Project GHB News
July 18, 2001

Project GHB News is an Internet  newsletter delivering the latest information about GHB and its precursors, and various other recreational drug news. We rely on your input and welcome articles written by subscribers, doctors, nurses, emergency medical personnel, and other individuals affected by the use of GHB. Send news items or full length articles to the editor.

Features

Announcements
Media Articles
Viewer Comments
Feature Articles
Questions Answered
How to help
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"Dangerous Drugs - An Easy-To-Use Reference for Parents and Professionals" 
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Found at MedLine:

GHB and driving impairment.

Couper FJ, Logan BK.

Washington State Toxicology Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle 89134, USA. fcouper@wsp.wa.gov

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) was identified in the blood of 13 subjects arrested for impaired driving. GHB concentrations ranged from 26 to 155 mg/L (mean 87 mg/L, median 95 mg/L). In eight cases, GHB was the only drug detected, and signs of impairment were consistent with those of a CNS depressant, including erratic driving (weaving, swerving, ignoring road signs), confusion, incoherent speech, unresponsiveness, lack of balance, unsteady coordination, poor performances on field sobriety tests, and varying states of wakefulness. Given the ability of GHB to induce sleep and unconsciousness, it is evident from these cases that recreational use of the drug has the potential to impair a person's driving ability.

Announcements

Before Xyrem can be approved, Orphan Medical must do more tests: Orphan Medical received a letter from the FDA requesting a new clinical trial to test Xyrem in patients with respiratory problems. The FDA also wants amendments to the proposed labeling of the product, and Orphan must make changes to its risk management program. [more...] [more2...]

Sports and Supplements - This weeks feature article points you to Luke Cyphers...

IMPORTANT: Listbot, the Microsoft Company that allows us to send our newsletters for "free" has announced that it will no longer offer its free service as of August 20. Therefore, we have decided to register for the Paid version of Listbot - now called "List Builder." To remain subscribed, you do not have to do anything. Your existing information will be transferred automatically. 

What this means financially: Project GHB will be financially responsible for paying for this service. Please consider a small donation to help defray the cost of the newsletter. Thank you.

When we have upgraded the newsletter to List Builder, we will send out an announcement notifying you of the new changes. One exciting benefit will be that YOU can choose the format you receive the newsletter in. 

A case of withdrawal from the GHB precursors gamma-butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol.

Schneir AB, Ly BT, Clark RF.

Division of Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego Medical Center, California Poison Control System-San Diego Division, San Diego, California, USA

We describe a case of withdrawal from the gamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) precursors gamma butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol. Symptoms included visual hallucinations, tachycardia, tremor, nystagmus, and diaphoresis. Administration of benzodiazepines and phenobarbital successfully treated the withdrawal symptoms. As predicted from the metabolism of gamma butyrolactone and 1,4-butanediol to GHB, the symptoms were nearly identical to those reported from GHB withdrawal. Because GHB is now illegal in the United States, individuals have begun abusing the legal and easier to acquire GHB precursors. More frequent cases of both abuse and withdrawal from these GHB precursors can be expected. This is an abstract from MedLine

Media Articles

[pick] = excellent article, a MUST-READ 

Man's death believed linked to GHB drug 

Pro wrestler Chris Adams indicted in overdose death

Orphan Medical - Stock Information and links to news stories

Kill Devil Hills police suspect club drug GHB in teen's death ("Kill Devil Hills" is the name of a town)

Stock options netted Gibbons over $900,000
Former Zions Bancorp. executive Dale Moroni Gibbons exercised stock options last month that netted him a profit of $913,294 the day before he resigned his position as chief financial officer following his arrest on drug possession and related charges.... 

  Related
Jekyll and Hyde: Conservative Utah banker facing drug charges
ASSOCIATED PRESS - SALT LAKE CITY, July 3 - Each weekday morning, Dale Gibbons put on a dark suit, got into his white sport utility vehicle and drove from his million-dollar suburban home to his job as chief financial officer at Utah's oldest bank.

Rave drug a worry for vets - Ketamine's vogue makes vet clinics a target of dealers

 Police Put Dent In Rave's Attendance
GREENVILLE, 1:23 p.m. EDT July 15, 2001 - It seems that a large police presence, numerous arrests and strong warnings from police at Greenville's last rave at the Carolina Metroplex about a month ago has teens and twentysomethings thinking twice about attending another one.

 http://www.supplementwatch.com 
"SupplementWatch, Inc. is a self-funded, privately held corporation consisting of a physiologists, nutritionists and other health professionals dedicated to educating people about the pros and cons of dietary supplementation. The SupplementWatch™ service was started in 1999 in response to the growing public confusion surrounding nutrition in general and dietary supplements in particular. Our aim is try to clear up some of the confusion surrounding dietary supplements and provide visitors to our site with timely, relevant and balanced advice to help them make informed decisions."

 www.AlcoholScreening.org - A Join Together Website

Viewer Comments

Username: C.S. RRT
State: Texas
Date: July 15, 2001
Comments

I am a Respiratory Therapist with 23 years of experience in critical care medicine. I have seen street drugs come and go...this one is very scary. Young people have easy access to a substance that can easily kill them. This morning I took a young man off a ventilator who OD'd on GHB. He was lucky that a friend who knew CPR was with him when he passed out. He got a second chance...not many kids who OD on this drug get that second chance. I guess I just wanted to comment from the perspective of a health professional who has seen many overdosed patients die in 23 years...and from the perspective of someone who was this kid's age in the early 70's...and from the perspective of a mom. That could have been my son lying there in that ICU bed, fighting for his life. I hope this young man doesn't waste his second chance...and maybe my comments will deter some others from using such a dangerous substance to get high. CS from Texas [ top ]

Name: Tim McDougal
City, State: Moyock, NC
Date: July 18, 2001
Comments

A close friend of mind lost his son to this drug, on or about July 15th in Kill Devil Hill NC, I hope we can stop the madness.

Date: June 22, 2001
Comments

Today's date is June 22, 2001. Next Wednesday, June 27, will be the two year anniversary of my husband's death. He was 21. Too young to die. He left behind a son that will never know his father. That same son will have questions about his father, and be confused about what happened to him. I will then go on to explain what GHB is and why it is so important that he never tries it. I will have to tell him that his father worked out of town during the week and only came home on weekends. One weekend he could not come home due to the fact that he was several hours away from home and had to work late. He decided to go out with his fellow co-workers after work to a night club popularly known for having rave parties. He had several alcoholic beverages and then someone offered him GHB. Trying to fit in with the "in-crowd" he gladly accepted. Later when they returned to the hotel, he decided to set down and rest before driving home. He began to drift off so his so-called friends put him to bed, might I add, they left him. No one even bothered to check on him. The cleaning lady found him lying in the bed, DEAD. The coroner assured me that he passed away in his sleep. I pray to god that he was right. The thought of him leaving this world alone sickens me. Why couldn't I, or anyone for that matter, be there to help him. If no help could have been done, I could have atleast held him and comforted him, kissed him goodbye, one last kiss. He done a foolish thing but he didn't deserve to die, and he certainly did not deserve to die alone in a hotel room to be found by the housekeeper. People that loved him should have been there. He deserved to hold his only son one last time. Our son deserved that too. He should have been allowed the opportunity to give his Daddy one last kiss (and a bear hug). It is probably obvious by now that time does not heal all wounds, sometimes it just prolongs the pain. My husband was a good man. He left behind a family that will always love him and mourn his death. I am sorry that there are other people that share a pain like the one our family endured, but it is a comfort to know that there is a web-site like this one where we can all come together and comfort one another. Atleast when we say "I know what you are going through" we mean it, without muttering under our breath, you do not, you have no idea what I am going through so get out of my face, if you want to help bring my husband back to life, if you can't do that, I don't want to talk to you. I often wonder if this bitterness will go away. Pray for me that it will, and keep our son in your prayers also. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share, it is always a huge burden lifted off of my shoulders when I have someone that can relate to talk too. God bless you and your readers.

