title: Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) withdrawal: a case report.
abstract: GHB is an increasingly popular drug of abuse that can be associated in select cases with growing dependence and a severe withdrawal syndrome. While benzodiazepines are recommended for treatment of the withdrawal syndrome, some cases have been described as benzodiazepine-resistant. The authors describe treatment of such a case, which was unsuccessfully treated initially with benzodiazepines, then successfully treated with adjuvant atypical neuroleptics, and offer a possible neurochemical explanation for why such agents may be theoretically more effective than benzodiazepines in treating GHB withdrawal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. mbennett@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: W R Murray
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Lawrence G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Roy-Byrne
mesh_terms: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D000077152:Olanzapine; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D001569:Benzodiazepines; C111420:4-hydroxybutyric acid; D000077152:Olanzapine