GHB Letter

Steven Fowkes, Director
Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute
PO Box 4029
Menlo Park, CA 94026

Dear Mr Fowkes:

I understand that you will be testifying before the governmental authorities on the indications, contraindications, and safety of gamma hydroxy butyrate.

A word about my qualifications. I am certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both general psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. I graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1969 and have been in active medical practice since that time.

I have been recommending and prescribing gamma hydroxy butyrate for selected individuals for the past approximately 5 years. I have followed the experience of over 100 individuals who have taken this substance on a repeated basis.

The main indications for recommending or prescribing this substance, I have found, are for the treatment of intractable insomnias, some cases of excessive daytime sleepiness disorder, and as an aid in chemical dependency withdrawal states. Dosages have ranged from 750 mg. to 2 grams generally administered at bedtime. The most common side-effect is nausea and lightheadedness. These side-effects appear to be largely dose-dependent and can usually be eliminated by dose adjustment. I know of one case of accidental overdose in which a 35 year old female took approximately 30 grams of a powdered preparation she had purchased at a health food store and became unconscious. She was taken to an emrgency room where it was determined that she had been drinking alcohol at the same time and had a significant level of blood ethanol. She was apparently non-arousable for approximately 30 minutes and recovered fully with no sequelae.

It is my experience that gamma hydroxy butyrate fills a therapeutic need unmet by any other medication or substance. I would strongly support its classification as an available prescription substance.

Sincerely,

Alan P. Brauer, M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Stanford University School of Medicine