If you take more than one nootropic substance, you know the hassle that it comes with. You have to weigh each substance, monitor when to take the substance, figure out how to store them, among many other things. As you can tell, this isn’t convenient, and there should be a better way.

One of the best ways to go around this is to stack the nootropics. Here is where you put the nootropic substances together so that you take them as one. You must agree this is more convenient, right?

Should you combine nootropics into a stack? There is no harm doing it as long as you do it right.

A good nootropic stack combines substances that work well together and become stronger in combination than when you take them separately.

On the other hand, a bad stack is one where the substances don’t work well together—they are antagonistic. 

When you have a poor stack design, you increase the nootropic supplementation regimen while decreasing its effectiveness.

To learn more about stacking, read nootropic stacking strategies in this article.

Preformulated vs. custom nootropic stacks. Which ones are better

You can buy already formulated nootropics or make the nootropics by yourself. It’s all about your preferences.

The preformulated nootropics get rid of all the guesswork, and they are highly convenient as all you need to do is head to your favorite store and make the purchase. The downside to them is that these stacks might be containing substances that you don’t like. Preformulated stacks also tend to be more expensive.

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you should go for the custom stacks. Here you make the stacks yourself, and formulate them according to your body’s response.

To make the stacks, you can purchase encapsulated nootropic substances and take them in combination or purchase raw, powdered nootropics and encapsulate them yourself.

As you can tell, the custom nootropics give you the freedom to include any substances you want. The custom nootropics also tend to be cheaper.

Valuable tips when working with nootropic stacks

To get the most from nootropic stacks, you need to consider several tips. These tips include:

Know your goals

What are you looking to achieve with the stack? This is the first question to ask yourself when deciding the substances to include in your stack.

The beauty is that you can have multiple goals that you are looking to accomplish. For example, you can choose to improve your concentration at work and at the same time improve your sleep.

The beauty of being clear of what you want to achieve is that you can easily isolate the compounds that will give you the best and strongest effect. You also have an easier time tracking your improvement.

Do your research

Once you know the compounds you need to accomplish your goals, the next thing you should do is to research what is available for you. You should research the stores where you can buy the compounds, the different prices, and any other valuable information that might be important to you.

Consider synergy

As we mentioned above, to get the most from nootropic stacks, you have to stack substances that work well together. Some of the things you should consider when it comes to synergy include:

• Bioavailability enhancers such as Bioperine
• Cofactors for cellular processes. The common ones are B Vitamins, Zinc, and Magnesium
• Monoamine Oxidase inhibitors such as Bioperine, Muira Puama, and Passionflower
• Substances that address the side effects of other ingredients such as L-theanine with Caffeine.

A good place to start is finding the compounds with known synergy and then tweaking them to give you the results you are looking for.

As you are tweaking your stack, don’t make abrupt changes as you won’t know the reason for the changes witnessed. Instead, you should make gradual changes. For example, change the dosage of a given substance and try it for at least 2 weeks before making another change.

While at it, find out the dosages you should take for each substance you will include in your stack. The reason for this is because, like any other product, nootropics have side effects, and by overdosing, you will be putting your life at great risk.

As you are researching the dosages, you should also find out the side effects of each substance so that when they show up, you can tell what is causing them and take the appropriate action. You can opt to reduce the dosage or seek medical advice.

Stick to the stack for at least two weeks

When many people start taking nootropics, they hope to start feeling better immediately. Unfortunately, this isn’t how it works.

To experience any form of improvement, you need to stick with your stack for at least 14 days. This is even more important to nutrition-based nootropics that require you to have a shift in your nutritional status before you can witness any changes.

During this time, take note of your feelings and any changes happening to your body and mind.

Undertake cycling

Cycling is simply stopping taking the supplements then getting back to them after some time. Excellent cycles you can adopt include:

• 1 month on, 5 days off
• 3 days on, 1 day off
• 3 months on, 1 week off

You need to cycle your nootropics stack because when you take the substances continuously, they build up in your bloodstream, leading to grievous side effects.

By cycling, you give your body a break hence minimizing the risks of side effects coming up.

Cycling also allows the body to excrete a bad nootropic that you might have mistakenly ingested.

Verdict: Should you combine nootropics into a stack?

As we have seen, it’s completely right to combine nootropics into a stack, but you have to do it right as sometimes you can combine nootropics that have no value to you. Some of the best nootropic stacking strategies include: synergy, multiplication, and complementation.

You can go for the preformulated stacks or make custom stacks from scratch. Either way, choose the right substances that make the stacking process worthwhile.