Buy Nootropics in Spain | The #1 A-Z Guide
Curious how to buy nootropics in Spain? Then you’ve come to the right place.
This “A-Z” guide will teach you everything you need to know about buying nootropics in the land of tapas y siestas.
Fortunately, buying nootropics in Spain is pretty straightforward these days, but you still need to know what to look out for and what to avoid. We’ll show you the best nootropics to buy, the best places to source them from, and how to get anything you need for the best prices.
P.S: Here’s my top 100% legal recommendation!
Whether you want to improve learning and memory, increase energy and motivation, or repair and protect your brain, we’ll help you buy the nootropics you need to succeed.
¡Vamos!
Table of Contents
This is not medical or legal advice. This guide is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Always consult a medical professional before consuming any nootropic and always abide by the laws of your country. Please read my disclaimer page, too.
What are Nootropics?
Nootropics are substances that can improve or enhance one or more cognitive functions across five main areas:
- Improving processing speed, decision-making, and focus
- Boosting learning and memory
- Increasing energy and motivation
- Promoting brain repair and maintenance
- Reducing anxiety and depression
The term “nootropics” was coined in 1972 by Romanian psychologist and chemist Dr. Corneliu Giurgea. He discovered piracetam in 1964 and observed, through clinical trials, that it exhibited memory-enhancing properties. He wanted to create a word to describe similar substances, so he combined the Greek words ‘nous’ (meaning ‘mind’), and ‘trepein’, (meaning ‘to bend’) to form the new word ‘nootropic’ [1].
According to Dr. Giurgea, a nootropic is any natural or synthetic substance that can:
- Enhance memory, attention span, concentration, and the ability to learn
- Help the brain function under distress
- Protect the brain from chemical and physical stress
- Increase the efficacy of neuronal firing
- Produce virtually zero side effects and be non-toxic
Natural nootropics are typically made from plants or plant extracts, amino acids, or other nutrients sourced from nature. They offer benefits such as improved memory, faster thinking, more energy, and lower anxiety.
Some of the most popular natural nootropics include:
- Ginkgo biloba
- Turmeric
- Red reishi mushrooms
- Creatine
- Caffeine
These natural nootropics have all been widely researched and shown to offer numerous cognitive benefits. Caffeine, for example, has been shown to improve attention span and information retention [2], while Creatine – an amino acid naturally produced in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas – has been shown to facilitate cognition on some tasks [3].
Synthetic nootropics include prescription-only pharmaceutical products like Piracetam and Modafinil, as well as non-prescription compounds like Phenibut. They offer more potent benefits than natural nootropics and can significantly enhance concentration and memory, and dramatically lower anxiety.
The most popular synthetic nootropics include:
- Piracetam
- Aniracetam
- Modafinil
- Phenibut
Most synthetic nootropics have a prescribed medical use; Modafinil is used to treat narcolepsy, for example. However, they have become popular for their ‘off-label’ uses as nootropics because they offer potent cognitive benefits.
Nootropics Side Effects and Safety
Before buying any nootropic, it’s important to talk to your doctor about potential side effects and allergic reactions.
In general, you can sort all nootropics into one of two main categories:
- Dietary supplements
- Pharmaceutical products
Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplement nootropics contain one or a combination of natural ingredients such as caffeine, creatine, and Lion’s Mane Mushroom. They can be sold over-the-counter in Spain as they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
All dietary supplement nootropics are generally regarded as safe and non-toxic when taken at the recommended dosages but your mileage may vary. How you respond to each of these compounds depends on a host of variables including:
- Your current state of health
- Your genetics
- Interactions with any prescription drugs you may be taking
In general, dietary supplement nootropics are among the safest cognitive enhancers that we know of. But we encourage you to read the side-effects of each nootropic and the prescription drug interactions and any notes and warnings.
Although natural nootropics generally produce no side-effects in healthy individuals when taken at the advised dosages, some substances can cause side effects when taken in excessive dosages. Caffeine, for instance, can cause anxiety, hallucinations, and dizziness in high dosages [4].
Therefore, you shouldn’t take these products if you are pregnant or nursing or if you are at risk of conditions like diabetes, depression, anxiety, or psychiatric disorders.
Pharmaceutical Products
Pharmaceutical nootropics contain synthetic ingredients and cannot be bought over-the-counter in Spain. As they are intended to treat specific medical conditions, their side-effects and safety when taken ‘off-label’ as nootropics are not well researched or understood.
Studies have shown that most racetams, such as Piracetam and Aniracetam possess very low toxicity and produce no serious side effects [5]. They are among the safest synthetic nootropics that we know of.
