Feedback on Soma Side Effects and Usage, page 27
About Soma
If you’ve used Soma, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.
Subj: Taper down?
Date: 8/13/2009
How do I taper down on soma. I’m prescribed 6 a day but sometime take more. I just need a plan. Thank you.
K.
AskDocWeb: Do not stop taking Soma without consulting your doctor first. No withdrawal symptoms have been listed for this drug but if you have been using it for pain control then you may want to keep a few on hand until you know for sure that they are no longer needed.
Subj: Spinal stenosis
Date: 8/16/2009
Yes, it was helpful. Does Soma work with spinal stenosis or can you recommend a drug. I have much pain in the low back area.
Michael
AskDocWeb: Spinal stenosis is a pathologic condition compressing or narrowing of the spinal canal, nerve root canal, or intervertebral foramina. Treatments that have been found to be helpful include physiotherapy, lumbar corsets, back exercises, abdominal muscle strengthening, and aquatic exercises. Surgery may be indicated if you have a significant compression of the nerve roots but you would need a CT or MRI to find out. NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) may provide relief as well as acetaminophen.
Subj: Twitching eyelids
Date: 8/19/2009
I take Soma/carisoprodol 250mg. I was told today that it comes only in 360mg. I have experienced twitching eyelids (left side) and the left side of my face for over a month. I have not had any bad symptons to the drug but my concern is with the increase in dosage is it possible that my eyelid and face might twitch even more.
Anna
AskDocWeb: The twitching eyelids may or may not be a side effect but it needs to be reported to your doctor. Tremors are one of the signs of an overdose.
Subj: Enlargeing the heart
Date: 8/20/2009
Long term and/or over use of this addictive drug will slow down the respiratory system to the point of enlargeing the heart. This happened to my brother… this drug was the reason he passed away 3 months ago!!! The drug started not working as well after being on it for a few years and his pain was SO great from the brains nerons sending out messages to his body to form “new” pathways and nerves that when he tried to kick the habbit, it made the pain even greater… he had sleep apnea and with his enlarged heart from the medication (soma) his heart wouldn’t kick back on (so to speak). SO BEWARE!!!
Caroline
Subj: Shakes and almost comatose
Date: 8/26/2009
My son takes soma and when he takes too much 2 350 at a time he is like a drunk. He needs to get off of it. When I ask if he has taken any soma he says no. Is their a drug test I can buy to test him. He needs to get off these pill. I’m afraid her is going to go into respiratory arrest. Sometime he shakes and almost comatose.
Kathy
AskDocWeb: Soma is a muscle relaxant, which isn’t tested for on commonly available drug test kits. Those kits are designed to reveal the most often abused drugs:
- Amphetamine
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Cocaine
- Marijuana
- Methadone
- Methamphetamines
- Opiates
- Phencyclidine
- Tricyclic Antidepressants
If your son is a minor in your care then you may want to discuss this with his doctor.
Subj: Soma death
Date: 8/27/2009
My daughter died May 18 2009 as a result of Soma, she had a heart attack at 30 and we dont know how long she laid in her own blood before she died. My only daughter who I begged her to stop taking this drug, she had 5 DUI’s several jail terms and still wouldn’t get off of this drug and now I will suffer the rest of my life without her, please don’t trust Soma or it will cause death. Long term use damages the heart and even will put you in a Coma, God Bless,
Jenny
Subj: Concerned about addiction
Date: 8/29/2009
I have been on Soma for about 2 years. I started taking it when I began having severe back pain. The neurosurgeon had me on 2 tablets 350 mgs 3 times a day. My new Dr has on 1 tablet 4 time a day. I find that it really helps. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2007 and MS. I also now have a herniated disc in my neck c4,5 and in my lumbar spine. I also have nerve root sleeve cysts on L5, s1 and T 10,11 11,12 and herniation T10. I find this medication works well for my pain, however I am concerned about addiction. I do tent to need 2 tabs 3 times a day at times. Should I switch? I recently ran out before my prescription could be refilled and am thinking of just not getting it refilled. I have gone through this week with a lot of pain and my doc gave me Vicodine. I know with FM long term use of narcotics can make it worse, so I asked him for only enough for 2 weeks. What can you suggest for chronic pain for these conditions?
Sharon
AskDocWeb: Please remember that we do not give medical advice. The purpose of this website is to share information about side effects.
