1,4-Butanediol CAS 110-63-4

1,4-butanediol (BD) is an industrial chemical, and is illicitly used as a substitute to gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). BD and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) are structurally similar to GHB and there is a large body of evidence to confirm that GBL and BD are converted to GHB after oral administration.

BDO has similar pharmacological effects to GHB in part because it is readily converted into GHB by the body’s own natural process. GHB is present in the central nervous system in very small concentrations; it is a metabolite of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Scientific data suggest that GHB can function as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in the brain. It produces dose-dependent depressant effects similar to those of the barbiturates and methaqualone. Low doses of BD/GHB produce drowsiness, nausea, and visual distortion.