Misc Phenibut PAWS still detectable months after quiting?

[RagingPlatypus]

Hey everyone,

I started using phenibut hcl once a week for about year. I figured that I was safe spacing my doses out this much so I could avoid addiction and tolerance. My doses ranged from 6-9 grams over the course of one day every week.
I had been experiencing pretty regular anxiety symptoms also all that time also. It's like it was subtle to begin with, but intensified with time. I still didnt attribute this to phenibut use though. Soon, I started having strange symptoms like my hands feeling weird. Touching them together felt strange and uncomfortable.

Most of the time, I would have harsh bouts of anxious thinking, much like pure o ocd that caused me great mental distress. I experienced very little relief from these symptoms. Thoughts would pop into my head and make my gut flip, like existential thoughts, i.e. "what if life is an illusion, what if i'm dreaming, is there a god, things look wrong, it's hard to look at the world around me." I was in constant distress about this, but over all, it was just difficult to exist with this mental condition. I was sure my brain was damaged.
I decided to quit using phenibut, and everything else i used on occasion (kratom and benzos were used very sparingly, at the most once a week.

I've been phenibut free for six months now and I still have these disturbing feelings every once in a while, but they have been getting more and more subtle each day. The sensitivity in my hands has stopped. I'll be walking in the super market and feel very weird, like deep down I know something is wrong. It's like I'm triggered into remembering how awful I could potentially feel, and I internally panic slightly and my mood starts to go down hill. I'm often constantly analyzing my environment, seeing if it distresses me or not.

So, I guess I want to know, was this the phenibut withdraw? Can the withdraws really impact me six months later, or am I just experiencing some weird disorder? I seem to be getting better everyday, what can I do to ensure I recover.

Thanks for reading, any input is appreciated.

 

[DEADPOOLx23]

There is no way that is related to the drug, it sounds like you shoukd talk to a counselor or see if you have any out of balance brain chemicals naturally...6 months later with such spaced use is more likely an issue with you not the use of one substance.

LOVE,
DEADPOOL :x

 

[RagingPlatypus]

Hey DEADPOOL,
thanks for the reply.
I mentioned that when i was using phenibut, the problem was at it's worst, then, after i quit, very slowly over time the symptoms began to grow less frequent and intense. I feel better than I have in a long while, but I still have some symptoms lingering.

I have spoke with a couple of mental health professionals, and they seem to be writing off my experience as anxiety related, although I'm not not convinced that is the root problem. I guess i'll just have to keep an eye on it and see where this goes.

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

Sometimes when you develop thought patterns while on a drug or while withdrawing these thought patterns can stick around a while before they decay. I don't think it's still mild withdrawal, I think it is a form of anxiety that should be addressed with mindfulness meditation. I can't recommend meditation enough.

 

[DEADPOOLx23]

The drug could have made your problem WORSE but it wouldnt be the CAUSE of it and since you just noticed it during your use, your now connecting the two things but i dont think the drug is the cause other than maybe making it more noticable at the time. Now i think it is an issue for a doctor or psychiatrist to figure out.

LOVE,
DEADPOOL ;x

 

[RagingPlatypus]

Sometimes when you develop thought patterns while on a drug or while withdrawing these thought patterns can stick around a while before they decay. I don't think it's still mild withdrawal, I think it is a form of anxiety that should be addressed with mindfulness meditation. I can't recommend meditation enough.

That makes sense. I spend a lot of time thinking about this issue. Any advice on the best way to do this? (how often to meditate, how long, techniques, ect?) thanks

 

[RagingPlatypus]

You're probably right, I can see how I could have just exacerbated an existing problem, because I've had pretty persistent anxiety problem all my life. It only become unlivable in the last few months. I saw a shrink and I wasn't impressed with what he told me. Not for the money I had to shell out. What do you think about a run of ssris or something to allow sometime to pass without stressing or thinking? That option is available if I so choose, but i'm reluctant because of side effects and it making things potentially worse idk.

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

Sure, so essentially the goal of meditation is to shut off your thoughts and the voice in your head. The most often practiced way of doing this is by meditating on the breath - find a position that is comfortable, close your eyes, and stare into the inside of your eyelids. Feel the way your breath feels, and every time a thought pops into your head, return your attention to the way that your breath feels. You will find your mind wanders a lot, and you have to keep returning you attention to your breath, but just know that it takes practice and that it's important not to get frustrated if your mind keeps wandering and the thoughts don't quiet down. But essentially the goal is to achieve thoughtlessness.

I highly recommend an app called headspace. They give you ten free days at first to try it out.

 

[Oxy Blues]

Lol dude nothing's wrong with you this is typical gaba upregulation, you abused the hell out of ur gaba b receptors and ur voltage gated calcium ion channels which contrary to popular belief is phenibut's main MOA, doses of 6-9g's are huge even if taken once a week, and the benzos you've been using aren't helping much in terms of ur brain healing; granted they're gaba a receptor allosteric modulators and have a different mechanism but using a benzo while ur gaba b receptors are upregulating (ur brain is going through a glutamate hurricane) isn't the best of ideas as it'll increase chance of excitoxicity when the benzo is leaving ur system ecpecially if Its a fast acting one and could potentially result in more brain damage.

 

[Ziiirp]

Seeing those reckless doses, I suppose, that you bought the wrong type of Phenibut. I remember reading, there are different isomers and one of them is barely active.

If I'd take more than 2g of Phenibut, I'd be puking my guts out and/or blackout.

Or you did not tell the whole truth. I wonder, how one can survive fucking 9g without tolerance. You must have had a massive GABA A/B-agonist tolerance. Anyway good luck. I'd go to see a med. doctor.

 

[JBrandon]

I agree with Oxy Blues. This sounds like typical discontinuation from heavy gabaergic use to me.

I've never ever felt anxiety in my life like I did when I was fucking around with phenibut.

I think you are going through PAWS. I also think that you established this unhealthy anxious thinking and now that thought pattern has persisted. Heavy amphetamine abuse did this to me and I had to make a conscious effort and use a lot of CBT to "untrain " certain mental habits.

Best of luck.