1,4-Butanediol Stats & Data

Depressant Research-chemical

1 Bd Bdo 4-b 1,4-b 1,4-bd 14bd

Psychoactive Class Depressant

Interaction Warnings

⚠ dissociatives

This combination can result in an increased risk of vomiting during unconsciousness and death from the resulting suffocation. If this occurs, users should attempt to fall asleep in the recovery position or have a friend move them into it.

⚠ stimulants

It is dangerous to combine 1,4-Butanediol, a depressant, with stimulants due to the risk of excessive intoxication. Stimulants decrease the sedative effect of 1,4-Butanediol, which is the main factor most people consider when determining their level of intoxication. Once the stimulant wears off, the effects of GHB will be significantly increased, leading to intensified disinhibition as well as other effects.

Pharmacology

DrugBank

State Solid

Receptor Profile

Receptor Actions

Agonists

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptor agonist

GABA-B receptor agonist

Other

Prodrug (metabolizes to GHB via alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase)

History & Culture

1890–present

1,4-Butanediol was first synthesized in 1890 by Dutch chemist Pieter Johannes Dekkers through the acidic hydrolysis of N,N'-dinitro-1,4-butanediamine. Dekkers originally named the compound "tetramethylene glycol," a reference to its structure as a four-carbon diol.

1,4-Butanediol has gained recognition as a recreational substance due to its metabolic conversion to gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) following oral ingestion. Within recreational drug communities, the substance is known by various street names including "Bute," "One Comma Four," "Liquid Fantasy," "One Four Bee," and "One Four B-D-O."

Subjective Effect Notes

physical: The physical effects of 1,4-butanediol can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage.

cognitive: The cognitive effects of 1,4-butanediol can be broken down into several components which progressively intensify proportional to dosage. It contains a large number of typical depressant cognitive effects.

Tolerance & Pharmacokinetics

drugs.wiki

Tolerance Decay

Full tolerance 3d Half tolerance 8d Baseline ~14d

Experience Report Analysis

Erowid

59 Reports

1998–2023 Date Range

16 With Age Data

21 Effects Detected

Demographics

Gender Distribution

Age Distribution

Reports Over Time

Effect Analysis

Erowid

Effects aggregated from 59 experience reports (59 Erowid)

59 Reports

21 Effects Detected

9 Positive

8 Adverse

4 Neutral

Effect Sentiment Distribution

Confidence Distribution

Positive Effects 9

Stimulation 30.5% 70%

Euphoria 28.8% 70%

Anxiety Suppression 25.4% 70%

Empathy 18.6% 70%

Tactile Enhancement 16.9% 70%

Sedation 15.3% 70%

Music Enhancement 13.6% 70%

Focus Enhancement 11.9% 70%

Color Enhancement 8.5% 70%

Adverse Effects 8

Nausea 32.2% 70%

Confusion 23.7% 70%

Sweating 10.2% 70%

Seizure 10.2% 70%

Increased Heart Rate 8.5% 70%

Muscle Tension 6.8% 70%

Memory Suppression 5.1% 70%

Motor Impairment 5.1% 70%

Dose-Response Correlation

How effect frequency changes across dose levels

View data table

Effect	Heavy (n=11)
Euphoria	45.5%
Hospital	45.5%
Nausea	45.5%
Stimulation	36.4%
Tactile Enhancement	27.3%
Anxiety Suppression	27.3%
Empathy	18.2%
Jaw Clenching	18.2%

Dose–Effect Mapping

Experience Reports

How reported effects shift across dose tiers, based on 59 experience reports.

Limited tier coverage — most reports fall within the Heavy range. Effects at other dose levels may not be represented.

Oral dose range: 2.2–6.0 ml (median 3.0 ml)

Effect	Heavy (n=11)
euphoria	46%
hospital	46%
nausea	46%
stimulation	36%
tactile enhancement	27%
anxiety suppression	27%
empathy	18%
jaw clenching	18%

Dosage Distribution

Dose distribution from experience reports

Median: 3.0 ml IQR: 2.2–6.0 ml n=24

Real-World Dose Distribution

62K Doses

From 69 individual dose entries

Form / Preparation

Most common forms and preparations reported

Body-Weight Dosing

Dose relative to body weight from reports with weight data

Median: 0.032 mg/kg IQR: 0.026–0.064 mg/kg n=24

Redose Patterns

Redosing behavior across 53 reports

13.2% Redosed

1.3 Avg Doses

120m Median Interval

Read full reports on Erowid →

Legal Status

Country	Status	Notes
Canada	Schedule VI precursor	Controlled as a Schedule VI precursor under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. This classification applies to precursor chemicals rather than substances controlled for direct psychoactive effects.
Germany	Not explicitly scheduled	The substance is not explicitly listed as illegal under German drug legislation. However, it may be treated as illegal if possessed or sold for use as a drug rather than for legitimate industrial purposes.
United Kingdom	Class C	Scheduled in December 2009 as a Class C controlled substance alongside gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), another GHB precursor. Controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
United States	Not federally scheduled (Federal Analog Act may apply)	While 1,4-butanediol is not currently scheduled at the federal level, several states have classified it as a controlled substance. Individuals have been prosecuted for possession under the Federal Analog Act as substantially similar to GHB. Court rulings have been inconsistent: a 2002 federal case in New York ruled it could not be considered a GHB analog, but this decision was later overturned by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.