Subj: Lack of energy
Date: 9/3/2009
Been on Soma for 5 years. Had an accident and broke around 19 bones, including pelvis, a couple vertebrae, collarbone that never stuck together, it was overlapping, chiropractor gets it lined up, it moves still, ribs and scapula. Soma works better for pain than vicodin for me. I usually only take it an hour or so before bed, with a valium. I never got more than a few hours at most sleep before soma. Now I sleep all night with a soma and a valium, but I’m tired all the time.
I also was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis in 1999. My O2 level runs from 89 to 93%. In the winter (Michigan) when the heat runs and dries the air my O2 goes up to 96%. Even then, no energy. I think the Soma is making me tired, but I want to be able to sleep. The generic valium doesn’t seem to do much without a soma. What is making me tired? Low o2? Soma? Valium? I told my Doctor I have no energy and would he give me something to give me some energy. He said they quit prescribing that in the 60s. I guess he meant diet pills. I have been getting no exercise and hate to leave my house. Haven’t been outside in 10 days at all.
Any suggestion on how to get some energy to do anything? The Dr. said he doesn’t want to start me on oxygen yet because I will be dependent on it. I take albuterol inhalers (rescue inhaler) once or twice a week, when I over do it. Just sitting here I feel fine, but tired. I threw away the prednisone, that was in 2000. I don’t take any inhalers with steroids in them. I figure everybody that took them died anyways.
Barry
AskDocWeb: Since you think that Soma is making you tired, you could ask your doctor for an alternative and find out if that makes things any better. Although exercise makes you feel tired in the short-term, it increases your overall ability to cope with things in general. When you haven’t been active for awhile it is safer to go slowly and gradually build up your activity level. Remember just walking can be exercise.
Subj: Soma problems
Date: 9/7/2009
Soma my wife is very addicted to soma’s she takes 30 pills a day and buys pills from 7 other people at 1.00 to 2.00 dollars a pill to keep her supplied, but the more she has the more she takes and it costs us hundreds of dollars. I don’t know what to do anymore, if she doesn’t have them she becomes very violent and if no one has them she’ll take the same amount of pain pills to replace the void (vicodin) which the 500 hundred mgs sell for 2.00 dollars to 2.50 a pill and the 7.5’s sell for 2.75 a pill which adds up. she’s been hospitalized several times because of it, but no one ever bans her from the medication. My wife has an addictive nature she’s tried methodone, and norcos, which go for 10.00 dollars a pill. I hate the fact that there are people faking symptoms to obtain these drugs to sell them to people like my wife who has problems. My wife has become withdrawn she does not go anywhere, always depressed, never showers, never sober, and always passing out and having seizures. but no one cares and no one can stop her. People ignore what they see her do even her family. And my 3in a half year old is raising himself cause she is never coherent enough to take care of him and when she is coming down she has no patience and is always screaming. Stay away from this drug it has brought me nothing but pain in my life and still is to this day.
Larry
Subj: Disoriented
Date: 9/12/2009
I have taken soma off and on for about 6yrs. The maximum amount I’ve taken is 5 at a time but usually take 3 or 4. When I did take 5 it usually makes me so disoriented that I loose total control of my movements and muscle coordination. I know this is a sign of excess usage. I also have gone for weeks without taking any and have never experienced withdrawl symptoms. The reason I started taking it in the first place was for withdrawl symptoms from methadone which is like coming off of heroin. The soma did help with those symptoms. I do not recommend anyone taking this drug however unless it is prescribed and you have a debilitating condition. Haven’t noticed depression symptoms from the drug either.
Dawny
Subj: TASC?
Date: 9/13/2009
Want to know if I can take soma while in tasc.
Brandy
AskDocWeb: Sorry Brandy, you will have to ask them.
Subj: Soma made me stupid
Date: 9/20/2009
I’ve been taking Soma ( along with Oxycodone for chronic pain on and off for about 7 years; mostly off over the last 6 months or so. Apparently, I had a pretty high tolerance when I was taking it daily. I never experienced any type of withdrawal symptoms when I stopped taking it; and I’m very familiar with opiate withdrawal; so I would have know. Although Soma isn’t an opiate; I have read that it can be psychologically addictive; but that hasn’t been the case for me, and as I said, I suffered no withdrawal symptoms at all when I decided to stop using it. I wouldn’t even know what the symptoms; if any, would be. The primary reason I decided to stop taking it is because it affects my coordination at times. I told my doctor that they “make me STUPID”.
