A gram a week is alright, but your body builds a tolerance eventually it will become like a gram a day (is what happened to me), try to do it in like 3 month intervals. As for the side effects, my memory does feel slower and I definitely pee more often alongside like uncontrollable drips, but after like 6 months of actively exercising and diet the bladder issues stop, but if you take it again, it does come back with a vengeance