Psychomotor Agitation Non-responsive to Treatment: A Case Report of Phenibut Withdrawal Syndrome

• Published in: Frontiers in psychiatry Vol. 12
• Main Authors: Esposito, Cecilia Maria, Mandolini, Gian Mario, Delvecchio, Giuseppe, Fiorentini, Alessio, Brambilla, Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A 28-06-2021
• Subjects: phenibut; psychiatric aspects; Psychiatry; psychomotor agitation; psychopharmacology; withdrawal
• ISSN: 1664-0640; 1664-0640
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.688147

Background and Objectives:
Phenibut (4-amino-3-phenyl-butyric acid), acting as a GABA-B receptor agonist, has a beneficial effect on anxiety. Although its medical use is not approved in western countries, it can be easily obtained worldwide
via
the Internet, so it spread as a substance of abuse. In recent years, some case reports have, therefore, highlighted episodes of acute toxicity or withdrawal, but it is still a largely unknown phenomenon.
Methods:
In this case report, a 50-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency room with psychomotor agitation, psychotic symptoms, and insomnia, and was non-responsive to treatment. She was hospitalized at the psychiatry ward for 25 days and gave her consent for the publication of the present case report.
Results:
The suspicion of phenibut withdrawal allowed to establish the appropriate management, leading to the
restitutio ad integrum
of the psychopathological case.
Conclusions:
In the face of an incoercible psychomotor agitation case, the knowledge of the so-called novel psychoactive substances allows for more appropriate clinical management of intoxication and withdrawal syndromes. This is a scientifically significant report as it provides therapeutic and outcome data concerning a syndrome that is still quite unfamiliar.