Well, this past Friday; at around 4:00 in the afternoon, I was in pain and decided to take ONE 350 mg. Soma. No big deal (or so I thought); I’m supposed to take 4 a day. Well, I went to bed Friday night at around 9:00 PM and woke up around 1:30 PM on Saturday. I had no memory whatsoever of what transpired between the time I took that pill and when I woke up. I was supposed to go on a canoe trip with my two sons Saturday, but I had to cancel; because I just didn’t “feel right”. Saturday night, after taking my youngest son over to his mother’s house, I came home, made a sandwich, a glass of milk and opened a container of yogurt. Apparently; I fell asleep yet again; because I woke up at around 3:00 AM Sunday morning with my food in front of my completely untouched. I was like “What the hell is going on around here”?? I had NO CLUE what was going on and very little memory of what had happened since Friday evening before I took that one single pill. I also counted my pills to make sure I didn’t take any more, and I definitely did not.
When I took my son over to see his Mom Saturday afternoon, I assumed that the medication had already worn off. It had been at least 20 hours since the last dose. I was completely coherent, told my ex all about what had happened, etc.; and that I wasn’t going to take any more. I would rather have some pain than a dead or injured child, or be responsible for the injury or death of anyone else. This has never happened before to this extent. I HAVE experienced an occasional lack of coordination and slightly slurred speech in the past the first day I have taken Soma after having not taken it in a while, but by day two, or even just a few hours later; I can’t feel anything from them; other than the pain relief due to how it works on my muscle spasms; which it does very well BTW. This was SO different this time. I actually fell asleep sitting on the toilet reading a book; and my son told me I was in the bathroom for over two hours; that he was knocking on the door and I just kept telling him I would be out “in a few minutes”. I have no memory of that whatsoever. It felt like it was all just a strange dream; and it still does for that matter.
It’s now Sunday at about 9:45 AM, and I feel like I just went to bed last night and woke up, but what I’m remembering if FRIDAY night; not Saturday night (last night). Needless to say; I’m very thankful that I didn’t decide to drive or anything else that could have resulted in someone getting hurt. I also flushed the 119 pills I had left down the toilet last night. They’re not worth risking anyone’s life or physical well being over. Never have I experienced such an effect from this medication before; and I’m on very high doses of several different drugs, including 30 mg. Oxycontin (yes, they now make a 30 MG. dose but most pharmacies don’t carry it and it has to be ordered), I’m also on 30 mg. Oxycodone (Roxicodone); immediate release for breakthrough pain; up to 6 a day.
I would just warn anyone to see how this drug affects them individually before doing anything that requires alertness, or driving, or anything remotely related to being in any position where someone’s life may be at risk; including your own. No pain relief; and more importantly, recreational use is worth endangering anyone’s well being. If someone dies as a result of this drug, there’s no going back to fix it, so PLEASE, anyone thinking about using this drug and driving, if you must take it, please stay home for a while and make sure it doesn’t have any adverse effects before endangering anyone. I’ve taken this for many years and even I had an adverse effect; which surprised the hell out of me; but I’m So thankful that I was given that wake up call. I have no clue as to why it affected me this way; this time, but you can bet that I won’t be taking it again unless it’s an absolute emergency and I don’t have to drive. I’m also calling my Doctor on Monday morning and informing her what happened. The whole experience was just bizarre; not to mention, dangerous.
Like I said, I’ve taken this stuff for over 7 years on and off; but this has never happened. I’m typically not “afraid” of the drugs I have to take because I have been taking so many different scrips for so long, but to think that I may have driven my kids somewhere, or been out on the water in that state makes me shudder to think about it. By the grace of God nothing bad happened (other than losing most of my weekend to a Soma induced fog). I’m really sorry that I had to let my kids down on the canoe trip, because this may have been the last trip of the season, but I’m not the least bit sorry that they’re safe and sound as a result of my decision. So, as with any drug, let the buyer beware and use with caution. Even a seasoned pill taker/medicated individual such as myself isn’t immune to negative side effects; and they can happen to anyone; at any time; regardless of the fact that it’s never happened before, so please be careful. The life you may save could be your own, or someone’s child, mother, father, cousin, friend, etc. It’s not worth it.
RJG
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