The active metabolite of Carisoprodol is meprobamate, recognized for its abuse potential. At the same time, it is a known fact that Carisoprodol has the possibility to increase the effect of other drugs, such as hydrocortisone and codeine. The medication is prescribed on a wide scale for various muscle strains and spasms, not to mention an entire range of painful syndromes associated with skeletal injuries. It is marketed under the name of Soma and sold in different combinations; you can find simple Carisoprodol but also combined with aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), codeine or caffeine. It all depends on what your doctor prescribes, according to a previous medical checkup and examination of your medical history.
Upon entering the body, Carisoprodol binds to proteins in a large amount, being metabolized in the liver and excreted through the kidneys. The drug has a half life of eight hours and it is commonly administered through the oral route. Despite the fact that Carisoprodol is advertised today as a muscle relaxant, the first time it was developed specialists believed the drug to possess bactericidal properties. It was the year of 1959 when the drug was formulated after years of studies and clinical trials. The main substance used was meprobamate, the active metabolite of Carisoprodol. Specialists developed the drug hoping for it to possess a low risk for abuse and overdose, plus possess superior muscle relaxing properties.
With Soma today we know that Carisoprodol has analgesic effects and is able to reduce the discomfort caused by muscle hypertonia. The drug is powerful due to the active ingredients used and the dosage should always be carefully prescribed. If taken in larger quantities than recommended, Carisoprodol is likely to cause patients to become euphoric, with exaggerated feelings of well-being and happiness. The short state of euphoria is quickly followed by accentuated drowsiness, lack of coordination and similar symptoms. Higher doses are also responsible for an entire range of side-effects commonly caused by the sedative properties of Carisoprodol. These adverse reactions are the main reason why patients are advised not to perform activities that require mental alertness, such as driving vehicles, operating machinery or using firearms.
One of the first signs of a patient who has taken too much Carisoprodol is represented by the unintelligible speech. The symptoms of an overdose are classic and it does not take too long for anyone to understand the gravity of the situation. Patients should also be careful about taking drugs that are likely to interact with Carisoprodol, including opioids and other analgesics that act at a central level.
Low back pain is one of the principal diagnoses in which Carisoprodol is recommended as treatment. The combination between Soma, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and methadone is working more than perfect for patients suffering from low back pain. Clinical studies have shown that the drug not only provides pain relief but also permits patients to recover their functioning abilities. The potential to produce dependence remains a risk among all users and prolonged usage is never recommended. Patients are instructed to reduce the dosage of Carisoprodol with each day that passes, thus eliminating the possibility of withdrawal symptoms to appear.
Soma or Carisoprodol is widely recognized for the muscle relaxing properties, the rapid action and lasting effects. It has numerous indications and probably just as many side-effects which do not have to appear in all patients. The potential abuse exists in all cases, due to the fact that once it gets to the liver, Carisoprodol is metabolized to meprobamate, which is highly addictive.
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