Soma

Generic name: Carisoprodol
Drug class: Skeletal muscle relaxants

Usage of Soma

Soma is a muscle relaxer that blocks pain sensations between the nerves and the brain.

Soma is used together with rest and physical therapy to treat skeletal muscle conditions such as pain or injury.

Soma should only be used for short periods (up to two or three weeks) because there is no evidence of its effectiveness in long term use and most skeletal muscle injuries are generally of short duration.

Soma side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Soma: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have:

a seizure (convulsions); or

high levels of serotonin in the body - agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.

Common Soma side effects may include:

drowsiness;

dizziness; or

headache.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Soma

You should not use Soma if you are allergic to Carisoprodol or meprobamate, or if you have:

porphyria (a genetic enzyme disorder that causes symptoms affecting the skin or nervous system).

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

liver disease;

kidney disease; or

a seizure.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.

Carisoprodol can pass into breast milk and may cause drowsiness in a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.

Soma is not approved for use by anyone younger than 16 years old.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.

Relate drugs

How to use Soma

Usual Adult Dose for Muscle Spasm:

250 to 350 mg orally 3 times a day and at bedtime Duration of therapy: Up to 2 to 3 weeks Comments: -This drug should only be used for short periods (up to 2 or 3 weeks) as there is inadequate evidence of effectiveness for more prolonged use and acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions are generally of short duration. Use: For the relief of discomfort associated with acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions

Warnings

You should not take Soma if you have porphyria (a genetic enzyme disorder that causes symptoms affecting the skin or nervous system) or are allergic to carisoprodol or meprobamate.

Carisoprodol may be habit-forming. Never share this medicine with another person. Misuse of habit-forming medicine can cause addiction, overdose, or death.

Carisoprodol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase drowsiness and dizziness caused by this medicine.

You may have withdrawal symptoms when you stop using Soma after using it over a long period of time. Do not stop using this medication suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

What other drugs will affect Soma

Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.

Using Soma with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous side effects or death. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures.

Many drugs can interact with carisoprodol. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

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