Ganciclovir sodium

Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), also known as 4-hydroxybutanoic acid, is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter and a psychoactive drug. It is a precursor to GABA, glutamate, and glycine in certain brain areas. GHB has been used in a medical setting as a general anesthetic, to treat conditions such as insomnia, clinical depression, narcolepsy, and alcoholism, and to improve athletic performance.

Chemistry

GHB is a hydroxy acid and four-carbon compound with the chemical formula C4H8O3. It exists in pH-dependent equilibrium with its corresponding lactone, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).

Pharmacology

GHB is a central nervous system depressant used as an intoxicant. It has many street names. Its effects have been described anecdotally as comparable to alcohol and ecstasy, but also unlike either of those substances. GHB is also produced as a result of fermentation, and is found in small quantities in some beers and wines.

Medical use

In the medical field, GHB is used in the treatment of narcolepsy and more rarely alcoholism although its use for alcoholism is not supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Legal status

GHB is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, and is similarly controlled in many other countries. It is classified as a Class C drug in the United Kingdom.

See also

• Gamma-Aminobutyric acid
• Gamma-Butyrolactone
• 1,4-Butanediol