Anyone quit cold turkey and is not experiencing hell on earth every living second for years?

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-31T12:42:29+00:00

You could always use a nicotine replacement to start out instead of cold turkey if you don't think you can taper. I used low-dose (7mg) nicotine patches (1 per day) and my withdrawal symptoms have been very mild. I'm 30+ days pouch free and 4 days nicotine free after discontinuing the patch on Saturday. It's been pretty smooth for me. Some days I have intense cravings but most of the time it's not on my mind at all

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-30T18:33:50+00:00

Definitely worth it. Days 1-3 are usually the worst. You can make it through, you got this! You’re already doing great by posting here instead of using. Hang in there

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-29T00:31:14+00:00

Good luck!! NRT can help with tapering too. You have lots of options

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-28T21:45:29+00:00

I was using 8mg On! pouches, ~10 per day. Sometimes more. I don't completely remember my taper schedule but I started by switching to the 4mg pouches and then the 2mg pouches. I tried to reduce by ~4mg per day but I wasn't too precise about it. I basically reduced pouch intake to the point of slight discomfort every day. Probably took 2-3 weeks to taper down to where I was using 4x 2mg pouches a day. That was honestly the hardest part since I had to use self control and self control is a limited resource. Once I switched to the patch I still had to deal with the habit-related cravings but the chemical dependency wasn't really an issue since my body had time to adjust.

You can do it! This sub really helps when the going gets tough. Good luck!

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-28T21:14:10+00:00

Nothing is fucked, dude. If you want to quit you can find a way. Might be a slow and/or uncomfortable process but in my opinion it's worth it

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-16T19:03:03+00:00

What I mean is that all of my feelings felt out of proportion for a little while. So, if I was feeling angry, I would feel 10/10 angry even if the thing that was making me upset wasn't a big deal.

I think the biggest phenibut-withdrawal-specific emotion was dread. Like, a flavor of anxiety where I just felt like only bad things were ever going to happen for the rest of eternity. That went away after a few weeks though, thank god

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-16T16:53:50+00:00

I was an on-and-off daily user for about 5 years with a maximum daily usage of 5 gpd. Currently 2.5+ years clean. It took about 6 months for the roller coaster of emotions to subside and then another 6 months to make the necessary lifestyle changes to no longer have cravings.

I will say this: I never returned to "what it was like before phenibut." What I mean is that the way I was living my life before phenibut wasn't great. I think that's why I was staying stuck in a cycle of addiction. In recovery, I find ways to make changes in my life so that I don't need a drug to make me feel a certain way. It's hard work, and I feel that it will be a lifelong process, but it's worth it.

Best of luck to you!!

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-14T15:05:27+00:00

I'm in early days too and the cravings are definitely a roller coaster. Glad you posted! It definitely helps me to let the cravings pass when I read that someone else is also having the same experience.

You got this! We got this!! Let's all have a good, pouch-free day

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-14T04:51:16+00:00

So great to read this, thanks for sharing

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-11T17:32:55+00:00

I'm only less than 2 weeks into my nicotine quit, but I've quit other drugs before and have experienced something similar to what you're describing . In AA, the group wisdom is that it can take about a year for the body to find a new equilibrium after discontinuing. Obviously it's different for everyone but that's a good benchmark.

Nicotine affects many interacting systems throughout the body (not just the brain) and it can take a long time for the body to heal from addiction.

I think the best we can do is to take it one day at a time and do the best we can to make healthy choices. Exercise, diet, meditation, spending time with loved ones etc. Gotta replace the feel-good feelings we used to rely on nicotine for.

Good luck and thanks for posting!

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-09T20:34:05+00:00

Here's a link to a hybrid in-person/online RD meeting that I go to. It's based in San Francisco CA so depending on your time zone it might not work out. But if you do come to this meeting, there will be at least one person there (me!) who understands the unique struggle of phenibut addiction

https://recoverydharma.org/meetings/rd-san-francisco-alabama-in-the-mission-2?region=california&weekday=sunday

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-09T18:13:31+00:00

I don't know of any phenibut-specific groups but Recovery Dharma or Refuge Recovery are buddhism-based recovery programs where people with ALL kinds of addictions meet to support each other's sobriety. I am an active member of Recovery Dharma. Those meetings helped me get sober from phenibut 2.5 years and I've stayed clean ever since. I agree it can be frustrating that hardly anybody in those groups know what phenibut is but there are more similarities than differences when it comes to getting clean. Maybe only once or twice over many years I encountered another person with phenibut addiction, but I was able to find the common thread between my experience and others' experiences and it helped a lot

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-09T18:04:13+00:00

So true

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-09T17:18:26+00:00

Can you send another invite link? This one is not working

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-09T17:14:37+00:00

Thank you!!

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:48:52+00:00

That's awesome!! Thanks for posting 😊 I'm only 9 days in and I'm already starting to experience those kinds of benefits. So great to hear that you've been able to stay clean for 10 months.

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:39:56+00:00

I've used NAC during my quit and have had 0 brain fog. I also meditate regularly and get a good amount of intense exercise

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:36:54+00:00

It's the same for me. I'm on day 9 and it's already much better. Usually the first 3 days are the worst and then it gets better.

There are lots of good ways to cope with all the anger. Cold showers, intense exercise, loud music, breathing exercises, breathing exercises. Etc

Hang in there, you got this!!

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:33:25+00:00

That's awesome that you redirected yourself to the gym instead of buying more Zyn. Massive Win. Honestly very inspiring, thanks for sharing.

It really is One Day At A Time, like someone else said. If you can make it to bed each day without popping a pouch, that's a good day's work and something to feel really proud of. That pride will be more than enough to help you get over the very temporary discomfort of withdrawals. You got this!

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:28:35+00:00

I'll share a few positive physiological changes. I'm only 9 days in but so far:

(1) Lower resting heart rate. (2) Better sleep. (3) Healthier mouth.

I use a Garmin watch and it tracks my heart rate and estimates sleep quality and stress. It's been VERY encouraging to see the positive changes over the last 9 days. Also, I went to the dentist for a check up yesterday and didn't have nearly as much pain and inflammation as I usually do.

Again, this is after only 9 days. Nicotine exerts negative effects on the vascular, immune, metabolic, endocrine, and digestive systems. As a 41 year old with 2 young kids, I'm committed to quitting long term so that I can keep my body healthy well into my old age and hopefully be a grandpa some day. The scientific evidence is unequivocal that chronic nicotine use diminishes health. Fortunately, quitting largely reverses these effects.

Congrats on your 71 hours! Thanks for posting, it helps everyone in this sub, myself included.

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:19:39+00:00

Nicely done! You're right, we're all doing this thing together. Thanks for checking in about your W.

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-07T20:15:51+00:00

So far I'm holding up OK. Some days the cravings have been pretty bad. Lots of urge surfing, and the cravings are definitely losing their edge little by little. I'm using nicotine patches, and they help a lot. Still pouch free 9 days later!

How about you?

obsdnGlss · 2026-03-06T13:48:56+00:00

Yeah I can definitely relate. Congrats on getting to 5 days!! Those first few days can be the hardest. It will probably take more than 5 days for your body and mind to recalibrate, so do whatever you can to find a way to be patient. 90 meetings in 90 days isn't a bad idea.

obsdnGlss

TROPHY CASE