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Study shows prescription muscle relaxants pose new threat as abused drugs
LV Health Magazine
November 2002
Thousands of Americans take muscle relaxants on a regular basis. Prescribed by their doctors, these medications aid in coping with muscle pain, back spasms, arthritis, and other disorders. But like many prescribed medications, some muscle relaxants are potentially harmful due to their potential for misuse and abuse, according to Dr. Michael Levy, founder and medical director of the Center for Addition Medicine in Las Vegas.
A recent study by the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego suggested one such medication, carisoprodol, a skeletal muscle relaxant manufactured under the name Soma, may have a high abuse and addictive potential.
The UCSD study monitored patients that had undergone drug screening for the purposes of patient care. Results of the study found that in 37 percent of patients, carisoprodol was abused or associated with a suicide attempt or gesture. In 26 percent of the remaining cases, the reason for use of the drug could not be determined.
“I find the results of the study to be alarming,” said Levy. “The number of occurrences and circumstances of detecting the drug suggest that the drug may be widely abused.”
Levy said the muscle relaxant Soma is widely prescribed by doctors because it has been on the market for a long time and is not a controlled substance in most states. Most patients and doctors are unaware of its potential for abuse.
“Carisoprodol has started to become known as an ‘unrecognized drug of abuse,’” said Levy. “We’re discovering now that patients using carisoprodol for more than three months, especially those with a history of substance abuse, are at a high risk of abuse.”
While carisprodol is not classified as a controlled substance in the state of Nevada, its metabolite, meprobamate, is a Schedule IV controlled substance. Levy said many physicians are unaware of Soma’s metabolism to meprobamate, known to have a high potential of psychological and physical dependence if used excessively.
“More doctors and patients should be aware of the potential dangers of using carisoprodol,” said Levy. “There is an abuse potential, and physicians should use caution when prescribing Soma, especially in patients with a history of drug abuse.”
Established in 1995, the Center for Addiction Medicine is the only private medical practice in the Southern Nevada specializing in addiction medicine. The center, located at 6000 W. Rochelle Ave., Suite 800, in Las Vegas, offers a full range of medical and therapeutic services to patients in the Las Vegas Valley.