Phenibut Basics

Phenibut is not currently commercially available to us as of January 2022.

Phenibut or β-Phenyl-γ-aminobutyric Acid (Beta Phenyl Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) is a nootropic compound with GABA-B agonist and α2δ subunit-containing voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel blocker activity, that has neuroprotective and anxiolytic properties. It has a chemical formula of C10H13NO2 and a molecular weight of 179.216 g/mol.

WARNING: Phenibut can be addictive, and can induce physical tolerance, if abused (consumed daily, or in excessive quantities). Phenibut can amplify the effects of alcohol and other sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic substances and medications, therefore it is strongly advised to avoid such combinations. Use responsible judgement and extra caution when consuming this nootropic compound, and always heed use instructions and maximum consumption warnings. This compound is NOT for use by those under the age of 18! Phenibut should NEVER be consumed in amounts exceeding 4 grams total per week, and should NEVER be taken in high amounts on multiple consecutive days, due to the risk of rapid tolerance to the benefits, and potential for adverse effects. Be sure to always carefully follow the Phenibut usage guidelines provided on the product container. Side effects of higher or excessive Phenibut consumption may include severe nausea, dizziness, vertigo, and lethargy; or after consumption of very high Phenibut doses, may also include prolonged sleep or stupor, with reduced responsiveness, which typically resolves within 48 hours. Withdrawal symptoms, including several days to weeks of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, can occur upon abrupt discontinuation of Phenibut consumption after continuous and/or excessive use. Phenibut requires careful, disciplined and responsible cycling and limited consumption in order to maximize its benefits and minimize the potential drawbacks. In case of any negative effects or excessive use, immediately consult a physician, and follow a plan under doctor's guidance to steadily reduce and eliminate use. Due to country-specific legal and regulatory restrictions, we do not ship Phenibut to a number of countries - including Russia, the U.K., and Australia, among others. More information about Phenibut can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenibut

The Ultimate Phenibut Dosage Guide and How To Take It

What Phenibut does

Phenibut is a Russian Nootropic that is most commonly used for boosting mood, reducing feelings of stress, and helping to promote healthy sleep. Phenibut has a pretty complicated way that it interacts with the body, but interestingly, it is similar to the way that alcohol works (by binding to GABA receptors. In this article, we will guide you to the right serving directions for taking Phenibut. If you'd like to read more about it, we'd recommend reading our Phenibut article under the product description.

How Phenibut works (easy description)

Very briefly, the Phenibut molecule can be thought of as a ‘key' to unlock receptors in the brain called GABA-receptors. The body's own ‘key' is called GABA, and when this unlocks the GABA-receptors, our brains have a reduced response to signals from the Central Nervous System. This is what creates the effects of relaxation, social ease, pain relief and drowsiness when our bodies produce GABA. This tends to happen at night or when we are really tired.

Our bodies are constantly regulating signals from the Central Nervous System using GABA molecules. Mostly, we hardly even notice the effects. However, when we take a substance like Phenibut, which is also a key to unlock the GABA-receptors, we get the same effects but stronger and more noticeable.

Alcohol is also a key that unlocks GABA-receptors. Of course, things get even more complicated when we think about all the different types of GABA-receptor locks. Certain keys unlock certain locks. That is why alcohol and Phenibut work in a very similar way, but they do not produce exactly the same effects – alcohol unlocks mostly GABA-A locks, while Phenibut is better at unlocking the so-called GABA-B receptors, causing different effects.

Phenibut Dosage Guide

One of the best things about using Phenibut is that you can use a different serving size for different effects.

A recommended lower serving size of Phenibut HCl would be around 250-350 mg, taken two to three times daily. This lower serving produces a mild mood increase and feeling of calmness. It has been said by some to also improve sociability at this lower dose.

For a higher dosage, between 500 – 750 mg could be taken twice daily, depending on how strong you'd like the effects to be. At these higher serving sizes, you still get the mood-lift and calm sensation, and some increased sociability, but it also helps with getting to sleep and maintaining good, healthy sleep throughout the night.

