phenibut - anyone know anything about it?

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the guy who does my neural feedback told me about this.  it is some kind of relaxing thing.  thanks so much!

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It's a GABA agonist thought to work in a way possibly similar to benzos, but the mechanism of action is not fully understood. It can be purchased legally in the USA through internet retailers, but it's a prescription drug other places.

 

I haven't taken it in years but I remember thinking it felt like a weak benzo with worse immediate side effects. Personally, I'd avoid it during withdrawal.

 

it's actually a structural GABA analog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenibut).

 

There's a paper titled "Withdrawal symptoms after Internet purchase of phenibut" (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20841974) but no abstract is available. There's not much research on it in general, and I don't see many human trials at all:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=phenibut

[[li...]]

Maybe it's relaxing for most people, but it acts on the GABAB receptors, possibly GABAA.

 

It seems it has cross tolerance with Klonopin. So I'd caution against taking it.

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Thank you so so much

 

[[ma...]]

Pan

I was told about that at the health food store and I would absolutely say no. I read up on it and you actually have to taper off of it and it truly mimics benzos. Who needs that kinda pain? not me. Hope I have been helpful:)

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It's very similar to Baclofen.

[[Wr...]]

I am new here haven’t had much time to a-quant myself, but I stumbled on this. I had to post! NO NO NO IMHO, because I tried phenibut. It also has a funny stimulating quality and makes people talkative. Very hard to find in a Health Store, minimal amounts won’t barely be noticeable. Now the pure stuff I tried because like Kratom all natural. OH GEEZE.. Taking things to ease withdrawal that lead to more withdrawal, what a horrid merry-go-round. I have made this mistake so many times. If the first drug didn’t fix you, will the next? Maybe we weren’t ever as broken as we were told. Read up on Phenibut and be careful of Kratom that one mimics opiate w/d. No fun

 

I learn my way around thanks, glad to be here

[[sp...]]

Now the pure stuff I tried because like Kratom all natural. OH GEEZE.. Taking things to ease withdrawal that lead to more withdrawal, what a horrid merry-go-round.

 

In another internet community that I've posted in, I've actually seen people start with Kratom and end up on heroin. Natural shmatural.

[[Sa...]]

hmm,

 

My dr. sold me some Mountain Peak Nutritionals "tranquility" formula. Told me to take 2 a day until were done with the taper (two months away) so i take a look at the ingrediants on the internet and see all this bad stuff about phenibut. The amount of Phenibut in these capsules is 264mg. it also has L-Taurine 211MG and some other thins like folic acid and some B vitamins. Ill tell ya one thing, ive been taking them for two days now and phew! boy they almost make you feel like your on a benzo.

 

So i take it these, like anything else should be spared for the days when im really having a hard time and need some additional support to make it through the day, not for twice a day everyday use.

 

God i hate Drs.

[[Gr...]]

I have tried phenibut a few times, being careful not to use it on a daily basis.  Around 1.5 grams is the dose that I tried each time, and it has a relaxant but also unusual stimulating effect at this dose.  I have read quite a few stories of tolerance and dependence with phenibut, especially in cases where people used it to deliberately get high.  Some have ended up taking 7-8 grams or more per day, and have then found it very difficult to get off.  All I can say is that phenibut should probably be regarded as seriously as benzos when it comes to any decision to start taking it.  I have heard of baclofen being used as a way of withdrawing from phenibut, due to both drugs being strong GABA-B agonists, but phenibut's extra effects (e.g. some GABA-A agonism, dopamine increase) could make it a complicated drug to get off if someone fell into the trap of using it every day.

[[pr...]]

i have two different kinds of phenibut that i was taking when i was trying to taper.

i took some in my early w/d and it freaked my brain out so i am going to avoid it for now and then try it later on.

[[Ca...]]

Good feedback.  I have been taking Kavinace Ultra PM for the past two nights.  Woke up in the middle of the nights...unusual for me, and also felt really tired during the past two days.

 

Going to return back to Benadryl and melatonin for sleep, which has helped me the most.

[[ja...]]

It's very similar to Baclofen.

 

Yup.

 

I used it with little success getting off GHB (which, like baclofen and phenibut is a GABAb agonist)

[[pr...]]

jack,

 

i was given baclofen in the detox and even though i was in brutal withdrawal from benzo's, when i took the baclofen i remember it help a lot. what exactly is baclofen? and would it be cross tolerant to take during a benzo withdrawal?

 

thanks, pretty

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jack,

 

i was given baclofen in the detox and even though i was in brutal withdrawal from benzo's, when i took the baclofen i remember it help a lot. what exactly is baclofen? and would it be cross tolerant to take during a benzo withdrawal?

