If you found yourself on this page, chances are that you have an interest in what Phenibut has to offer or you desire more information to make a more informed decision as to whether it is right for you.
Before we delve into the nitty-gritty details, you first need to know what the drug is all about.
So here we go!
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter chemical. It blocks impulses sent to the brain through nerve cells. Phenibut mimics GABA functionality. Currently, it is being sold as a nootropic that provides cognitive improvements but is also used to control depression. It is considered a neuropsychotropic drug.
Many health situations stem from the brain’s response to the chemical signals it receives. Depression, anxiety, fear, impulsiveness, tiredness, stress, headaches, and more happen because the body’s neurotransmitters communicate with your brain and the brain responds to them. Internally, you could experience dizziness, movement problems, nausea, exhaustion, anxiety, etc. Externally, you could feel pain, restlessness, weakness, headaches, movement problems, and more.
Phenibut helps control your brain’s responses, internally and externally. We’re not talking about controlling everything, just the health conditions and problems that Phenibut handles.
Social activity, movement problems, irrational responses, unclear thinking, distracted thoughts, and many other health conditions can be relieved using Phenibut. Read on to discover what Phenibut does, how it works, the cautions you should take, effective dosage recommendations, usage side effects, and more. By the end of this article, you will know everything you need to know to make an informed decision and determine if Phenibut is right for you.
Other Names for Phenibut
Phenibut is the generic name for this nootropic drug. However, it has other generic names too. It may also be called fenibut and phenybut. More specifically, it has been labeled with brand names like Noofen, Fenibut, and Anvifen in Russia and other countries that legally permit it for medical use.
Chemical names for the drug include Acide 4-Amino-3-Phenylbutyrique, Agente Gabaérgico, Phenyl-GABA, Bêta-Phényl-GABA, B-Phenyl-Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, and several other names.
Most likely, you do not need to know the technical names, but the generic names and brand names are helpful when looking to purchase the drug or find specific information.
Is Phenibut Legal in the US?
Currently, Phenibut is not approved for medical use in the United States. However, that is just referring to its use for medical purposes. In other words, a doctor cannot recommend it or prescribe it. The main reason for this is because the drug has not been tested enough to provide acceptable evidence of its safety for medical usage. In reality, no testing or studies have been conducted on humans in the US, but it has been tested on animals and it has shown positive results for various conditions.
Aside from how Phenibut is controlled and used in the US, it is 100% approved for medical use in the Ukraine, Russia, and Latvia. Russia is where the drug got its start in the medical industry so it would make sense that it is legal to prescribe.
Regardless, it is currently 100% legal to purchase and use in the US without a prescription. You can order it online from various suppliers and you’ll still be legally purchasing it.
The main reason that it is legal to buy and use in the USA is manufacturers currently comply with all FDA regulatory guidelines. They also label it as an amino acid or some other derivative without claiming that it provides medical or therapeutic benefits. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could change the laws at any given time.
Now that you understand what Phenibut is really about, it’s time to discover the benefits it offers.
How Does Phenibut Work?
Phenibut mimics GABA functionality. It is an analog of GABA. The GABA receptors in the brain receive GABA signals that control depression, stress, anxiety, fatigue, and more. In order to do that, the drug needs a way to pass through the blood to the brain so it can access the brain’s GABA receptors.
Phenibut includes what is known as a phenyl ring that crosses the blood-brain barrier so that the drug can connect with those GABA receptors effectively. Natural GABA is regulated through that blood-brain barrier, allowing only a select amount of GABA neurotransmitters to pass through. Just think of it as a water faucet. Only so much water can pass through the pipes and flow out of the aerator based on the current regulation of the faucet handle and based on the current need.
Phenibut is basically like GABA but it has a substitute (phenyl ring) in the β-position. The phenyl ring’s para-position includes a hydrogen atom rather than a chlorine atom that drugs like Baclofen have in that region.
Phenibut bypasses that barrier control because the phenyl ring allows the drug to attach to the brain’s GABA receptors to provide consistent benefits where the brain and body need it most, which leads to improvements in depression, anxiety, fatigue, and more. In other words, the drug needs to have an “All-Access” pass to perform effectively and the phenyl ring allows it to do just that.
Once Phenibut makes it to the brain, it attaches to those receptors just like natural GABA chemicals do, but it does it a lot more than all-natural GABA does. It basically connects to the GABA receptors better than GABA itself. Another phrase for this chemical connection is neurotransmitters sending signals to the brain. This is because GABA is a neurotransmitter chemical.
Phenibut’s neurotransmitter signals attach to GABAB receptors in the brain and it can also connect to some GABAA receptors. The connection to GABAA receptors is more frequent when higher doses of Phenibut are taken.
What is Phenibut Used For?
Since Phenibut is a nootropic drug and a neuropsychotropic drug, it treats a variety of health conditions while also helping relieve depression. It helps people cope with many emotional states, but its main purpose is to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Phenibut is commonly used to treat the following conditions:
-
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Aside from treating the above conditions, it is also used for:
- Irregular heartbeats
- Alcohol addictions
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Fear
- Tension
- Enhancing learning
- Improving thinking
- Increasing memory
Common Scenarios that Phenibut Can Help With
Since Phenibut helps with tiredness, anxiety, depression, and stress; it can help improve social interactions, job performance, and other situations tied to those health-related issues. Interacting with others will be easier and less stressful, and you’ll have the energy to have more fun. Your interactions with others won’t be negative, impulsive, or agitated. As for job performance, the energy kick will provide an increase in focus, thinking, and productivity. Anxiety, stress, tiredness, etc. will be reduced. Here is a breakdown of the various categorical benefits of using Phenibut.
