Ashwagandha vs Phenibut for anxiety
Short answer: For anxiety, users rate them about the same: 86% report improvement with Ashwagandha (606 reports) and 87% with Phenibut (297 reports).
Ashwagandha has 48 meta-analyses and 59 randomized trials on PubMed; Phenibut has 3 and 1.
Based on 1,807 reports about Ashwagandha and 740 about Phenibut. Not medical advice.
| Ashwagandha Supplement | Phenibut Substance | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 50 | 50 |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 43% | 44% |
| Reports | 1,807 | 740 |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | BResearch: Moderate |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 48 / 59 | 3 / 1 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Appetite % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 62% (56) | 69% (36) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 51% (99) | 79% (28) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 75% (184) | 84% (64) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 86% (606) | 87% (297) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 47% (349) | 89% (131) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | 67% (6) | 50% (4) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 88% (24) | 100% (5) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 83% (6) | 50% (2) |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | 40% (5) | — |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 59% (107) | 81% (16) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 72% (67) | — |
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | — |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 50% (6) | — |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | 50% (4) | — |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | — |
| Common side effects | anhedonia, drowsiness, anxiety, irritability | withdrawal, addiction, tolerance, dependence |
| Typical dose reported | daily (past) | every 3 days |
The current systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of RCTs revealed a beneficial effect in both stress and anxiety following Ashwagandha supplementation. However, further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the plant.
Phytother Res, 2022 ↗“I paired it with maca and ashwaganda and it legit felt like a steroid cycle.”
Phenibut withdrawal appears to have a range of severity. It is important to recognize that patients undergoing phenibut abstinence may have progressive symptom worsening during early withdrawal. All published cases of abrupt phenibut abstinence were admitted inpatients for symptom management. Benzodiazepines or barbiturates with adjunctive baclofen appear to be the most commonly used drugs for moderate to severe withdrawal. Outpatient management via slow phenibut tapers with or without adjunctive gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist therapy may be successful. However, there is no standard treatment
Clin Toxicol (Phila), 2023 ↗“Phenibut every 3 days. Hands down most effective I've tried. Plus you wake up feeling amazing.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate