This is a warning to those who are not familiar with nootropics or have gone through benzo/opiate/drug withdrawals and see Phenibut at the health food store and think its safe alternative to use because of the benefits listed on the wrapping. I ordered Phenibut and Noopept together about a month and a half ago having done enough research to know it was safe in small doses and if properly cycled. I work the graveyard shift and my day time sleep is messed up because Im in the land down under and its winter here (depressing in its own right) at the moment (the sun comes out really early and sets really late) leaving me unrested and with intermittent sleep.
I planned on using Phenibut (just 500 mg) 3 days a week to help me sleep and the noopept (20-30mg/daily) to help me study for my exams. I got a digital measuring scale just for this to accurately measure my doses. My first few doses on phenibut were by far the most awesome thing ever, made me euphoric, gave me undisturbed 8 hours of sleep and left me feeling fully rested. I had read how this was addictive so I made sure to have a 4 day washout period taking it only the first three days of the week. However by the second week, having taking only about 3grams phenibut overall which judging by other forum posts is a very low dose, the tolerance and the withdrawals set in. By the 4th day of the washout period I would have anxiety I have never experienced before and my mood would be very low, thinking about memories from the past, not feeling like socializing or going to the gym. I attributed this to SAD and bought a Vitamin D supplement that also contained Ashwagandha to help with my mood (BioForge V3). Big Mistake.
I guess because the Phenibut and Ashwagandha both act on GABA receptors independently, the washout period was ineffective and therefore my mood further worsened to the point where after 4 weeks on the Phenibut and two weeks on the Ashwagandha, I quit taking all the supplements last week. It's a pity cause noopept was working really well to give me verbal and written fluency and to help me complete all my long and arduous assignments.
What followed was a nightmare. In the past two weeks I have faced CRUSHING depression - the kind where you feel like you're in a hole and there’s no way out...like someone has killed everyone you love, fired you from your job, set fire to your house and then stabbed you in the stomach (and killed your pet cat). You have no one and nothing left and no one can help you. I have never experienced depression, despair and feelings of helplessness like this before except maybe when coming down of party pills and that too only very briefly. In the past two weeks I have called my mom and cried, messaged my ex girlfriend and grovelled to take me back, messaged all my friends super depressed rants and actually repeatedly thought about how it would feel if I ended this all by jumping in front of the tram.
Guys, I am someone who has put himself in many many uncomfortable situations just to raise my comfort threshold and have very high self-esteem. I have finally gotten the toned physique I was aiming for the past year, have an awesome four month long vacation coming up after my finals where I’ll be travelling a lot, a busload of friends and no shortage of female attention. I am writing this so that someone deciding to take this with the thought of “oh I’ll be careful, it wont happen to me Im not depressed like those internet guys” can find this thread on google and not go through what I did. Many people read Phenibut and Nootropic in one sentence and think how bad can it be, remember GHB was sold as a health food supplement for the exact same purpose 15 years ago and look how that turned out.
Make no mistake guys Phenibut is a VERY potent DRUG. If you don’t have prior experience with benzo’s or know yourself and your personality well, you can easily sink in the mental quicksand that this compound brings with it and not know why. GABA receptors take months if not years to return to normal, and just a few doses over a month of this can take several weeks of BAD withdrawals to get over. I’m glad I have a few months to live completely clean of every supplement ( I threw the remaining 45grams of Phenibut away) and recuperate but for someone who has a daily life, quitting cold turkey and dealing with the side effects without alarming those around you could be severely taxing and anxiety inducing in itself. Please take heed and if you found this while googling phenibut, ashwagandha and/or withdrawals/depression I hope this convinces you to not touch these two GABA agonists in the first place. The first few days or weeks of anxiolytic effects are not worth the withdrawals that follow. All the best.
SS