What Is Carisoprodol (Soma)?

This medication may help patients experience muscle pain relief. These seem to be common muscle relaxant pills for muscle injuries as well. Carisoprodol may also be taken as a sprained ankle treatment. Some doctors may prescribe it as short-term relief for back spasms. Patients need to understand how this medication should work before they try taking it as pain treatment or another use.

How It Should Work

Carisoprodol appears to be an oral medication that relaxes the muscles. It may be a habit-forming medication, which may be why it is a controlled substance. Unfortunately, it does not seem as if researchers have concluded why this medication works. The current theory is that this medication may stop nerves from sending the brain pain signals. Even if the nerves are in pain, they do not appear able to let the brain know with this medication. The signals seem to be lost before they reach the brain. However, this may not be the only theory. Some researchers claim that this medication may change how pain-controlling nerves located in the brain work.

Continue reading to learn about the possible uses for this medication next.

Possible Uses

This medication may be helpful in treating certain injuries. Specifically, it seems to treat strains and sprains, such as an ankle sprain. It may be paired with physical therapy and rest. This medication should help the muscles relax, letting the body heal itself faster. Carisoprodol may also help relieve pain from these injuries. It may also relieve pain from a broken bone, though only for a short period.

Most injuries that this medication treats seem to heal within a few weeks. After this, however, patients may not be allowed to take this medication. Doctors seem to prescribe other medications for long-term use.

Get information on the potential side effects next.

Potential Side Effects

This medication seems to have similar side effects to other muscle relaxants. Some of them may include dizziness, drowsiness, and lethargy. Individuals who take this medication also seem to deal with side effects related to digestion, such as an upset stomach. Nausea, gas, and vomiting may also occur. A patient's mood may also change as a result of this medication. Individuals should watch for irritability, depression, and nervousness. Insomnia, blurred vision, hiccups, and headaches also seem to be common side effects of this medication.

Patients may become dependent on this medication. This seems to be why doctors limit prescriptions to a few weeks only. Carisoprodol may also cause withdrawal in some patients when they stop taking it, especially for longer periods. It also appears to accumulate in breast milk, so breastfeeding women may not be able to take it. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be enough research on how it affects pregnant women.

Discover precautions linked to this medication next.

Precautions

As mentioned, patients may become dependent on this medication. Thus, doctors do not seem to recommend taking it for more than three weeks. Patients may also need to stop taking this medication under the supervision of a doctor and over time. This appears to help them avoid severe withdrawal, the effects of which may be dangerous.

Alcohol seems to increase drowsiness and the relaxing effects of this medication, so patients may want to avoid drinking it. As mentioned, nursing mothers may also need to be cautious since it may build in their breast milk. Patients may not be able to skip doses or take extra ones. Not following their doctor's instructions, including those, seem to increase their risk of side effects and dependence.

Reveal the possible medication interactions next.

Possible Medication Interactions

This medication appears to interact with many others. Thus, patients may want to list everything they take and give the list to their doctor. This way, they may be able to avoid possible medication interactions. In addition to prescription medications, this list may need to have over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements on it.

Carisoprodol seems to interact with barbiturates and anxiety medication. Lorazepam and clonazepam appear to be two of the medicines for anxiety that result in a possible interaction. This may be because they can also be used as muscle relaxants. Opioids also seem to interact with this medication. It appears that if patients take too much, and they interact, they can deal with increased drowsiness. The other effects may become dangerous as well. Some medications, like omeprazole, may prevent the patient's body from getting rid of carisoprodol the way it should. This effect appears to increase the risk of dependence and side effects. However, other medications may reduce its effectiveness. Two examples seem to be rifampin and St. John's Wort, which can increase how fast the body eliminates carisoprodol.