Carisoprodol

Muscle relaxant medication

Carisoprodol, sold under the brand name Soma among others, is an oral medication used for musculoskeletal pain. Effects generally begin within half an hour and last for up to six hours.

Common side effects include headache, dizziness, and sleepiness. Serious side effect may include addiction, allergic reactions, and seizures. In people with a sulfa allergy certain formulations may result in problems. Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not clear. How it works is not clear. Some of its effects are believed to occur following metabolic conversion into meprobamate, carisoprodol's main active metabolite.

Carisoprodol was approved for medical use in the United States in 1959. Its approval in the European Union was withdrawn in 2008. It is available as a generic medication. In 2019, it was the 343rd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 800,000 prescriptions. In the United States, it is a Schedule IV controlled substance.