posted February 09, 2000 12:17 PM            

READ THIS AND I THINK WE COULD DRAW AN LINE OVER THIS CASE...or ??

Make no mistake, GHB can cause pain, expense, and tragedy if misused. You, of course, are not going to misuse it.

Many sources do report toxic and dangerous effects [37,38], [48], [70], but these are nearly inevitably caused by coingestion of other drugs (often alcohol), massive overdoses, or highly impure product. Others report effects that are inconsistent with many years of research and observation, and appear entirely fanciful [60].

ADDICTION
If you consider yourself "addicted" to chocolate, driving fast, or pro wrestling, you might find yourself in the same state with GHB. Physiological addiction, on the other hand, appears largely absent, as demonstrated by the above studies and others. Users have sometimes reported adverse physiological effects, but these resolve in 3-12 days without sequelae [33], and seem localized to users of very high or frequent doses (an figure often casually tossed out is 30g/day)

My recommendation is to restrict yourself (unless you are under medical supervision or another structured program of therapeutic use) to two doses a day, no more than four days a week, and I would consider even that to be quite excessive.

OTHER DANGERS
PLEASE, FOR MY SAKE IF NOT THAT OF YOUR OWN PRECIOUS LIFE, DO NOT EVER TAKE GHB AND ALCOHOL WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF EACH OTHER! The same goes for any tranquilizer or depressant.

Finally, I must note one more circumstance under which GHB can be wildly dangerous: when it is not GHB. Thanks to its governmental prohibition, most GHB now comes from what the FDA calls "clandestine labs" [13], but clandestine kitchens might be closer. Sodium hydroxide, used in GHB synthesis, is essentially lye, and there is at least one case of serious lung injury caused GHB that contained significant quantities

How much should I take?

First, seriously consider "none." GHB may be "clean*"; GHB may be safer and less toxic than alcohol; GHB may be a generally benign drug - but it is still a drug and the decision to put it into your brain should be made with respect and caution. I intend to provide the information to ensure that those who choose to employ it can do so safely, but I do not want to make it seem too casual.

If you have decided to try it, the first step is to find your dose. I will express doses in grams*, although the most readily available way to measure liquid is by volume (usually teaspoons*) from a liquid solution of known concentration. This is yet another reason to make your own GHB. After performing the synthesis, you should know exactly how much you have, and can then dissolve it in water and dilute it to any volume you please, setting up a ratio to determine how much is in any one measure.

Begin on a day when you have taken no other drugs, have several hours to spare, and can count on someone to look after you and know how to react if you doze (answer: turn you face-down and leave you alone). Take no more than 1g, and for several hours observe the effects carefully.

If you desire something stronger, and do not feel yourself irresistibly tranquilized, the next night you can increase the dose by a gram, and continue until you reach an optimal level. Many people do use it as a sleep aid; Mamelak et al. determined that it is "potentially useful for the large number of patients who have difficulty falling asleep but who once asleep are able to remain so."[4]

A note on "dose-boosting" - GHB takes 15-30 minutes to begin to manifest and may take over an hour to come to full strength. It is important to refrain from trying to increase its effects by taking more. You will be making such a decision with clouded judgment to begin with, and by the time the combined doses reach peak blood levels they may be more than you can handle.

posted February 09, 2000 05:09 PM            

Please don't try to respond....I've had enough laughing for one day!!!

posted February 09, 2000 06:54 PM            

Wait..... can you smell that?
There's a lot of love in this room.
-John Candy
"Delirious"