Phenibut is a new supplement to the health industry. Research has been conducted in Russia but little knowledge exists in Western medicine regarding the properties of phenibut. Phenibut is widely used in Russia to relieve tension, anxiety, and fear, to improve sleep in psychosomatic or neurotic patients; as well as a pre- or post-operative medication. It is also used in the therapy of disorders characterized by asthenia and depression, as well as in post-traumatic stress, stuttering and vestibular disorders.

Apparently, the limited research with phenibut indicates it has a role to play in alcohol use; has GABA like activity inducing relaxation.

Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including phenibut, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Click on the image.
 

Phenibut Research
[Effect of phenibut on the behavior of experimental animals under conditions of voluntary chronic alcoholism]
Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2005 May-Jun;68(3):42-5.
The effect of phenibut on the locomotor and orientation-research activity, as well as on the alcohol and food motivation, was studied on experimental animals under conditions of voluntary chronic alcoholism. Phenibut decreased the manifestations of alcohol-induced behavioral disorders and reduced alcohol motivation.

[Effect of the GABA derivative phenibut on learning]
Vestn Ross Akad Med Nauk. 2005;(2):35-40.
The learning effect of phenibut, a beta-phenyl derivative of the inhibitory neuromediator GABA, used in a subcutaneous dose of 40 mg/kg 2 hours before each experiment, was studied in rabbits. The injection of phenibut was shown to enhance not only the inhibitory, but also excitatory components of cerebral cortical neuronal responses to all applied stimuli. The findings support the concept that the GABAergic neuromediator system is involved in the elaboration of internal inhibition and explain the sense of intracerebral processes that ensure both the sedative properties of phenibut and its ability to improve patients' systemic tone and health status when brain dysfunctions are treated.

[Cardiac effects of fenibut in development of experimental chronic renal insufficiency]
Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2003 Jul-Aug;66(4):21-4.
St. Petersburg State Medical University, ul. L. Tolstogo 17, St. Petersburg, Russia.
The effect of fenibut on the mechanical activity of myocardium was studied in vitro and in vivo in rats with experimental chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) in a regime of physiologically alternating load simulating the intact heart function. The administration of fenibut (10 mg/kg) in rats after nephrectomy prevents the development of myocardial hyperfunction (characteristic of the animals with CRI in stage 1). In in vitro experiments on isolated myocardium fenibut also decreased the myocardial hyperfunction and reduced contractility to a control level, which was accompanied by accelerated relaxation in all finite systolic lengths.

 [Anti-arrhythmic properties of GABA and GABA-ergic system activators]
Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2002 Jan-Feb;65(1):77-80.
Clinical and experimental data available in the literature are summarized, which are indicative of the antiarrhythmogenic properties of GABA and substances possessing GABA-positive activity (phenibut, piracetam, sodium hydroxybutyrate, lithium hydroxybutyrate, etc.). The antiarrhythmic effects are manifested in various cases of the heart rhythm violation. The mechanism of this action is related to activation of the central and peripheral retarding GABAergic system, as well as to antihypoxant, antioxidant, and antistressor effects.

Phenibut (beta-phenyl-GABA): a tranquilizer and nootropic drug.
CNS Drug Rev. 2001 Winter;7(4):471-81.
Phenibut (beta-phenyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid HCl) is a neuropsychotropic drug that was discovered and introduced into clinical practice in Russia in the 1960s. It has anxiolytic and nootropic (cognition enhancing) effects. It acts as a GABA-mimetic, primarily at GABA(B) and, to some extent, at GABA(A) receptors. It also stimulates dopamine receptors and antagonizes beta-phenethylamine (PEA), a putative endogenous anxiogenic. The psychopharmacological activity of phenibut is similar to that of baclofen, a p-Cl-derivative of phenibut. This article reviews the structure-activity relationship of phenibut and its derivatives. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the position of the phenyl ring, the role of the carboxyl group, and the activity of optical isomers. Comparison of phenibut with piracetam and diazepam reveals similarities and differences in their pharmacological and clinical effects.

Effects of phenibut powder

Phenibut emails
Q. Great Site! Kudos to the Doctor. I encourage you to include info on Phenibut, a modified version of GABA that crosses the blood brain barrier. I find it VERY effective to reduce generalized anxiety disorder for short term use. The most effective anxiety reducer of any non-Benzo I've tried.

Q. Glad to see you've now added a profile for Phenibut. I wanted to give my experiences with this medicine in the hope that it might help anyone out there wondering how well it works. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and I must say phenibut at a high dose of 2 grams absolutely kills the anxiety. Lower doses have smaller effects. The effects make themself apparent at 1-2 hours after oral dosing and last for perhaps 4-5 hours. It does a good job at reducing anxiety, it is however a SHORT TERM solution only. Tolerance seems to develop within days with continuous dosing (which takes about 2 weeks of complete abstinence from Phenibut to disappear) and it is therefore best to use sparingly, perhaps once a week during particularly bad episodes of anxiety. This kind of frequency of use does not seem to develop tolerance. At the relatively high dose of 2g it does make me drowsy and nauseous after approximately 4-5 hours. A hangover and some rebound anxiety is expected the next day, leaving me to question the point of this drug. It's a shame because its anxiolytic effects are absolutely fantastic, but the hangover, rebound anxiety and nauseous feeling seem to leave you feeling pretty bad the day after. I've been reading up on phenibut since it appeared on the market and the above experience seems to echo what a lot of people are describing (in terms of hangover, rebound anxiety, tolerance) so they aren't side-effects isolated to me only. People are using anywhere from 250mg - 2,000mg to induce an anxiolytic effect.
   A. Thank you so much for sharing this phenibut experience with us.