Soma (Carisoprodol) is a centrally-acting skeletal muscle relaxant whose active metabolite is meprobamate. Although several case reports have shown that carisoprodol has abuse potential[1] both by itself and as a potentiator of hydrocodone, dihydrocodeine, codeine and similar drugs, it continues to be widely prescribed in North America. In Europe, doctors favor cyclobenzaprine due to its lower abuse factor. In the United Kingdom, benzodiazepines are preferred instead. Carisoprodol is a colorless, crystalline powder, having a mild, characteristic odor and a bitter taste. It is slightly soluble in water and freely soluble in alcohol, chloroform and acetone. oma Its solubility is practically independent of pH.

Carisoprodol is marketed in the United States under the brand name Soma, and in the United Kingdom and other countries under the brand names Sanoma and Carisoma. Carisoprodol is especially useful against various types of pain (whether or not related to muscle spasm) because of its analgesic-sparing (potentiating) effect on opioid analgesics. Carisoprodol is available by itself or mixed with aspirin and in one preparation (Soma Compound With Codeine) along with codeine and caffeine as well.

As of November 2007 Carisoprodol (Somadril, Somadril comp.) has been taken off the sma market in Sweden due to problems with dependence, abuse and side effects. The agency overseeing pharmaceuticals has considered other drugs used with the same indications as carisoprodol to have the same or better effects without the risks of the drug.[1] In the EU, the European Medicines Agency has issued a release recommending that member states suspend marketing authorization for this product. [2]

As of March 2009, carisoprodol is considered to be a schedule CIV by the states of Florida, Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky and Washington State. Beginning in July 2002, Florida led the state soa movement to schedule carisoprodol when a state bill was passed due to an understanding within state drug enforcement circles that the drug was becoming more widely abused. Possession of the drug without a valid prescription in the state of Florida is now a third degree felony. The rest of the United States, excluding the above named states, falls under the DEA scheduling for the drug, which considers carisoprodol a non-scheduled chemical, meaning that carisoprodol is considered a general prescription medication by the federal government, with oversight provided solely by the FDA.

Side effects

The usual dose som of 350 mg is unlikely to engender prominent side effects other than somnolence. At higher doses, in some patients, and/or early in therapy, carisoprodol can have the full spectrum of sedative-hypnotic side effects (and often to an extent to which the patient may not be fully aware) and can dangerously impair the patient's ability to operate a firearm, automobile, motorcycle, and other machinery of various types; slurred speech is also a side effect which manifests rather rapidly. The intensity of the side effects of carisoprodol tends to lessen and/or become very predictable as therapy osma continues, as is the case with many other drugs.

The interaction of carisoprodol with opioids, essentially all opioids and other centrally-acting analgesics, but especially those of the codeine-derived subgroup of the semi-synthetic class (codeine, ethylmorphine, dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, nicocodeine, benzylmorphine, the various acetylated codeine derivatives including thebacon and acetyldihydrocodeine, dihydroisocodeine, nicodicodeine and others) which allows the use of a smaller dose of the opioid to have a given effect, is useful in general and especially where injury and/or muscle spasm is a large part of the problem. The potentiation effect is also useful in other smoa pain situations and is also especially useful with opioids of the open-chain class such as methadone, levomethadone, ketobemidone, phenadoxone and others. In recreational drugs users, deaths have resulted from carelessly combining overdoses of hydrocodone and carisoprodol.

Meprobamate and other muscle relaxing drugs often were subjects of misuse and abuse in the 1950s and 1960s.[7][8] Overdose cases were reported as early as 1957 and have been reported on several occasions since then.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Carisoprodol, meprobamate, and related drugs such as tybamate have the potential to produce physical dependence with prolonged use. Withdrawal of the drug after extensive use soam may require hospitalization in medically-compromised patients.