GHB, Gamma OH and addiction

GHB can be physically addictive and may result in psychological addiction. Physical dependence develops when GHB is taken on a regular basis (i.e. every 2-4 hours for multiple consecutive days or weeks). Withdrawal effects may include insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, tremors, sweating, loss of appetite, edginess, tachycardia, chest pain and tightness, muscle and bone aches, sensitivity to external stimuli (sound, light, touch), dysphoria, and mental dullness. These side effects will subside after 2 - 21 days depending on frequency of usage and the size of the doses used. In particularly severe cases, withdrawal from GHB may cause symptoms similar to acute withdrawal from alcohol or barbiturates (delerium tremens) and can cause convulsions and hallucinations.

Although there have been reported fatalities due to GHB withdrawal, reports are inconclusive and further research is needed. Unlike alcohol, there is no firm data that chronic use of GHB causes permanent damage to the body. In rats, no organ or brain damage was observed after chronic administration of GBL (a precursor to GHB).[1]

In cases of regular or prolonged GHB use and addiction, an additional withdrawal symptom is sometimes noted, consisting of a form of dyskinesia similar to tardive dyskinesia. This symptom often takes longer to dissipate than the immediate GHB withdrawal symptoms, possibly indicating a different mechanism of action from that of direct withdrawal such as change in the dopaminergic system or altered dopamine receptor levels. Dyskinesias may also occur concurrently with active GHB use in regular users (especially in those who co-administer the drug with amphetamines).