Modafinil is considered to be a safe drug when used to treat narcolepsy, but there is little research into its side-effects and safety when healthy individuals take it ‘off prescription’ as a nootropic. One study looked into what happened when patients who were incorrectly diagnosed with narcolepsy took Modafinil. Researchers found that it caused a range of side-effects including headaches, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, lumbago, diarrhea, dyspepsia, rhinitis, and vertigo [6].
Purchasing pharmaceutical products from online pharmacies without a prescription raises additional safety concerns. Buying a fake or counterfeit product is a real possibility and may cause additional side-effects. The only way to avoid this is to vet the suppliers.
Fortunately, we’ve done the vetting for you and have found the best online supplier to buy nootropics from that will guarantee shipments to Spain.
Are Nootropics Legal in Spain?
In Spain, the legal status of any given nootropic depends on whether it is a natural nootropic, like a dietary supplement, or a synthetic substance, like a pharmaceutical product.
Natural nootropics like Creatine and Lion’s Mane Mushroom are completely legal in Spain and can be purchased over-the-counter or online without a doctor’s prescription.
Pharmaceutical nootropics, like Modafinil, fall into a legal grey-area.
If you want to buy prescription-only drugs such as Modafinil from a Spanish pharmacy, you will need a prescription from a doctor in Spain, or your home country if it has an agreement with Spain.
However, it is legal to possess prescription-only medications in Spain providing they are for your personal use. This means that you can order a three-month supply of nootropics online and have them shipped to you without any hassles.
Our recommended vendor ships from within Europe and offers a free reshipment or a full refund in the highly unlikely event that your order doesn’t get through.
Basically, you have no risk.
But again, this isn’t legal advice and we advise you to always abide by Spanish laws.
Top 2 Legal Nootropics in Spain
If you’re interested in buying nootropics in Spain, the one thing you learn quite quickly is that there’s no ‘one pill solution’ to cognitive optimization. It often takes a combination or ‘stack’ of several different supplements to get the results you’re looking for.
After more than ten years of research, trial, and error, we’ve discovered a couple of new over-the-counter nootropics that work in multiple areas of cognitive enhancement. This means you can take lower doses of nootropics in a well-rounded stack to get numerous cognitive benefits such as improved focus and alertness, without any of the side effects of prescription drugs.
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of using prescription drugs ‘off label’ without a doctor’s supervision or are concerned about the potential side effects, the two nootropics we’re about to share with you are perfect. They contain 100% natural ingredients and are safe enough to be used every day, year-round.
The two nootropics we recommend are:
-
Mind Lab Pro
Mind Lab Pro is the most powerful legal nootropic we’ve ever reviewed and is our top pick for anyone looking for a safe, over-the-counter nootropic in Spain. Each dose contains a unique blend of eleven natural nootropics that work in synergy to boost alertness, increase productivity, and stifle fatigue.
Mind Lab Pro is extremely potent because it contains premium forms of well-research nootropics that have very high bioavailability. These include:
- Lion’s Mane Mushroom, or Yamabushitake, which has been shown to significantly improve mild cognitive impairment [7].
- Citicoline, which has strong neuroprotective properties and is beneficial in slowing the advance of some neurodegenerative disorders [8].
- Bacopa monnieri, which has been shown to improve cognition and decrease choice reaction times [9].
Overall, Mind Lab Pro is one of the best ‘whole-brain’ optimizers we’ve ever tried. It’s exceptionally effective at boosting memory, increasing attention span, and enhancing motivation.
As it’s a dietary supplement, it’s very sustainable and consistently reliable, making it a great ‘every-day’ nootropic for anyone who wants to optimize their brain.
-
Qualia Mind
The second legal nootropic we recommend is Qualia Mind by Neurohacker Collective. It’s one of the most advanced and comprehensive mental performance products we’ve ever reviewed. We found it helped us:
- Banish ‘brain fog’
- Amplify willpower
- Boost energy
- Heighten creativity
- Improve concentration
- Decrease procrastination
As well as premium forms of both Citicoline and Bacopa monnieri, Qualia mind contains 19 other powerful nootropics including:
- Ginkgo biloba, which helps stabilize and slow the decline of some cognition functions and behaviors, leading to higher mental performance [10].
- Huperzine A, which has strong neuroprotective properties [11].
- Phosphatidylserine, which helps retain cognitive functioning ability [12].
Best of all, Qualia Mind is 100% caffeine-free so you don’t get common side-effects like headaches, jitteriness, nausea, or sleeplessness.
The World’s Best Nootropic…
The world’s best nootropic is Modafinil, a powerful ‘wakefulness-agent’ (or ‘eugeroic’), that has been successfully used to treat patients with sleeping disorders such as narcolepsy since the early 1990s.
