Prescription Drugs 2 Go

Carisoprodol: An Addictive Pain-Reliever

Carisoprodol is essentially a muscle relaxant prescribed to alleviate muscle pain, sprains and spasms.

Selective Action

It is a drug that acts on the central nervous system but is very selective in its action. This means till will not relieve general body ache but will relieve pain associated with a specific set of muscles that has undergone physical injury or other similar trauma.

The active ingredient in carisoprodol is meprobromate, a carbamate derivative also used to treat anxiety disorders as it acts as an anxiolytic. Decades ago, meprobromate was the most popular drug used as a tranquilizer but later lost out to the benzodiazepines.

Available in tablet form, carisoprodol must be taken with food or immediately after meals to avoid gastrointestinal problems.

Temporary Relief

Carisoprodol, however, provides temporary relief. It does not repair muscles but along with rest and therapy, gives the injured muscles a chance to heal relatively painlessly.

But how exactly does a muscle relaxant work? Do they all use the same mechanism of action? A muscle relaxant basically decreases muscle tone and discourages it from contracting.

There are two types of muscle relaxants. One type includes neuromuscular blockers that are used to induce local anaesthesia during surgery and under emergency conditions.

For instance, doctors use neuromuscular blockers to temporarily paralyze the esophagus during an endoscopy, where a tube is inserted into the food pipe.

The other group of muscle relaxants is spasmolytics, which simply cause muscles to relax. They are also used to treat spasticity, a condition where muscles involuntarily tighten and contract.

Potential For Abuse

The only serious side-effect of carisoprodol is its potentially addictive effect and therefore its abuse. The US Food and Drugs Administration have declared it a scheduled drug following a growing number of reports of carisoprodol abuse and addiction.