Soma (Carisoprodol)

Primarily used for the treatment of muscle spasms, Soma is a well-known prescription medicine that comes with efficacy and benefits many people need. Also referred to as Carisoprodol, Soma is a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant.

The medicine has been utilized for over five decades, and the entire time there hasn’t been a report of any issues with hepatic injury.

You’ll find plenty of information on the drug since it has been around so long, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t understand the pros and cons. This article provides a breakdown of all the pertinent information surrounding Soma, so you can be prepared if you’re ever in need of the medication.

Soma, at a glance

It's pretty easy to get a grasp of how Soma works, as the drug's efficacy lies in its sedative responses within the body. Muscle spasms are relatively common among most people, but severe cases may need the help of prescription drugs such as Soma.

It should be highlighted that the mechanism of action for this drug is still being studied, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t safe to ingest.

The drug has been used in clinical practice without any evidence of causing injury, regardless of the specific health of each patient. Doctors find it to be a safe solution for painful muscle spasms. However, as with many drugs on the market, Soma may not be a good fit for every individual.

Even if a person has a known history of poor health, doctors have determined that Soma doesn't require any liver function monitoring. Although more information is needed to fully understand Soma's mechanism of action, researchers have garnered quite a bit of information over the years.

Mechanism of action

A lot of what we know about Soma comes from research done with animal models. Research in this area shows interneuronal activity in the spinal cord and brain. Even if it’s a go-to solution as a muscle relaxant, Soma’s effects are pretty minimal, and patients benefit from its sedative effects on the muscles.

However, unlike other similar medications, Soma doesn’t directly depress neuronal conduction or relax skeletal muscle. What’s interesting is that Soma has been shown to modify the central perception of pain. In the same vein, the drug doesn’t abolish peripheral pain reflexes.

Due to the drug's ability to alter GABAA function, there is some minor potential for abuse. Patients don’t need to be closely monitored per se, but their doses and length of use should be considered.

At this time, Soma isn’t classified as a controlled substance, making it relatively safe for most people. You will find some functional similarities to drugs that are highly addictive, which partly contributes to Soma’s potential for abuse.

From an overhead perspective, the drug is hailed for its recreational and therapeutic uses. Data shows that Soma is being increasingly abused by patients, causing a rat race among researchers to hone in on the drug’s true mechanism of action.

Special precautions

Before walking right into consistent use of Soma, there are quite a few considerations you need to discuss with your doctor. Regardless of how common the drug is on the market, patients are bound to have a handful of unique reactions to it.

Experts suggest starting by discussing any known allergies during your consultation. Allergies to consider pertain to carisoprodol, including meprobamate and other medications that might be similar to the ingredients of Soma. If you’re taking any other medications, these need to be discussed as well.

Whether prescription or non-prescription, nutritional supplements and even vitamins could all clash with Soma's compound makeup. Below, you'll find a brief list of medications that you must discuss with your doctor before deciding to take Soma.

• Sleeping pills
• Benzodiazepines
• Allergy medicine
• Opioid pain medications
• Antidepressants
• Sedatives

The last thing you want to occur is to have your medications clash within your body and make you feel much worse. In any case, it's always crucial to discuss your alcohol use or participation in any street drugs. Those who deal with kidney or liver disease, in addition to seizures, may not be the best candidate for Soma.

Patients can expect the drug to make them a bit drowsy, which means it’s wise to stay away from rigorous tasks or heavy machinery. Soma is a drug that requires a tapering schedule if you’re looking to stop taking it. Abruptly stopping your normal schedule with the drug can quickly lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

When prescribed Soma, it’s essential that you only take the prescribed dose and consult your doctor if you think the dose needs to be adjusted at all. It’s known that Soma is a short-term solution, generally spanning three weeks, and it isn’t meant for long-term use by any means.

All of these points are simply preliminary precautions, but you also want to go over the present health risks associated with the drug.

Potential health risks to consider

Thankfully, the potential health risks associated with Somais actually a pretty small list. However, this doesn’t change that they could adversely affect the health of patients in more ways than one.

Factors such as current medications, health conditions, and age all play a part in the prevalence of health risks when taking prescription medication.

The following information isn’t meant to scare you, as it’s somewhat rare for such side effects to occur. By talking with your doctor, they’ll be able to lay out the probability of these side effects and what you can do to avoid them.

Common side effects related to Soma include:

• Drowsiness
• Headaches
• Fast heart rate
• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Dizziness

There's also the chance that a few more serious side effects could come to light given the right circumstances. Based on research and patient reports over the years, it's possible to encounter seizures or difficulty breathing when taking the drug.

Doctors are well aware of these possibilities, and they’re more than equipped to help guide you to make sure their occurrence doesn’t happen.

It’s always wise to remember that even with all of the necessary precautions, these side effects could still occur unexpectedly. Never stray away from the benefits prescription medications can offer. Soma has its pros and cons like any other drug, but with decades of research, experts have deemed it quite safe.

Over time, there's the chance that research surrounding health risks associated with Soma could expand with new discoveries. This isn't exactly expected, but it's best to keep an open outlook on the drug as scientists are hard at work understanding what it's capable of.

Prescription medication can be a tricky space to navigate, especially if your health is already considered to be rather sensitive.

Final Notes

For those who are in need of a short-term muscle relaxant, it might be worth exploring how Soma can help. There’s enough available information to be safe about your approach, and doctors are well-versed in proper administration.

To some degree, it’s understandable that prescription meds can be pretty intimidating, but you don’t have to walk into it alone.

Healthcare is an area that appreciates a long list of questions. If you have any concerns about taking Soma whatsoever, don’t hesitate to cover them with your doctor before you get started with a prescription.