Anxiety affects men and women of all ages equally. Symptoms of anxiety include disproportionate and debilitating worry, preoccupation with the future, restless, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, tension and irritability. Gastrointestinal disorders and depression frequently occur with anxiety, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Some research supports the use of phenibut or rhodiola for the treatment of anxiety, but these claims have not been deemed conclusive by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Neurobiology of Anxiety
Current research suggests that anxiety disorders may be caused by disturbances in neurochemical pathways in the parts of the brain responsible for the primitive "fight or flight" response.. According to the Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, pathways controlled by the brain chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine and GABA can produce anxiety. Most common anti-anxiety medications work on the same pathways. Benzodiazepines such as Valium, used for decades in the treatment of acute anxiety, work on GABA. Newer anti-anxiety drugs like clonidine and Prozac treat anxiety by decreasing norepinephrine levels and increasing serotonin levels, respectively. Like Valium, Phenibut appears to affect GABA in the brain, although much less intesnsely. Rhodiola may affect serotonin and adrenal hormone levels in ways similar to that of clonidine and Prozac.
Phenibut
Phenibut, sold in Russia for more than 30 years as a prescription treatment for anxiety, has recently been introduced to the U.S. dietary supplement market. In a 2010 review of available research on phenibut, Dr. Ray Sahelian, author of "Mind Boosters," suggests that phenibut has been used to treat anxiety, tension, fear and stress-related insomnia. It may also be used to treat stuttering or post-traumatic stress. Phenibut is believed to act similarly to the prescription drug baclofen, another drug that works on GABA receptors. Phenibut may also increase dopamine levels, however, which may make symptoms worse for some patients.
Rhodiola
Rhodiola rosaea is a Siberian herb that has only recently begun to be sold in the United States as an alternative treatment for depression. According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, rhodiola assists with the transport of certain brain chemicals, particularly serotonin and norepinephrine. In this sense, it may approximate the effects of some anxiety medications that work on the same pathways. Like phenibut, rhodiola has the potential to increase anxiety in some patients by increasing dopamine levels.
Side-Effects and Contraindications
Both rhodiola and phenibut have relatively good safety profiles. Due to the possibility that they may interact with some drugs or increase anxiety symptoms in some patients, however, you should talk to your doctor before taking these supplements. Phenibut may cause drowsiness, particularly in high doses, and should be considered habit forming. It is possible that phenibut may interact with other anxiety medications, antidepressants, epilepsy medications or alcohol. Rhodiola may cause restlessness, irritability or difficulty sleeping, particularly when taken late in the day.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Anxiety: Treatments and Drugs; January 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Generalized Anxiety Disorder: All Information; January 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Stress and Anxiety - Overview; January 2009
- Sloan-Kettering; Rhodiola; April 2011
- RaySahelian.com; Phenibut Supplement Benefits and Side Effects; Ray Sahelian, M.D.
- "CNS Drug Reviews"; Phenibut (Beta-Phenyl-GABA): A Tranquilizer and Nootropic Drug; I. Lapin; 2001
