What Is Soma, and Is It Addictive?

What Is Soma, and Is It Addictive?

When dealing with injuries to muscle and soft tissue injuries, regular people and athletes alike can require a prescription for muscle relaxers to help deal with the pain. One of the most common varieties available is carisoprodol, widely known under the brand name Soma. This skeletal muscle relaxant often gets prescribed for strains and sprains that can occur through physical activity. With Soma being so widely available and more people becoming more aware of the addictive properties of many prescription medications used for injury treatment, more patients are asking — is Soma addictive?

What Are the Side Effects of Soma?

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As with most medications used to treat different injuries, Soma has many side effects that people can experience when taking it.
The main reaction that can make it an effective medication to help manage pain include muscle relaxation, sedation, and decreasing the patient’s anxiety. However, other potentially dangerous side effects can take hold when taken in excess. These potentially harmful side effects include:
  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Clumsiness
  • Headaches
  • Increased Heart Rate
  • Upset Stomach
  • Vomiting
  • Noticeable Skin Rashes
These effects can present themselves within 30 minutes of ingestion and last anywhere between four to six hours.

What Does Soma Abuse Look Like?

For most patients, one of the most common dangers of painkiller usage following injury centers around the physical and psychological dependence that can develop. In the case of Soma abuse, the person in question displays changes in behaviors, moods, and more that can be a prime indicator that an addiction has developed. Some of the most common signs of a Soma addiction include:
  • Agitation
  • Irritability
  • Depression
  • Temporary Loss of Consciousness
  • Tachycardia
  • Cervical Spine Injury
  • Difficult Speaking
  • Temporary Loss of Vision
  • Dilated Pupils
  • Euphoria
  • Confusion
  • Disorientation
While these examples tend to be short-lived, the long-term effects of Soma abuse on the body leave a more lasting impression. Irreversible damage to your heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain can occur with prolonged Soma abuse.

How to Identify Soma Addiction

Soma addiction shares some commonalities with sedatives like benzos. It becomes such an addictive substance thanks to the relaxation and sedative effects it has on users. Usually, someone becomes addicted to prescription painkillers when they start to self-medicate and take more than the recommended amount. They can develop a serious physical dependence on the substance to get through their regular day — long after the injury itself has healed. Knowing how to identify a Soma addiction in yourself or someone you love means knowing what signs you should look for. These can include:

  • Stealing or forging prescriptions
  • Taking increasingly higher dosages
  • Unexplained mood swings and hostility
  • Unusual sleep patterns
  • Fluctuating energy levels
  • Lying about lost prescriptions
  • Going to multiple doctors for prescriptions

Get the Help You Need for a Soma Addiction

Whether it’s Soma, Oxycodone, or other prescription painkillers, there remains a significant crisis stemming from the abuse of these medications. While dealing with a Soma addiction can feel isolating and impossible to come back from, Silver Pines Treatment Center is here to help provide substance abuse treatment programs in Mahanoy City, PA .
Our programs have been designed to help people of all walks of life find the treatment they need to address their demons and decide to change for the better. If you or someone you love is currently battling a Soma addiction, our team can help. Learn more about our specialized addiction treatment services and how they can help today.

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Overcome your addiction today with the help of one of the best addiction rehab centers in the U.S. We are in-network with most major insurance companies.
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