GHB tends to cause rapid unconsciousness at doses above 3500 mg, with single doses over 7000 mg often causing life-threatening respiratory depression, and higher doses still inducing bradycardia and cardiac arrest. Baclofen was first suggested as an adjunct because benzodiazepines do not affect GABAB receptors and therefore have no cross-tolerance with GHB while baclofen, which works via GABAB receptors, is cross-tolerant with GHB and may be more effective in alleviating withdrawal effects of GHB. Rats forced to consume massive doses of GHB will intermittently prefer GHB solution to water.
Listed Effects
This sexual subculture involves recreational drug users engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors under the influence of drugs, often within specific sub-groups. Party and play (PnP), also known as chemsex, pharmacosex, or wired play, refers to the practice of consuming drugs to enhance sexual activity. This analysis does not contradict instances when date rape drugs are used or sexual trafficking occurs; its focus is on actual prevalence of certain crimes relative to media coverage of it.editorializing For similar moral panics around social tensions manifesting via discussion of drugs and sex crime, researchers point to the opium scare of the late 19th century, in which "sinister Chinese" were said to use opium to coerce white women into sexual slavery. Although it is not sedating like other date rape drugs, it has been used to facilitate sexual assault. Law enforcement manuals describe it as one of the drugs most commonly implicated in drug-facilitated sexual assaults.
Risks And Side Effects
As a List 1 chemical, people who buy or sell GBL must be registered with the DEA to monitor for legitimate business use of GBL. It is included as a List 1 chemical on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as it is a precursor to the Schedule I controlled substance GHB. In a small number of reviewed cases (0.2-4.4%), GHB has been found to be linked to sexual assaults. It is commonly used as a substitute for alcohol at ‘raves’ or parties.
Dosing and effectsThe effects of ‘G’ will likely differ depending on your weight, size, metabolism, what you’ve eaten, and any other drugs you have taken. Men were also anxious about their sexual performance, and as such, taking drugs can reduce these anxieties and enable them to enjoy sex more. A 2014 study found that one of the key reasons for taking drugs before and during sex was to boost sexual confidence and reduce feelings of self-doubt, regarding feelings of "internalised homophobia" from society, concerns about an HIV diagnosis, or "guilt related to having or desiring gay sex". The use of drugs like mephedrone, GHB/GBL, and crystal meth before or during sex, can have physical effects. The psychedelic phenethylamine 2C-B was once sold commercially under the brand name "Erox" for use at low doses as a sexual enhancer in Germany.

Recreational Use
When they are sold as drugs they are usually sold as an odourless, colourless, oily liquid in small bottles or capsules and they both taste slightly salty. But both can kill and are particularly dangerous when used with alcohol and other depressant or sedative substances. These withdrawal symptoms are especially likely if the user runs out of the drug and has to suddenly stop taking it. We don’t yet know what the effects are on the brain from taking these drugs repeatedly.

Is GHB/GBL/1,4-BD Illegal?

GHB (Xyrem) was approved by the FDA in 2002 for use in the treatment of narcolepsy/Cataplexy . In the 1970's was recommended for the treatment of narcolepsy, though the euphoric side of GHB made that unfavourable. Throughout most of the 1960's it was a popular anaesthetic, then was abandoned by doctors, following discoveries of its poor analgesic effects. Throughout much of the 1960's it was a popular anaesthetic, but was abandoned by doctors following discoveries of its poor analgesic effects . These have contributed to wariness of the drug, and it has waned in popularity across the last 10 years. During the 1980's it was marketed as a fat burner and muscle developer and interest was stirred in the body-building/steroid using community to enhance the body's production of growth hormone.
Physical Effects
It is a naturally occurring substance found in the human central nervous system, as well as in wine, beef, small citrus fruits, and in small amounts in almost all animals. At room temperature GBL is a colourless, slightly oily liquid that is clear to semi-opaque. GHB has a medical use in the treatment of narcolepsy, while GBL has a legitimate use as a stain remover, rust remover, alloy cleaner, superglue remover and as a paint stripper . GBL is converted to GHB shortly after entering the body.

