GHB: general

GHB is sold as a powder that users dissolve in liquid before drinking it [1]. It produces dose-dependent depressant effects similar to those of barbiturates and methaqualone [1]. At low doses it causes drowsiness, nausea, and visual distortion [1].

The compound occurs naturally in the human body in tiny amounts [2][3][4]; what's sold as a recreational drug or medication is manufactured, but it is the same compound [4]. As a depressant, it slows and calms activity in the nervous system [2].

Medically, GHB is the generic drug sodium oxybate [5], sold under the brand name Xyrem, an FDA-approved prescription medication [5]. It's approved by the FDA (2002) and the EMA (2005) [6], and used clinically to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in narcolepsy [6][4]. In Canada, doctors can prescribe it for narcolepsy [2]. Some countries also approve sodium oxybate for managing alcohol dependence [6].

Outside medical use, GHB is taken recreationally, particularly at dance clubs and raves, for its euphoric and calming effects, and by some for a belief that it builds muscle or causes weight loss [5]. It has also been labeled a date rape drug [7]. It was prohibited by the FDA in 1990 and is currently Schedule I in the United States [7]. It can also be produced in illegal labs and sold illegally [2].

There is no reliable data on this site's record for an established recreational dose or a known safe amount, on top of a nervous system that low doses already leave drowsy and nauseated [1] and slowed [2]. Anyone using it should plan around that gap: start far lower than feels sensible, don't use alone, and don't mix it with anything else that depresses breathing.

References

1. GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID — U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
2. GHB - Canada.ca — Government of Canada / Health Canada
3. γ-Hydroxybutyric acid — Wikipedia
4. GHB/GBL | Drug Science — Drug Science (UK)
5. GHB - Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid — Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
6. γ-hydroxybutyrate | Ligand page | IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY — IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY
7. Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate Toxicity - StatPearls — NCBI / StatPearls Publishing