cas: 1078-21-3 Phenibut 4-Amino-3-phenylbutanoic acid

cas: 1078-21-3 Phenibut 4-Amino-3-phenylbutanoic acid

CBNumber: CB2316925

Chemical Name: Phenibut

Molecular Formula: C10H13NO2

Formula Weight: 179.22

CAS No.: 1078-21-3

Phenibut is a chemical similar to a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It's used recreationally and as a drug in Russia. It may be unsafe.

Phenibut might decrease anxiety and have other effects on the body, but most research on phenibut has been published in Russia.

People use phenibut for anxiety, alcohol use disorder, insomnia, depression, stress, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Phenibut is approved for use in Russia and some Eastern European countries. Due to safety concerns, it's not approved in the US for use in dietary supplements. Don't confuse phenibut with GABA. These are not the same.

What is Phenibut?

Developed in Russia in the 1960s, phenibut (β-phenyl-aminobutyric acid) is a psychoactive substance still widely used there to relieve tension, anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, stammering, and insomnia, and to potentiate neuroleptics and antiparkinsonian drugs.4 It is a controlled substance in Australia and banned in Hungary, Lithuania, and Italy.4 In the United States (and most of Europe), it is legal to possess and sell phenibut—also referred to as Fenibut, Pbut, Noofen, and Brain Booster, among others—but it’s not approved as a licensed drug by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is, therefore, not used in clinical settings.

Phenibut is typically consumed orally, generally as either a powder that’s mixed with water, as tablets, or as a liquid solution. A small number of people reported snorting the powder form, but these instances led to painful nostril swelling.

Phenibut Effects and Side Effects

Information on the effects of phenibut is somewhat limited to anecdotal evidence, gathered from user experience reported online, physicians who have encountered patients reporting phenibut toxicity (i.e., overdose), or withdrawal. Additionally, there are several published case reports. Individuals who use phenibut report using it to relieve symptoms of social anxiety or for use recreationally, claiming they use it to get “high,” or to produce the feelings of euphoria.4 Indeed, research suggests phenibut may increase the concentration of dopamine in low doses, which gives it a stimulant-like effect in addition to relieving anxiety.7

A wide range of side effects have also been reported, and they generally include symptoms associated with relaxation, drowsiness, and sedation. These include:5,8

Confusion.

High blood pressure.

Increased heart rate.

Muscle spasms.

Dilated pupils.

Irritability.

Delirium.

Seizures.

Slowed breathing.

More serious side effects, such as coma, respiratory depression, and death (in very rare instances) are often associated with using phenibut in combination with other central nervous system (CNS) depressants, such as alcohol