Somatomax Review – Wonder Drug?

By: Rob Miller
11 User Reviews
Fact Checked On: 3-27-2020


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Somatomax Overview

Somatomax is a controversial supplement that we’ve been hearing a lot about lately. It’s made by Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, which has a checkered past of its own which involved several legal battles with the FDA and FTC over using banned and prescription only substances in their products.

Somatomax is something of a hybrid supplement.

It’s an HGH releaser which means that it encourages your body’s production of of HGH, or Human Growth Hormone. HGH is present in high amounts when we’re young, but its production decreases with age. If we can get our bodies to produce more, we’ll burn more fat, feel better, sleep better, and have more energy. So the question is, can Somatomax do this for us.

How Somatomax Works

If you look at Somatomax reviews, you’ll see that it’s used as a sleep aid more than anything else. Most people don’t dispute that it makes them sleep longer and more deeply than without it. Yet there is disagreement about how it makes them feel when they wake up. Some guys say they feel refreshed and ready to go.

Others wake up feeling groggy.

Somatomax ReviewSomatomax Ingredients

Part of the controversy stems from the formula. The primary ingredient is Phenibut, which is an amino acid that resembles GABA, an extremely important neurotransmitter for relieving anxiety. The advantage over GABA (which is also in the Somatomaxformula) is that it can cross the blood brain barrier whereas GABA cannot.

It does this by adding a phenyl ring around the gaba, allowing it to cross the blood brain barrier. I’ve taken many supplements containing phenibut in the past, and can attest to it’s potency and results.

However, there are many dangers to taking Phenibut for a prolonged period of time. Because your body tends to develope a tolerance to it quite rapidly, you need more and more of the stuff to get the same intended results.

After prolonged usage, when you decided to stop taking Somatomax, the body starts to incur a withdrawal period, which can be quite unpleasant. Some of the most notable withdrawal effects when coming off Phenibut include increased anxiety, irritability, panic attacks, mood swings, and insomnia.

You can avoid this by taking this sparingly, about once or twice a week with at least a 3 day break in between.

Additionally, there are a number of amino acids, including L-Arginine, L-Tyrosine, and L-Phenylalanine that cause Somatomax to increase the amount of HGH released by 1600%. Again, this is what makes Somatomax a supplement for improving athletic (and sexual) performance.

How do I take it?

The instructions for taking Somatomax are to mix one heaping scoop with a beverage and drink it before going to bed. There are 20 doses in a tub. There is no clear discussion by the manufacturer about how often you’re supposed to use it. Most of the recommendations we’ve seen from retailers and other users are to use it only occasionally so as not to create a tolerance or the potential for withdrawal symptoms.

One thing that I wanted to note was that products that contain Phenibut, like Somatomax, takes a VERY long time to reach its peak. So, for example, if you plan on going to bed at around 11 pm, you should consider dosing around 6 pm that night.

It can literally take as long as 1 – 2 hours before you feel the initial effects, and upwards of 5 hours before it reaches its peak. Everyone responds to Phenibut differently, so the only way you’ll know for sure is by experimenting yourself.

I would also caution against driving while taking Somatomax, as it does have the ability to make you sleepy / drowsy. Alcohol intensifies this effect, so I would recommend you abstain from alcoholic beverages while using it.

Somatomax Pros and Cons

Advantages of Somatomax

  • It works. Almost all Somatomax reviews we’ve seen (and there are a lot) state that it helps you get a good night’s sleep.

Disadvantages of Somatomax

  • There are several stories about how stopping Somatomax causes serious withdrawal symptoms.
  • If you use Somatomax too often, you’ll build a tolerance very quickly.
  • Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals has a sketchy reputation.
  • The benefits and drawbacks of Phenibut have not been sufficiently studied to know whether or not it is safe.

Where to Buy

You can purchase Somatomaxthrough several online supplement retailers. A tub containing 20 servings sells for anywhere from $30 to $40. You used to be able to buy it in retail stores like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe, but they have since discontinued selling it.

