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Fun but Take Care
GBL
Citation:   AliciaD. "Fun but Take Care: An Experience with GBL (exp70241)". Erowid.org. Oct 17, 2020. erowid.org/exp/70241

 
DOSE:
1.2 - 4 ml oral GBL (liquid)
BODY WEIGHT: 150 lb
I have been using GBL for about a year and a half now after researching it thoroughly online and then ordering it form a recommended source online. I’ve had occasional breaks of up to 2 weeks but I’d say overall I use about 2ml a night on average 3 nights a week, unless I use it on a night out when I’ll use up to about 4ml over the course of the night. I wanted to write this report as an honest and detailed personal insight into using this substance, the risks, the benefits, addictive potential etc.

Finding my limit: I’d taken some time to find the amount I am comfortable with and then make sure I –stick to it- whatever the circumstances. When I first started using GBL I tested out my limits carefully in a safe environment taking a dose of 0.5ml at a time and topping up after about an hour although I find the peak experience is reached after about 20-30 minutes. For me the effects last about 2 hours and I usually wait that long when out in a club before re-dosing. I now usually take about 1.2ml to start off with on a night and top up with 1ml doses when needed. This usually provides a relaxed open and sometimes euphoric experience, especially when listening to music and socialising with people. I much prefer the feeling to alcohol as it seems to provide all the benefits (confidence, elevated mood etc) without the loss of control either physically or emotionally. I somehow feel drunk but with a clear mind - I can’t explain it any other way really. Taking too much is overwhelming and I just pass out as if I’d been given anaesthetic.

Benefits: At first I was enchanted with this substance. It seemed to give an instant and natural-feeling lift, energy, sociability and appreciation of people and music without any form of comedown or hangover the next day. For the first few months I fell into the habit of using it practically every night whether alone or with friends, and I totally stopped using any alcohol, finding it to be a poor substitute to GBL. I saved a lot of money too, I couldn’t believe how much I save on nights out when I stop drinking! Also, I I felt that taking GBL made me feel healthier in general, my mood improved even when not on the substance, I lost weight (not an large amount maybe 3 or 4 pounds), I had better muscle tone, and more energy. After a work out (I regularly do martial arts) I found that my muscles seemed to recover much quicker if I had a dose of GBL after training and this is an effect that still persists today.

Problems: After a few months of taking GBL practically every night I noticed a number of negative effects which began to appear.
After a few months of taking GBL practically every night I noticed a number of negative effects which began to appear.
When I was not actually high on GBL my mood was either very ‘flat’ or I became deeply depressed and eventually saw a doctor about it, not thinking or maybe not wanting to attribute this change of mood to the drug. I must mention that I had been prone to depressive episodes in the past, but never as bad as the one I fell into about 5 months into using GBL. I also started to find that when I took the drug I would experience a deep aching pain in my lower back. Taking the substance over a longer period of time (say 6 hours in a club) started to give me tingling and shooting electrical feelings in my limbs and fingers which were very unpleasant. I decided to quit the substance once I admitted to myself that it was doing me no good. I poured the rest of my ‘stash’ away and waited to see if it would help. This is where the nasty side of the substance became apparent.

Addiction/Withdrawal: For me personally the first night after quitting GBL after taking it regularly is perfectly fine and normal and I think that maybe you’ve escaped any negative effects (I’ve been through this about 3 or 4 times now) then the next day the withdrawal kicks in. I got involuntary and quite noticeable tremors and twitches in all my limbs over 2-3 days, I found it impossible to sleep the next night, maybe catching about 2 hours in total, but this gets better quite quickly, I was irritable and sickly feeling, restless and emotional. My depression remained the same for about 2 weeks, which I guess is what it took for my body’s chemistry to adjust back to normal, and I’m very glad it did as at the time I was worried I’d done myself some permanent damage. I felt a definite craving for GBL during this time, firstly to take away the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and after that I missed the high when I was out with friends and at first felt withdrawn and isolated without the boost of confidence that I’d come to rely on.

I started and stopped using GBL many times over the next year or so until now and much of its magic has worn off. I now have to wait about a week or so between doses if I want to recapture anything close to the euphoria it caused during those first few months. I also limit myself now only taking big doses may once a month on a night out to recapture the good effects.

Combinations with other drugs:

Cannabis – The stimulant effect of the GBL seems to cancel out a significant amount of the feeling, and I find I don’t really enjoy smoking it whilst on GBL as it seems like a bit of a waste of green.

Alcohol – You shouldn’t really ever mix the two, but after about a year of use I cautiously tried mixing the two in very controlled amounts. All it does for me is create a sick sort of combination of the two highs that leaves me feeling very ill. It is very dangerous to mix GBL with any other depressant.

MDMA – I have used GBL coming down after one MDMA experience hoping it would let me get some sleep. I did fall asleep/pass out but woke up an hour or so later tingling severely all over and gasping for breath which scares me a lot as I think my breathing must have been so shallow that my body woke me up in a panic. I also used GBL again during another MDMA experience whilst at a club and it was very enjoyable but also extremely intense.

In summary, its very easy to slip into the habit of taking it everyday and I can’t imagine how much worse withdrawal is like for people who start to take it every few hours :(

This is what I would have wanted to read before I started using it.

Exp Year: 2006ExpID: 70241
Gender: Female 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Oct 17, 2020Views: 1,690
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GBL (89) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Various (28)

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Experience Reports are the writings and opinions of the authors who submit them. Some of the activities described are dangerous and/or illegal and none are recommended by Erowid Center.


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