GBL Side Effects
As of 2025 there are penalties for possessing, selling or driving under the influence of the substance, but can be handled with a permit. When combined with alcohol the increased sedation and risk of vomiting results in a high risk of fatality. Due to the fact that those with limited chemistry knowledge can make GBL with easy-to-get precursors, it has become quite popular among young people in French nightclubs. GBL is a prodrug of GHB (naturally produced) and its recreational use comes entirely as a result of this.
Possession of the substance for consumption without license from the Department of Health is illegal with a HK$1,000,000 fine and/or 7 years of jail time. The penalty for trafficking or manufacturing the substance is a HK$5,000,000 fine and life imprisonment. Anyone who supplies the substance without prescription can be fined HK$10000. GHB withdrawal is not widely discussed in text books and as a result most psychiatrists are not familiar with this withdrawal syndrome.
Endogenous Production By The Body
From 1996 to 1999, 22 reports of GHB being used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults were made to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Although Rohypnol's use in drug-facilitated sexual assaults has been covered extensively in the news media, researchers disagree about how common such use actually is. Rohypnol is believed to be commonly used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults in the United States, the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe, Asia and South America. Benzodiazepines are often used in drug-facilitated sexual assaults, with the most notorious being flunitrazepam (chemical name) or Rohypnol (proprietary or brand name), also known as "roofies," "rope," and "roaches." Zolpidem (Ambien) is one of the most common date-rape drugs according to the U.S. The increase of sexual assaults on college campuses has been attributed to the social expectations of students to participate in alcohol consumption; social norm dictates that students drink heavily and engage in casual sex.
Effets Comparés Du GBL Et Du GHB
- Sites of action of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)-a neuroactive drug with abuse potential.
- A milliliter of pure GBL metabolizes to the equivalent 1.65 g of NaGHB, the common form, so doses are measured in the single milliliter range, either taken all at once or sipped over the course of a night.
- A review comparing ethanol to GHB concluded that the dangers of the two drugs were similar.
- GHB and GBL is most commonly taken orally in liquid form; the powder is not commonly snorted, but dissolved in fluid.
- Throughout much of the 1960's it was a popular anaesthetic, but was abandoned by doctors following discoveries of its poor analgesic effects .
Take care and wait at least two hours before re-dosing. If you are not sure whether you have GHB, GBL or 1,4-BD, then always dose it as if it is GBL. 1,4-BD is usually taken as a liquid, shaken immediately before being taken to make sure it is evenly distributed.
Using GBL to help with the comedown of stimulants may lead to a cycle of dependence on both drugs. Taking GBL along with alcohol can lead to serious side effects. The effect of GBL in combination with other drugs, including over-the-counter (OTC) or prescribed medication, is unpredictable.

It is crucial to remember that, once dependence on GBL is established, quitting “cold turkey” can lead to serious health risks and even death. Everyday use can result in a heightened tolerance to, and dependence on, the drug. GBL can be addictive, especially if the drug is used regularly for a period of weeks or months. GBL abuse potential broadly mimics that of GHB, taking into account that it exerts its effects only after conversion into GHB.
It will help you navigate the complicated process of GHB withdrawal, but it doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to drug use. If you are experiencing withdrawal GHB, it’s crucial to first get an accurate assessment of all the symptoms. Now we learned what is GBL drug, and how GBL drug is converted (metabolized) into GHB in the body. Other symptoms of withdrawal include confusion, insomnia, delirium, and hallucinations. When dependence begins, it tends to result in strong cravings, depressed moods, insomnia, and anxiety unless the user takes a dose every few hours. GBL currently represents a growing public health issue since the substance is relatively cheaper and easier to obtain than GHB.