Home › Compound Library › 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol)

1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol)

Depressantoral · inferred

Industrial solvent and prodrug to GHB. Sequentially oxidized in the liver by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to gamma-hydroxybutyraldehyde, then by aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to GHB. Conversion is markedly slower than GBL (15-30 min vs seconds), giving 1,4-BDO a delayed and prolonged onset that is the chief source of accidental overdoses: users redose before peak, then receive the full stack at once. Ethanol competitively inhibits ADH, pushing the conversion onto unpredictable timelines and pinning the toxic aldehyde intermediate; the 1,4-BDO + alcohol combination is a leading cause of GHB-family fatalities. Same lethal-overdose profile as GHB once converted: narrow dose-response, respiratory depression, deadly with any other CNS depressant.

Projected serum levels — 1 mL (≈ 1.0k mg), as needed (shown daily)

1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) (precursor)GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate)
1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) modeled serum levels, 1 mL (≈ 1.0k mg) as needed (shown daily) over 15 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 1 days. 0 250 500 750 1k Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 11 Day 15 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 1

Maintenance schedule: 1 mL (≈ 1.0k mg) as needed (shown daily) (oral).

Modeled steady state after ~1 days: peak ≈ 531 mg, trough ≈ 0.000 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 15 days for a reference dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Depressant
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
30 min
Common dose
1 mL (≈ 1.0k mg)
Reference dose range
0.50–2 mL (single dose)
Suggested cadence
as needed (shown daily)

Documented interactions

  • danger
    Alprazolam (Xanax) + 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) Contraindicated

    1,4-BDO converts to GHB (GABA-B agonist). Alprazolam (GABA-A) stacks additively for severe sedation, respiratory depression, and amnesia. The 30-90 min 1,4-BDO conversion delay invites benzo redosing…

  • danger
    Clonazepam (Klonopin) + 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) Contraindicated

    1,4-BDO converts to GHB (GABA-B agonist). Clonazepam (GABA-A) stacks for respiratory depression and dangerous sedation.

  • danger
    Codeine + 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) Contraindicated

    1,4-BDO converts to GHB. Codeine metabolizes to morphine. Stacked CNS depression is dangerous.

  • danger
    Diazepam (Valium) + 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) Contraindicated

    1,4-BDO converts to GHB (GABA-B agonist). Diazepam (GABA-A) stacks for respiratory depression and dangerous sedation.

  • danger
    Ethanol (Alcohol) + 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) Contraindicated

    1,4-BDO and ethanol both compete for alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Ethanol delays and prolongs the conversion of 1,4-BDO to GHB, producing an unpredictable, drawn-out, and intensified GHB curve. Once…

  • danger
    GBL (Gamma-Butyrolactone) + 1,4-BDO (1,4-Butanediol) Contraindicated

    Both 1,4-BDO and GBL convert to GHB. GBL converts within minutes; 1,4-BDO takes 30-90 min. Co-administration stacks two delayed GHB peaks at unpredictable times.

Serum checks 22 modeled interaction pairings for 1,4-bdo (1,4-butanediol) across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.

Research behind this entry

  1. Clinical pharmacology of 1,4-butanediol and gamma-hydroxybutyrate after oral 1,4-butanediol administration to healthy volunteers Thai D et al. · Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2007 DOI

    Double-blind crossover study in eight healthy volunteers given oral 1,4-BDO 25 mg/kg. Parent Tmax was 24 +/- 12 min and half-life 39.3 +/- 11 min; GHB Cmax was 45.6 +/- 19.7 mg/L at 39.4 +/- 11.2 min. ADH1B variation…

  2. Butanediol conversion to gamma-hydroxybutyrate markedly reduced by the alcohol dehydrogenase blocker fomepizole Liakoni E et al. · Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2019 DOI

    Randomized double-blind crossover study in six healthy volunteers. Fomepizole increased parent BDO Cmax from 3.6 to 29.8 microgram/mL and reduced GHB Cmax from 50.4 to 10.9 microgram/mL and GHB AUCinf from 4320 to 1486…

  3. Inhibition of 1,4-butanediol metabolism in human liver in vitro Lenz D et al. · Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, 2011 DOI

    Human liver cytosol study confirming strong ADH involvement. Ethanol competitively inhibited BDO-to-GHB conversion (apparent Ki 0.56 mM), and fomepizole was the most effective tested inhibitor.

  4. Behavioral effects and pharmacokinetics of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) precursors gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) in baboons Goodwin AK et al. · Psychopharmacology, 2009 DOI

    Primate PK study comparing 1,4-BDO and GBL conversion to GHB. Confirms 1,4-BDO peak GHB lags parent dose by 30-60 minutes and that parent 1,4-BDO itself produces minimal behavioral effects pre-conversion.

6 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.