History and Pharmacology of y-Hydroxybutyric Acid

Montgomery County Coroners Office and Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory, 361 West Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402, USA 

A genetic disorder called GHB aciduria occurs when there is a deficiency of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase. Persons with this disorder have elevated concentrations of GHB in their blood, spinal fluid and urine (Gibson et al., 1998). The clinical manifestations of the increased GHB concentration can range from mild oculomotor problems and ataxia to severe psychomotor retardation, but it is most commonly characterized by mental, motor and language delay accompanied by hypotonia. 

Chromatographic Methods in Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology Edited by R. L. Bertholf and R. E. Winecker 2007 John Wiley Sons, Ltd 

The use of GHB by bodybuilders seemed harmless in theory until emergency room reports associated with GHB toxicity started to accumulate (Centers for Disease Control, 1990). Users soon discovered that GHB had a definite mood elevating quality and introduced 

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