GHB
gamma-hydroxybutyrate: sodium oxybate, a potent CNS depressant that is a metabolic product of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is currently used for treatment of narcolepsy and management of alcohol withdrawal, and in some countries (although not the United States), it has been used as an intravenous general anesthetic. It is commonly encountered as a drug of abuse that produces euphoria and sedation and purportedly enhances sexual arousal. Its ability to induce amnesia or unconsciousness has led it to be characterized as a date-rape drug. Signs of severe toxicity may occur at levels greater than 40 to 60 mg/kg, and deaths have been reported, usually when the substance is mixed with alcohol. Withdrawal syndromes, characterized by anxiety, tremor, confusion, and rarely seizures, have also been reported. U.S. trade name: Xyrem.