Carisoprodol is a drug prescribed mainly for muscle pain. It works excellent in case you have a muscle spasm or your muscles are too tense for some reason. Together with physical therapy, Carisoprodol is used to treat various musculoskeletal conditions which are causing you pain. In some countries it is sold under the brand name Soma, while in others it is Sanoma, Carisoma and others.
If you are allergic to this drug or to meprobamate (closely related to it), then you shouldn’t use Carisoprodol. Also, tell your doctor if have kidney or liver diseases. If this is the case, then you may need dosage adjustment or some special tests in order to safely take this drug. Pregnant and breast-feeding women should not use this drug in general as it can be harmful to the baby. Children under 12 should not be given this drug.
Carisoprodol can be habit-forming. Because of this, it is important not to use it for a longer period of time if you can. The longer you take Carisoprodol the harder it gets to quit and you could eventually form a psychological dependency on it. If this happens, do not attempt to stop taking Carisoprodol suddenly as this can cause various withdrawal symptoms. Some of these symptoms may include: sleep problems, headache, nausea, seizure stomach pain and headache, but are not limited to them. To avoid them, have your doctor gradually reduce your dose.
The dose is usually 250 mg or 350 mg 4 times in a day (once at bedtime). Children around 12 and people older than 65 may have to take a smaller dose. Also, people with liver or kidney diseases should be prescribed an adjusted dose and kept on special monitoring.
The drug has several possible side effects. Many of them are not dangerous and should pass in a few days (if they don’t, tell your doctor). Still, just to mention some of the more dangerous ones: difficulty breathing, swelling of face (or lips, mouth, tongue), vision loss, confusion, lack of coordination and hives. If you experience any of these, stop taking Carisoprodol and call your doctor. Also, because it can cause drowsiness and dizziness in some cases, you should refrain from driving a car or doing anything that needs your full attention.
Take each dose exactly as you were instructed and in a prescribed time. If you miss a dose, then take it within that hour, if you can’t, just skip that dose and continue with the following. But don’t take more in the next to compensate for the lost dose.
This drug can’t heal your damaged muscle, but it can give you a lot of relief in the 6 hours how long its positive effects usually last. This will give you enough time to focus on more important things in your life than on pain. But, don’t stop there, have your doctor make you a good program with some exercises and massages for that muscle, add some anti-inflammatory gel, and your pain will be gone for good.