How Phenibut Went From Russian Space Drug to American Addiction

Houston, we have a (drug) problem.

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Mar 10, 2024

Before the first ever manned spaceflight, Freudian psychologists speculated that Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin would experience profound separation anxiety from planet Earth and that "the temptation to escape through suicide into oblivion may be accompanied by an urge to destroy the space vehicle and the rest of the crew."

Fortunately, Gargarin survived, but the challenges of space are many, and the role of astronaut is fraught with many dangers and unforeseen stressors.

Even when things go well in space, the isolation, intense schedule, and constant pressure to perform can weigh heavy. In fact, during the Skylab 4 mission, American astronauts rebelled against a micromanaging Houston Control Center.

Commander Carr was quoted over the radio:

"We need more time to rest. We need a schedule that is not so packed. We don't want to exercise after a meal. We need to get things under control."

The all-rookie team turned off communications and spent the next 24 hours gazing out the window and performing their own experiments. The mutiny changed the expectations placed on astronauts forever.

Astronauts are selected for missions after extensive mental health screening and preparation. But they aren't perfect, so various medications are kept on board to help.

A survey published in the Journal of Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine showed that 78% of astronauts took some form of drug (mostly for nausea) on missions. Roughly half of which were used to assist sleeping difficulties. NASA sends diazepam for anxiety and sleep, codeine and morphine for pain, and dextroamphetamine as a stimulant — among other things.

If someone really snaps, NASA is even said to have an official mitigation protocol involving duct tape and tranquilizers.

In the early days of space travel, the Russian space program would equip cosmonauts with the NAZ-3 Portable Emergency Kit in the event of an 'off course landing,' included everything from a gun to Russian-made pharmaceuticals — including the anti-anxiety drug, phenibut.

For early Russian cosmonauts, there were plenty of reasons to be anxious.

The Russian space program has had its fair share of accidents. In the '60s, a rocket blew up on a launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, killing over 120 people, and capsules returning from orbit have seen parachutes fail or the cabin lose pressure, killing everyone inside. Even without mechanical failures, the Soyuz 21 mission was ominously aborted for undisclosed 'interpersonal issues.'

The early days of Russian space flight left no room for vulnerable sharing about the dangers and pressures of the job, so we don't know how often cosmonauts popped phenibut to tame their many fears and anxieties.

What Is Phenibut?

Phenibut is a fascinating drug. It was invented by the prolific researcher Vsevolod Perekalin — who synthesized it in his lab in St. Petersburg. It was initially used for anxiety, as a sleep aid, and as a treatment for depression, but its uses have evolved since then.

Phenibut is still used formally in Russia and several other European countries, although Europe is shifting to tighter regulations as the potential for abuse of phenibut becomes clearer.

Today, Russian doctors still prescribe phenibut in 250 mg tablets. Some administer the drug intravenously for more rapid effects.

Penibut is an analog of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. GABA has many functions in the body, but its primary role is to act as the "brake pedal for the brain."

GABA creates a delay in neuron impulses, so when things start to get out of control (panic and anxiety), GABA steps in to slow us down and control our speed. Nerve impulses slow, and we feel more calm and relaxed.

Phenibut is easily absorbed through the blood-brain barrier and kicks in rapidly and efficiently. Its effects have been compared to GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and benzodiazepines, with some qualities of alcohol. Baclofen, a drug often used to treat alcohol withdrawal, can also be used to treat phenibut withdrawals.

Dose matters with phenibut.

Lower doses increase dopamine activity, which creates a feeling of stimulation, increased focus, and mild euphoria. However, when doses get into the upper ranges, say the 1000+ mg found in unregulated supplements in the United States, the effects of phenibut fip — producing a heavy sedation and intoxication.

Brain Gain or Drain? Is Phenibut a Nootropic?

Phenibut is promoted as a nootropic in the United States, and there may be at least some truth to these claims. Many mild GABAergic substances are considered nootropic, such as L-theanine or Bacopa monnieri. Substances that improve sleep could also be considered brain-boosting — considering how important a good night of sleep is in optimal cognitive performance.

Online reports of people using phenibit to improve deep sleep, relaxation, mood, anxiety, sexual performance, and, depending on the dose, stimulant effects have caught the attention of aspiring biohackers.

While it's pretty clear that phenibut can be relaxing, which could have downstream effects on cognitive performance, evidence for phenibut being a true 'smart drug' is pretty scarce.

