Date Rape Drug- GBH- now approved for sale!

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

I would like you all to know that the drug that was banned because of

its 'date rate' status is back on the market as a CIII drug. It is

used for cataplexy, a condition associated with some narcolepsy

patients. Catplexy is the muscle weakness that may lead to sudden

sleep or paralyzed muscles. And example woud be the knees buckle and

the patient falls to the ground. I am cutting a pasting from

www.medterms.com the following and a bit from www.FDA.gov It should

be noted that aspecial order and prescription protocal will be in

place to prevent misuse and circulation of this powerful drug.

Stimulants and depressants have been used to counteract narcolepsy.

I learned about this drug being on the market as of July 17 02, from

my night student jose Ramos, who is doing a drug report on this drug

for his poster session presentation. I immediately recognized the

initials. It is being disguised as " sodium oxybate " that is not

recognized as the GBH by those still seeking it.

GBH is a strong depressant.

http://medterms.com/script/main/hp.asp#terms

http://medterms.com/script/main/Art.asp?li=MNI & ArticleKey=14015

FDA on July 17 approved sodium oxybate or gamma hydroxybutyrate also

known as GHB for treating a small population of patients with

narcolepsy who experience episodes of cataplexy, a condition

characterized by weak or paralyzed muscles. To be marketed under the

trade name Xyrem, the drug will be tightly restricted. In the early

1990s, GHB was also abused as a recreational drug and is well-known

for use in date rape. The drug has been designated as a Schedule III

controlled substance.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB): Known in Europe as Gamma-OH, gamma

hydroxybutyrate is a colorless and odorless drug used illicitly

for " recreational " purposes and for " date rape. " GBH is a central

nervous system depressant. It tends therefore to increase sociability

and function as something of a transient antidepressant.

Some persons who have sustained adverse effects of GHB have reported

being given the drug surreptitiously (e.g., having it slipped into

their drink), while others have admitted to intentional use.

GHB has been marketed as a liquid or powder and has been sold on the

street under numerous names such as " Grievous Bodily Harm, " " Georgia

Home Boy, " " Liquid Ecstasy, " " Liquid X, " " Liquid

E, " " GHB, " " GBH, " " Soap, " " Scoop, " " Easy Lay, " " Salty Water, " " G-

Riffick, " " Cherry Menth, " and " Organic Quaalude. "

In February, 2000, federal legislation was passed in U.S. that

toughened the penalties for the distribution and possession of drugs

used in date rapes. The principal drug covered by the law was GHB. A

few drops of GHB added to a drink are enough to make the victim lose

consciousness within 15-20 minutes. At the time GHB had been

implicated in more than 5,700 recorded cases of overdose and in at

least 57 deaths.

The combination of GHB with alcohol or other CNS depressants is

especially deadly. A teaspoon (5 cc) of GHB mixed with alcohol can

render a person unconscious and drastically depress respiration

within 20 minutes of ingesting it. The use of GHB can also be

physically addictive.

In the U.S., GHB has been produced clandestinely in widely varying

degrees of purity. " Liquid " GHB varies in concentration according to

preparation. Improper preparation of GHB can result in a mixture of

GHB and sodium hydroxide that can be severely toxic because of the

combined effects of the GHB and the direct caustic effects of sodium

hydroxide.

GHB increases dopamine levels in the brain and has effects through

the endogenous opioid system; most GHB is excreted during the first

hours after ingestion.

The features of acute GHB toxicity include coma, seizures,

respiratory depression, and vomiting. Other documented effects of GHB

include amnesia and hypotonia (associated with doses of 10 mg/kg body

weight); a normal sequence of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM

sleep (doses of 20-30 mg/kg body weight); and anesthesia (doses of

approximately 50 mg/kg body weight). Doses of >50 mg/kg body weight

can decrease cardiac output and produce severe respiratory

depression, seizure-like activity, and coma.

There is no antidote for GHB overdose, and treatment is restricted to

nonspecific supportive care. Patients have required urgent emergency

care; many of those hospitalized have required ventilatory support

and intensive care.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the U.S. Department of

Justice has issued the following statement: " Gamma Hydroxybutyrate

(GHB), known as liquid x, Georgia home boy, Goop, gamma-oh, and

grievous bodily harm, is a central nervous system depressant abused

for its ability to produce euphoric and hallucinatory states and its

alleged ability to release a growth hormone and stimulate muscle

growth. Although GHB was originally considered a safe and " natural "

food supplement and was sold in health food stores, the medical

community soon became aware that it caused overdoses and other health

problems. GHB can produce drowsiness, dizziness, nausea,

unconsciousness, seizures, severe respiratory depression, and coma.

GHB can be found in liquid form or as a white powdered material. It

is taken orally and is frequently combined with alcohol. Abusers

include high school and college students and rave party attendees who

use GHB for its intoxicating effects. Some body builders also abuse

GHB for its alleged anabolic effects. Several cases have documented

the use of GHB to incapacitate women for the commission of sexual

assault. being considered. "

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT

pharmacy Tech Educator