Agmatine

Agmatine sulfate · Decarboxylated arginine

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Lumbar disc radiculopathy pain¹ Painful small fiber neuropathy² Major depressive disorder adjunct³ Treatment-resistant OCD augmentation⁴ Neuroprotection support⁵	Pregnancy (no safety data)

Agmatine, a polyamine derived endogenously from arginine via decarboxylation and also obtained from dietary sources and gut microbiota, acts as a neuromodulator across several receptor systems to reduce excitatory glutamate signaling.⁵ It is used for neuropathic pain, mood support in depression and anxiety, and, increasingly, as an augmentation strategy in treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions.⁶ Patients with lumbar disc radiculopathy, painful small fiber neuropathy (SFN), or depression unresponsive to standard regimens represent the groups most studied in published human trials.^1–3

Human research is limited to about five small trials covering neuropathic pain, depression, small fiber neuropathy, and treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Radiculopathy trials found agmatine sulfate superior to placebo on pain and quality-of-life measures. An open-label case series in painful SFN showed a clinically meaningful reduction in neuropathic pain intensity resistant to conventional medications.² A 2026 prospective open-label case series in adults with treatment-resistant OCD found that agmatine augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) produced gradual symptom reduction, with two of five patients meeting response criteria, and no discontinuations due to adverse effects. A systematic review of preclinical cardiovascular data found dose- and route-dependent dual effects on blood pressure and heart rate, with no controlled human cardiovascular trial completed.⁷ Products listing agmatine number over one thousand, available as capsules and powder; see Form comparison.

The cardiovascular signal warrants attention: preclinical evidence shows dose-dependent bidirectional effects on blood pressure, and the absence of human cardiovascular trials means this interaction remains uncharacterized in clinical populations.⁷ Use alongside antihypertensive agents has no studied interaction profile, making concurrent use a scenario for prescriber awareness rather than categorical avoidance.

Last updated October 14, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

29 sources, 11 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources