A Web-Based Study of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB): Patterns, Experiences, and Functions of Use

Abstract

GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) was developed as a general anesthetic. Due to dosing difficulty and side effects, regular use was discontinued. Medical uses include treating sleep and alcohol disorders. In the 1990s, it was promoted as a supplement and taken to improve mood and sex. GHB and its analogs (gamma butyrolactone and butanediol) were widely available until federal regulations were put into effect with mounting evidence of adverse events. This survey (N = 61) study was conducted to assess patterns, experiences, and functions of use. Much of what is understood regarding GHB treatment is based on hospital case studies for overdose and withdrawal. Not enough is known about prevention, reducing use and associated problems, or relapse. We know little about specific drug effect expectancies, triggers, coping skills, and consequences of use (positive/negative). While the drug treatment literature has a wealth of information to draw upon, GHB-specific information may greatly assist relapse prevention.

The Effect of Co-occurring Substance Use on Gamma-hydroxybutyric Acid Withdrawal Syndrome

“…Evidence supports the accuracy of substance use self-reports, but indicates that patients often report more than is detected in urinalysis (Babor et al, 2002;Dennis et al, 2002;Stein et al, 2011). The potential limitations of the study include the self-report nature of the data (except for BP and HR) and the lack of complete data from the toxicological tests performed to confirm the accuracy of the self-reports.…”

Enhancing sexual desire and experience: an investigation of the sexual correlates of gamma‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB) use

“…The main limitation of our study lies in the relatively small sample size, although other studies on GHB‐use characteristics and sexual correlates of GHB use assessed similar or even smaller samples (e.g., Miotto et al ., ; Barker et al ., ; Lee and Levounis, ; Stein et al ., ) . Nevertheless, our sample size was unfortunately not suitable for multivariate statistics, yet it would be an important future research goal to explore potential classes of GHB users on a larger sample, using latent class analysis, based on users' preferences for either stimulant or depressant effects of GHB.…”

Self-administration of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) precursors gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) in baboons

“…Individuals who abuse GHB and its pro-drugs report around-the-clock patterns of intake with dosing every 2–3 hours (Andresen et al 2011; Galloway et al 1997; McDonough et al 2004; Palmer 2004; Stein et al 2011). In our procedure, each dose of GBL and 1,4-BD was substituted for cocaine for at least 15 days during sessions that ran continuously (24 h/day).…”