Soma Abuse Showing Up in Hospital Emergency Rooms

More people of all ages are going to emergency rooms because of reactions to a prescription drug called carisoprodol, according to a report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The number of visits more than doubled from 15,830 in 2004 to 31,763 in 2009.

Soma’s Use

Carisoprodol is sold under the brand names of Soma, Soprodal or Vanadom. It is a muscle relaxant for short-term relief of acute muscle pains, and according to the guidelines of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it should not be taken for more than three weeks. One of its side effects is drowsiness and sleepiness, and these feelings of sedation increase if carisoprodol is taken with narcotic painkillers, anti-anxiety medications or alcohol. The majority of people receiving treatment at emergency rooms for carisoprodol were also taking at least one other prescription drug.

ER Visits For Soma Use High Among Seniors

ER visits concerning carisoprodol increased among all age groups, but particularly in patients over age 50. Between 2004 and 2009, the period under study, the number of visits in that age group more than tripled from 2,100 to more than 7,100.

About one-third of the people who receive treatment at ERs for carisoprodol abuse had to be admitted to the hospital.

Carisoprodol Basics

Carisoprodol was developed in 1959, and has never been classified as a controlled substance by the federal government. It is a Schedule IV drug in many states and some countries, which means it has potential for dependency. The human body metabolizes carisoprodol into meprobamate. Meprobamate is a tranquilizer that the U.S. classifies as an addictive substance and a Schedule IV drug.

When used as prescribed, carisoprodol can speed up the healing process in people with muscle injuries, according to Dr. Michael Brodsky, a psychiatrist at the University of California David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles. He said although it is not as addictive as cigarettes, some people become physically and psychologically dependent on carisoprodol.

How A Muscle Relaxant Addiction Forms

“People start taking it innocently,” he said. “They have an injury, so they get a 10- or 14-day prescription. And they like the effect. They feel calm. They sleep well. They may even get a subjective sense of emotional well-being, and so they continue it inappropriately, and often combine it with other medications, particularly other sedatives. In that way it’s very similar to the problem with traditional prescription painkillers like codeine, Vicodin, Percocet, or morphine.”

“So this report is not a good sign,” Dr. Brodsky said. “It suggests that the upswing in the abuse of this drug is part of a tidal wave of change, a shift away from concern over illicit drugs to a major concern over prescription drug uses, misuses and abuses. It’s definitely not good news.”