GHB half-life
Controlled human work and sodium oxybate labeling support a short GHB elimination half-life, while also showing nonlinear or capacity-sensitive behavior at some exposures.
Every curve begins at 100%. No dose or measured body concentration is assumed.
X-axis: elapsed time. Y-axis: modeled percentage of the relative starting point remaining. This is a mathematical visualization, not a personal concentration estimate.
GHB: evidence and interpretation notes
Why the time course needs context
Controlled human work and sodium oxybate labeling support a short GHB elimination half-life, while also showing nonlinear or capacity-sensitive behavior at some exposures. The 45-minute line is an educational approximation rather than a toxicity timer.
The visual model centers on GHB at 45 minutes. Nothing in the calculation adjusts for dose history, organ function, interactions, tolerance, or a study’s sampling method.
GHB has a short half-life and a steep modeled curve, but its clinical and forensic interpretation is complicated by endogenous presence, rapid changes, and context-specific measurement.
The 0.75 hour value shows why most of the simple modeled decline occurs quickly. That does not answer questions about impairment, toxicity, withdrawal, or sample interpretation.
The entry cites clinical toxicology, human pharmacokinetic/excretion work, a sodium oxybate label, and the compound record.
This page is not emergency guidance. Suspected poisoning requires immediate local emergency or poison-control support.
For GHB, a short modeled curve does not make interpretation simple. Central nervous system depression, combinations, tolerance, and clinical toxicity can diverge from the displayed percentage remaining.
What each source contributes
- Busardo FP et al. The clinical toxicology of GHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol (2012). This supporting literature record adds compound-specific background and is used only within the limits of its design.
- Thai D et al. Pharmacokinetics and excretion of GHB in healthy subjects (2004). This human pharmacokinetic record adds measured route, analyte, and population context and does not become a universal result.
- DailyMed: Sodium oxybate oral solution. This product label adds formulation-specific pharmacokinetic context and does not represent every route or product.
- PubChem: gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid. This identity record confirms names and compound identity and does not supply a human half-life.
For GHB, the numerical model is tied most closely to Busardo FP et al. The clinical toxicology of GHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol (2012). As a supporting literature record, it adds compound-specific background; it is used only within the limits of its design.
Why there is no range on the chart
This profile plots 0.75 hours for GHB without adding an unsourced high-low band. A single supported center is more honest than manufacturing a range from unrelated routes, populations, or formulations.
InterpretationReading the curve and its category context
Reading this curve
HalfLifeDB uses 45 min as a representative input for GHB. In the simplified model, about 0.0% remains after 24 hours and about 3% remains after five half-lives, or roughly 3.8 h.
This is a very fast curve. The useful lesson is not "gone instantly," but how quickly a parent-compound model can move from prominent to low remaining percentages. The curve is relative: it does not estimate a person's measured concentration, effects, impairment, or time to clearance.
depressant context
Depressant entries can be pharmacokinetically short while still raising practical interpretation questions about sedation, coordination, and combinations.
- Half-life is not a safe-activity or impairment clock.
- Repeated exposure and combinations are not modeled.
- Clinical or emergency concerns should not be handled with a calculator.
ComparisonTimeline checkpoints and nearby profiles
GHB timeline checkpoints
| Elapsed time | Modeled remaining | Reading note |
|---|---|---|
| 30 min | 63.0% | Meaningful modeled decline, not near-zero |
| 1 h | 39.7% | Meaningful modeled decline, not near-zero |
| 2 h | 15.7% | Long-tail portion of the model |
| 6 h | 0.39% | Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee |
| 24 h | 0.00% | Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee |
Nearby profiles by half-life
These entries sit near GHB within the depressant group when sorted by representative half-life. That makes them curve comparisons, not statements about equal potency, effects, or risk.
No nearby published profiles are available in this category.
EvidencePharmacokinetic inputs and source trail
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
| Representative half-life | 45 min |
|---|---|
| Curve type | Normalized, first-order decline |
Selection note: Controlled human work and sodium oxybate labeling support a short GHB elimination half-life, while also showing nonlinear or capacity-sensitive behavior at some exposures. The 45-minute line is an educational approximation rather than a toxicity timer.
Sources and evidence context
A linked record is not automatically proof of the displayed value. Study, labeling, review, and compound identity sources serve different purposes; notes below identify limitations when they are known.
- Research abstract Busardo FP et al. The clinical toxicology of GHB, GBL and 1,4-butanediol (2012).Supporting literature record. Its role and study design should be read from the linked source before applying any numerical finding.
- Research abstract Thai D et al. Pharmacokinetics and excretion of GHB in healthy subjects (2004).Direct pharmacokinetic context. Population, route, formulation, analyte, and sampling duration still determine how broadly the result can be applied.
- Official labeling DailyMed label: Sodium oxybate oral solution.Official U.S. product labeling used for formulation and labeled pharmacokinetic context; its statements apply to the described product.
- Identity record PubChem Compound Summary: gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid.Compound identity and naming record. It supplies chemistry context, not independent numerical support for the model.
BoundariesWhat this page cannot answer and where to continue
What this page does not answer
- It does not estimate impairment, intoxication, or fitness to drive.
- It does not predict urine, blood, saliva, or hair test results.
- It does not model repeated exposure, tolerance, withdrawal, or interactions.
- It does not replace clinician, pharmacist, toxicologist, or emergency guidance.
Continue with context
- All substance profiles
- Browse the depressant group
- Compare this curve
- Clearance and volume of distribution
- Bioavailability, route, and formulation
- Active metabolites and parent compounds
- First-order vs nonlinear kinetics
- Detection windows vs half-life
- Reading labels and source quality
Read the medical disclaimer, methodology, and research standards before using the model for comparison.