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Terror on the Fly....
Diphenhydramine, Alcohol & GBL Withdrawal
Citation:   Atomized. "Terror on the Fly....: An Experience with Diphenhydramine, Alcohol & GBL Withdrawal (exp36679)". Erowid.org. Sep 18, 2006. erowid.org/exp/36679

 
DOSE:
300 mg oral Diphenhydramine (pill / tablet)
    repeated oral Diphenhydramine (pill / tablet)
    oral Alcohol (liquid)
BODY WEIGHT: 200 lb
We had recently run out of lactone (GBL), as it had recently become a controlled substance. I was, frankly, using too much of it for several months, and had started to suffer withdrawal symptoms--shaking, minor hallucinations, feeling generally anxious, accelerated heart rate. This likely exacerbated the effects.

I suggested to my roommate that we go to the store and get some benadryl, as it had always helped me sleep in the past. This was to be a grand mistake. We got a 48 pack of 25 mg benadryl....I am uncertain of how many I took, although it was at least 12 initially.

After about 90 mins (my time frame is uncertain, but we have largely pieced it together after the fact) I began to have severe hallucinations. I was staring at a wine box (the kind you get from the liquor store that hold 12 bottles of wine) and was convinced that it was full of mice and cockroaches, and that they were somehow creating some sort of synergistic breeding process. I asked my roomie to take the box out to the trash, and he did--I was revolted that he could even pick it up. Shortly after that (30 mins?) I began hearing loud noises that seemed to be emanating from outside our apt. door, and I thought it was the FBI, trying to beat down the door--my roommate, sick of hearing my paranoid blathering, left the door open for about an hour--the entire time I was essentially cowering on the couch in terror.

He re-entered the front room, saw me, and shut the door...at some point during this period, I took more benadryl, and did catch a bit of fitful sleep. He left to get some beer and a bottle of gin, and the entire time he was gone, I basically sat on the couch fearfully, passing in and out of consciousness. When he returned with the alcohol, I drank a fairly considerable amount, and returned to sanity for a time, albeit drunk sanity (I have no idea what caused this). The next morning was Easter; I had 'sobered' up and returned to my delusional state, and I for some reason was watching religious programming and thought that my ashtray was somehow magnetically/spritually driving my cigarette away from it. Then, when I grabbed the ashtray it felt as if it had warped in my hand. Shortly after that, I had the brilliant idea of calling my mother and announcing a religious experience--if she had any inkling of my delusion, I couldn't tell at the time.

Later that day, we went to a friend's apartment, and I wandered outside, evidently convinced that a bunch of my old high school friends were playing 'hide and seek' with me....resulting in me looking in a lot of car windows and such. After failing to find them, I retired to my friend's apartment and sat on the balcony smoking, when I saw the police patrolling the parking lot. I don't know if they were actually there or not, but it wouldn't surprise me if my actions caused them to come out.

That evening, my roommate acquired more alcohol, noting presciently that I seemed relatively sane under its influence--finally, I drank, fell asleep, and became normal enough to take my finals, which happened to be in two days.

The experience convinced me to never touch GHB, GBL, or diphenhydramine again (other than for legitimate allergy purposes, at the suggested dose).

I recommend that no one ever follow my example, although I'm sure that someone will be stupid enough to. It is a very unsettling feeling to be completely insane, and hallucinatory, and yet have some small part of my mind telling me that this isn't real. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Exp Year: 2000ExpID: 36679
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Sep 18, 2006Views: 19,864
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Diphenhydramine (109), GBL (89) : Difficult Experiences (5), Small Group (2-9) (17)

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