Treatment of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate Withdrawal in a Pregnant Female: A Case Report

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is used illicitly for its sedative hypnotic effects, and those who take it regularly are at risk of developing a substance use disorder. Withdrawal from GHB can include severe symptoms that may require medical management. For GHB use and withdrawal during pregnancy, there are no evidence- or practice-based guidelines to follow, and there is only minimal research literature.

We present the case of a 32-year-old woman, G1P0 at 29 weeks and 6 days of gestation, admitted to the perinatal unit at a tertiary hospital for GHB withdrawal management and stabilization. GHB withdrawal was managed with a combination of baclofen and diazepam. We report the dosing and tapering of these medications throughout her 14-day admission. Withdrawal symptoms were well managed with this medication protocol, and she did not experience any features of complicated withdrawal. The patient later presented to hospital in preterm labor and precipitously delivered a healthy, preterm infant male at 34 weeks and 5 days of gestation. At 7 months postpartum, the patient continued to engage with perinatal addiction service, reported no use of GHB since her admission, and was parenting her healthy son.

There is a paucity of guidelines for managing GHB withdrawal in pregnancy. This case demonstrates good clinical outcomes administering a short-term combination of diazepam and baclofen during the third trimester of pregnancy. This case helps to fill a gap in the literature and may inform future research or clinical decision-making in similar situations.