Phenibut, benzos and other anxiety meds?

Hello!

I will be moving to Taiwan at the end of June. I have been using an OTC supplement called Phenibut for social anxiety here in the US. I have not been diagnosed with panic disorder or GAD by an MD, but the symptoms are undeniable: Fast heartbeat, Upset stomach, Trouble catching my breath, Dizziness. Phenibut works wonders and is unscheduled in the US. I do not drink, and it eases my anxiety when in large social settings.

Phenibut: (fenibut, phenybut; brand names Noofen and Citrocard), contracted from β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid (β-phenyl-GABA), is a central depressant and analog of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), or a GABA analogue.

I know it is a prescription in some countries, such as Russia. I have also been reading about how readily available benzodiazepines are in Taiwan. Is this true? I would just like to know my options before I go over there. I want to be able to socialize and network, but drinking does not at all sit well with me. I do not think alcohol is a smart solution to medicate anxiety anyway.

Any info would be helpful!

Thank you.

[quote=“TaiwanDoesNotSimply”]Hello!

I will be moving to Taiwan at the end of June. I have been using an OTC supplement called Phenibut for social anxiety here in the US. I have not been diagnosed with panic disorder or GAD by an MD, but the symptoms are undeniable: Fast heartbeat, Upset stomach, Trouble catching my breath, Dizziness. Phenibut works wonders and is unscheduled in the US. I do not drink, and it eases my anxiety when in large social settings.

Phenibut: (fenibut, phenybut; brand names Noofen and Citrocard), contracted from β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid (β-phenyl-GABA), is a central depressant and analog of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), or a GABA analogue.

I know it is a prescription in some countries, such as Russia. I have also been reading about how readily available benzodiazepines are in Taiwan. Is this true? I would just like to know my options before I go over there. I want to be able to socialize and network, but drinking does not at all sit well with me. I do not think alcohol is a smart solution to medicate anxiety anyway.

Any info would be helpful!

Thank you.[/quote]

The benefit of national health care is it’s very fast and affordable (like a xray that’s 300$ in the states WITH insurance is like 5$ USD here lol). But unfortunately, sometimes, fast is not always the best. So I think doctors just end up giving out benzos for a quick fix instead of any mental healthcare. So yes, it’s fairly easy to get benzo’s here. But IDK about phenibut. But if you explain to a doctor you use a GABA reuptake inhibitor for social anxiety, they will likely give you something similar in benzos.

If Phenibut is OTC then just bring a shitload with you and when it runs out have more sent over.

Well yeah. I just didn’t know of it was explicitly illegal. I don’t want to get hassled by customs or whatever.

It looks like iHerb will ship it to Taiwan so ass-u-me it is legal here. Give them a call to confirm.

Some pharmacies carry GABA over the counter on the shelves. Not cheap, though.