Phenibut: instructions for use for children, reviews from doctors and parents

Release form

The drug is produced by several Russian, Latvian and Belarusian pharmaceutical companies only in tablet form. They are small in diameter, round, and white or yellowish in color. There is a mark on the front side that allows you to divide the tablet in half. The medicine is sold in blisters containing 10 tablets. Medicine packages have several such plates.

Operating principle

The therapeutic mechanism of action of the drug is based on the following properties:

relaxation of vascular walls;
elimination of nervous excitement in the child;
acceleration of therapy for stuttering, speech disorders, general development;
increased mental functionality;
anticonvulsant effect;
beneficial effects on brain functioning;
normalization of attention and memory development;
improvement of cerebral blood supply;
absence of negative effects of stress on the child’s body;
calming effect;
elimination of insomnia, restoration of natural night sleep.

Thoughts from experts

Reviews from neurologists and pediatricians will be useful to every parent who is planning to give Phenibut to their children.

Phenibut is absolutely safe for children. It does not have a harmful effect on the children's nervous system and does not destroy it. This medicine has a calming, nootropic effect.

When taken, children experience increased brain activity, increased mental abilities, and improved memory. Can be used from 2 years of age to relieve irritation, increased hyperactivity, nervous tics, seizures, and sleep disorders.

Sometimes prescribed to children aged 2-3 months, but only for significant indications. Before you start taking it, you should definitely consult your doctor.

Pediatrician

In my practice, I often have to prescribe this drug to children. In my opinion, this remedy does not have a harmful effect on the child’s body, of course, when taken correctly.

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For various nervous disorders, anxiety, fears, sleep disorders, nervous tics, incontinence or, conversely, urinary retention, Phenibut usually helps after 2-3 weeks of use.

Sometimes, during long-term use, many patients experience an overdose; this is not due to compliance with the dosage regimen. As a result, unpleasant side effects may occur; in these cases, timely gastric lavage and therapeutic treatment are recommended.

Since the drug is used to treat children at a tender age, you should always consult a doctor before using it.

Pediatric neurologist

This remedy is the most harmless among other similar drugs with nootropic effects. Children tolerate it more easily. In addition, nervous disorders disappear almost after 3-4 doses.

Nervous tics, delayed or premature urination, convulsions, feelings of fear, anxiety, sleep disturbances, behavioral disorders - all these disorders can be corrected with the help of this remedy.

Yes, this remedy can cause side effects, but they go away quickly. In order to avoid addiction to the drug and the occurrence of withdrawal syndrome during the end of its use, its use should be combined with sedatives.

Pediatrician

Indications

Regarding the medication Phenibut, instructions for use for children indicate a wide range of uses:

fast fatiguability;
stuttering;
chronic fatigue;
anxiety and obsessive states;
neuroses;
feeling of fear;
psychopathy;
nervous tics;
sudden mood swings;
convulsions;
tendency to motion sickness in transport;
urination and sleep disorders;
dizziness.

A pediatrician recommends phenibut to a child when an anxious situation develops around him and there are preconditions for stress. The medication makes it easier to wait for the planned operation; it softens the adaptation period at the time of parental divorce, before entering school or kindergarten.

At what age is it allowed to take it?

The instructions for the drug Phenibut for children state that this drug is not recommended for use in treating children under three years of age. Some manufacturers note in the annotation contraindications until the child reaches 8 years of age, since it is then that a dosage of a whole tablet is already allowed.

In practice, pediatric neurologists prescribe this medication to younger children, although this happens extremely rarely before reaching the age of two. Doctors try to prevent the harmful effects of the medicine on the still immature infant nervous system.

Composition of the medicine

The drug is available in the form of tablets of 0.25 g, white or slightly yellowish in color, without a glazed coating and without noticeable inclusions. There is a line mark on one of the flat sides of each tablet. The drug does not have a distinct odor, has a neutral taste and is easy to swallow.

