Soma
Soma, known generically as carisoprodol, is a prescription skeletal-muscle relaxant that operates on the central nervous system to induce sedation and relieve pain. It was developed in the mid-1950s to address the shortcomings of older anxiolytic medications, particularly meprobamate, which posed risks of dependence and withdrawal complications. While Soma is recognized for its effectiveness in muscle relaxation and pain management, its use has raised significant concerns regarding potential abuse, dependence, and illegal procurement. The drug primarily affects the brain by acting on GABA_A receptors, providing effects similar to benzodiazepines, but its misuse can lead to serious health risks, including anterograde amnesia and increased likelihood of dangerous behaviors.
As prescriptions for Soma rose, the medical community became more aware of these risks, including the potential for dependence and difficult withdrawal symptoms, which can encompass anxiety, hallucinations, and severe discomfort. Despite the associated dangers, Soma is often considered a viable alternative to opioids for pain relief in contemporary medical practice. Its dual historical and literary references, including its connection to Hindu mythology and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," add a layer of cultural significance to its perception in society.
Subject Terms
Soma
ALSO KNOWN AS: Carisoma; carisoprodol; sanoma; sopradol; vanadom
DEFINITION: Soma (carisoprodol) is a skeletal-muscle relaxant that acts on the central nervous system to promote sedation and pain relief.
STATUS: Legal by prescription in the United States and banned in many countries around the world
CLASSIFICATION: Unclassified
SOURCE: Synthetic
TRANSMISSION ROUTE: Oral
History of Use
Since the mid-1950s, the North American market for tranquilizing medications has been enormous. Most tranquilizers developed at this time were designed to overcome specific problems that had become apparent in earlier medications. For example, carisoprodol (brand name Soma) was developed because of problems with meprobamate, an older anxiolytic medication that had both high potential for dependence and difficult withdrawals.
The brand name “Soma” refers both to the drink of the gods in Hindu religious literature and to a fictional medication in Aldous Huxley's dystopic novel Brave New World (1932). Since the late 1950s, the medical and scientific communities have come to recognize that although Soma is an effective skeletal-muscle relaxant, it also has a high potential for abuse, dependence, and illegal purchase.
Effects and Potential Risks
The medical community has increasingly become aware of how Soma works in the brain. Its primary metabolite, meprobamate, acts on the GABA‗A (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors in such a way that the drug provides the sedation of a benzodiazepine while also providing relief from muscle pain. Soma provides muscle relaxation and sedation by altering the activity of the spinal cord and brain neurons. Because of its ability to provide sedation and pain relief, Soma was frequently prescribed with anti-inflammatory medications to aid muscle sprains in the early twenty-fist century.
As the number of Soma prescriptions increased, those in the medical community became aware of its potential for abuse and other issues. Despite its effectiveness in the short-term, Soma has significant potential risks. Some users have experienced anterograde amnesia after taking large doses, during which they have driven vehicles or engaged in other dangerous behaviors. Like other tranquilizing medications, Soma can cause dependence; predictably, those who become dependent tend to take larger doses to achieve desired effects, which, in turn, substantially increases the subsequent risk of cardiac problems, coma, and death. Withdrawal from Soma also is difficult, as its symptoms include increased sensitivity to pain and anxiety, jitteriness, hallucinations, and bizarre behavior. Still, Soma has remained an alternative to opioids for the relief of pain in the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
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Gonzalez, Lorie A., et al. "Abuse Potential of Soma: the GABA(A) Receptor as a Target." Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, vol. 1, no. 4, 2009, pp. 180-186.
Gonzalez, Lorie A., et al. "Carisoprodol-Mediated Modulation of GABAA Receptors: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies." Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 329, no. 2 2009, pp. 827–37.
Olopaade, Jennie. "What is Soma, and Why Do People Take It?" MedicalNewsToday, 27 May 2022, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-is-soma. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Reeves, Roy, et al. "Carisoprodol (Soma): Abuse Potential and Physician Unawareness." Journal of Addictive Diseases, vol. 18, no. 2, 1999, pp. 51–56.
Rossow, Ingeborg, and Jorgen G. Bramness. "The Total Sale of Prescription Drugs with an Abuse Potential Predicts the Number of Excessive Users: A National Prescription Database Study." BMC Public Health, vol. 15, 2015, p. 288.
Tone, Andrea. The Age of Anxiety: A History of America’s Turbulent Love Affair with Tranquilizers. New York: Basic, 2008.