Carisoprodol as a drug of abuse
G. S. Rust, R. Hatch and J. G. Gums
Department of Family Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.
Carisoprodol (available as Soma and in other commercial forms) is a
commonly prescribed muscle relaxant. A small group of patients was recently
discovered colluding to obtain the drug under false pretenses for the
purposes of substance abuse. Animal and human studies have previously shown
limited potential for tolerance or abuse, while the evidence for
therapeutic efficacy is inadequate. There are two previous case reports of
human carisoprodol abuse or dependence, one in which a patient showed signs
of a true withdrawal syndrome. A third case involved a fatality linked to
carisoprodol abuse. Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse reveal
that overdose and abuse of carisoprodol may be more common than previously
suspected. Carisoprodol use should be limited to short-term treatment of
acute musculoskeletal conditions involving significant muscle spasm.
Suspicions of abuse should be raised by patients requesting the drug by
name, "losing" prescriptions, using carisoprodol chronically, or denying
the efficacy of less mind-altering alternatives.