The composition of the drug includes:

gamma-amino-beta-phenylbutyric acid hydrochloride (the main active ingredient of Phenybutum);
food starch;
calcium stearic;
lactose.

Aminophenylbutyric acid has another name - “anvifen”. In terms of structural composition, anvifen is related to gamma-aminobutyric acid, but differs in the presence of phenyl group substances in the chemical formula. When used regularly as part of any medicine, anvifen has an effect on ionotropic receptors, stimulating a person's motivational thinking, increasing vitality, learning abilities and improving all types of memory.

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For reference, the entire range of positive properties of the substance was tested under the most difficult conditions - to suppress emotional stress in astronauts returning from a flight. It was after successfully conducted research at this level that aminophenylbutyric acid became widespread in therapeutic practice.

In addition to tablets, powders with the same name are also produced, but they are difficult to find on sale, and there is no particular need for this, because a traditional tablet is easily crushed to the desired grain size. You just need to take into account that the content of aminophenylbutyric acid in the powder is slightly higher than in tablets, and this form of release, according to the instructions for Phenibut for children and reviews, is not prescribed for use by children under eight years of age.

Contraindications

Contraindications to the use of this medicine include:

ulcerative pathology of the gastrointestinal tract;
kidney or liver dysfunction;
children under 2 years of age;
individual intolerance to any ingredient of the medication.

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During medication therapy, the following unwanted side effects sometimes occur, which worsen with an overdose:

headache;
drowsiness or insomnia;
nausea or vomiting;
irritability;
the appearance of an allergic rash simultaneously with itching of the epidermis.

Instructions for use

Taking Phenibut is contraindicated in the following cases:

Under two years of age.
For erosive intestinal lesions.
Hypersensitivity to the drug.
Individual intolerance or allergy.
For stomach ulcers.
If the child has kidney disease, including renal failure.
For liver diseases.

Also, Phenibut for children is not recommended to be combined with sleeping pills, antiepileptic and antipsychotic substances, as it enhances and prolongs their effect. When using Phenibut with the above drugs, the dose of both drugs should be reduced.

Side effects

When there are contraindications, the use of the medicine provokes the development of side effects:

headache in the very first days of using the medication;
drowsiness;
nausea accompanied by vomiting attacks;
increased nervousness;
anxiety;
emotional arousal;
the appearance of a skin rash accompanied by severe itching.

As soon as the described signs appear, immediately stop taking the medication and immediately visit your pediatrician.

Dosage

Regarding the medicine phenibut dosage for children provides the following recommendations.

Important! The presented doses are for informational purposes only! Only a pediatrician has the right to prescribe a drug treatment regimen.

The instructions prohibit the use of tablets by children exceeding these values, at the appropriate age of the child:

2–8 years – 50–100 mg three times a day;
9–14 years – 250 mg three times a day;
after 15 years – 250–500 mg three times a day.

The exact dosage is prescribed by the doctor. Although it will differ from the scheme described above, the daily intake cannot exceed the following indicators:

up to 8 years – 150 mg;
up to 14 years – 300 mg;
from 15 years – 750 mg.

Cases of effective use of medicine for infants in a small dose have been described.

Manufacturers and cost of the drug

Phenibut is manufactured by the following companies:

Olainfarm (Latvian production);

Latvia is considered the best producer of Phenibut.

Ozon LLC (Russian);
Mir-Pharm LLC (Russian);
Organika LLC (Russian);
Belmedpreparaty RUP (Belarusian).

The cost depends on the number of tablets in the package and the country of the manufacturer:

Latvia: 20 pieces in a pack at a price of 320-470 rubles.
Belarus: 130-220 rubles for 20 tablets.
Russia: 100-130 rubles for one blister pack (10 pieces).

It is believed that Phenibut produced in Latvia is of high quality.

Today, the medicine Phenibut can be found in two forms: powder and tablets. Several pharmaceutical factories are involved in the production, some of them are located in the countries of the former USSR. In pharmacies you can find tablets from the following manufacturers:

Belmedpreparaty RUP;
Organika (Russia);
Olainfarm (Latvia);
Mir-Pharm (Russia);
Ozone (Russia).

