Acute intoxications with carisoprodol

Abstract

Carisoprodol is a drug frequently prescribed for lower back pain. Several case reports on the toxic potential have been published. Larger autopsy materials have supported the high toxicity of the drug, but have also shown that carisoprodol most often appears in mixed intoxications. The present study reports on contacts concerning possible intoxications with carisoprodol to the Norwegian Poisons Information Department. From 1992 to 2003, the number of contacts concerning carisoprodol rose heavily, also when adjusting for increasing total number of contacts. There was a relationship between the whole sales figure of carisoprodol and the number of contacts. Of the cases classified as "serious intoxications", carisoprodol was the second most frequent drug, only surpassed by acetaminophen (paracetamol). Despite the potential weaknesses of the present material, this study gave an additional indication of a high toxicity of carisoprodol.

The Effect of Scheduling and Withdrawal of Carisoprodol on Prevalence of Intoxications with the Drug

“…Carisoprodol is a centrally acting muscle relaxant used for acute back pain [1] that has been on the market for almost 50 years [2]. Numerous publications report abuse [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and deaths attributed to the drug [13][14][15] and we have previously published studies showing that carisoprodol is a frequently detected drug in cases of driving under the influence (DUI) [16][17][18], in forensic autopsies [19] and in contacts to the National Poisons Information Centre (NPIC) in Norway [20].…”

Anxiolytic/Sedative-Hypnotics

“…Meprobamate was introduced in the 1950s and used widely for sedation and anxiolysis until it was recognized to be highly addictive and relatively lethal in overdose. Carisoprodol, its metabolic precursor, continues to be marketed as a muscle relaxant (Soma ® ) and continues to be associated with risks of toxicity, abuse, tolerance, and withdrawal (see chapter on "▶ Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxants") [4,[78][79][80].…”

Pharmacokinetic modeling of carisoprodol and meprobamate disposition in adults

“…Carisoprodol is a drug of abuse and is commonly noted to be a complicating factor in accidental deaths, in particular those involving motor vehicles. 1,[6][7][8][9][10][11] Data from the United States in 2013 indicate that approximately 3.7 million individuals reported using carisoprodol at least once for nonmedical use in their lifetime. 4 Bramness reported that carisoprodol ranks 17th among commonly encountered drugs in the US emergency room overdose cases.…”