Soon after its release, Modafinil gained a reputation for its ‘off-label’ benefits such as increased attentiveness, concentration, and alertness [13].
Stressed-out students and busy professionals alike started using Modafinil to boost their productivity and improve their learning and working memory [14].
Modafinil is great for pulling ‘all-nighters’ as it elevates histamine levels in the hypothalamus region of the brain [15], which increases wakefulness and prevents sleep [16]. It lets you work flat-out for over 12 hours without feeling fatigued!
Modafinil is also great for learning as it binds to the dopamine transporter and inhibits the reuptake of dopamine [17]. This increases the amount of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine in the prefrontal cortex, and significantly improves functions in several cognitive domains including working memory and episodic memory [18].
As a bonus, Modafinil also reduces reactivity to fear stimuli in the region of the brain involved in anxiety, the amygdala [19] and lets you think more clearly even if you’re stressed or worried.
In short, Modafinil is the world’s best nootropic for cognitive enhancement bar none.
Quite simply, nothing comes close.
Is Modafinil Legal in Spain?
Modafinil is a prescription-only medicine in Spain and is used to treat narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and shift sleep disorder.
To buy Modafinil from a pharmacy, you’ll need a prescription from a Spanish doctor or a doctor in your home country if it has an agreement with Spain.
In reality, few Spanish pharmacies stock Modafinil and the few that do stock the brand name Provigil, which is the most expensive form.
If you don’t have a prescription, you can order Modafinil from an online pharmacy and have it shipped to your address in Spain.
This is legal provided the Modafinil is for personal use and you don’t order more than a three-month supply. That’s because it is legal to possess Modafinil in Spain if it’s for personal use.
The only danger or ordering online is that you buy from a vendor who sends you bunk, or nothing at all.
Fortunately, we’ve done the vetting for you and found the best ones!
If you buy Modafinil from our recommended vendor you’re guaranteed to get legit Modafinil and your shipment is 100% guaranteed. This means that you get your Modafinil or you get a free reshipment or a refund — it’s your choice.
We’ve yet to hear about anyone having any legitimate legal issues importing Modafinil into Spain for personal use.
But again, this isn’t legal advice and we always encourage you to abide by Spanish laws.
Top “Social” Nootropic
The top social nootropic in Spain right now is undoubtedly: Phenibut
This non-prescription drug creates an extremely calming effect on the mind and lowers inhibitions, just like alcohol. It’s so effective at helping people deal with social anxiety that it’s earned itself the nickname ‘the happy pill’!
So, what is Phenibut? It was first synthesized in Russia in the 1960s where it has been used to treat anxiety, insomnia, depression, and similar conditions [20]. As an analog of GABA, it works by blocking impulses sent to the brain through nerve cells. This makes you much more willing to interact with others and makes you much more sociable.
Phenibut is the ideal nootropic for teetotallers or anyone who wants to avoid alcohol for health or religious reasons. It’s become extremely popular with fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders who want to go out socially without having to deal with the harmful side-effects of drinking, like the excess calories from booze or the way that ethanol and phytoestrogens can inhibit testosterone synthesis.
But Phenibut isn’t only a social nootropic, it works in multiple areas of cognitive enhancement. It boosts memory and verbal fluency and helps fight fatigue by boosting alertness [21]. As a potent stress-buster, Phenibut also helps boost sex drive by lowering feelings of anxiety that can otherwise inhibit people’s ability to unwind.
Unfortunately, although Phenibut isn’t a prescription drug in Spain, it does have some side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and stomach cramps.
There are also reports of patients becoming dependent on and addicted to Phenibut and experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms when they cease use [22].
We recommend limiting Phenibut intake to less than 500mg for the initial dose and never more than 1,000mg for a single dose.
Never abuse Phenibut by consuming it daily or in excessive quantities. Avoid using it more than two days per week or taking more than 4,000mg total per fortnight.
Always monitor your dosage carefully and adjust according to your tolerance levels.
Is Phenibut Legal in Spain?
Yes!
There are no restrictions on Phenibut’s sale or use, meaning that it is 100 percent legal to buy and own Phenibut in Spain.
Our recommended vendor offers discreet, fast shipping to Spain at the best prices. So you’ll have no worries whatsoever when buying and using this social nootropic in Spain.
Nootropics Spain | Verdict
If you were curious about buying nootropics in Spain, hopefully, this guide has answered all your questions.
From the benefits to costs, side-effects, and legalities, we’ve covered it all in this “A-Z” guide.
¡Buena suerte!
You can buy Modafinil from our favorite online vendor for Spaniards or people living in Spain!
