GHB, a Popular yet Lesser Known Drug

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GHB (gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) is essentially a non-toxic, naturally occurring substance found in every blood cell of the body. It can also be made synthetically with inexpensive, easily obtained chemicals. Simply stated, GHB, taken in low dosages (under a gram), is an effective relaxant, a sleeping pill. It is widely used by truck drivers, persons in the military, factory workers, etc. since it does not linger in the bloodstream or body tissues or produces enduring pharmacological consequences. Other widely prescribed and over-the-counter sleep aids cannot make this claim.

GHB was originally synthesized to be used as a painkiller but its use as a general anesthetic was limited because it did not prevent pain. It was once rumored that GHB caused the release of growth hormones which provoked the interest of bodybuilders. This was eventually proven false. Before 1990 it was available as a supplement but after The Federal Drug Administration received complaints it caused discomfort and was being used as a ‘date rape’ drug, GHB was reclassified as a narcotic. (Gamma hydroxybutyrate, 2006)

The effects of GHB are often compared to alcohol. In small doses, the effects are mildly relaxing, lasts a couple of hours, and make people somewhat more sociable, about the same as a glass or two of beer or wine. Using GHB or alcohol on an empty stomach enhances the effects. However, as opposed to alcohol, GHB is not toxic. It is rapidly processed by the liver, does not harm the liver, causes tissues to degenerate or destroy brain cells. “In 30 years of research, no long-term adverse effect has yet been identified.” (Fowkes, 1999) Moderate amounts of GHB (1-2 grams) create the effects of moderate amounts of alcohol, slow heart rate, and respiration making a person feel sleepy or very relaxed. In addition, speech is slurred and motor skills become noticeably impaired. The effects of moderate doses last up to three hours and sleep is deeper, speech and motor skills deteriorate further, as would be expected, with large doses of GHB (2-4 grams). Amounts up to the moderate range do not always induce sleep but higher doses all but guarantee unconsciousness.

GHB is a depressant that affects the central nervous system depression. Its primary clinical use is to produce anesthesia, a trancelike condition that is, physiologically speaking, much the same as sleep. In addition, “it also may protect the central nervous system for injury during hypoxic episodes, hibernation states and/or states of increased metabolic demands.” (Toxtalk, 1998) Side effects include seizures if taken in high doses, lessening of concentration and awareness. Unlike the majority of pharmaceutical drugs used for recreational purposes, GHB is easy to make at home. Recipes for GHB are readily located on the internet. The making of homemade GHB involves heating caustic soda which is inherently dangerous.

Though GHB can be produced in a kitchen or laboratory but is also made naturally by the brain “through the synthesis of a neurotransmitter called GABA. Some of the greatest concentrations of GHB are found in the substantia nigra, thalamus and hypothalamus.” (Gamma hydroxybutyrate, 2006) When ingested by a person GHB affects many of the brain’s neurotransmitter structures. The drug increases acetylcholine and serotonin levels. It reduces dopamine activity, particularly in the basal ganglia. “This action is probably the result of the inhibition of the release of dopamine from synaptic terminals.” Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter, or massaging system, within the brain. Studies have demonstrated GHB initially slows the discharge of dopamine following ingestion then triggers dopamine release. Of course, the effects of GHB on dopamine depend on the amount taken. In addition, GHB activates receptors of brain neurons. (Gamma hydroxybutyrate, 2006)

GHB is the subject of much misinformation, possibly more so than other types of drugs. In 1999 on the Nightly News (NBC), anchorman Peter Jennings reported on GHB extolling the medical benefits of the drug. However, he ended the story with the statement “It is important to understand that GHB may cause brain damage.” (Fowkes, 1999) This is an untrue statement. There has been no medical research that has concluded that GHB causes any type of brain damage whatsoever. This naturally occurring substance is quite benign. The misstatement on the news is hardly the only instance of untruths reported regarding GHB. Various news outlets have identified GHB as a “party drug,” a “new synthetic weight loss drug,” a “night club sex drug,” a “new designer drug,” a “lethal drug,” a “dangerous synthetic steroid drug,” a “Killer aphrodisiac,” etc. (Fowkes, 1999) The only deaths attributed to GHB have been in conjunction with alcohol use. By comparison, in one year alone (1994) more than 100,000 people were adversely affected by Tylenol (acetaminophen). In 1995, Tylenol usage was blamed for more than 300 deaths according to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine. “The exaggeration of danger by media and governmental agencies has become endemic to our society.” (Fowkes, 1999)