Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0278080 (physical dependence)
 1,658 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The main objective in alcoholism therapy is to achieve and maintain abstinence and to prevent relapse. Pharmacotherapy may be necessary in treating persons who are not helped by group or psychosocial support alone. Among the substances experimented with in the past few years, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid has been effective in preventing alcohol withdrawal syndrome and in inducing a reduction in craving and an increase in the abstinence rate in treated alcoholics, in view of the alcohol-mimicking effects of the drug on the central nervous system. However, a possible development of craving for the drug and the risk of abuse and physical dependence have been reported in subjects who used gamma-hydroxybutyric acid for different reasons, including alcoholism therapy. The present review updates the existing differences in drug abuse behavior, side effects, and poisoning in the use of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in a treatment alcoholism program and in self nonclinical illicit use.
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PMID:Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid efficacy, potential abuse, and dependence in the treatment of alcohol addiction. 1086 62

Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) is a solvent that are part of many consumer products and in most countries can be legally purchased in the form of almost pure substance. After ingestion GBL is rapidly converted to gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). In recent years, GBL became a legal alternative to GHB, which is used widely since 1990s as a club drug and date rape drug. It is believed that abuse of GBL is not frequent in Europe, except for certain specific groups, mainly in urban centers in the west of the continent. We present a case of acute GBL poisoning with the withdrawal syndrome in 23-year-old man living in a rural area in eastern Poland. The patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because of coma of unknown origin. On admission erosions of the lips and mouth was seen. Ethyl alcohol was not present in blood sample, urine screening tests for drugs were negative. During his stay in the ICU patient required ventilatory support, was periodically agitated with muscular jerks and opisthotonos. The later medical history revealed that the patient from two years used GBL, which purchased as wheels cleaner. The tolerance developed, and the interruption of use of substance triggered symptoms of withdrawal. GBL abuse occurs in different social groups and is at risk for acute toxicity and the development of physical dependence.
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PMID:[Acute gamma-butyrolactone poisoning with withdrawal syndrome]. 2201 Apr 60