Posted 03 November 2014 - 04:53 AM
Pbut WD varies with dose, in my experience. I started with a clean system, free of OTC and any other substance use for several months, including alcohol, so I was pretty excited to give Pbut a try for anti-anxiety, insomnia and a general bad case of nerves all-in-all, mostly due to the lack of sleep. The fact that Pbut does a workout on the GABA-b (primary) and GABA-a receptors has to be taken into consideration. Any substance that can cross the blood brain barrier is serious.
Over the course of three months, I started with 500mg and increased that incrimentally weekly by 500mg (500mg, 1 gram, 1.5 grams...) up to 5 grams. I used pure bulk powder and weighed it out. I am a slow metabolizer, and it took my body three hours, almost to the minute, every dose, to kick in. Pbut has a half life of 5 hours; half life simply helps give me an idea of when to anticipate peak, though I read reports from other users that it has lingering effects on both body and mind for days (depending on dose - and, it did for me too, especially with moderate to higher doses, 2 grams+).
I took most of my doses during the day, on the weekend, so I had two days to evaluate and enjoy without added stress of work. I did not mix Pbut with any other substance, not even caffeine.
Low doses of 500mg to 1.5 grams had no WD symptoms. Driving was normal. I did try my 1 gram dose two weeks in a row - once during the day and once before bed. Daytime use gave me a light anti anxiety feel (like 1/4 of a Xanax), and night use just made me feel comfortable in bed quicker, but no sleep changes. No stimulatory sensation, just kinda chill. I could work if needed. Music was especially fun to listen to. I could have worked out, but did not want to break the chill feel with a cardio/ lifting session. A walk would have been okay. Nothing noticeable the next day other than waking up very thirsty. Later on, I learned that Pbut is dehydrating.
Moderate doses of 2 grams to 3 grams, during the day, induced a 12 hour nap, then I woke up very thirsty. Water or a non-caffeinated soda were best for me and a light snack, for blood sugar. Then, it was back to sleep. No driving. Walking around was tiresome, watching TV gave me a headache, moving my head made me dizzy, so going back to sleep was the best option. I also notice I prefered warmth, even on a summer day, I slept under blankets and maintained heater temp in my room at 84 degrees, when normally the body prefers cooler sleeping temps. Again, blood brain barrier substances are not to be taken lightly. The next day, I woke with an afterglow - good GABA-GABA mood. The effects lasted about 24 hours from kick-in time for me, so by mid afternoon, the following day after dose day, I noticed a slip into my "normal" thought pattern of thinking about anxiety, without anxiety actually coming to fruition. The fact that the thought manifested told me the Pbut had been metabolized out of my body and that my brain was working to revert its less-than optimal GABA receptors. Again, rehydration was important. I also noticed that a lingering peripheral numbness from my forehead down through the tip of my nose, lips and half of my tongue was present throughout the day, even hours after the afterglow wore off. Food tasted bland. Exercise was of no interest. Sleep came natural and I remember dreaming vividly, even though I slept for a good 21 hours the day before.
Maximum doses of 3.5 grams to 5 grams include symptoms of all of the above, but in multitude strength. I made the mistake of thinking two days would be enough for my 5 gram experiment dose, and I underestimated Pbut. Five grams gave me major dehydration for several days, and I drank water and craved sugary drinks (glucose energy is quick for brain energy). I had uncontrolled sleep for three days of 12 hour+ stints of being dead to the world (dose day without choice, day 2 by choice and day 3 just because it felt so damn good to sleep and be lazy), dizzy spells if I got up or tried to walk too long, nausea if I ate more than a snack size amount of food, and after three days, I woke up with a feeling of hopelessness and depression instead of the blissful afterglow I felt on moderate doses. 3.5 grams to 4.5 grams were tolerable, with similar WD symptoms to my 5 gram experience, without profound depression. The depression was more of an afterthought, not as much of a feeling, if that makes sense. I was able to move on with my day with the thoughts of depression. Five grams was my max. The depression after 5 grams was a weight that made me feel unmoveable, like a brick and mortar depression building. I will not go there again. The depressive feeling stayed for 3 days, so in total, including the dose day, 5 grams had 6 days of lasting effect on me that was all-in-all, uncontrollable and unpleasant.
I am glad I ramped up my usage. It was well worth the time to do it. Pbut appears to be very dependant on the individual. My reactions will likely differ from someone else.
