Talk:Carisoprodol

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Should this have a reference to Brave New World, which is most likely the brand's namesake?

I certainly think that we need to reference the fact that it is named after Soma or Soma from Brave New World. The historical and popular culture usage of the term Soma certainly has something to do with the chosen brand name for this substance. Much as we would mention Pynchon and The Crying of Lot 49 in an article on the p2p network WASTE we should mention some basic background on the brand-name, as it is the popular designation for carisoprodol. 12.218.37.174 21:32, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Requesting more info

What is this drug used/abused for? I've gotten a lot of spam advertising LOW LOW SOMA PRICES!#@!@! but I don't know what the hype's about. Twinxor t 02:34, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Personally, I don't see the abuse potential, at least not by itself. Yes, it is preferred by abusers over benzos because it is less unpleasant. However, having used it myself as a sedative, I must say the same level of intoxication is easily achieved by other, cheaper and more available means. Also, its purported addictive properties are debatable. A large study that administered it to incarcerated drug users at doses of up to 20 tablets pr day, then at random times (after about 9 months) switching it for placebo in half the population, found no signs of withdrawal. Indeed, many did not notice a difference. 193.216.96.25 01:33, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

Soma produces a more pleasant and less intrusive form of sedation than e.g. benzos, so it's really a matter of preference in this case. It has a very rapid onset of action, about twice as fast as flunitrazepam, a "soft" onset, and a similarly "soft" come-down. To relieve anxiety, tension, anger, grief, or other mental discomfort for a short period of time, it works fairly well.

The abuse potential, which in my opinion does not offset its medical value as a sometimes better alternative to benzodiazepines in some settings, is related to using it together with alcohol. Several studies indicate that monodrug abuse is rarely a problem. When combined with alcohol, however, some users liken it to the effects of heroin. Zuiram 14:16, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

The abuse potential lies in it's rapid metabolization into an anxyolitic drug called Meprobramate (Miltown, USA), the source of the recreational effects caused by carisoprodol. I don't need to link to meprobamate because it is mentioned at the top of this article. Carisoprodol is very easy to obtain, at least in the united states, through online consultation. Because carisoprodol and meprobomate are not PHYSICALLY addictive, they are more easily prescribed and generally considered 'safer' (lower abuse potential, overdose potential) than benzodiazepines and other centrally acting muscle relaxants. However, benzos are prescribed for many other purposes, and are still remarkably common in the US. Alcohol and other sedatives will usually have an agonistic effect on drugs like meprobamate and benzodiazepines.

Actually, the thing is that large double-blind studies with carisoprodol have failed to demonstrate potential for abuse by itself. Mostly, it is abused in the sense that it is used without doctor supervision, or in the sense that it is taken together with alcohol, which has been described as a highly euphoric sensation. By itself, it is mostly harmless (apologies to Douglas Adams). Zuiram 10:51, 14 November 2006 (UTC)