substitutes for soma

[zajac46]

Like most I have always had general back pain   I had several surgeries a few years ago where I was in the hospital 2 weeks with gallstones that dissolved and part of the sludge entered my pancreas that ate a hole through it causing 10 litters of fluid to build up behind my lungs. They basically cut me sternum to spine that & used a rib splitter.  it causes pain under my breast still.  Then last year was in a car accident that caused bulging discs to hit nerves in my lumbar and cervical.  Had injections for the thoracic that didn't work.(dr said my back is such a mess he would rather just put me on pain meds) .  My PM gives me 6 15mg of oxycodone a day, Primary Doc Soma 350 (4 a day)  & Xanax 1mg (3 a day)I have horrible anxiety. Since soma has changed to class 3 they wont prescribe anymore.  What is a good substitute-I  was just reading that flexaril should be used short term b/c benefit max out after 2 wks. it doesn't bother me to change accept the soma really works.,  Any suggestions what to try that's a close alterative to soma?  

[ShaysIceCube]

A good substitute might be an ice pack, or maybe your doctor might recommend a homeopathic alternative. Many people in this forum love homeopathic remedies.

[philnoir]

Soma's major metabolite is meprobamate, which was marketed as an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) under the tradenames Miltown and Equanil.

It is thought that Soma's effectiveness is due to this metabolite.

I'm not sure if meprobamate is prescribed anymore. The drug was abused in the 1950s and chemists developed a newer class of tranquilizer, the benzodiazepenes (Librium and Valium) to deal with this problem. (It was believed at the time that benzos had a lower abuse potential.) Xanax is a benzo that also has anxiolytic properties.

One problem with carisoprodol (Soma) is that it potentiates opioids, as do benzos. Mixing oxycodone with both Soma and Xanax will give any prescribing physician the willies, as this combination, especially in the presence of alcohol, would cause many a patient to 'wake up dead.'

Dantrolene is a good muscle relaxant, and the only one that does not effect the central nervous system -- it works directly on preventing muscle contraction. This may be a safer medication for you.

Ask your doctor's opinion.

[zajac46]

I actually worked last 10 yrs in an Internal Med office.  (The dr recently retired) He is in his 70's & said the same thing when I asked him.  "Soma is one of the best & nothing else is like it".  We almost feel over when we found out is was being reclassified to tier 3. It's been out since 1973 u would think they would have realized it was addictive before now.I've taken both the Xanax & soma for years and they don't make me sleepy, now if my husband took them he wouldn't wake up for a week.

I knew the days were numbered on getting it.  Especially when I had a call from a Brookshire letting me know their pharmacy wasn't going to carry it anymore.  I know that their are a lot of people who abuse it as part of a combo of several drugs that make up what is called the cocktail.

Since I'm not in the loop anymore I was wondering if maybe something new had hit the market to replace the soma.  
Your list gives me a few to look into that I'm not familiar with.  Thanks for your help.

[philnoir]

Because of the tranquilizing effects of Soma (carisoprodol), there are no close alternatives. Most physicians would be reluctant to prescribe both Xanax and Soma because of their collective sedative effects.

There are many choices of skeletal muscle relaxants, and your doctor will certainly be aware of them. Often finding the right one is a matter of experimentation.

carisoprodol (Soma), methocarbamol (Robaxin), orphenadrine (Norflex), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), and metaxalone (Skelaxin) all treat peripheral muscle syndromes.

Choice of a skeletal muscle relaxant also depends on whether or not you have spasticity along with a peripheral skeletal muscular condition. Spasticity is a state of increased muscle tone resulting from upper motor neuron syndrome -- a variety of conditions affecting the brain or spinal cord.

Only baclofen (Lioresal), dantrolene (Dantrium), and tizanidine (Zanaflex) treat spasticity.

[Mollyrae]

Hi zajac,

Fortunately your Doctor can send your insurance co. a pre-authorization for the Soma. It will be covered at that point.

Talk to him and have them request it.

My best,
Mollyrae