References
- Giurgea C. Vers une pharmacologie de l’activité intégrative du cerveau. Tentative du concept nootrope en psychopharmacologie [Pharmacology of integrative activity of the brain. Attempt at nootropic concept in psychopharmacology]. Actual Pharmacol (Paris). 1972;25:115-156.
- Nehlig A, Daval JL, Debry G. Caffeine and the central nervous system: mechanisms of action, biochemical, metabolic and psychostimulant effects. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 1992;17(2):139-170. doi:10.1016/0165-0173(92)90012-b
- Ling J, Kritikos M, Tiplady B. Cognitive effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation. Behav Pharmacol. 2009;20(8):673-679. doi:10.1097/FBP.0b013e3283323c2a
- Wikoff D, Welsh BT, Henderson R, et al. Systematic review of the potential adverse effects of caffeine consumption in healthy adults, pregnant women, adolescents, and children. Food Chem Toxicol. 2017;109(Pt 1):585-648. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2017.04.002
- Gouliaev AH, Senning A. Piracetam and other structurally related nootropics. Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 1994;19(2):180-222. doi:10.1016/0165-0173(94)90011-6
- Lopes E, Pereira D, da Silva Behrens NS, et al. Cataplexy as a side effect of modafinil in a patient without narcolepsy. Sleep Sci. 2014;7(1):47-49. doi:10.1016/j.slsci.2014.07.015
- Mori K, Inatomi S, Ouchi K, Azumi Y, Tuchida T. Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009;23(3):367-372. doi:10.1002/ptr.2634
- Grieb P. Neuroprotective properties of citicoline: facts, doubts and unresolved issues. CNS Drugs. 2014;28(3):185-193. doi:10.1007/s40263-014-0144-8
- Kongkeaw C, Dilokthornsakul P, Thanarangsarit P, Limpeanchob N, Norman Scholfield C. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2014;151(1):528-535. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.008
- Tan MS, Yu JT, Tan CC, et al. Efficacy and adverse effects of ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2015;43(2):589-603. doi:10.3233/JAD-140837
- Damar U, Gersner R, Johnstone JT, Schachter S, Rotenberg A. Huperzine A as a neuroprotective and antiepileptic drug: a review of preclinical research. Expert Rev Neurother. 2016;16(6):671-680. doi:10.1080/14737175.2016.1175303
- Glade MJ, Smith K. Phosphatidylserine and the human brain. Nutrition. 2015;31(6):781-786. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2014.10.014
- Iglseder B. Doping für das Gehirn [Doping for the brain]. Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2018;51(2):143-148. doi:10.1007/s00391-017-1351-y
- Battleday RM, Brem AK. Modafinil for cognitive neuroenhancement in healthy non-sleep-deprived subjects: A systematic review. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015;25(11):1865-1881. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.07.028
- Ishizuka T, Sakamoto Y, Sakurai T, Yamatodani A. Modafinil increases histamine release in the anterior hypothalamus of rats. Neurosci Lett. 2003;339(2):143-146. doi:10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00006-5
- Brown RE, Stevens DR, Haas HL. The physiology of brain histamine. Prog Neurobiol. 2001;63(6):637-672. doi:10.1016/s0301-0082(00)00039-3
- Zolkowska D, Jain R, Rothman RB, et al. Evidence for the involvement of dopamine transporters in behavioral stimulant effects of modafinil. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2009;329(2):738-746. doi:10.1124/jpet.108.146142
- Minzenberg MJ, Carter CS. Modafinil: a review of neurochemical actions and effects on cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2008;33(7):1477-1502. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301534
- Rasetti, R., Mattay, V. S., Stankevich, B., Skjei, K., Blasi, G., Sambataro, F., Arrillaga-Romany, I. C., Goldberg, T. E., Callicott, J. H., Apud, J. A., & Weinberger, D. R. (2010). Modulatory effects of modafinil on neural circuits regulating emotion and cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 35(10), 2101–2109. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2010.83
- Lapin I. Phenibut (beta-phenyl-GABA): a tranquilizer and nootropic drug. CNS Drug Rev. 2001;7(4):471-481. doi:10.1111/j.1527-3458.2001.tb00211.x
- Owen DR, Wood DM, Archer JR, Dargan PI. Phenibut (4-amino-3-phenyl-butyric acid): Availability, prevalence of use, desired effects and acute toxicity. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2016;35(5):591-596. doi:10.1111/dar.12356
- Ahuja T, Mgbako O, Katzman C, Grossman A. Phenibut (β-Phenyl-γ-aminobutyric Acid) Dependence and Management of Withdrawal: Emerging Nootropics of Abuse. Case Rep Psychiatry. 2018;2018:9864285. Published 2018 Apr 30. doi:10.1155/2018/9864285
