Phenibut is becoming an increasingly popular nootropic, known for its ability to reduce anxiety. People also use it to help them improve their quality of sleep, memory and cognitive performance.

You will find Phenibut in many nootropic stacks for memory, as well as stacks designed to enhance your mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

Quick Facts

One of the most common brand names Phenibut is sold under is Noofen. However, it can also be found under the names fenibut, phenybut or Citrocard.

Phenibut is a derivative of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) which was developed in the 1960’s by the Soviet Union to treat post traumatic stress disorder, as well as many other issues including depression, insomnia and stuttering to name a few.

Nootropics similar to Phenibut include Picamilon, Baclofen, Lyrica, Gabanpentin and GABA.

Phenibut Dosage

Standard Dosage

How much Phenibut should you take? The standard dosage of Phenibut is between 250-1000 mg.

This dose will vary greatly depending on several factors such as your age and general health because it is an incredibly potent nootropic.

For those taking larger doses, your odds of building a tolerance increase greatly, not to mention your experience will be quite different.

Some users take more than the recommended dosage of 250-1000 mg so they can experience a euphoric high. We would definitely caution you against doing this because you may experience several negative side effects (scroll down for side effects).

How Long Does Phenibut Last?

The Phenibut half-life is much longer than many other nootropics, meaning you will feel the effects for a longer period of time. For this reason, we suggest only taking one dose per day and starting at the lowest prescribed dosage until you know how your body will react to it.

Many users find that it takes quite a while for the effects to take hold. It is common to feel nothing for 4-6 hours after taking Phenibut, then experiencing a nice calming effect.

Cycling Phenibut

Again, this is a very powerful nootropic so you will want to take this into consideration. When using Phenibut for memory enhancement, it is best to cycle. Cycling requires a certain amount of trial and error, but here’s what we’ve found that taking Phenibut twice weekly for 1 week on, 2 weeks off, works quite well.

It is possible to build up a tolerance to this nootropic so always consider taking long periods of time off the nootropic completely.

The Risk of Mixing Phenibut and Alcohol

Unlike many of the nootropics we discuss here, Phenibut is not a stimulant. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Mixing Phenibut and alcohol can cause seriously bad side effects or lead to overdoses.

Basically Phenibut and Alcohol both affect GABA receptors in your brain, so mixing them together leads to amplified feelings of fatigue, grogginess and calmness.

The Science behind Phenibut

What is Phenibut?

Phenibut is a very potent nootropic that is a derivative of GABA. GABA is an inhibitory transmitter in the brain that enhances your mood and improves your stress levels when released. Unlike GABA, Phenibut is able to cross through the blood brain barrier to stimulate this neurotransmitter because of the phenyl ring on its chemical compound.

How does Phenibut work?

Phenibut starts working when it passes through the blood brain barrier. Once in the brain it attaches itself to two different types of GABA receptors; GABA-A (secondary) and GABA-B (primary).

Phenibut also stimulates dopamine (a feel-good hormone) and beta-phenethylamine (PEA)[1]. The result is enhanced feelings of calm and relaxation, and in some, the ability to recall memories and perform cognitive tasks with greater ease.

How is Phenibut Metabolized and Eliminated?

There isn’t a ton of research on what happens to Phenibut outside of the brain, but it does appear that some form of this nootropic metabolizes into dopamine. This would explain why there is an increase in dopamine and its feel good effects when using Phenibut.

As far as elimination goes, research[2] shows that the body eliminates this nootropic mostly through urine, however traces of it can be found in the liver and kidneys too.

Who Uses Phenibut?

Because there are so many benefits to using Phenibut responsibly, the sort of people seeking it out varies greatly.

Bodybuilders use phenibut to help them increase growth hormone secretion by anywhere between 175-375% [3]. It also acts as an anti-hypoxic, meaning it works to maintain levels of oxygen in the muscles so they don’t become hypertrophic.

Astronauts use Phenibut because it reduces their levels of stress, anxiety and/or depression without impeding their performance on the job.

And of course, students are a key demographic for Phenibut use. Whether they’re looking to take a little edge off or looking to improve their memory and cognitive performance when they’re doing big projects or exams, this smart drug has become increasingly popular.

Is Phenibut Safe to Use?