Conclusion

There are definitely some benefits you can get from taking Somatomax. It can improve your sleep and your mood, but there isn’t really a whole lot of evidence that it can improve your physical performance. In fact, there are lots of people who use it recreationally. Given all the criticisms about it making you nauseous and it being difficult to come off of, we’d just recommend that you skip Somatomax.

If you are looking for a supplement that is going to be a healthier alternative to its prescription counterparts, then I would say that you are not going to get that with Somatomax.

It has enough potential for bad side effects to warrant taking a look into some of the other options out there.

Have You Used Somatomax? Leave Your Review Below!

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1 Star User Reviews


Have you used this supplement?

Don't touch the stuff


By BillyTheKid,  Jan 1, 2016

I sincerely want to write this in hopes that this will stop many from the dangers of this. I heard of Somatomax from a friend while on a job.  Everyone lifts heavy and everyone raved about this stuff. When I took it, the effects did just as described, Happier, Longer sleep and higher sex drive.  Now the I took this at 1/2-3/4 scoop every night for 4 months. I left the job, didnt think much of it, 2 days later I was vomiting everything I touched, no diarrhea, but HARD HARD mood swings.  Cold Sweats. Racing thoughts.  Horrible thoughts. Shaking uncontrollably.  I went to ER in foreign country and they gave me very low dosage of xanax to calm me down. There is really nothing a doctor can do other than that.  I hate prescription meds and I never messed with harder supplements when lifting. Skipping forward some time.  I am now going on 5 days each with its own time period of nightmarish cold sweats and panic attacks, I was able to eat as normal on day 4 but still am suffering from the rest. Main thing is when you come off it everything reverses.  You feel Terrible. Don't want to do anything.  No as in 100% NO SEX DRIVE. And the longest I have slept in a 1 straight period was 5 hrs on day 5. Hoping the effects return to normal within a week.  But I swear I will never touch that stuff again.

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31 out of 37 people found this review helpful.

Rob Miller: Yeah Phenibut (the active ingredient in Somatomax) withdrawal can be a bitch...I know you said you don't plan on taking it anymore, but as a warning to anyone else taking this and deciding to come off of it I have one FIRM suggestion....
TAPER OFF OF IT...Take a little bit less each day and spread it out over a period of time.

 

It will help your bodies withdrawal response to lessen and you'll be WAY more comfortable.

Lessen learned...

Rob
SupplementCritique.com

Horrible Side Effects


By Matt,  Dec 9, 2014

The side effects for me when coming off of Somatomax have been horrible.
I had previously (the worst of it was decades ago) suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and had gotten past that through talk therapy (no drugs.) Absolutely agree with the comments about dosage.

First time I took a full scoop. Within 30 minutes my face and arms felt like they had ants crawling on them.  Next day was awful – dizzy, disoriented, sleepy. Cut back to 3/4 and was better, but still not good – had heart palpitations about an hour after taking and was still a bit woozy the next day.  Eventually cut back to about 1/2 scoop for several weeks then started reading about the side effects (some of which I already started to experience) so I stopped cold turkey. Don’t do that.  Lots of anxiety and emotional ups and downs.

So I’ve started trying to taper off of it. Still having significant mood swings, overwhelming guilt feelings and anxiety and then they’ll just go away.  I’m going to contact a psychologist and psychologist tomorrow to try to get some help. I just wanted to add another cautionary tale to the others listed here in the hopes that it will prevent someone from having this same experience.

I’m very happy for those for whom this product works, but I have a lot of sympathy for the folks with the withdrawal symptoms.  Good luck to those of you who have withdrawal symptoms – I suggest getting some sort of support to help you through them.

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12 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

hits hard


By Frieda Fairman,  Jan 17, 2017

I can say for a fact that I slept deeper and longer. However, I was dizzy, nautious and clammy for about 24 hours when I woke up the morning after talking it.  I could not get out of bed.

