Comparison
Low-Dose Naltrexone vs Noopept
Side-by-side of Low-Dose Naltrexone and Noopept. 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.
Noopept
Noopept cognitive enhancer profile: 10 to 30 mg dosage, dipeptide nootropic mechanism, memory effects, and how it compares to piracetam.
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
Noopept
- •Russian dipeptide nootropic developed in the 1990s, registered in Russia 2002 for cognitive impairment
- •Roughly 1,000-fold higher per-mg potency than piracetam; therapeutic dose 10 to 30 mg/day
- •Active metabolite cycloprolylglycine modulates AMPA receptors and increases NGF and BDNF in rodent hippocampus
- •Russian RCTs in stroke recovery and vascular cognitive impairment show modest improvements over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Western evidence base is essentially absent; healthy-adult enhancement trials have not been published
- •Unscheduled in the US but not approved for human consumption; UK is prescription-only since 2014
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Low-Dose Naltrexone | Noopept |
|---|---|---|
| Category | pharmaceutical | nootropic |
| Also known as | LDN, naltrexone (low dose) | GVS-111, N-phenylacetyl-L-prolylglycine ethyl ester, Omberacetam |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 4 | 0.7 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 4.5 | 20 |
| Dosing frequency | once daily, typically at bedtime | 2 to 3 times daily, last dose before mid-afternoon |
| Routes | oral | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 1.5 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 341.4 | 318.37 |
| Molecular formula | C20H23NO4 | C17H22N2O4 |
| 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. | Hydrolyzed to active metabolite cycloprolylglycine; AMPA receptor modulation, BDNF and NGF upregulation, antioxidant and antiexcitotoxic effects. |
| Legal status | Off-label compounded prescription (naltrexone is FDA approved for opioid and alcohol use disorder at 50 mg) | Approved in Russia and CIS states; prescription-only in UK; unscheduled and unapproved in US, EU varies |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | Rx only (not a controlled substance) | Not scheduled in the US |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended | Not recommended |
| CAS | 16590-41-3 | 157115-85-0 |
| PubChem CID | 5360515 | 183503 |
| Wikidata | Q426444 | Q4321022 |
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)
Noopept
Common side effects
- headache
- irritability
- sleep disturbance with late-day dosing
- occasional blood pressure elevation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- pediatric use
- severe hepatic impairment
- severe renal impairment
Interactions
- memantine and other glutamatergic agents: theoretical AMPA-pathway interaction(minor)
- antidepressants: theoretical effect via BDNF axis, undocumented(minor)
- antihypertensives: occasional blood pressure elevation may require monitoring(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Low-Dose Naltrexone comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, prescription-only, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Noopept 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 focus or working memory, pick Noopept.
- → If your priority is memory, pick Noopept.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Low-Dose Naltrexone ~4 hr vs Noopept ~0.7 hr). Low-Dose Naltrexone reaches steady state faster; Noopept is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: Low-Dose Naltrexone. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Noopept 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 Noopept?
Low-Dose Naltrexone and Noopept differ in category (pharmaceutical vs nootropic), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Low-Dose Naltrexone or Noopept?
Low-Dose Naltrexone half-life is 4 hours; Noopept half-life is 0.7 hours.
Can you stack Low-Dose Naltrexone with Noopept?
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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