This is a fairly loaded question, because it really depends on how you use Phenibut.

To put things in perspective, a 25 year old man took 1.5 grams of Phenibut twice daily for 4 days and ultimately put himself into a unconscious and unresponsive state. It took 7 hours of medical treatment to help bring him back to a normal level of consciousness [4].

While this is an extreme case, even moderate use can lead to tolerance. For many, tolerance leads to increasing your dosage to feel its effects and for some this means becoming addicted. This is why we recommend cycling Phenibut and taking longer periods of time off.

Many users who took Phenibut regularly then quit have said to experience nasty withdrawal symptoms. Some of these withdrawal include anxiety, agitation, loss of appetite, experiencing brain fog and fatigue, dizziness, both visual and auditory hallucinations, not feeling like yourself, heart palpitations, nausea or vomiting, insomnia and tremors [5].

The combination of physical and psychology symptoms can make for a really unpleasant time, so please be mindful of this.

As far as other safety concerns go, some other Phenibut side effects include:

• Sedation and its associated grogginess/low motivation
• Constipation
• Decreased sexual drive and in extreme cases, impotency or erectile dysfunction

Common Stacks Used with Phenibut

Phenibut Stack for Motivation

Feeling a little lethargic and unmotivated? This Phenibut stack can help you regain focus and motivation:

• 100 mg Phenylpiracetam — potent stimulate to help you energize and stay focused
• 200 mg Sulbutiamine — subtle energy enhancer
• 250 mg Phenibut — enhances mood for positive motivation

This stack is best taken with food and shouldn’t be taken close to bed time. Take it at least 10 hours prior to desired sleep time.

Phenibut Stack for Increased Cognitive Performance

If your goal is to improve your mental clarity, focus and cognitive functionality, try the following Phenibut stack:

• 750 mg Phenibut — for mood and cognitive enhancement
• 100 mg Modafinil — to increase motivation and focus
• 5 g Creatine — to improve cognitive performance

Do not take this stack more than once a week to avoid building up a tolerance or experiencing negative side effects.

Phenibut Stack for Athletic Recovery

For all the athletes out there, try the following Phenibut stack to experience improved muscle recovery and reduce muscle soreness:

• 250 mg Phenibut — improves ability to sleep which is essential to recovery, and acts as anti-hypoxic
• 200 mg L-Theanine — an amino acid critical to fuelling protein production needed for muscle growth
• 9 g Creatine — for increasing energy needed to get your muscles working hard
• 3 mg Omega 3 — essential dietary supplement for healthy muscles and recovery

This stack is great for recovery, but shouldn’t be used more than once a week.

The Ultimate Phenibut Stack for Memory

To help throw your memory into overdrive and increase your focus and energy while simultaneously reducing anxiety, then this nootropic stack is for you:

• 250 mg Phenibut — for feelings of reduce anxiety and stress
• 30 mg Noopept — improves memory formation and recall

While this stack is great for improving your memory, like any stack containing Phenibut, it is best to take in moderation so that you don’t gain a tolerance to it. If you have a big exam coming up or need a last minute cram session, take this stack.

Phenibut can be a great nootropic for improving memory, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety, or helping you achieve more quality sleeps, but that doesn’t mean it is for everyone. Because it is so easy to build a tolerance, you will want to be especially careful to cycle off this nootropic and not consistently up the dosage.

That being said, when stacked with other nootropics at slightly lower doses than even those listed above, Phenibut can be a powerful additive to help you with everything from muscle recovery to cognitive performance. Like any other  nootropic, a little trial and error goes a long way.

Where to Buy Phenibut

If you’re looking to kick your anxiety to the curb, get a better night’s sleep or improve your cognitive performance and memory, Phenibut may be right for you.

But where can you buy Phenibut safely?

In my honest opinion (and I’ve tried a lot of suppliers), the best place to buy Phenibut is from AbsorbYourHealth.com.

FYI: There was speculation that Powder City’s Phenibut was fake. Read the comments on that here.

I’ve personally been buying nootropics from AbsorbYourHealth.com including Phenibut for a long time now making the switch from Peak Nootropics and have definitely seen a greater impact on memory enhancement and overall concentration.

Note — Phenibut is legal in North America so you don’t have to worry about breaking any drug laws.