Episode 16

Phenibut. The emerging drug you don’t know about (yet)

Phenibut is an emerging and unfamiliar drug taking hold in the US that is readily available online and legal to obtain. It acts as a GABA-B agonist and carries risks of dependency and withdrawal. In this episode Ryan interviews phenibut users as well as experts involved in phenibut treatment. They explore the history, current trends, toxicity, and management of phenibut, a novel GABA-B agonist. He is joined by guest Dr. Matthew Stanton PharmD and Dr. Benjamin Weston MD who listen in to an audio documentary by that includes clips from Dr. Janessa Graves PhD and Dr. Erica Liebelt MD who wrote a recent report on increasing phenibut exposures, Dr. Dan McCabe MD who is the author of the largest published phenibut case series, and Elliot, a recovered phenibut user who we would like to sincerely thank for sharing his story of use and recovery.

+Update- a systematic review of phenibut withdrawal treatment strategies authored by the poison lab host himeself, Ryan!+

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About the Podcast

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The Poison Lab
Explore the world of poisoning with Clinical Toxicologist Ryan Feldman and Cohost Toxo, dive into the history, science, and life-saving care of poisoning. Survivor stories, expert insights, and deep dives—every poison has a story to tell!

About your host

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Ryan Feldman

Dr. Ryan Feldman PharmD, DABAT is the chief scientist at The Poison Lab. He works as a Clinical Toxicologist, Emergency Medicine Pharmacist, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy and Emergency medicine.