Posing at the Southeast Kendari Police headquarters in Southeast Sulawesi, (from left) action unit head of the Southeast Sulawesi chapter of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Adj. Sr. Comr. Bagus, narcotics director of the Southeast Sulawesi Police Sr. Comr. Satria Adhy Pernama, Southeast Kendari Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Sunarto and Southeast Kendari Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jemi hold up evidence in the form of Gevaarlijk or type-G medicine. The Southeast Sulawesi Police in cooperation with the Southeast Kendari chapter of BNN confiscated thebanned pain relief medication—5,563 Somadril pills and 1,120 Tramadol pills —from eight perpetrators.
PCC and carisoprodol are gaining popularity. More than 60 teenagers in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, have been found intoxicated, and at least one has died from consuming the drug.
At a glance, the drug does not seem dangerous, as PCC is merely a combination of paracetamol, caffeine and carisoprodol. Paracetamol is a fever reducer. Caffeine is the alkaloid found in many plants, including coffee, cola and tea. It stimulates the central nervous system and is a diuretic. Diuretics increase the excrement of water from the body. Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant.
According to the website narconon.org, the drug is often misused, for instance by being mixed with other drugs, such as hydrocodone, benzodiazepine (popularly known as Xanax) and codeine or alcohol. On the other hand, according to the website dependency.net, there is little risk of misusing carisoprodol, especially when it is taken according to a doctor’s advice. It merely relaxes the muscles, without the active ingredient of opioid.
Dependency on carisoprodol will only occur through interaction with other drugs that trigger narcotics-like effects. In the US, the street drug obtained from mixing carisoprodol and hydrocodone is called the Las Vegas cocktail.
Psychiatrist Danardi Sosrosumihardjo, the former director of the narcotics and addictive substances division at the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), said the agency had revoked the distribution permits for eight drugs known to have carisoprodol as an active ingredient since September 30, 2013.
This was due to findings of misappropriation in the active ingredient’s importation and a tendency to abuse the drug.
The US, Sweden, Malaysia and Singapore have also revoked distribution permits for the drug.
Inducing Euphoria
Carisoprodol is a derivative of barbiturate that relaxes muscles. However, it can induce euphoria. This is why people sometimes abuse the drug.
“Euphoria in itself is okay. However, it becomes a problem if a person wishes to feel continuous euphoria and increases the drug dosage to achieve that,” Danardi said.
Even more dangerous is the fact that the PCC that is currently in circulation is an illegal drug. Its exact composition, which includes carisoprodol and other ingredients, is not yet known.
In general, carisoprodol abuse may induce drowsiness, shakiness, anxiety, headache, depression, insomnia, low blood pressure, nausea, stomachache, weakness, visual impairment and euphoria.
Overdosing on the drug may induce shortness of breath, accelerated heartbeat, confusion, hallucination, muscle stiffness, seizures or even death.
