GHB Abuse

Q) What are the effects of GHB?

A) The effects of GHB include: Intoxication, increased energy, happiness, talking, desire to socialize, feeling affectionate and playful, sensuality, enhanced sexual experience, muscle relaxation, loss of coordination due to loss of muscle tone, nausea, difficulty concentrating, loss of gag reflex. GHB's intoxicating effects begin 10 to 20 minutes after the drug is taken. The effects typically last up to 4 hours, depending on the dosage.

Q) What are the side effects of GHB use?

A) The side effects of GHB use include: nausea, headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, amnesia, vomiting, loss of muscle control, respiratory problems, loss of consciousness, being conscious but unable to move, and death, sedation, desire to sleep, rambling incoherent speech, giddiness, silliness, difficulty thinking, slurred speech, passing out, and death. - Especially when combined with alcohol or other drugs

Q) Can you overdose on GHB?

A) Yes, an overdose of GHB can occur rather quickly. The signs are similar to those of other sedatives: drowsiness, sleep, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of reflexes, impaired breathing, slowed heart rate, respiratosry depression, seizures, hypothermia, coma, blocked airway due to loss of gag reflex, and ultimately death.

"GHB has several characteristics that increase the likelihood of toxicity," says Dr. Frankenheim. "A small increase in dose can push the sedative effects to a lethal level. High doses of GHB overwhelm the body's ability to eliminate the drug, and therefore lead to greater effects of longer duration than expected." GHB's purity and strength are especially difficult to determine because the drug can be made from a number of chemical formulas, which differ in the amount of GHB produced when metabolized by the user's body.