 

thanks, pretty

 

Pretty, as Jack says, baclofen is a GABA B agonist, so more like alcohol in its actions. My sister is on it to treat alcoholism & gave me a couple to try when I was in early withdrawal. I can't say it helped at all.

 

Because it acts on GABA, I imagine that there is some risk that it may complicate withdrawal if used for any length of time.

[[pr...]]

thanks ihope. i knew that it felt relaxing. darn! how to start feeling relaxed?

[[ja...]]

GABAb meds can help a little, but just know you're targeting the wrong receptor. The most likely explanation is that agonizing the GABAb in a sufficiently high dose masks the problems of the GABAs problem.

 

Let me give you an example: Baclofen for treating GHB (and alcohol) withdrawal is really new. So before that, they used Valium / Librium (GABAa meds).

 

 

Now, I can fully attest to the horror, ferocity, speed and general psychotic nature of GHB withdrawal. It is the same as alcoholic DTs (but faster to come on), but with less cardiac problems the alcoholic DTs. However, it's also like BZD withdrawal in that it can be protracted and take longer to heal permanently.

 

So, back to the point... in full blown GHB withdrawal, the literature states serial loaded doses of up to 300 mg of valium being needed to stop the problem. Sometimes this is even combined with phenobarbital. See the problem? It requires a BOATLOAD of GABAa meds to stop a very strong, pure GABAb drug withdrawal. Generally, the doses must be so high that they have to intubate you. Propofol is also used for GHB withdrawal.

 

Now, take baclofen. My doctor has successfully halted GHB withdrawal using 50-100mg of Librium and 40-80 mg of Baclofen with 45 minutes! That's because he's hitting the right receptor (GABAb metabotropic), and also using a GABAa med to prevent further restlessness. He stops the Baclofen first, by tapering, and then tapers the Librium.

 

So yes, Baclofen CAN help, but it's not because it is necessarily hitting the correct receptor. Just hitting another and giving a similar effect. Some doctors use Baclofen for BZD withdrawal, and some don't.

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Pan,I have been taking phenibut since August of 2011. I had a horrible experience from a C/T detox off of Klonopin. I was having these really horrible symptoms and the worst insomnia. I stumbled across phenibut when I was looking for sleep aids for insomnia. That is when I found out about phenibut. What I found was it would make me sleep but I would now estimate I was taking 4grams, The highest dose recommended is like 1 gram. So at this dosage I went to a sleep and did not get out of bed until the next afternoon and I felt like I had a bad hangover. But I noticed my withdrawl symptoms from the klonopin were gone. Was I being cured. To make a long story short the phenibut mimics and acts like a benzo so it was being a substitute for the Klonopin, So when I had to stop taking the phenibut because of tolerance. It was not working anymore. I was hit with very severe withdrawl symptoms. It felt like all the horrible Klonopin withdrawl symptoms I had from detox came rushing back. I went to a doctor on the benzo wise list of Doctors. He told me to flush the phenibut down the toilet and put me on Valium. It has been now 10 days since I have been on Valium and I am doing much better. I did not wish to go back on a benzo but the phenibut really messed up my recovery and I could not stand the symptoms that came back. So now I need to stabilize on Valium before I can taper off. I wish I would just have reinstated on Valium back in August of 2011 and then Tapered off of it. The phenibut was no shortcut and just made things worse

[[De...]]

Yes I have a fair bit of experience with phenibut. It takes only about a week to become physically dependant and withdrawals can be horrific. My advice is stay the hell away from phenibut. Its even more addictive than GHB. Using it once in a while (i.e. once every couple of weeks) would be fine but daily use doesn't end well. I abused it pretty heavily though, I was using ridiculous doses (up to 8g per day) so thats probably why I rapidly got myself into a mess with it.

[[Co...]]

I posted a phenibut log on this site, though I don't know how to link it. It'll give you great detail about my phenibut experience. It is the reason I joined bb in the first place. I don't even take benzos. I'm actually trying to get off it. My advice stay away. It works so well at first then quickly becomes an everyday thing in a matter of weeks. Then it stops working all together. Just my 2€. You don't need a phenibut addiction to add to your benzo w/ds.

 

Coyote Stark

[[Bi...]]

Phenibut can stop benzo cold turkey w/d  s/x fast but then you get addicted to the phenibut    Lose / lose

 

Not a solution

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It's very similar to Baclofen.

 

I take 10mg/day Baclofen for muscle pain following neck/back surgery. At this point in time, have been on it, at that dosage for several months.  Still on .875 Klonopin/day.  Will Baclofen make the remainder of my taper from Klonopin more difficult?  Or will I have to wait till I'm off Klonopin, and THEN taper off Baclofen?  Any info appreciated.