Withdrawing from GHB

After 14 years of drug and alcohol abuse and two years of recovery intermittant with relapes, I went to phyc. for help and he proscribed prozac.  I have abstained now from alcohol for nine years now I think due to a 12 step program and prozac. During those nine years I have tried to get off of prozac but inevitably I would get back on due to depression (months at a time) that seemed too long to be called the blues.  Over a year ago, I friend recommended GHB to help inhance hormone production.  This is actually safer than HGH for long term use of HGH causes hormone production to shutdown while GHB is a setagouge (sic). I have been taking GHB every night now for more than a year.  Occasionally, it will be taken during the day. Interestingly, since I have been taking GHB, I have been able to stop taking prozac.  But I should have known due to my addictive behaviour once I started to take GHB that this was going to be trouble.  So this is where I am now.  I take about 20 grams of ghb a night.  I will wake up two or three times a night and take more ghb to sleep. If I don't I will be remain awake.  I want to get off of GHB and this is my plan for doing so: I will decrease the amount of GHB each night, go to bed later and wake up earlier so that sleeping will be easier.  I also want to start taking prozac again to help with any other side effects of withdrawal.  But the prozac will be taken while I am weening myself off of GHB.  I live in a foreign country where I have no access to an English speaking MD but have access to prozac, xanax, etc through the phamacies here.  I understand that for a better evaluation I need to see a health professional but with the information you have been given, what is your best advice on how to get off of GHB?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

GHB is not a medication I prescribe so I do not have any first hand knowledge about this.  What I do know is that you have to do this very slowly, and carefully, so if you are going to wean yourself, do it over a period of 3-4 weeks.  Starting Prozac simultaneously is a good idea.