Regardless of the plant producing the medicine, all drugs are the same, the production technology is the same. The names by which the tablets or powder are known in the pharmacy may vary slightly.

It’s just that Phenibut and Phenibut-ANVI are the same remedy. It is important to remember that the amount of active ingredient in similar medicines is also similar. But, despite this, doctors recommend buying exactly the drug that was prescribed. This is explained by the fact that different tablets may contain different excipients, which may affect the properties.

The medication can be taken in two possible dosages. The product is produced in the form of powder and tablets with a dosage of 250 mg and 100 mg.

To avoid harmful effects on the stomach, take the medicine after meals by swallowing the tablet with water. For patients 3-8 years old, doses of 50 to 150 mg are recommended. In many cases, a child under eight years of age is prescribed Phenibut 125 mg, that is, half a tablet at a time. A child 8-14 years old is given the medicine in a single dose of 250 mg (whole tablet). For adolescents over 14 years of age, adult doses are used - 250-500 mg per dose.

In such dosages, the medication should be taken three times a day, and the course of treatment often lasts 2-3 weeks. In children longer than 4 weeks, this medicine is not prescribed to prevent addiction. Repeated use of Phenibut is possible only after a break of 2-4 weeks. To prevent motion sickness, the drug is given in a dose of 250-500 mg an hour before a trip or if illness occurs during travel (but only at the first signs of motion sickness, since Phenibut is ineffective for severe symptoms).

When treating various neurological disorders, the medicine is given immediately in the dose prescribed by a neurologist, pediatrician or other specialist. There is no need to gradually increase the dosage at the beginning of treatment, but they do not strongly advise stopping the medication - the famous pediatrician Komarovsky also talks about this. If you stop taking it right away, negative symptoms may appear, to eliminate which the child was given pills.

This is due to the mechanism of action of Phenibut, because such a drug is a source of metabolites that are not produced by brain cells during therapy. In case of abrupt cessation of treatment, nerve cells do not have time to take on the task of synthesizing such metabolites immediately, which is manifested by the return of negative symptoms. With gradual withdrawal, this does not happen, because the brain cells adapt to the changes. That is why the doctor should prescribe a pill regimen with a reduced dosage in the last week.

“Phenibut” is classified as a low-toxic drug; cases of overdose of such a drug have not been diagnosed until now. Theoretically, a medication in a very high dose can cause nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, or vomiting. In such situations, it is recommended to rinse the stomach and prescribe symptomatic medications to the child.

special instructions

The drug is allowed to be used without being tied to meals. The tablet is placed in the mouth, then chewed with water. It is recommended to grind it into powder, add it to any drink, and then give it to the baby to drink.

When a child does not want to take the medicine on his own, it is recommended to add it to foods or drinks. It is only undesirable to mix the drug with too large portions, since children often do not finish everything from the plate. Therapy lasts a month and a half. If further treatment is necessary, a three-week break should be taken.

The medicine helps fight motion sickness of a child in transport, since it blocks vomiting receptors. It is recommended to take a tablet of the drug an hour before the trip, although you can also take it while driving.

Long-term use of the drug provokes the risk of a decrease in its effectiveness due to addiction. You cannot stop taking it abruptly. Dosages should be reduced gradually to avoid causing sudden irritability.

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Special instructions include the following:

It is forbidden to take phenibut simultaneously with tranquilizers;
it is allowed to combine the medicine with psychotropic drugs, but the treatment course must be drawn up only by a qualified pediatrician;
the concentration of the active components of the drug in powder form exceeds the same values when taking tablets;
The simultaneous use of medication and sleeping pills, antipsychotics or anticonvulsants is strictly prohibited;
if it is necessary to carry out long-term therapy, it is recommended to conduct regular examinations of the liver;
It is necessary to use the medicine with caution if it is necessary to combine it simultaneously with medications that have a toxic effect.

