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What is Agmatine Sulfate used for? (Depression Dosage, Uses)

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Agmatine Sulfate is commonly used for the following effects:

Neuroprotection

  • Stroke
  • Nerve injuries
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Herniated disc pain
  • Alzheimer disease
  • Parkinson disease
    Seizures
  • Stress

Psychiatric Conditions

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Alcohol use disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Cognition
  • Autism
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia

Athletic performance

  • Nitric oxide and muscle pumps
  • Mental and physical energy
  • Reduces cortisol
  • Blood glucose and insulin sensitivity
  • Muscle pain relief
  • Blood pressure
  • Improved appetite
  • Reduces fat stores

In the video below, Eamonn from the “Nootropic Republic” shares his experience with Agmatine Sulfate and shares its benefits.

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What is a recommended Agmatine Dosage for Depression?

A study found that 2 to 3 mg of agmatine sulfate daily is an effective dosage for depression. These antidepressant effects persisted even when taking fenclonine, which reduces serotonin (the “happiness hormone”). This means agmatine may reduce symptoms of depression regardless of serotonin levels.

What is an effective Agmatine Sulfate Dose?

The recommended Agmatime Sulfate dose is based on body weight (1.6 to 6.4 mg per kilogram of body weight daily).

  • 120 lbs: 87 mg to 349 mg daily
  • 140 lbs: 100 mg to 407 mg daily
  • 160 lbs: 116 mg to 465 mg daily
  • 180 lbs: 130 mg to 523 mg daily
  • 200 lbs: 145 mg to 581 mg daily
  • 220 lbs: 160 mg to 640 mg daily
  • 240 lbs: 175 mg to 698 mg daily

Also, the Agmatine Sulfate dose varies depending on the desired effect:

  • For cognitive function: 200 to 500 mg daily.
  • For nootropic effects: between 500 to 750 mg daily.
  • For neuropathic pain relief: 1,000 to 2,500 mg daily.
  • For training benefits (energy and vasodilation): 500 to 1,000 mg before training.

There are not enough human studies to determine the most optimal Agmatine Sulfate dose.

The study below shows the Agmatine Sulfate dose used for lumbar disc-associated radiculopathy:

Study Information

  • Title: Safety and Efficacy of Dietary Agmatine Sulfate in Lumbar Disc-associated Radiculopathy. An Open-label, Dose-escalating Study Followed by a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

Subject Information

  • Health condition: lumbar disc-associated radiculopathy.

Method used

Participants in the first study were recruited consecutively into four cohorts who took the following escalating regimens:

  • 1.335 g/day agmatine sulfate for 10 days
  • 2.670 g/day for 10 days
  • 3.560 g/day for 10 days
  • 3.560 g/day for 21 days

Participants in the follow-up study were assigned to receive either placebo or agmatine sulfate, 2.670 g/day for 14 days.

Results

  • 3 participants in the highest dose cohort had mild-to-moderate diarrhea and mild nausea during treatment, which disappeared upon treatment cessation. No other events were observed.
  • In the follow-up study, 51 participants were randomly enrolled in the agmatine group and 48 in the placebo.
  • Continuous improvement of symptoms occurred in both groups, but was more pronounced in the agmatine (31 participants) as compared with the placebo group (30 participants).
  • Significantly enhanced improvement in average pain measures and in quality of life scores occurred after treatment in the agmatine group (26.7% and 70.8%, respectively) as compared with placebo (6.0% and 20.0%, respectively).
  • No treatment-related adverse events were noted.

Conclusions

Dietary agmatine sulfate is safe and efficacious treatment for alleviating pain and improving quality of life in lumbar disc-associated radiculopathy.

The following study shows that a high daily Agmatine Sulfate dose of 2.67 g is safe for up to 5 years, with no side effects.

 Study Information

  • Title: Long-term (5 years), high daily dosage of dietary agmatine–evidence of safety: a case report.
  • Length: 4-5 years.

Method used

The authors of this report undertook to assess their own health status during ongoing consumption of a high daily dosage of oral agmatine over a period of 4-5 years.

A daily dose of 2.67 g agmatine sulfate was encapsulated in gelatin capsules; the regimen consists of six capsules daily, each containing 445 mg, three in the morning and three in the evening after meals. 

Results

  • All measurements thus far remain within normal values and good general health status is sustained throughout the study period, up to 5 years.
  • This case study shows for the first time that the recommended high dosage of agmatine may be consumed for at least 5 years without evidence of any adverse effects.

Conclusions

These initial findings are highly important as they provide significant evidence for the extended long-term safety of a high daily dosage of dietary agmatine–a cardinal advantage for its utility as a nutraceutical.

What is a good dosage of Agmatine Sulfate for Bodybuilding?

People using Agmatine Sulfate for Bodybuilding and Athletic Performance generally take dosages at the higher end of the range of 1.6 -6.4 mg/kg of body weight.

