GHB and GBL: Chems Support

AKA: G and Gina

GHB and GBL cause a feeling of euphoria and reduced inhibitions. However, they can be very dangerous. It’s easy to accidentally overdose. This can lead to “going under” on the dance-floor, putting you at risk of date-rape, or a medical emergency.

It’s easy to become physically addicted. This means people may need to dose hourly to avoid withdrawal symptoms. If this happens it’s important not to stop the drug suddenly and go cold turkey. Keep taking the drug, and seek professional advice.

 Tips

• Always measure out your own dose.
• A commonly used dose would be between 0.5ml and 1ml.
• Never dose again within the same 2 hour period.
• Use a measured dropper bottle or syringe to measure your doses. Never just pour it casually into a cup, never drink from the bottle or someone else’s drink.
• Avoid mixing with alcohol and ketamine as this increases your chance of ‘going under’.
• If you use GHB or GBL over a long weekend you may feel anxious, sweaty, shaky or unable to sleep the week after. These are the first signs of dependence and addiction. Resist the urge to take more GHB or GBL and try to ride out these early signs with rest and stress-free activities.

GHB and GBL are not the same thing; 

GBL is converted by your body into GHB. It’s important to understand the difference as it affects how you dose the drug.

GBL is the most commonly used form, and the one you are most likely to find available on the internet. Often sold as a liquid cleaning solvent. Concentrations of GBL bought on the internet rarely vary enough to cause concern for dosing.

GHB is less commonly available than GBL. It can be sold as a powder to mix with water. Pre-mixed GHB is often called liquid GHB. The concentration of the drug in liquid GHB can vary enormously. This can be very dangerous so be extremely careful. Don’t assume anything. Carefully check the concentration with your source before calculating your dosage. 2.5ml of liquid GHB might be a safe dose to start with but there are no guarantees. Be sure that it is GHB and not GBL you are using, as a 2.5ml dose of GBL could be fatal. 

DEPENDENT GHB and GBL USE

If you are using GHB or GBL multiple times daily, for more than 2 weeks, you should continue taking your GHB or GBL in regular amounts at regular time intervals. You should not stop cold turkey without advice. It is advisable that you are assessed for a medically supervised detox. Below is a list of the London services that provide GHB or GBL detoxes. If your borough is not listed come to see us at 56 Dean Street Chemsex support and we will explore options for you.

Tri borough (westminster – kensington & chelsea – hammersmith & fulham)

Club drug clinic

Barking & dagenham

Red lion service

Barnet

Wpd – barnet recovery centre

Bexley

The pier road project

Brent

Wpd – brent recovery & wellbeing service

Bromley

Bdas  – bromley drug and alcohol service

Camden and islington

Grip club drugs service

City of london

Wdp

Croydon

Croydon recovery network

Ealing

Cgl – ealing rise

Enfield

Enable – enfield drug and alcohol service

Greenwich

Cgl – aspire greenwich

Hackney

Hackney recovery service

Haringey

The grove

Harrow

Wpd – harrow recovery service

Havering

Wpd – havering

Hillingdon

Wpd – arch

Honslow

Ihear partnership

Kingston 

Kingston wellbeing service

Lambeth

Chemclinic

Lewisham

Cgl – lewisham

Merton 

Wdp – merton

Newham

Cgl – newham rise

Redbridge 

Wdp – redbridge

Richmond 

Richmond integrated recovery service

Southwark

Cgl

Tower hamlets

Reset

Waltham forest

Cgl – waltham forest

Wandsworth

Wandsworth community drug and alcohol service