Princess Alexandra Hospital sees a four-fold increase in GHB presentations over past year
A major Queensland hospital says it is seeing users of the drug GHB almost daily, suffering from rapidly induced and "profound comas".
GHB or gamma-hydroxybutyrate is a nervous system depressant used recreationally as a party drug.
Toxicology Nurse Practitioner at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Benjamin Learmont, said there had been a four-fold increase in people presenting to emergency after using GHB, which is also known as liquid fantasy.
Six people presented after using GHB in January 2022.
Since, there has been a steady increase, with 25 people presenting at the hospital in December 2023.
Mr Learmont said that GHB users made up a quarter of drug and alcohol induced visits to the hospital's intensive care unit this year.
He said while the desired effects of GHB were "euphoria, increased sociability and an increased sexual libido", the drug was "extremely" dose and tolerance dependent.
"What we see is if someone has one millilitre too much of GHB, they get the unwanted effects," Mr Learmont said.
Benjamin Learmont says there needs to be greater public awareness about the drug. (Supplied)
"That's usually profound coma, which comes on rapidly. A lot of the times they may not be able to protect their airway or breathe on their own.
"When they're not able to protect their airway, they may breathe in and aspirate their vomit into their lungs."
A low heart rate, low blood pressure, and breathing rate issues are also common.
Addiction and withdrawal
The hospital has seen patients presenting with a severe addiction to the drug, using every few hours.
"The big warning sign that we see is that they're waking up through the night to re-dose …they can't function without it," Mr Learmont said.
He said people using to this extent could suffer from extreme withdrawals.
"Effects are similar to what we see with alcohol … but they come on much quicker, usually within hours -- that can be a severe agitated delirium, seizures and potentially be fatal," he said.
Mr Learmont said young people between the ages of 18-25 were most commonly using the drug.
He said while he understands risk taking was a usual part of young adult life, people should seriously reconsider using GHB.
"It's a very dangerous drug … my advice would be not to take it," he said.