Carisoprodol abuse in Texas, 1998–2003

Abstract

Introduction: Texas poison centers identified carisoprodol as a skeletal muscle relaxant that is subject to abuse, and this investigation explores the abuse reported by Texas poison centers.Methods: This study used data from six Texas poison centers to describe the epidemiology of carisoprodol abuse and drug identification (ID) calls from 1998 to 2003.Results: Drug ID and abuse calls were 217% higher in 2003 than in 1998. Although eastern and central Texas contains 43% of the state's population, this region reported 77% of all drug ID calls and 64% of abuse calls. Male patients accounted for 51% of abuse calls and 37% of other human exposure calls. Patients from 13 to 19 years of age accounted for 17% of abuse calls and 9% of other human exposure calls. Among those human exposure calls with a known medical outcome, a higher percentage of abuse calls involved minor effects while a greater proportion of other human exposure calls involved outcomes that ranged from moderate effects to death.Conclusions: Carisoprodol abuse is increasing in Texas and is substantially more common in the eastern part of the state. Carisoprodol abuse is much more likely, than other types of adverse carisoprodol exposures, to involve males and adolescents; and it less likely to involve adverse medical outcomes.

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].…”

A rapid quantitative method of carisoprodol and meprobamate by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

“…Alcohol, sedative antihistamines and drugs of abuse may potentiate its effects, and overdoses may induce myoclonic encephalopathy [1,2]. Dependence and withdrawal are common [3].…”

“…1). Although often prescribed clinically as a muscle relaxant or sedative, the abuse of carisoprodol and meprobamate are increasing [1,2]. Abusers become habituated to the subjective mood-altering properties of the drugs, such as relaxation and euphoria [3].…”

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.…”