Carisoprodol as a drug of abuse

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.