Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is present normally in the human brain. Synthetic GHB is usually abused by adolescents and young adults.
Route of abuse: oral ingestion, either as a dry powder or mixed in a liquid
The drug is usually made in clandestine laboratories, with purity and contamination highly variable.
Clinical effects:
(1) euphoria and intoxication
(2) hallucinations and visual disturbances
(3) agitated delirium
(4) dizziness and nausea
(5) hypothermia
(6) bradycardia
(7) myoclonus
(8) seizures
(9) depressed mental status ranging from drowsiness to coma, from which the person may emerge rapidly
(10) respiratory depression, especially if mixed with alcohol
(11) memory problems including amnesia
Situations of use:
(1) rave party
(2) sexual assault
(3) body builders (due to belief that it releases growth hormone)
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Specialty: Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
ICD-10: ,
