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From Anxiety to the Depths and Back
Phenibut & Sceletium tortuosum
Citation:   Phendude. "From Anxiety to the Depths and Back: An Experience with Phenibut & Sceletium tortuosum (exp109705)". Erowid.org. Jan 12, 2017. erowid.org/exp/109705

 
DOSE:
T+ 0:00
4 g oral Smarts - Phenibut  
  T+ 0:30 4 g oral Smarts - Phenibut  
  T+ 1:00 1 g oral Smarts - Phenibut  
  T+ 1:45   sublingual Sceletium tortuosum (extract)
  T+ 2:45 1 g oral Smarts - Phenibut  
  T+ 2:45   oral Rhodiola rosea  
  T+ 2:45   oral Theanine  
  T+ 2:45   oral Tryptophan - 5-HTP  
  T+ 2:45   oral Bacopa monnieri  
  T+ 3:00 3 g oral Piracetam  
BODY WEIGHT: 150 lb
Trip Report using Nootropics-
Phenibut- 10gs
Zembrin (Kanna extract)- approx 100mgs
Piracetam- 3gs

Disclaimer* I realize that the amount of phenibut I took seems like a very high dose of phenibut to most people, and it is. It would probably make most people feel sick, throw up, or pass out. However, I have a big tolerance to GABA-ergic drugs from years of being an alcoholic and more recent benzo abuse. I have never been addicted to benzos, but I have gone on many, sporadic benzo binges. I no longer take them, but I recently have been using phenibut on and off for the past year. Now that I have quit kratom, which killed my social anxiety and allowed me to prosper at work, I use phenibut because it helps in that regard
Now that I have quit kratom, which killed my social anxiety and allowed me to prosper at work, I use phenibut because it helps in that regard
(even though the tolerance is getting to be a real problem). I haven't been going through any major withdrawal symptoms as I take a couple of days off of it at a time, but I have noticed an irritable feeling on my days abstaining from it which is probably the start of the withdrawals from high-dose phenibut usage. It isn't anything that I can't handle though, for now. I know if I continue to use it in this manner, the withdrawal symptoms will become very real though, so I plan on finding alternatives; i.e. the kanna I recently purchased. ANYWAY, here is the trip report...

4grams phenibut taken at 9:00 am
+4 more gs phenibut at 9:30am
+1g more phenibut at 10:00 am
Just waiting for the stuff to kick in...

10:45- I try a larger dose of zembrin as trying it yesterday produced no strong, noticeable effects. This dose was eyeballed, but I estimate it was between 50-100mg (probably closer to 100mg)

At about 11:45 am, I feel a strong wave of euphoria, I am in a good mood and laughing, compared to when I woke up feeling not very great. Not sick, but not happy.

Wondering if this feeling is mainly a result of sublingually ingesting the zembrin, because it usually takes phenibut a few hours to kick in. I'm sure it is a synergy between the two compounds, as I did take it all on an empty stomach, but phenibut on its own would probably not make me feel like this so 'quickly.' I have never taken this high of a dose of phenibut before though...
I then take another gram of phenibut mixed with rhodiola rosea, l-theanine, 5-htp, bacopa monieri, and N-acetyl l-cysteine (2,750mg altogether)

12:00pm- I decide to take 3gs of piracetam, first time I've taken more than two grams. Will see how this pans out within the next of couple hours...

2:00
PM-Everything has seemed to hit me full force. The experience was very intensely sedating, anxiolytic, and euphoric. I left for work at 4 in a good mood. No anxiety despite my usual severe social anxiety disorder causing problems for me. The piracetam seemed to give me a stimulating effect and the zembrin had me feeling happier than normal (despite the phenibut that I was used to taking).

UPDATE 2 WEEKS LATER:

The crash had to eventually come.
A couple of weeks later, after repeating this cycle 4 days out of 7 for two weeks, I decided to get off of it all.
after repeating this cycle 4 days out of 7 for two weeks, I decided to get off of it all.

I went through one HELL of a withdrawal.
It was bad.

The first 2 days were not that bad really. Some restless leg the 2nd night, but I think the phenibut was so built up in my system that it took a while for me to start detoxing. On the third day I was in a lot of pain, a breed of which I had never experienced. It was as if I was so highly strung and my nerves were in pain all over my body. I couldn't stop cringing and I had to just keep telling myself that it would eventually be over, even though I didn't know how long it would last. Unfortunately it lasted like 7 or 8 days before I started to feel mostly normal again.

My anxiety was through the roof on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th days. I distinctly remember the 3rd and 4th night almost losing it and not knowing what to do. I was contemplating going to the ER but instead I smoked some marijuana I saved for the withdrawals. I was terrified but this saved me. It helped me sleep. I still felt like total shit even when I was high. All it did was give me the rest I needed to go through the next day of hell without being sleep deprived. I'm sure it would have been so much worse without it.

Fast forward... It is now 17 days since I quit phenibut. I am so glad that I did because I realized how insanely bad the doses were that I was taking. If I kept it up I think I could have done some seriously permanent brain damage. However, I feel that I am in remission and that even though I have slightly more anxiety than I did before my usage, I feel that it is controllable and going gradually back to baseline.

I abused phenibut due to severe anxiety disorders and the need to be social at work. I realize this was stupid as one's mental health is more important than a shitty part time job that doesn't even provide fulfillment.

Exp Year: 2016ExpID: 109705
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: 25
Published: Jan 12, 2017Views: 7,638
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Smarts - Phenibut (379), Sceletium tortuosum (179) : Various (28), Hangover / Days After (46), Addiction & Habituation (10), Combinations (3)

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