One paper details that phenibut had notable cognitive enhancing effects on mice, as observed through passive avoidance tests. During these tests, animals learn to avoid unpleasant stimulation. The better the cognitive abilities of the mice, the more effectively they avoid this stimulation. The results of this study could be interpreted as improvements in learning and memory. However, nothing like this has ever been replicated in other studies.

Today, most of the research on phenibut point out nothing more than nominal gains, adverse side effects, and noteble risk.

Phenibut Addiction & Risks

"It was extremely addictive and has an insane tolerance curve where I was taking it every morning before work and almost doubling my dose every few days," — says one Reddit user about phenibut.

This isn't surprising, with so many studies showing that phenibut can create physical dependence and withdrawal in a short period of time.

This Reddittor bought a huge tub of phenibut back when it was available for purchase on Amazon, before it was banned. When they realized they were unable to self-regulate, they flushed all the powder to remove the temptation.

This experience is pretty typical — with users finding themselves taking over a gram of phenibut at a time just to sustain the desired effects. Once tolerance to this drug forms, users develop overwhelming anxiety as soon as the drug wears off.

Despite moves to ban phenibut in many parts of the world, large amounts of the stuff can still easily be ordered in online nootropics markets and in bulk from manufacturers in Russia and China.

Advocates of phenibut use a technique called "cycling," which involves dosing two to three times a week to avoid withdrawal symptoms and manage tolerance. Many claim that when used properly through frequent cycling, the drug has a profoundly positive impact on sleep, stress, and, in some cases, PTSD symptoms.

Everyone's reaction to phenibut is different. We recommend spending some time in r/quittingphenibut if you are curious about this substance so you know the kinds of challenges this drug is causing for some people.

Some stories of withdrawals are extremely difficult to read, and it seems to be a particularly challenging addiction to kick. Some users claim to have been spiraling towards heavy doses, well over eight grams daily.

Overdose on phenibut is possible but not common. The risk of fatal overdose goes up substantially when mixing with other downers like alcohol, GHB, benzodiazepines, or opiates.

Withdrawals can range from nothing to a "slight headache," with heavy users navigating "Hellish panic attacks. You will think you're dying. You won't be able to shit. Or sleep. You will wake up in cold sweats. You won't be able to eat."

Finally, this "Phenibut Horror Story" on YouTube provides some context of what can happen with phenibut and polysubstance abuse. While the story is by no means what happens to anyone who tries phenibut, it’s a good harm-reduction cage rattle if you think you might need it.

Phenibut Use is on the Rise in the United States

Phenibut consumption is on the rise, according to data published by the CDC and poison control centers.

One study found that 85% of reports made to the poison control center occurred in the last five years. No deaths were reported in that dataset, but 50% of reports involved withdrawal, and 23% of people were using the drug compulsively.

The CDC speculated that factors like increased ease of access from online shops are contributing to the rapid rise of phenibut users in the US. The CDC also reported that most phenibut users are young adults (58%), particularly men (75%).

The CDC data has not mentioned any deaths from phenibut within the last ten years.

Regardless, in 2019, the FDA issued a statement ordering several phenibut suppliers to cease operations.

We have to point out that government agencies like the FDA and DEA don’t have a strong track record of removing products from the market. Some might argue this is a good thing — the FDA in particular has history of prematurely banning substances that later prove safe and valuable; others fear it fails to remove potentially dangerous substances from circulation.

A follow-up study tracking phenibut contained in various supplements showed the FDA's warning was ineffective. After the statement was issued, some brands selling this substance even increased concentrations of the drug by 450%.

Clinical use of phenibut exists in Russia and some parts of Europe under the names Fenibut, Anvifen, and Noofen; however, it remains a controlled substance and illegal without a prescription. Nonetheless, a significant amount of suppliers still operate within the EU. Some even send free samples of phenibut included with other products.

Canada and Australia have banned phenibut, while New Zealand considers it a controlled substance, available only by prescription.

As we’ve seen time and time again, banning a drug doesn’t stop people from using it, and prohibition doesn’t always correlate with legitimate risk. Regulators around the world have banned many useful, low-risk drugs because of political pressure — including many psychedelics.

Whether phenibut should be banned or not is up for debate.

When it comes to drugs like phenibut, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a good drug or bad drug — they’re just substances that exist in our world. It’s our relationship to them that can be healthy or unhealthy.

Phenibut is an interesting case study because it features strong aspects of both. It can, and has, served as a valuable nootropic and medicine, but it can also put people through the wringer of addiction, withdrawal, and harm.

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