This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Povilys on 2025-05-07 23:57:24+00:00.
I’ve decided to share because I honestly think this story could save someone’s life.
I had heard about phenibut online as a “relaxing supplement,” good for anxiety, social confidence, and even enhancing your mood. With zero prior experience and no real understanding of how powerful and slow-acting it is, I made a life-threatening mistake.
I started cautiously enough, taking about 750mg (¼ teaspoon). Two hours later, feeling nothing, I naively thought, “Hey, maybe it’s weak.” So I took another full teaspoon. Another hour passed—still no effects. So I took another teaspoon. By the end of the evening, I’d taken roughly 15 grams.
To give some context: 6 grams of phenibut is considered potentially lethal. Taking 15 grams was unimaginably reckless.
⸻
The Nightmare Begins:
I don’t even remember falling asleep. The next morning, I woke up confused, disoriented, with stuff scattered around my room. I realized with horror I had been in a complete dissociative blackout—moving around and interacting with things, yet completely unconscious mentally.
Then came the true horror:
• Extreme panic attacks lasting continuously for days, feeling like permanent brain damage had occurred.
• Severe depression that was crushing and felt completely hopeless.
• Parosmia: Every smell became a repulsive chemical stench, making eating impossible.
• Constant skin tingling, feeling like electric currents running through me.
• Visual distortions, subtle but disturbing, like shadows and patterns shifting slightly around me.
I barely slept more than four hours each night, and falling asleep was incredibly difficult. Yet, when I did sleep, I had hyperrealistic, vivid dreams—movie-like scenarios with full plots, dialogues, and incredibly detailed visuals. It felt as if I was living through elaborate, unsettling films every night.
⸻
The Hospital Visit and Doctor’s Reaction:
On day three, terrified that I’d permanently destroyed my mind, I went to the hospital for help. When I told the doctor I had taken 15 grams of phenibut, he straight-up didn’t believe me:
“That’s impossible,” he said. “You would be in a coma or dead.”
No treatment, no tests—just disbelief. I left feeling more alone and scared than ever.
Later that day, I started feeling intensely cold internally, an odd chill that I couldn’t shake. After some research, I found out this could actually be a sign my GABA receptors were finally healing—a weird moment of relief amidst absolute horror.
⸻
Miraculous Recovery:
Amazingly, by day four, I began returning to normal. My symptoms vanished. Physically and mentally, I was somehow okay. To this day, I don’t understand how I survived without permanent damage or death.
⸻
Why I’m Sharing This:
I was incredibly lucky. Most people don’t recover from such extreme doses without serious consequences. Phenibut is dangerously potent and easily misunderstood due to its slow onset and high overdose potential.
If you’re ever tempted to try phenibut or something similar:
• Start extremely low (250mg or less).
• Wait several hours before redosing (it can take 3–5 hours to fully hit).
• Always use precise measurements—never eyeball doses.
I truly hope this story might prevent even one person from experiencing the horror I endured.
Please, stay safe.
⸻
TL;DR: Took an insane 15-gram phenibut overdose by accident. Experienced blackouts, psychosis-like panic, sensory hell, and disbelief from doctors who said I should’ve died. Miraculously survived with no lasting harm, but learned a brutal lesson about drug safety.