More about phenibut

3.5 out of 5 stars Phenibut (β-Phenyl-GABA): A Tranquilizer and Nootropic Drug. Lapin I. CNS Drug Rev 2001;7:471-481. Abstract Since posting about phenibut yesterday, I wondered how much medical literature existed describing its pharmacology and toxicology. This paper — not included in the  the initial accepted manuscript of O’Connell et al but referenced in the Wikipedia entry on phenibut — is the most complete discussion I found. However,  phenibut was first synthesized and used medically in the Soviet Union half a century ago and there undoubtedly is considerable literature published in Russian that I can’t access. Here are some key points from this paper: Phenibut (PB) is a GABA agonist, mostly at the GABAB receptor but to some extent also at GABAA receptors as well. In addition, PB increases release of dopamine. PB has no appreciable anticonvulsant effect. Users quickly develop tolerance to the effects of PB. In volunteers given a single oral dose, the plasma half-life of PB was 5.3 hours. PB is excreted predominantly unchanged in the urine. Wikipedia also referenced a 2008 abstract from the NYC Poison Control Center describing a case of PB withdrawal. a 40-year-old man presented to hospital with agitation, psychosis, hallucinations, and insomnia. He had stopped using PB 3 days previously. His vital signs were unremarkable except for a pulse rate of 110/min. The patient required sedation with lorazepam βand intubation for chemical restraint. When...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Medical dietary supplement GABA agonist phenibut Source Type: news