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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Horrible withdraw


By Lane,  Jul 30, 2021
In Short: I would NOT recommend this to a friend.

I was recommended this supplement and was desperate to cure my anxiety/insomnia. I tried it for 3 months, less than a full scoop each day and it worked great.  I skipped 1 day because I drank some beer and had a full on panic attack the next day. Dr's gave me atavan at the hospital but even taking that I suffered horrible withdraw symptoms for 10 days.  Worst experience of my life. I'm currently taking 3 different medications to try and get back to feeling normal.  Please do not take this stuff and if you do taper off of it slowly.

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Beware - Severe Withdrawal after 2 weeks


By Joseph,  Oct 4, 2021
In Short: I would NOT recommend this to a friend.

This product contains a drug that is available only by prescription in some countries: Phenibut. It’s under the radar right now in the US.  Phenibut is like a benzodiazepine (depressant) and you can experience everything consistent with benzodiazepine withdrawal.

I am 6 weeks into a rebound / withdrawal from Somatomax. I took it for 2 weeks straight. Then I had a panic attack in the gym a couple of days after I stopped. I’ve never been an anxious person and have no history of panic or anxiety disorder. The panic attack expressed as tremors, numb arms and legs, blood pressure spike, chest pain and tachycardia (rapid heartbeat.)

I was taken to the ER and was admitted to the hospital while a team of cardiologists tried to figure out why the event happened and why I was experiencing near-syncope and tremors every time I walked around.

All of my tests and imaging came back “unremarkable."Q My complete metabolic panel showed everything was within normal range, no blood clotting disorder, no lung issue, echo - normal anatomy and valves work well, stress test - normal sinus rhythm, and nothing found by neurology as well. I was asked about supplements and the cardiologists and neurologist all pointed to Phenibut in Somatomax as the culprit.

In my case, the following has been true:

- Sympathetic Nervous System was excited because I had become dependent on a GABA agonist (Phenibut) and upon cessation of the ingredient my GABA uptake diminished.  GABA is a neurotransmitter responsible for inhibition of the sympathetic nervous system.
- My Parasympathetic Nervous System (“rest and digest”) was inhibited by excitatory neurotransmitters produced by the Sympathetic Nervous System
- My digestion was impaired and I started experiencing acid reflux and nausea.
- Stomach acid leaked into my lungs and caused asthma. I was prescribed an Albuterol inhaler and told to not eat close to bedtime and to sleep with my upper body elevated.
- I had symptoms consistent with symptoms of MS and Parkinson’s (internal tremors - a vibrating energy in my chest that felt like the second you get startled, only it stayed like that for 4 days.)
- Panic Disorder. I’m still wrestling with this after 6 weeks.  Physiologically, my body is freaking out when I exert myself and raise my blood pressure or heart rate beyond a certain point.
- Breathing difficulty and low oxygen while sleeping. For a week I had trouble going to sleep because every time I fell asleep I would wake up immediately gasping for air with spiking blood pressure and heart rate. There were times during the day that I felt I had to consciously keep breathing. My O2 sat while sleep was going down to 81% and staying below 90% for a total of 5.5 mins during a 4 hour period at times.
- I suffered autonomic instability with heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.
- Heart rate would shoot past 100bpm upon standing and blood pressure would spike to 178/120 upon sitting up or standing.  It was a normal 120/70 while lying down. This happened for 2.5 days until I was prescribed a high blood pressure medication.
- My physical therapist is helping work through some neck and back pain I’ve been experiencing since first experiencing tremors during my severe panic attack.  She is having to approach my case like she would a traumatic brain injury (TBI) patient. Apparently, TBI patients also suffer brain chemistry issues that excite the Sympathetic Nervous System.  The Physical Therapist told me NOT to hype myself up to do anything that might trigger a panic attack. She said to slowly expose myself to higher heart rate and blood pressure by incrementally walking faster and lifting more weight over time. The PT says that if I try and hype myself up and trigger a panic attack it could have very bad consequences on my heart and brain.  From heart attack to aneurysm and seizures.
- I had most of the Phenibut withdrawal symptoms with the exception of the most scary - psychotic behavior and hallucinations.
- Like most conditions TIME is the most important factor. My rebound and recovery is largely dependent upon time.  That’s the case with most temporary conditions and pain, even though voodoo non-medical doctors will try and throw supplements and costly fake treatments at you. You’ll recover after a few days, weeks or months and think that what they recommended or their treatments actually work.  Unless you have a real, lab-verifiable deficiency, herbs, vitamins, and back cracking don’t do anything.

