phenibut for anxiety?

[digta]

Hi. i came across a forum for anxiety where people talked of phenibut, have you used it? did it help?

[Hope1968]

I have just tried Phenibut once and it did seem to be excellent in calming and helping me sleep. I would say it needs to be used with caution and maybe not constantly. I have read stories of people getting addicted to it. It also takes quite a while to kick in after you've ingested it so a small dose to start with is recommended then waiting a few hours to see how you feel.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Since thats an unlicensed medicine it will not be provided anyway so I'm guessing you are considering purchasing it in supplement form and importing?

I would suggest caution because that means the Medicines Act will cover it (if legally considered a med) so importing is illegal. This will allow Customs, under their separate Act, to intercept the parcel and seize it. You should be aware that this means they can then take action against you and if it is customs, it is classed as "trafficking".

It is however legal to have any medication in possession as long as its not listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act, in which case unless its on Schedule 4 Part II of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations, it will be illegal to even possess.

Now there is some evidence that the MHRA are not interested in "personal use" unless they are counterfit, but the online evidence for this aged and without a statement from the MHRA, it cannot be guaranteed. However, Customs can still choose to conviscate and pursue a trafficking charge if they wish. The MHRA did seize a large consignment of medications in October 2014 and Phenibut was in that.

[Pipkin]

Just to add to this, Phenibut is available as a supplement from UK sites so the import issue is not necessarily relevant.

The crucial point is to consider any available evidence about its efficacy and side effect profile. I don't know anything about it except through a quick internet search but it appears that it has a positive track record for reducing anxiety but that it can cause discontinuation symptoms. As always, it's best to seek professional advice if you're not sure as we can't advise on individual circumstances.

Take care

Pip

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Pipkin,

A couple of the UK ones are actually registered in the US and these are a bit of a red flag because DHEA & GABA are legally nutritional supplemments in the US so they can export them easily but Customs overhere can then seize them as they are controlled substances. So, they have to be ruled out on a tricky issue like this. I can see that Bulk Powders used to sell it and there is a company in Derbyshire still selling it so maybe it is legal as a nutritional supplement.

If that is the case, the MHRA seizure must have been because of the other products with the shipment, they were counterfeit or they suspected they would be adultered into something else that they were concerned about.

If I couldn't see a genuine UK supplement company, I would view it like DHEA & GABA and think its potentially a controlled one. Its a bit of a minefield with some of these supplements and the funny thing is, these lesser ones have a habit of missing the Customs net anyway.

With the Medicines Act also including a section to: make any product a prescription only product under certain circumstances e.g. could pose a substantial risk of medicinal abuse, could lead to addiction and could be used for illegal purposes, and there is a further clause allowing them to apply any product to that category when there is insufficient evidence to say for sure. It becomes a further confused issue but I guess thats a bit of a sneaky clause to allow them to prosecute even if you purchased in good faith and its over to the courts to decide.

[Pipkin]

Terry,

There is a really good UK site but I won't name it here. I only know because I order my vitamin supplements from there and I spotted Phenibut when I was shopping one day.

This certainly isn't a recommendation as I would be very wary of any supplement that's a licensed drug elsewhere. It must be licensed and POM for a reason. Before I took anything less innocuous than my cod liver oil and vitamin B12, I'd ask my GP.

Pip