Using GHB to Mitigate Opiate Withdrawal

by Bilbo

We have a 27 year old daughter whom we love dearly. She has been away from home for about eight years, and recently it became apparent that she had become addicted to heroin. This was the result of a few years of smoking and of nasal insufflation. When we as a family confronted her and asked her permission to help her through whatever process was necessary to the ending of this addiction. She collapsed emotionally and said, "Yes, please do."

The reader will have to forgive me if I write this in less than an abstract and detached manner, as I am writing about our flesh and blood, for whom we would walk through fire, and whose life style had at times wounded us beyond that which we would have thought ourselves able to recover from. So great is love sometimes that it leaves us confused and yet willing to face undreamed depths of risk and pain. Thus we began the process of restoration of our family.

She had seen enough of the government and regulatory control and "strung-outness" that goes with methadone treatment, and wanted no part of that, (for which we were most grateful). Although she had a strong dread of the "great sickness" which surely was heading her way, she was bravely willing to "hole up" in our spare bedroom and endure whatever might be her lot. She had been sick before and loathed the prospect; yet loathed even more the continued slavery and premature death that would most likely be her portion otherwise.

I had read several mentions of the use of various substances useful in mitigating the effects of opiate withdrawal on newsgroups on the interned; among them LSD, ibogaine, and GHB. Because of several social and spiritual and family dynamics, and because of the availability of GHB, it seemed the likeliest of the possibilities.

I posted an inquiry to a individual I had read on one of the well known news groups who had mentioned GHB as an option to ibogaine. I asked for any references he might know of that mentioned any clinical protocols for the administration of GHB in opiate withdrawal. (While I acknowledge that the mechanisms of action for these two compounds could not be more disparate, GHB seemed the only likely candidate). In a couple of days this person replied with the abstract of a study from some Italian medical researchers which had used GHB as the agent for mitigation of symptoms of withdrawal.

I am currently unable to locate the specific research, which was originally published in an international journal of neuropsychiatry. However, the portion containing the meat of the issue I was interested in remains clear. The cohort of volunteers numbered, I believe, in the several of dozens. Those who received the GHB, rated their experience of withdrawal as greatly modified by the application of periodic doses of GHB during the course of the several days of withdrawal. The need for any additional medication for sleep, for nausea, and several of the other acute symptoms was greatly reduced or totally eliminated in the majority of persons undergoing treatment.

The protocol for the administration of GHB during the initial and acute phase of opiate withdrawal is as follows: 0.025 grams of GHB per kilogram of body weight given orally every 3 to 4 hours for the first three or four days, and then the same amount every 4 to 6 hours over the next 6 to 10 days. I, for instance, weigh about 210 #, or 95.5 kilograms. The desired dosage for me, therefore, would be just under 2.4 grams of GHB every dose period. A person would take his or her weight in pounds, divide that by 2.2 to get the weight in kilograms, and then multiply that product by .025 to obtain the desired dosage in grams.

A person would want to take the normal "sleeping dose" of GHB prior to bed time, and follow this with another full sleeping dose in middle of the night if awakening occurs. That amount for most people amounts to about 0.1 grams per kilogram. During this dosing schedule it is best if someone else is on hand to assist with getting to and from the bathroom if needed in case of difficulty in walking.

The object is not to render the individual unconscious, but rather to allow a modicum of activity and rest, while interrupting the acute symptoms of the withdrawal. In as much as these individuals have a demonstrated syndrome of dependence, it would be wise for the helpers to pre measure the day's dosages ahead of time and possibly label them or assign them to specific times for administration, thus eliminating the tendency toward seeking oblivion on the part of the patient.

My dear daughter specifically took me aside several days after her acute withdrawal phase was over, and told me that "in case I didn't realize it," she wanted me to know in no uncertain terms, that GHB was nothing short of a miracle for her. She initially wanted to have me make it available to several of her friends who had tried multiple times to "kick" unsuccessfully. As much as I would like to be a help to others, I decided that it would not be practical or prudent for me to become known as a supplier of this remarkable compound to a circle beyond my family and friends, however noble the purpose.

So at this time my only knowledge of the efficacy of GHB in the relief of acute symptoms of opiate withdrawal is by way of a two or three year old medical study, and of much more significance to me, my dear daughter's emergence from the dark and scary world of addiction to heroin.

It seems that many, who would be very glad to leave that slave master behind, are unable to do so out of fear of the physical and psychological punishment meted out to those who dare to rise up in pursuit of freedom. GHB offers a safe, non-toxic, and gentle guide for those who would take the underground railway to freedom in the 90s.

My dear daughter was home with us for Thanksgiving, and kindly consented to add a few remarks of a first hand and personal nature to this report:

GHB reduced my symptoms of heroin withdrawal to perhaps 1/10 of what I would normally have experienced. Having maintained a fairly sizable habit, (from one to two grams daily for several years) I had undergone painful withdrawal many times, and was nothing short of amazed at the mildness of detoxing with GHB.

My symptoms usually included nausea, cramping, headaches, sweating, watery eyes and nose, extreme sensitivity to light and pain, physical weakness, sleeplessness, and a general sense of restlessness and discomfort.

With GHB, however, I was relaxed, even at the point when symptoms are normally at their most intense, and had enough energy to take walks and do light work. Physical discomfort was mild. I had few aches or cramps, and enjoyed a healthy appetite. At night I was given a slightly larger dose, and slept comfortably and soundly for four to six hours at a time. I felt emotionally more stable than usual. Whether this was due to my secure environment, actually getting sleep, or a combination of the two, I cannot say. Notable to me was a marked reduction of the intense craving for heroin that usually accompanies "kicking".

I do not doubt that everyone's experience with GHB will vary slightly, but I found it to be remarkably beneficial. While I would heartily recommend it to anyone facing the pain and misery of heroin withdrawal, I would also suggest having competent support readily available for the first three or four days.