Houston, we have a chill pill. <\/p>\n
Back in the 1960s, Soviet scientists developed a sweet little supplement that they stocked in the space kits of cosmonauts \u2014 the Russian version of an astronaut \u2014 to keep them cool under pressure.<\/p>\n
Still a popular over-the-counter option in Russia today, the drug promises to curb anxiety, cure insomnia, manage alcohol withdrawal and PTSD and promote clear thinking.<\/p>\n
Back in the 1960s, Soviet scientists developed a sweet little supplement that they stocked in the space kits of cosmonauts \u2014 the Russian version of an astronaut \u2014 to keep them cool under pressure. Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images<\/p>\n
It can even give you a bit of a high \u2014 but experts are warning that phenibut can also be a Red Scare in disguise.<\/p>\n
Utah recently classified it<\/a> as a Schedule I controlled substance, placing it among the \u201cmost dangerous drugs with no accepted medical use.\u201d<\/p>\n Phenibut\u2019s soothing properties come from its ability to mimic GABA \u2014 the neurotransmitter that mellows out brain activity \u2014\u00a0which makes it not dissimilar to benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium<\/a>.<\/p>\n Writer Delynn Willis started taking phenibut, sold under the brand names Anvifen, Fenibut and Noofen, precisely because she wanted to avoid the potentially addictive properties of benzos.<\/p>\n A friend told her the Russian drug was dependence-free.<\/p>\n Phenibut\u2019s soothing properties come from its ability to mimic GABA \u2014 the neurotransmitter that mellows out brain activity \u2014\u00a0which makes it not dissimilar to benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium. terovesalainen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n However, things quickly went south. <\/p>\n \u201cAfter I had been using it for a few weeks, I started to notice I needed higher and higher doses to get the same effect,\u201d she told Discover Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n When she tried to wean herself off the drug, the withdrawal symptoms were out of this world.<\/p>\n \u201cMy anxiety skyrocketed, my temper shortened and I experienced dizzy spells,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe drug has very potent psychoactive properties<\/a>,\u201d University of Michigan psychiatrist Edward Jouney told the outlet at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s evidence it can cause addiction.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Jouney noted that it\u2019s possible that phenibut could be used as an effective treatment for anxiety under strict medical supervision.<\/p>\n While low doses \u2014 under a gram \u2014 might be safe, side effects can include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, depression, hallucinations, tremors and difficulty breathing. LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n While it is technically legal in most of the US and sold online for as little as $50, buying phenibut this way is a dubious prospect.<\/p>\n Telehealth companies<\/a> aren\u2019t held to the same quality assurance standards as doctors, who can\u2019t prescribe it because it\u2019s not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for medical use.<\/p>\n Poison control centers have been flooded with phenibut-related calls since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>, with reports describing agitation, heart irregularities, confusion \u2014 and even coma.<\/p>\n