Doctor Komarovsky knows his stuff

Many parents are still interested in the question of whether Phenibut can be used for children, and for what indications, the description of the drug in the instructions is one thing, but reviews from doctors are a completely different matter. For example, the famous doctor Komarovsky characterizes this drug as follows.

Many parents are afraid to give the drug Phenibut to their children, of course, they can be understood, because the instructions indicate that it is a tranquilizer that has a psychotropic effect.

In fact, this drug is neither a tranquilizer, nor a narcotic, nor a sedative. This remedy is part of a group of nootropic drugs that have an improving effect on metabolism in brain cells.

When using the drug, it has one positive effect - a calming effect. The whole point is that the human body constantly produces the substance phenylethylamine, which has a strong stimulating effect on the nervous system.

But when Phenibut enters the body, it inhibits the effects of this substance and thereby has a calming effect.

It follows from this that this remedy is absolutely harmless and can be used for 3 months, but it is still recommended in small courses of 2-3 weeks. It can be safely used for children aged 2 years and above.

In order to avoid addiction after long-term use, it is better to use it together with other sedatives when reducing dosages. In this case, the dose of Phenibut should be reduced and the sedatives should be increased.

Doctor Komarovsky

Reviews

When considering reviews from neurologists about the use of Phenibut for children, it is necessary to note positive statements, since the drug:

rarely has side effects;
effective, low toxicity;
has a small list of contraindications.

When purchasing a medicine such as Phenibut, reviews for children are a priority for parents. After all, you can find many negative statements about the drug.

Victoria, 22 years old, St. Petersburg: Phenibut was prescribed to my two-month-old baby because he practically did not sleep. After taking the pills, the child lost sleep altogether, so he had to stop using it.

Veronika Nikolaevna, 43 years old , kindergarten teacher for children with complex developmental defects, Moscow: pediatricians often prescribe phenibut to my patients. But personally, I don’t like the drug, because after taking it, babies become irritable and too whiny. They find it difficult to sleep and experience mood swings. Therefore, parents often stop using this medicine.

Pediatric medicine specialists are confident that the negative effect is caused by the incorrect dosage of the prescribed medication. It is difficult to immediately determine how much a substance should be given to a child. Because of this, side effects appear.

Opinions of doctors and patients about Phenibut

Reviews from patients who have taken phenibut vary significantly. About 1/3 of patients note that the side effects after taking Phenibut outweighed all the positive effects in the treatment of their disease. The sleep of such patients may have returned to normal, but drowsiness, headache, dizziness and other unpleasant side effects appeared.

Feedback from the remaining 2/3 of those who took it is positive. With the correct dose calculation per day, sleep improved, anxiety disappeared, and the severity of apathy, restlessness, and irritability decreased. Many reviews from users also emphasize that using Phenibut three times a day not only helped improve sleep and eliminate mood problems, but also cope with intense mental stress. The medicine, as reviews from those who have taken it, is very popular with students during the period of preparation for exams.

Most reviews from doctors and parents about Phenibut are positive and confirm the good effect of the tablets on nervous tics, stuttering and other problems with the nervous system. According to mothers, the drug begins to act quite quickly, and after a course of this medicine, the child’s memory improved, irritability disappeared, and sleep became more restful and of better quality.

There are approximately 1/3 of negative reviews about Phenibut. In some of them, parents complain about the lack of therapeutic effect, in others, on the contrary, they note adverse reactions in the form of increased anxiety, dizziness, irritability, headaches and other symptoms from the central nervous system. In some patients, the medication causes irritation of the digestive tract.

In addition, many mothers consider the drug to be very strong and are afraid to give it to their children, especially at an early age, since psychological addiction to the pills often develops. In addition, the cost of a course of treatment with a drug from some manufacturers (for example, from Latvian) is called too high, and people are dissatisfied with the quality of less expensive analogues.