The content of Agmatine Sulfate in Bodybuilding products is usually the following:

  • Single ingredient Agmatine Sulfate supplements: between 250-1,000 mg per scoop
  • Pre-workout formulas with Agmatine Sulfate: 0.5 – 1 g

Can Agmatine Sulfate help with Sleep?

Agamtine Sulfate has the following benefits wich can indirectly help with sleep:

  • mood improvement
  • anxiety reduction
  • stress reduction
  • sense of well-being

Agmatine can also inhibit Glutamate (a stimulant neurotransmitter), this can help you calm down and feel better.

Study Information

  • Title: Agmatine attenuates chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced anxiety, depression-like behaviours and cognitive impairment by modulating nitrergic signalling pathway.

Method used

Investigation of the beneficial effects of agmatine on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression, anxiety and cognitive performance with the involvement of nitrergic pathway was undertaken.

  • Mice were subjected to a battery of stressors for 28days.
  • Agmatine (20 and 40mg/kg, i.p.) alone and in combination with NO modulators like L-NAME (15mg/kg, i.p.) and l-arginine (400mg/kg i.p.) were administered daily.
  • The results showed that 4-weeks CUMS produces significant depression and anxiety-like behaviour.
  • Stressed mice have also shown a significant high serum corticosterone (CORT) and low BDNF level. 

Results

  • Chronic treatment with agmatine produced significant antidepressant-like behaviour in forced swim test (FST) and sucrose preference test, whereas, anxiolytic-like behaviour in elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT) with improved cognitive impairment in Morris water maze (MWM).
  • Furthermore, agmatine administration reduced the levels of acetylcholinesterase and oxidative stress markers.
  • In addition, agmatine treatment significantly increased the BDNF level and inhibited serum CORT level in stressed mice.
  • Treatment with L-NAME (15mg/kg) potentiated the effect of agmatine whereas l-arginine abolished the anxiolytic, antidepressant and neuroprotective effects of agmatine. 

Conclusions

Agmatine showed marked effect on depression and anxiety-like behaviour in mice through nitrergic pathway, which may be related to modulation of oxidative-nitrergic stress, CORT and BDNF levels.

Can Agmatine Sulfate help with Depression?

Even though human research is still limited, some studies show that Agmatine Sulfate can help with depression through the following neuroprotective effects:

  • Rapid antidepressant effects through multiple pathways.
  • Enhances the antidepressant effects of lithium, ketamine, and SSRIs.

Study Information

  • Title: The clinical antidepressant effect of exogenous agmatine is not reversed by parachlorophenylalanine: a pilot study.

Subject Information

  • Number of Subjects: 3.
  • Health condition: Major Depresssive Disorder (MDD).

Method used

Exogenous agmatine was ingested in doses of 2-3mg/day by depressed subjects with Major Depresssive Disorder (MDD).

Antidepressant responders volunteered to concommittantly ingest parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) at starting doses of 250mg/day, and increased until depressive relapse, mitigating side effects, or a maximum dosage of 1250mg/day.

Results

  • Three depressed subjects showing total illness remission with exogenous agmatine did not relapse after concomitantly adding PCPA.
  • Effective in relieving both psychomotor agitation and retardation, the antidepressant effect was free of physical or behavioural side effects: gastrointestinal discomfort and loose stools in one subject resolved spontaneously within days.
  • All three subjects refused to risk depressive relapse by temporarily stopping agmatine after PCPA was stopped.

Conclusions

The antidepressant effect of exogenous agmatine was documented in a small number of MDD subjects, and was not reversed/modified by PCPA confirming findings in animals that therapeutic response is not mediated by serotonergic mechanisms.

A NAMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist, agmatine’s recognized function in brain as inhibitory modulator of excitatory glutamatergic transmission suggests a pivotal role for brain glutamate, contributing to the ripening glutamatergic basis of depression, and a rational basis for future antidepressant pharmacotherapy.

Can you use Agmatine as a Recreational Drug?

Agmatine is not considered a recreational drug because it doesn’t cause the effects of a regular “high”. Instead, it is used for other properties:

  • Cognitive enhancement
  • Combined with Kratom, it can enhance Kratom’s aroma, and Kratom can enhance Agmatine’s anxiety reduction and pain relief effects.
  • NMDA receptor inhibition (reduces the excitability of the nervous system).

What are Agmatine Sulfate’s Side Effects?

Agmatine Sulfate can cause side effects with doses above 2.67 g:

Digestive Side Effects

  • diarrhea
  • upset stomach
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • bloating
  • abdominal discomfort
  • gas
  • increased appetite

Cardiovascular Side Effects

  • reduced heart rate
  • reduced blood pressure (hypotension)
  • reduced blood sugar levels
  • reduces oxidative stress on cells
  • can cause airway allergies

Any side effects cleared up by themselves after a few days of stopping Agmatine supplementation.

Agmatine sulfate can cause issues when interacting with other medications, so please always consult your doctor before taking agmatine.

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Sources

This article makes use of information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

What is Agmatine Sulfate used for? (Depression Dosage, Uses)
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