Comparison
Citicoline vs Epitalon
Side-by-side of Citicoline and Epitalon. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Citicoline
Citicoline supplement profile: CDP-choline as a phosphatidylcholine precursor, Cognizin dosing 250-2000 mg, cognition trials, stroke recovery evidence.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
Effects at a glance
Citicoline
- •Choline donor and phosphatidylcholine precursor; oral bioavailability roughly 99%
- •Standard prescription medication for stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment in much of the world
- •Healthy-adult cognitive trials (Cognizin) report small gains in attention and working memory at 250 to 500 mg/day
- •ICTUS trial (n=2,298) was negative on stroke recovery in the modern thrombolysis era
- •Lower per-gram choline content than alpha-GPC (~18% vs ~40%), meaning smaller TMAO load at equivalent dose
- •Long uridine half-life (~56 hours) supports once or twice daily dosing
Epitalon
- •Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation
- •Russian clinical literature reports mortality reduction in elderly cohorts and improved melatonin output
- •Reported telomerase activation in human somatic cell culture and lifespan extension in mice and Drosophila
- •Independent Western replication is essentially absent; no FDA-standard RCTs
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously daily for 10 to 20 day cycles, 2 to 4 times yearly
- •Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Citicoline | Epitalon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | CDP-choline, cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, Cognizin | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 56 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 5 |
| Dosing frequency | 1 to 2 times daily | daily during cycle |
| Routes | oral, intravenous | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 24 |
| Peak (hr) | 2 | 168 |
| Molecular weight | 488.32 | 390.35 |
| Molecular formula | C14H26N4O11P2 | C14H22N4O9 |
| Mechanism | Hydrolyzed to cytidine and choline after absorption; both cross the blood-brain barrier and are recombined intracellularly to reform CDP-choline, supporting phosphatidylcholine synthesis and acetylcholine production. | Synthetic tetrapeptide proposed to interact directly with DNA and chromatin to modulate tissue-specific gene expression. Reported effects include telomerase activation, increased melatonin output from pineal cells, and circadian normalization. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement (US, Cognizin GRAS); prescription medication in most of the world | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement (US); Rx in most of the world | Not scheduled (research chemical) |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data for routine use | Insufficient data; not recommended |
| CAS | 987-78-0 | 307297-39-8 |
| PubChem CID | 13804 | 219042 |
| Wikidata | Q411470 | Q5384126 |
Safety profile
Citicoline
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- headache
- restlessness
- occasional insomnia with evening dosing
Contraindications
- concurrent strong anticholinergic therapy
- established cardiovascular disease (TMAO concern, smaller than alpha-GPC)
Interactions
- anticholinergic medications: partial mutual antagonism(minor)
- cholinesterase inhibitors: additive cholinergic effect(minor)
- antimetabolite chemotherapy (5-FU): theoretical cytidine pathway interaction(minor)
Epitalon
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- occasional mild headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical telomerase concern)
- concurrent immunosuppression
Interactions
- melatonin: potential additive effect on circadian and pineal output; no controlled data(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Citicoline comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Epitalon is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Citicoline.
- → If your priority is stroke recovery, pick Citicoline.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Citicoline is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Citicoline. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Epitalon only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Citicoline and Epitalon?
Citicoline and Epitalon differ in category (supplement vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Citicoline or Epitalon?
Citicoline half-life is 56 hours; Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Citicoline with Epitalon?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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