Carisoprodol

Carisoprodol is a prescription medication used to treat Musculoskeletal Conditions. 

• Carisoprodol is available under the following different brand names: Soma.

Adult and pediatric dosage

Tablet: Schedule IV

• 250mg
• 350mg

Musculoskeletal Conditions 

Adult dosage

• 250-350 mg every 8 hours and before bedtime; not to exceed 2-3 weeks; taper slowly (over 14 days) in patients with history of long-term use to avoid withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia, anxiety, or irritability

Pediatric dosage

• Children younger than 16 years of age: Not recommended
• Children older than 16 years of age: 250-350 mg every 8 hours and HS; not to exceed 2-3 weeks; taper slowly (over 14 days) in patients with history of long-term use to avoid withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia, anxiety, or irritability 

Dosage Considerations – Should be Given as Follows: 

• See "Dosages."

Common side effects of Carisoprodol include:

• drowsiness, 
• dizziness, and 
• headache

Serious side effects of Carisoprodol include:

• hives, 
• difficulty breathing, 
• swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, 
• seizure, 
• agitation, 
• hallucinations, 
• fever, 
• sweating, 
• shivering, 
• fast heart rate, 
• muscle stiffness, 
• twitching, 
• loss of coordination, 
• nausea, 
• vomiting, and 
• diarrhea

Rare side effects of Carisoprodol include:

• none 

This is not a complete list of side effects and other serious side effects or health problems may occur as a result of the use of this drug. Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may report side effects or health problems to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

If your medical doctor is using this medicine to treat your pain, your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them.  Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor, health care provider or pharmacist first.

• Carisoprodol has severe interactions with no other drugs. 
• Carisoprodol has serious interactions with the following drugs: 
  • apalutamide
  • benzhydrocodone/acetaminophen
  • calcium/magnesium/potassium/sodium oxybates
  • hydrocodone
  • lonafarnib
  • metoclopramide intranasal
  • Selinexor
  • sodium oxybate
  • sufentanil SL 
• Carisoprodol has moderate interactions with at least 162 other drugs. 
• Carisoprodol has minor interactions with the following drugs: 
  • eucalyptus
  • sage

This information does not contain all possible interactions or adverse effects. Visit the RxList Drug Interaction Checker for any drugs interactions. Therefore, before using this drug, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the drugs you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist. Check with your physician if you have health questions or concerns.

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to carisoprodol, meprobamate, mebutamate, tybamate
• History of acute intermittent porphyria

Effects of drug abuse

• None

Short-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Carisoprodol?”

Long-Term Effects

• See “What Are Side Effects Associated with Using Carisoprodol?”

Cautions

• Caution in hepatic/renal impairment
• May cause CNS depression; use caution when performing tasks which require mental alertness (eg, operating heavy machinery); sedating effects potentiated when used with other CNS-depressant drugs or ethanol
• Severe weakness may occur
• Seizures reported with its use in patients with or without seizure history
• Risk of allergic reactions
• Use caution in patients with history of drug abuse or acute alcoholism; drug dependency may occur and withdrawal symptoms experienced with abrupt cessation, especially with long-term use; limit use to 2-3 weeks

Pregnancy and Lactation

• Data over many decades of use of drug in pregnancy have not identified drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes; data on meprobamate, the primary metabolite of carisoprodol, do not show consistent association between maternal use and increased risk of major birth defects.
• Lactation: Data from published literature report that carisoprodol and its metabolite, meprobamate, are present in breastmilk; there are no data on effect on milk production; there is one report of sedation in an infant who was breastfed by a mother taking carisoprodol; because there have been no consistent reports of adverse events in breastfed infants over decades of use, the developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with mother’s clinical need for therapy and any potential adverse effects on breastfed infant or from underlying maternal condition; infants exposed to drug through breast milk should be monitored for sedation.