Nootropic drugs are very popular among students and workaholics because of the common misconception that they improve cognitive function and “charge” the brain. Some people try to get rid of headaches and dizziness with the help of these drugs. This is a big mistake, warns Elena Gaivoronskaya, neurologist at the Neplacebo evidence-based medicine clinic
Nootropics are natural or synthetic drugs that, in theory, should improve brain function, but at the moment there is no reliable scientific evidence for this hypothesis.
I have a headache — can I take nootropics?
Is it possible to get rid of headaches with the help of nootropics? According to Elena Gaivoronskaya, in 80% of cases, headaches are caused by migraines or tension headaches. Clear treatment regimens have long been developed for these conditions, but nootropics are mentioned in either Russian or foreign recommendations.
If, in addition to such “treatment,” you take a large amount of painkillers, a person risks getting a particularly severe form of headache—abuse headache, that is, caused by long-term use of medications. It is highly intense and can trigger depression, anxiety and panic attacks. It is very difficult to cure this condition.
What if you feel dizzy?
The most common causes of dizziness are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and persistent postural-perceptual vertigo (PPPV), explained Elena Gaivoronskaya .
With BPPV, a person suffers from “helicopters” — a feeling of strong rotation when turning the head. This condition is treated with special positional maneuvers by turning the patient's head. The treatment method is the most studied and has proven its effectiveness, and it only takes a couple of minutes.
If you try to treat this type of dizziness with nootropics instead of maneuvers, there is a risk that the attacks will recur and become a real torment for you. patient.
Gaivoronskaya Elena 
expert
Evidence-based medicine clinic Neplacebo, Voronezh 
As for PPPG, this disorder often occurs against the background of anxiety and depressive disorders. It is treated with special vestibular exercises, psychotherapy and antidepressants. But if you “prescribe” yourself nootropics, dizziness can haunt you for years and even decades.
Elena Gaivoronskaya noted that headaches and dizziness are almost never caused by vascular pathology, even if ultrasound shows tortuosity or hypoplasia. This means that stimulating blood circulation in these conditions is, at a minimum, useless.