Accidental ingestions of GBL have also occurred due to inadequate storage methods. If GBL is put into a clear liquid, glass, or bottle, it can be easily mistaken for water. It is recommended to clearly label your GBL in writing and dye the liquid with blue food coloring so it no longer resembles a drinkable beverage. It is also recommended to store your GBL in a container that no one would drink out of.
Using GHB/GBL With Other Drugs
GHB presents cross-tolerance with 1,4-Butanediol and GBL, since these act as prodrugs for GHB. Cross-tolerance with alcohol and baclofen has been shown in rats,3536 and is likely with other GABAB-agonists. Accidental ingestions of GHB have also occurred due to inadequate storage methods. If GHB is put into a clear liquid, glass, or bottle, it can be easily mistaken for water. It is recommended to clearly label your GHB in writing and dye the liquid with blue food coloring so it no longer resembles a drinkable beverage. It is also recommended to store your GHB in a container that no one would drink out of.
Withdrawal Times
GBL is a highly potent chemical; even small doses can be harmful. It can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and loss of consciousness. It is also highly addictive, and long-term users may suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and cravings. People are most likely to vomit as they become unconscious, and as they wake up.
GBL Drug Addiction Treatment
Keeping the lid tightly sealed is also essential to ensure the GBL doesn’t evaporate. GBL is also highly soluble in water, so it should be kept from any excess moisture in the air. It’s best to keep GBL in its original container, as plastic containers may leach chemicals into the GBL, making it less effective. Additionally, plastic containers may not be able to withstand the pressure of GBL, so it’s best to stick with the original container. It is used in various industrial solvents, such as those found in paint thinners and cleaning products. It can also be used to produce certain pharmaceuticals and is used in some beauty products.
What Is Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL)?
Dependence can develop fairly quickly, for example after a weekend of severe bingeing on GHB and its related compounds, or may result from regular use over a longer period. Doctors are currently treating withdrawal from GHB-type drugs with benzodiazepines, although further research is needed into other treatments. People who are dependent on or addicted to GBL may benefit from professional advice and treatment. As withdrawal from GBL can be severe and potentially harmful, it could be necessary to utilize supported withdrawal and detox services. 10 Following withdrawal, treatments to help people in GBL addiction recovery can include rehabilitation services, psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, or medications. If you are experiencing withdrawal GHB, it’s crucial to first get an accurate assessment of all the symptoms.
The Risks
Physically, it is a hygroscopic colorless oily liquid with a barely noticeable characteristic odor. Unlike GHB, 1,4-Butanediol has a distinct taste, described as being repulsive, plastic-like and chemical. To check the type of plastic used on a bottle, one can look at the bottom for a number in the triangle-shaped recycling label. Another study found no effect following intracerebroventricular injection of butane-1,4-diol in rats.21 This contradicts the hypothesis of butane-1,4-diol having inherent alcohol-like pharmacological effects.
Sedative Medications (CNS Depressants) Interacts With GAMMA BUTYROLACTONE (GBL)
Activation of both the GHB receptor and GABAB is responsible for the addictive profile of GHB. GHB, or gamma-Hydroxybutanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid substituted with an additional hydroxy group. GHB contains a four carbon chain with a terminal carbon bonded to a hydroxy group (OH-) and double bonded to an oxygen group to form a carboxyl unit; this is butanoic acid. At the other end of the four carbon change at Rγ, GHB is substituted with a hydroxy group. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that it is an offence to administer a substance, like GHB and GBL, to a person with intent to overpower that person to enable sexual activity with them.
When treated with a non-nucleophilic base, such as lithium diisopropylamide, GBL undergoes deprotonation of the alpha carbon atom to the carbonyl. Although it is not sedating like other date rape drugs, it has been used to facilitate sexual assault.4142 It can increase disinhibition and sexual desire.43 Often Ecstasy is combined with amphetamines or other drugs. The practice is commonly referred to as “party ‘n’ play” (PNP or PnP) by some participants, while others use the term “high ‘n’ horny” (HnH).
- However, these drugs may not be tested for often as they can only be picked up on in a very short window (1–2 days) and can be unreliable.
- GBL has a low oral LD50, the amount of a substance that must be consumed to cause death in 50% of the test population.
- It is used as a sedative and hypnotic, as an anesthetic, and as an antidepressant.
- Experienced users measure the drug out very carefully using a pipette or a syringe, or by filling pre-measured vials (small bottles) to avoid taking too much.
GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) is a cyclic ester of gamma-hydroxybutanoic acid. GBL can be synthesized from GHB through dehydration of the terminal hydroxy groups, forming a saturated lactone ring. Structurally, GBL is a five-membered ring with an oxygen substituent at R1, adjacent from the oxygen atom in the ring, forming a cyclic ester called a lactone. GBL has reportedly been used as date rape drug (as a legal alternative to GHB), in which it is secretly put dropwise into drinks but there is little evidence to support it being widespread, especially compared to alcohol due to its strong taste. GBL and GHB are also referred to as “K.-o.-Tropfen” (K.-o.-drops) in German-speaking countries. To find out more about the law around legal and controlled drugs, including GHB, see Drugs and the law.
In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorder and substance abuse. Dual diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system.
If you don’t measure the dosage, you’re likely to overdose and fall unconscious. This is because there’s only a very small difference between the dose causing the desired effects and the dose leading to severe overdose. In Hong Kong, GHB is regulated under Schedule 1 of Hong Kong’s Chapter 134 Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. It can only be used legally by health professionals and for university research purposes. Anyone who supplies the substance without prescription can be fined HK$10,000.
Naomi Carr is a qualified mental health nurse with several years of experience working with children and adults in the UK. It may not be possible to recognize that you have been spiked with GBL specifically, but if you notice sudden changes, such as extreme sedation, go to a person or place of safety and ask for help. Call the police and remain with friends or in a safe place until they arrive. After ingestion, effects emerge within 20 minutes and can last for several hours.
GBL can be addictive, especially if the drug is used regularly for a period of weeks or months. Taking GBL along with some medications for pain might cause severe side effects. Some medications for pain include meperidine (Demerol), hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin, and many others. Drugs GBL itself is pharmacologically inactive, but it is converted in the body by lactonases to GHB, the active agent.