Tiredness
Phenibut has been found to help deal with tiredness, which affects the body in many ways. Being tired reduces focus, thinking, and even attention. The drug increases focus to prevent sluggish progress, wrong decisions, slow movement, and more. It increases productivity and alertness while also boosting productivity at work or home.
Because the brain’s thought process is affected by tiredness, the responses, decisions, and learning tend to slow down depending on the level of tiredness. Phenibut increases attention span and focus for important details on any given situation. It boosts learning power and concentration, as well as attention so that key information or points in a situation are not missed or lost.
This isn’t the typical tiredness you may experience from time to time. We’re referring to severe cases of tiredness. But even then, tiredness still has its effects on the brain and the body.
Anxiety
The anxious feelings that a brain triggers affects decisions, interaction with others, and can even cause nervousness. Phenibut relieves neural activity that leads to those anxious feelings and symptoms, preventing irrational decisions and thought distractions that allow a person to miss opportunities, events, and tasks. The reactions turn into proactive initiatives, meaning that the person is less frustrated and is more into solving the problem or finding another solution rather than react aggressively. The drug also prevents racing thoughts to improve positive brain activity rather than negative.
Depression
Many people are depressed at one point or another, but the level of depression varies based on health, individual circumstances, and/or specific situations. Phenibut helps relieve depression by mimicking those GABA receptors. Since the drug is recommended to only be used twice a week to prevent abuse and addiction, a person may feel depressed for a couple days following the dose.
Stress
Phenibut relieves stress, allowing the person to enjoy the moments and the time without letting stress get in the way. The person may be more outgoing, social, and active. They won’t spend all their time thinking about the problems attached to their stress. It may also help get through the stressful moments in their life because the stress has been significantly reduced or eliminated. The person will make better decisions and develop good solutions to their problems. Stress affects how we act, think, respond, and cope. Phenibut is capable of redirecting the stress so that you make wise choices and not let the stress affect your life.
OK, now you know what Phenibut can do, right?
Let’s dive into how to use the drug.
Proper, Safe Way to Use Phenibut
Phenibut is a powerful drug. It requires discipline to avoid addictions and harmful effects. Taking too much of the drug can lead to feeling like you are high or drunk. In addition, you may experience depression, coordination challenges, balance issues, hangover effects, and other symptoms for a couple of days following its use. Therefore, the most common recommended dosage is twice a week. However, every person’s tolerance is different so you can adjust your doses accordingly.
Key points to safely using Phenibut include the following:
- Avoid using it more than three times a week
- Avoid doses higher than 1.5 grams
- Always take Phenibut on an empty stomach
- Morning doses are recommended
- Never drive while using the drug
- Avoid alcohol when taking Phenibut
When it comes to overdosing on Phenibut, you could feel many side effects, including the following:
- Drunkenness feeling
- A hangover following the wear off point
- Reduced coordination
- Unconsciousness
- Loss of memory
- Nystagmus
If you continue to overuse the drug, it can lead to the following effects:
- Random anxiety spurts
- Reduced appetite
- Nervousness
- Sleep problems
- Negative thoughts and responses
- Feeling easily annoyed
With the above information on safe Phenibut usage and the drawbacks of abusing it, you can see that the drug requires many precautions, yet it still offers many benefits too. Deciding if Phenibut is right for you depends on your body and mind, as well as your current conditions.
Here’s some important information regarding Phenibut use.
If you are an alcoholic, the drug is NOT recommended as a treatment or to counteract any outcomes derived from alcohol consumption. The only exception to this suggestion is if you stopped drinking and suffer from withdrawal symptoms. That is why it is listed above as a treatment for alcoholism. It will help control alcohol withdrawals, but will not cure alcoholism. Combining this drug with alcohol can have devastating effects. Hopefully, that clearly makes sense because it is an important thing to note.
If you have thoughts about suicide, DO NOT use Phenibut as a treatment option. Professionals are the best drug. They’ll determine the right treatment for your particular needs and ensure a safer outcome. Phenibut can help control some of the suicide symptoms, but it is always best to ensure you get the right treatment to stay safe. Moreover, since the drug has its own withdrawal effects, it can pose risks to suicidal situations and possibly make them worse.
Here are Some Final Thoughts about Phenibut
No matter what you want to use Phenibut for, you should always consider your current conditions and determine if any symptoms or effects are caused by an addiction or another drug. In other words, some health situations stem from other drugs (prescription or not) or health problems and it is important to know what the cause is. You can’t simply accept that you have a health condition and just use Phenibut to treat it or to treat everything just because you suffer from it. You also cannot intentionally do something harmful to your health and then plan on using Phenibut to compensate for it. Just like it was mentioned at the beginning of this article, using Phenibut requires discipline and responsibility.