 PMID: 20166767
- [3] Vavers E, Zvejniece L, Svalbe B, et al.. Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of DAT inhibitor R-phenylpiracetam in experimental models of inflammation in male mice. Inflammopharmacology (2020). doi: 10.1007/s10787-020-00705-7 PMID: 32279140
- [4] Thevis M, Sigmund G, Schiffer AK, Schanzer W. Determination of stimulants and narcotics in doping control analysis. Drug Testing and Analysis (2009).
- [5] World Anti-Doping Agency. The Prohibited List: International Standard. WADA (2025).
- [6] Gualtieri F, Manetti D, Romanelli MN, Ghelardini C. Design and study of piracetam-like nootropics, controversial members of the problematic class of cognition-enhancing drugs. Current Pharmaceutical Design (2002).