Name: Melissa Olson
City, State: San Diego, California
Date: July 06, 2001

Comments

MY BEST FRIEND DIED YESTERDAY FROM A GHB OVERDOSE. SHE WAS 41 YRS OLD AND HAD A 16 YR OLD DAUGHTER AND A 13 YR OLD SON. SO SAD. SHE WAS ON HER WAY TO A PROGRAM AND SHE THOUGHT JUST ONE MORE TIME. THIS IS MY THINKING. IT WAS THE LAST. SHE LOVED TO DO GHB AND I TOLD HER THAT IT WOULD KILL HER IF SHE DIDN'T STOP. I HATE BEING RIGHT. GHB IS THE WORST FROM WHAT I CAN SEE. I AM A RECOVERING ADDICT MYSELF. THANKS FOR THE WEB SITE. I NEEDED TO JUST GET SOME OF MY THOUGHT OUT. THIS HAS HELPED. SINCERELY MELISSA

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See other comments submitted since 1998

Articles

This newsletter's feature article re-directs you to Luke Cyphers 3-part feature in the New York Times Daily newspaper regarding Sports and Supplements. 

• Part I - Supplements, Part 1: Bitter Pills Swallow Sports

• Part II - Supplements, Part II: Speed Demons - Ephedra striking users fast and furiously

• Part III - Supplements, Part III: Dose of Reality - GHB costs Mike Piazza a close friend and trainer

Should GHB be a prescription medicine? [18 votes total] Results from our last survey:
NO, more studies are needed as to safety(11)	61%
NO, too hard to enforce(3)	17%
NO, other reason.... [submit a comment through projectGHB.org](0)	0%
YES, but no off-label use(0)	0%
YES, the benefits outweigh the risks(3)	17%
YES, other reason.... [submit a comment through projectGHB.org](1)	6%

We would like to feature your article here  
Send your submissions to ghbnews@projectGHB.org 
[ top ]

Questions Answered

A man from Seattle writes:

My wife is a 44 year old amateur bodybuilder who has been taking GHB for 5 years: she entered detox and then a rehab facility in April.... While there she met a gay woman who was also in treatment and they became close friends. On their release my wife started hanging out with this woman and within a week announced that she is gay and is leaving the family: her behavior with this woman... exactly mirrors her use of GHB and it appears she has replaced one addiction (G) with another (infatuation) and the lack of clear thinking (this is all despite the warnings of her therapist and friends that she is making an emotional decision based on a short term "recovery" 60 days yesterday) have us all afraid that she will relapse.

She has now been out for 5 weeks and although she is "clean" her thought processes and memory are very poor. Is there any evidence of physiological damage to long term GHB users?

Trinka Porrata Answers: 

Dear T...,

Withdrawal and recovery from GHB is long-term for many people. This is one of the most difficult drugs to escape from. Many go through multiple relapses. A lot of things may be in play here. GHB stimulates sexually oriented behavior and sometimes even a loss of gender issues. We've had rape victims who had vague recall (or no recall but videos surfaced) of same-sex encounters while dosed with GHB; they were distressed because this was clearly inconsistent behavior for them. Obviously that was a passing incident.

We have also had GHB addicts who became obsessed with sexual issues, from simply being literally horny all the time to obsessing with making 976 calls or hanging out at strip clubs, etc. We have had a couple of indications of suddenly becoming involved with same sex activities though no prior history of such conduct. Many, many lose interest in sex for weeks or months after detoxing. This is usually transitional and passes with time. Many go through a period of days to many months of depression and/or anxiety and do make poor decisions. Many are in poor health (poor eating habits, chemical abuse, etc.) after long term abuse of GHB; getting them really healthy again is often difficult since they lack motivation for awhile. So many factors are involved and we are all in the learning mode about this bizarre drug. Not enough is known about long term issues, but it seems that in some cases the "visible" damage is often related to overdoses as opposed to directly from chronic abuse. Other conditions seem to involve the chronic abuse.......research is really just getting started on this.

I'm attaching an article* about withdrawal issues. It includes the names of our five doctors. You or her counselor could contact any of them for further guidance. Dr. Miotto or Zvosec......any of the five might be helpful. I hope things work out; please keep us up to date if we can help in any further way. I'd gladly talk with her if that would be useful at any time, etc.

Trinka

*the full text of the article noted above can be found at ProjectGHB.org/

Editor's note:  Pop on over to the GHB addiction and withdrawal message board to see how GHB addiction has affected many people in many different ways. Also, 

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