Misc Amitriptyline + Phenibut combination - safe?

[F'Loki]

Hey,

Just wondering if a 50mg-75mg Amitriptyline + 2g Phenibut combination would be safe to take together for very stubborn, chronic, debilitating insomnia?

So far (it's day 1!) 50mg Amitriptyline worked and I slept a glorious 8 hours last for the first time in months. I am just asking in case it stops working so well or if I have a super-stressful situation I need to deal with.

I have used Phenibut in a x2 a week maximum regime before getting Amitriptyline.

I know Phenibut works on Gaba-B (GABA-A disputed) but also have seen it mentioned it has effects on other receptors so I thought i'd ask here to make sure there would be no serotonin syndrome or other potentially fatal interactions?

Also, a side note: Would adding St. John's Wort to the mix be risky?

Many thanks in advance

F'loki

 

[Slow_Mobius]

To my knowledge, combining phenibut with amitryptaline is not dangerous, but amitryptaline and St. John's Wort is potentially dangerous as they're both serotonergic.

Have you tried any other drugs for your insomnia? I think trazadone is a better non-addictive option for insomnia than amitryptaline, but ymmv

 

[Spideronthewall]

To my knowledge, combining phenibut with amitryptaline is not dangerous, but amitryptaline and St. John's Wort is potentially dangerous as they're both serotonergic.

Have you tried any other drugs for your insomnia? I think trazadone is a better non-addictive option for insomnia than amitryptaline, but ymmv

Ill look for the link but I just read earlier today that it is a highly dangerous combo due to strong chance of respiratory depression during sleep, Ill look back through my history to find exactly where I saw that. Just use extreme caution please.
And agreed. +1 for trazadone, It is a very mellow sleeping pill which doubles as a mild anti-depressant.

 

[Spideronthewall]

Never-mind, I found the link. Turns out it was Epilepsy drugs that can be a lethal combination, but either way, I still picture there being a risk of respiratory depression with too high of a dose with both drugs. Other then that I think you're golden.

 

[Slow_Mobius]

Never-mind, I found the link. Turns out it was Epilepsy drugs that can be a lethal combination, but either way, I still picture there being a risk of respiratory depression with too high of a dose with both drugs. Other then that I think you're golden.

Low blood pressure is a possibility with amitryptaline and phenibut, and decreased respiratory depression might also be a possibility. I think the doses mentioned will be okay as 50 mg is a pretty low dose. 2g of phenibut is pushing it though.

 

[Spideronthewall]

Low blood pressure is a possibility with amitriptilyne and phenibut, and decreased respiratory depression might also be a possibility. I think the doses mentioned will be okay as 50 mg is a pretty low dose. 2g of phenibut is pushing it though.

I suppose you're right. I, personally am very sensitive to amitriptilyne, I have a bottle of 50mg tabs and I don't take them unless I miss picking up my methadone for some reason and need to sleep during the onset of withdrawal. Stuff knocks me out cold. I gue3ss I may be one in a million.
Irregardless; I suggest monitoring your body after ingestion.

 

[F'Loki]

Hey,Thanks for your replies.I went ahead with it and felt absolutely no symptoms that would be suggestive of serotonin syndrome, in fact it seemed to synergise quite nicely.In the end I looked at the drug interactions site online, and looked at Baclofen, which is the closest drug I could find to Phenibut. It said there was a moderate risk, down to as you both said, increased respiratory depression.I also looked at GHB and it said the same thing. Safe, but you need to be sensible and start with low doses to see how you react.I have to say I did not notice slower breathing, but I did notice some clammy sweating, mild nausea and G.I disturbances. But to be honest, I get these symptoms with just phenibut alone. I take prilosec anyway for acid reflux, so will just take an extra one when taking phenibut and it helps with the G.I disturbance (also eating a meal helps). For mild nausea I usually combat with diphenyhydramine. I do tend to find I sweat more than usual towards the end of Phenibut's primary effects, so that wasn't unusual either. So now I have taken Phenibut with Amitrip 6 or 7 times. I have taken them together both in rather high doses: 3.5 grams of Phenibut (I never take more as this I find is my ceiling), and 150mg of Amitrip (which is the max dose I am allowed to take). I have no idea if I am just lucky - but at those doses I think if they were going to problematic to combine I would've been very ill on at least one occasion? Important to mention that I am tapering off diazepam so all the times I tried this combo I was taking diazepam doses of 10-6mg. I have no idea if this would make any difference or not. So take my experiences as anecdotal experiences only. I don't want people assuming it's safe because I didn't suffer any symptoms which would indicate serotonin syndrome, as YMMV. Overall I would say I - perhaps strangely - felt the Phenibut was actually less sedating in combination with Amitrip and had the tendency to want to stay up on it. I actually experienced some mild-moderate amphetamine-like pleasant tingling at points, but at no point did I feel physically stimulated and could've slept on it if I wanted to. F'loki

 

[F'Loki]

sorry for some reason I can't put paragraphs into the text above!

 

[F'Loki]

And RE; Have I tried Trazadone. No, but my GP sound she would try that next if the Amitrip didnt work. But Amitrip has been pretty life changing, especially during these late stages of my diazepam taper, so I haven't needed to. Doctor said it isn't habit forming (I agree because side effects are quite harsh) but still need to taper it - but apparently this is nowhere near as difficult as benzo WDs. Amitrip gets a bad rap but I tried the SSRI's and they just made me suicidal. It was very scary.My depression and anxiety is related to insomnia, so the TCAs are perfect for me. The dry mouth is intense, and dry nose is unpleasant. But the weight gain has subsided somewhat, and I am finding I have Hypersomnia! But these side effects are worth it for me. I can actually live a normal life.