Whatever effects you'd rather have, we always recommend starting with a lower serving size and seeing how it goes before moving onto larger servings. Some people's bodies can react differently, or more intensely than others, so rather play it safe, to begin with.

It is definitely not recommended to exceed the maximum serving size of 1000 mg, or 2000 mg daily. Please use this product responsibly. Any GABA–like product, including Phenibut, causes reduced responses to the signals from the Central Nervous System, and if you take too much, this can cause low heart rate, low breathing rate, dizziness, and sweating.

Users have also reported that a tolerance builds up after taking Phenibut continuously without cycling. Phenibut should not be used more than twice a week to prevent a tolerance build-up. See our article on Phenibut dependence.

A tolerance build-up means that you need more of the substance to achieve the same results, and this is one of the most common causes of overdoses in chemicals like benzodiazepines or even alcohol. If you feel like you aren't getting the same results from your usual serving size, please take a week or two off, rather than simply increasing the amount taken.

Physical dependence to Phenibut is possible but only through a sustained large serving size, for long periods of time. This is mostly because of the effects of tolerance - requiring larger and larger servings to feel the effects, instead of using proper cycling methods.

Phenibut is a great substance with multiple calming and mood-enhancing effects and, as with all GABA agonists, it can have some side effects.

Mild side effects of using Phenibut can include stomach cramps or an upset stomach, dizziness, tiredness, short-term memory reduction and lethargy and these are common side-effects with the use of all GABA-like substances.

How long does Phenibut last?

The half-life of Phenibut is around 5 hours, at a dosage of 250 mg. This means that after 5 hours, the chemical will have lost half of its potency in the body. However, once the body has metabolized over half of the serving, it is not going to be felt by the user.

So, at a serving size of 250 mg, you can expect to feel effects for around 5 – 6 hours. At larger servings, the effects may last for longer than this.

How to take Phenibut

Some people prefer to add a well-measured scoop of Phenibut HCl to a glass of water and drink it just like that. Phenibut HCl does tend to have a rather chemical, bitter taste to it. It may be useful to mix a measured scoop of Phenibut HCl into a short glass of sweet juice to minimize the bitter taste. Others recommend putting Phenibut in a folded piece of paper, an empty capsule or even some folded rolling paper, and swallowing with water. This method will prevent the sour taste experience.

Mixing Phenibut with other substances

Phenibut works in the same way that alcohol and benzodiazepines do. It is very important to NOT mix Phenibut with either alcohol or benzodiazepines because these substances act in the same way and potentiate each other's effects.

Like benzodiazepines, Phenibut has a long half-life, which means it is active in your body for longer periods of time. This is useful because you only really need to take it once or twice a day to experience the prolonged effects, but it also means that you need to wait for AT LEAST about 6 hours before using alcohol and even longer for benzodiazepines.

Using Phenibut with either alcohol or benzodiazepines increases the effects of both substances and increases the risk of an overdose.

However, when using Phenibut alone, and not exceeding the recommended serving size, the risk of overdose is negligible - especially when cycling and making sure not to increase the serving sizes to feel more effects.

Phenibut and alcohol

Some people chose to use Phenibut in small to medium doses instead of drinking, to minimize the negative effects of alcohol use. Phenibut and alcohol work in very similar ways, unlocking slightly different “GABA receptors". At certain doses, the effects of Phenibut are noticeably similar to the effects of alcohol, without some of the negative side-effects of alcohol.

In fact, a few studies have shown that even small doses of Phenibut provide a neuro- and cardio-protective effect, helping the heart and brain to cope with stress (see our longer product description). When you think about the negative effects of alcohol use, its easy to see why some people chose to vary between alcohol and Phenibut, or even to replace alcohol entirely with Phenibut.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER:

This is NOT a dietary supplement. Handle with care. Not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any disease or ailment. Use with CAUTION. When taken inappropriately, Phenibut can cause serious adverse effects. Keep out of reach of children. Please read and fully understand associated risks before using. This product has not been approved by the FDA.