Phenibut Addiction And Withdrawal

Phenibut is commonly referred to as a smart pill in the medical community. This is used widely in Russia, although it hasn’t garnered much support in the western countries. However, in Russia, phenibut is available as a supplement as over the counter medication. As a matter of fact, phenibut is often used by astronauts as a kind of relaxant since it calms the nerves and also improves mental clarity. If you have been looking for a pill to increase your brain power, then this might be it. Executives leading hectic lives or students might use phenibut in order to enhance concentration, focus and productivity. As a matter of fact, the drug may also be used to treat PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), anxiety and depression.

Phenibut addiction

From the points mentioned above, it is clear that phenibut is a handy drug that can be used to treat a variety of ailments. However, it comes with certain side effects as well; in other words, with long term use; your body might develop a sort of tolerance to it. That means, the dosage of the drug will have to be increased at regular intervals in order to produce the desired results. As you can make out, that can never be good for your body. This might lead to certain extreme side effects as well; more importantly, your brain becomes dependent on the drug leading to addiction. Addiction to phenibut makes you prone to drug abuse and overdose and also withdrawal symptoms that are very severe.

The drug has a calming effect on your body; with regular usage, the body begins to crave for this calming effect. It also works like an analgesic; you tend to feel relaxed, let go of your inhibitions and also are overcome by a sense of euphoria and wellbeing. However, if you are taking phenibut in higher doses, that might cause intoxication. You might feel nauseous and even vomit; a splitting headache is also common in these cases.

When you consume phenibut in any form, it directly reacts with the GABA neurotransmitter in the brain, thus altering the way it works. Hence, the drug would work like a sedative on your body. Often, the drug is taken in combination with certain drugs, alcohol and tranquilisers in order to enhance their effects. As a result, your body gets used to the relaxing or the sedative effect produced; when you suddenly quit the drug, the brain (now unable to make sense of what is happening) begins to send out signals which take the form of cravings. This is where the withdrawal symptoms come in.

Withdrawal symptoms of phenibut

Phenibut addiction can be pretty severe and the withdrawal symptoms are proof of that. These symptoms, in their most extreme forms, might even prove to be fatal. They are unexpected and manifest themselves in a number of ways as explained below:

Anxiety: It has been mentioned that phenibut is often used to treat anxiety. Now when you stop the drug, the reverse effects take place. You become paranoid and anxiety or panic attacks are common. The severity will depend upon the extent of the addiction.
Agitation: Once you stop consumption of phenibut, you are bound to feel restless and agitated. You might find it hard to sit still in one place, find it difficult to concentrate and might fidget continuously.
Reduced appetite: Phenibut has a tendency to reduce your metabolism. Thus, once you stop the drug, you suffer from reduced appetite and might not even feel hungry.
Depression: Phenibut had been consumed in order to bring about positive feelings in you. When you stop the drug, dopamine and GABA levels are altered. This might lead to sudden mood swings and you might feel down and lethargic all the time. Depression, mild and severe, is common in these stages.
Cognitive deficits: You might experience brain fog – it might feel that your brain isn’t working the way it should and you might find it difficult to focus on one thing.
Fatigue: After quitting the drug, you might find it both mentally and physically tiring.
Dizziness: You might feel dizzy and experience bouts of vertigo as well. As a matter of fact, you might feel out of balance at times as well.
Depersonalization: You might feel alienated from the rest of the world and will not be feeling like yourself; it might be difficult to relate to those around you.
Auditory and visual hallucinations: Hallucinations rarely occur but if you had been taking phenibut in higher doses over long durations, you might experience these.
Heart palpitations: You might experience palpitations and irregular heartbeat which can be disturbing and rather scary.
Insomnia: Since phenibut toys with the neurotransmitters in your brain, your sleep patterns may be altered. You might find it difficult to fall asleep for nights after you stop the drug.
Nausea/vomiting: Once you quit the drug, you might feel nauseous all the time and may even vomit at times.
Tremors: Phenibut withdrawal might lead to tremors and a shaky feeling as well.
Fear: You might find yourself scared of the smallest things; you always seem to be on the edge. However, this may be controlled with medication and chamomile tea.

The side effects of phenibut withdrawal are both psychological and physical; both are deadly in their own ways. However, the psychological side effects of phenibut are usually long term and would require weeks and months of therapy to overcome. It is ironic, because phenibut is often used to cope with addiction to other drugs. If you are prescribed phenibut in higher doses, then addiction is a high probability. More importantly, the withdrawal symptoms are pretty severe. In order to control the symptoms, it is recommended that you seek medical help. Medical detox is the only way out. Rehab under experienced and trained professionals would help you overcome your addiction and maintain sobriety. Moreover, it would be easier to keep your symptoms under check; usually, medicines are prescribed in order to reduce the extent of the withdrawal symptoms.

Factors affecting withdrawal symptoms

How severe the withdrawal symptoms would be post consumption of phenibut would depend largely on some factors. They are:

The duration of your drug use is important. Of course, if you have been using the drug for longer periods of time, your addiction is bound to severe and consequently, the withdrawal symptoms are going to be more extreme.
The dosage is equally important. One who has been consuming phenibut in higher doses is going to form a stronger dependence on the drug than one who has been taking it in smaller doses.
Also, it would be wrong to generalise; the severity of your addiction would vary from person to person. It depends on how faster your blood can process the drug as well. The psychological symptoms might differ in different cases.

As has been mentioned earlier, phenibut withdrawal takes a massive toll on your mental and psychological wellbeing. Phenibut, which was used previously to induce a calming effect on your body, has the opposite effect when you quit the drug. You feel agitated, restless, fatigued and might even experience panic attacks. Stress and depression in their extreme forms are also pretty common when it comes to phenibut withdrawal. However, cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT can come in handy in such cases. Extensive therapy is your only option if you want to avoid long term psychological effects of phenibut withdrawal. Therapy would take place under trained professionals who know exactly what you are going through and what can be done to counter it. Also, cognitive behavioural therapy would help you alter your thought processes and equip you to manage your stress better. This way, you get to focus on your sobriety and its maintenance without worrying about anything else.

Commonly Abused Drugs

Opioid / Opiates

Stimulants

Prescription Drugs

Benzodiazepines

Sleeping Pills

ABOUT SLO RECOVERY DRUG REHAB

Phenibut Addiction And Withdrawal