Comparison
Clomiphene vs Epitalon
Side-by-side of Clomiphene 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.
Clomiphene
Clomiphene citrate raises LH/FSH and endogenous testosterone in men. SERM TRT alternative, 25 to 50 mg, fertility preserved, visual side effects flagged.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
Effects at a glance
Clomiphene
- •SERM that blocks estrogen-receptor negative feedback at the hypothalamus, raising LH and FSH
- •FDA approved 1967 for ovulation induction in anovulatory women at 50 to 100 mg cycle days 5 to 9
- •Off-label in men at 12.5 to 25 mg daily raises endogenous testosterone while preserving fertility
- •Enclomiphene (trans-isomer) is preferred for male use; cleaner PK and less estrogenic side effect burden
- •Visual disturbances occur in ~1 to 2% of users; persistent symptoms warrant immediate cessation
- •Letrozole has displaced clomiphene as first-line ovulation induction in PCOS (Legro 2014)
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 | Clomiphene | Epitalon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | peptide |
| Also known as | Clomid, clomiphene citrate, Serophene, enclomiphene | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 168 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 25 | 5 |
| Dosing frequency | 5-day pulse cycle days 5 to 9 (women); daily or every other day (men, off-label) | daily during cycle |
| Routes | oral | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal |
| Onset (hr) | 6 | 24 |
| Peak (hr) | 7 | 168 |
| Molecular weight | 405.96 | 390.35 |
| Molecular formula | C26H28ClNO | C14H22N4O9 |
| Mechanism | Selective estrogen receptor modulator that antagonizes estrogen at the hypothalamus and pituitary, increasing GnRH and gonadotropin output, which drives gonadal steroidogenesis. | 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 | Prescription only (FDA approved for ovulation induction; off-label in men) | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU |
| WADA status | banned | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Rx only (not a controlled substance) | Not scheduled (research chemical) |
| Pregnancy | Category X; contraindicated in pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended |
| CAS | 911-45-5 | 307297-39-8 |
| PubChem CID | 1548953 | 219042 |
| Wikidata | Q416785 | Q5384126 |
Safety profile
Clomiphene
Common side effects
- hot flushes
- mood changes
- abdominal discomfort
- breast tenderness
- visual disturbances (rare)
- headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active liver disease
- ovarian cysts (not PCOS-related)
- uncontrolled thyroid or adrenal disorder
- abnormal uterine bleeding of undetermined origin
- hormone-sensitive cancer
Interactions
- tamoxifen: competing SERM activity; not used together(moderate)
- ospemifene: competing SERM activity(moderate)
- anastrozole: additive estrogen reduction; sometimes combined in male protocols(minor)
- TRT (exogenous testosterone): TRT suppresses HPT axis that clomiphene targets; do not combine(moderate)
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?
Clomiphene comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, prescription-only, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Epitalon is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is hormonal optimization, pick Clomiphene.
- → If your priority is fertility, pick Clomiphene.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
Edge case: If you cannot self-administer injections, Clomiphene is the only oral option in this pair.
Default choice: Clomiphene. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, 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 Clomiphene and Epitalon?
Clomiphene and Epitalon differ in category (pharmaceutical vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Clomiphene or Epitalon?
Clomiphene half-life is 168 hours; Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Clomiphene 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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