Stay away from this stuff. Not everyone suffers severe withdrawal like I have, but it’s not worth taking the chance.
 

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By Laurie Hedrington,  Jan 30, 2024
In Short: I would NOT recommend this to a friend.

A co-worker told me about somatomax for sleep. I was excited to try it because I wake up a lot at night.  I used it the last 3 nights as directed and I was awake much of the last 3 nights. I am very disappointed in the results.
 

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Author: Rob Miller

Supplement Critique

Rob Miller founded SupplementCritique.com over 7 years ago, and has been the chief editor ever since. He has a diploma in Advanced Dietary Supplements Advisor, and worked at GNC for 3 years. He KNOWS supplements, both inside and out. Rob currently resides in Jupiter, FL, with his wife of 4 years.  Learn more about him in his Bio here. Follow him on Twitter , Facebook, LinkedIn, or find him on Google +.

5 comments on “Somatomax Review – Wonder Drug?”

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  1. I’ve been taking Somatomax for about 6-7 years. I did not know about Phenebut and the effects and how very addictive it is.

    And–it is. I have been tapering of for a couple of months and it’s been pretty difficult to say the least.

    It will take me quite some time to completely be off of it and I look forward to never using it again.

    It works but the effects are not worth it. I did not head the warnings and I am paying for it now.

    I hope this helps some one out there.
  2. Im 28 yrs old who took somatomax about the age of 21 or 20. I was heavy on it for a long time (would say about 1yr).

    Was really getting good results with weight lifting and building muscle. I was at 205 at the moment, and i could say my ideal weight right now is 175. So i was pretty big, and all the feelings are as describe with comments above. It did help me sleep, woke up dizzy next morning and after time i would feel great.

    Mood swings are unbelievable with me up to this date, specially relational and personal mood swings, so after reading all these comments i wonder if has anything to do with this. I have horrible mood swings.

    I could say i gave my ex- girlfriend a scoop of this, and it threw off her menstrual cycle for about two months lol. she was pissed.
    1. I’m curious as to your timeline Adrian. So you took it at the age of 20 or 21, and now 7 years later your experiencing mood swings?

      Do you still take it? When was the last time you took it?

  3. Somatomax is the single best supplement that I’ve taken. if I could only take one supplement Somatomax would be it. I look better, recover faster, get the best sleep of my life and get a nice libido boost as well when taking it.

    All that being said there are some things that you need to be aware of when taking it.

    You will build up a tolerance to it and very quickly at that. In addition you need to ignore the label and start with no more than 1/2 to 1/3 of a scoop to assess your tolerance.

    I’ve found that taking it no more than 3-4 times a week for no more than 3-4 weeks in a row minimizes the tolerance and withdrawal (insomnia) issues that many have reported. After 3-4 weeks on I would recommend taking 7-14 days off before starting a new cycle.

  4. I’ve been using Somatomax for 8 days and I’ve had the best sleep ever in the past 4 years. I finally sleep 7 to 8 hours without any drowsy hangover affects other speak of.

    I occasionally take a 1/4 serving size during midday for a boost in mental focus and calmness.

    I never feel stressed any more.

    I’m amazed at all the benefits and surprised why anyone wouldn’t recommend this to people have sleep/energy problems.

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