Comparison
Low-Dose Naltrexone vs Magnesium Glycinate
Side-by-side of Low-Dose Naltrexone and Magnesium Glycinate. 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.
Low-Dose Naltrexone
Low dose naltrexone at 1.5 to 4.5 mg, one-tenth the 50 mg addiction dose. Compounded Rx. Small trials in fibromyalgia, Crohn's, Hashimoto's.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate supplement guide: chelated bisglycinate form, 200 to 400 mg dosage, sleep architecture benefits, low GI side effects, glycine co-effect.
Effects at a glance
Low-Dose Naltrexone
- •Off-label use at 1.5 to 4.5 mg, roughly one-tenth the FDA-approved 50 mg addiction-treatment dose
- •Proposed mechanisms include brief opioid receptor blockade triggering rebound endogenous opioid release, plus TLR4 antagonism
- •Compounded prescription only; insurance rarely covers; cash prices 20 to 80 USD per month
- •Younger 2013 reported ~30% pain reduction in fibromyalgia at 4.5 mg in a small crossover trial
- •Smith 2011 reported endoscopic improvement in active Crohn's disease (n=40 placebo-controlled)
- •Vivid dreams affect 20 to 40% in first 2 weeks; manageable by switching to morning dosing
Magnesium Glycinate
- •Shortens sleep onset latency in older adults and in deficient populations supplementing 200 to 400 mg elemental Mg
- •Improves subjective sleep quality scores (PSQI, ISI) modestly versus placebo over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Reduces nocturnal leg cramps and exercise-induced muscle cramping in some controlled trials
- •Lowers self-reported anxiety in mild-to-moderate cases, with smaller effect than first-line pharmacotherapy
- •Glycinate form delivers fewer GI side effects than oxide or citrate at equivalent elemental doses
- •Insufficient as a stand-alone hypertension treatment; small adjunctive blood-pressure reductions only
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Low-Dose Naltrexone | Magnesium Glycinate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | supplement |
| Also known as | LDN, naltrexone (low dose) | magnesium bisglycinate |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 4 | 5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 4.5 | 300 |
| Dosing frequency | once daily, typically at bedtime | daily (often evening) |
| Routes | oral | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 1.5 | - |
| Molecular weight | 341.4 | - |
| Molecular formula | C20H23NO4 | - |
| Mechanism | Brief mu-opioid receptor antagonism proposed to trigger compensatory upregulation of endogenous opioids; secondary TLR4 antagonism on microglia and immune cells contributes to anti-inflammatory effect. | Magnesium acts as a cofactor for 300+ enzymes and as a voltage-dependent antagonist at NMDA receptors; glycine serves as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and co-agonist at glycine receptors. |
| Legal status | Off-label compounded prescription (naltrexone is FDA approved for opioid and alcohol use disorder at 50 mg) | Dietary supplement |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Rx only (not a controlled substance) | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended | Generally considered acceptable at RDA doses; consult clinician |
| CAS | 16590-41-3 | 14783-68-7 |
| PubChem CID | 5360515 | 84645 |
| Wikidata | Q426444 | - |
Safety profile
Low-Dose Naltrexone
Common side effects
- vivid dreams
- sleep disruption
- headache
- mild GI upset
- fatigue (early)
Contraindications
- concurrent opioid use
- acute hepatitis or liver failure
- opioid dependence
- pregnancy (insufficient data)
Interactions
- opioid analgesics (oxycodone, morphine, codeine): blocks analgesic effect; precipitates withdrawal in dependent users(major)
- tramadol: blocks opioid component of analgesia(major)
- thyroid hormone replacement: may alter dose requirements after immune modulation; monitor TSH(minor)
Magnesium Glycinate
Common side effects
- mild GI upset at high doses
- loose stools (dose-dependent, less than with oxide/citrate forms)
Contraindications
- severe renal impairment
- myasthenia gravis
- heart block
Interactions
- tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics: magnesium chelates antibiotic, reducing absorption; separate by 2+ hours(moderate)
- bisphosphonates: reduced absorption of bisphosphonate(moderate)
- potassium-sparing diuretics: possible hypermagnesemia in renal impairment(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Magnesium Glycinate comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Low-Dose Naltrexone is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is immune support, pick Low-Dose Naltrexone.
- → If your priority is pain modulation, pick Low-Dose Naltrexone.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
Edge case: If you want to avoid prescription-only, Magnesium Glycinate is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Magnesium Glycinate. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Low-Dose Naltrexone 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 Low-Dose Naltrexone and Magnesium Glycinate?
Low-Dose Naltrexone and Magnesium Glycinate differ in category (pharmaceutical vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Low-Dose Naltrexone or Magnesium Glycinate?
Low-Dose Naltrexone half-life is 4 hours; Magnesium Glycinate half-life is 5 hours.
Can you stack Low-Dose Naltrexone with Magnesium Glycinate?
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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