Prescription medication · Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxant
carisoprodol
Also sold as Soma. Carisoprodol treats the pain and discomfort caused by acute muscle and bone conditions.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 18,851
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 4
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 94% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- $10.33
- Brand price (NADAC)
What the data shows
carisoprodol (Soma) is a prescription Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxant, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (18,851 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 94% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
carisoprodol (Soma) is a prescription Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxant. Carisoprodol treats the pain and discomfort caused by acute muscle and bone conditions.
Carisoprodol is a muscle relaxant. It helps relieve discomfort from painful muscle and bone problems.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$10.33/unit
Generic Price
$0.61/unit
Generic Savings
94%
Generic Available
Yes (8 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Carisoprodol treats the pain and discomfort caused by acute muscle and bone conditions.
Common side effects
Drowsiness (13-17% of users), Dizziness (7-8% of users), Headache (3-5% of users)
Key warnings
Carisoprodol can be habit-forming.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from carisoprodol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Carisoprodol works in the brain and spinal cord to relax muscles. It blocks pain signals between your nerves and brain. This helps to reduce muscle spasms and pain.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 18,851 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for carisoprodol, by number of reports
- Pain
Pain
1,615 reports
- Completed Suicide
Completed Suicide
1,459 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
1,280 reports
- Headache
Headache
1,093 reports
- Anxiety
Anxiety
989 reports
- Depression
Depression
985 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
976 reports
- Toxicity To Various Agents
Toxicity To Various Agents
904 reports
- Insomnia
Insomnia
830 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
806 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for carisoprodol each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where carisoprodol sits
carisoprodol has more FDA adverse-event reports than 54% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is carisoprodol; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 18,851 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2001–2025.
Total Reports
18,851
Reports Mentioning Death
3,997
21.2% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
4,623
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PAIN | 1,615 |
| 2 | COMPLETED SUICIDE | 1,459 |
| 4 | NAUSEA | 1,280 |
| 5 | HEADACHE | 1,093 |
| 6 | ANXIETY | 989 |
| 7 | DEPRESSION | 985 |
| 8 | FATIGUE | 976 |
| 9 | TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 904 |
| 10 | INSOMNIA | 830 |
| 11 | VOMITING | 806 |
| 12 | DRUG DEPENDENCE | 795 |
| 13 | FALL | 789 |
| 14 | DYSPNOEA | 736 |
| 15 | OVERDOSE | 736 |
| 16 | BACK PAIN | 711 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Carisoprodol can be habit-forming. Do not take it if you have a history of drug abuse. Stopping it suddenly after long-term use can cause withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, vomiting, and hallucinations. Carisoprodol can also cause seizures, especially if you take too much or mix it with other drugs or alcohol. This medicine can make you sleepy and impair your ability to drive or operate machinery.
Known Drug Interactions
Co-administration of CYP2C19 inhibitors, such as omeprazole or fluvoxamine, with carisoprodol could result in increased exposure of carisoprodol and decreased exposure of meprobamate.
Mechanism: Omeprazole slows down the liver enzyme that breaks down carisoprodol, which can cause the drug to stay in your body longer.
Low dose aspirin also showed an induction effect on CYP2C19.
Mechanism: Aspirin makes your liver work faster to break down carisoprodol. This can cause the carisoprodol to leave your body too quickly and not work as well.
Co-administration of CYP2C19 inducers, such as rifampin or St.
Mechanism: Rifampin speeds up the liver enzymes that process carisoprodol. This can lower the amount of medicine in your system and make it less effective.
Co-administration of CYP2C19 inhibitors, such as omeprazole or fluvoxamine, with carisoprodol could result in increased exposure of carisoprodol and decreased exposure of meprobamate.
Mechanism: Fluvoxamine slows down the liver's ability to process carisoprodol. This can cause the drug to build up in your body, which may increase side effects.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drive while taking carisoprodol?
Can I drink alcohol while taking carisoprodol?
How long should I take carisoprodol?
What should I do if I think I am having a side effect?
Can I take carisoprodol with other medications?
What happens if I overdose on carisoprodol?
Is carisoprodol addictive?
Can I stop taking carisoprodol suddenly?
What does carisoprodol look like?
What if this medicine doesn't seem to be working?
What are the common side effects of carisoprodol?
Does carisoprodol interact with other medications?
What drug class is carisoprodol?
Is there a generic version of carisoprodol?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for carisoprodol?
Related Medications in Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxant
Other drugs grouped near carisoprodol - same-class peers and common alternatives.
baclofen
Lioresal, Gablofen
Baclofen is a muscle relaxant.
Compare with carisoprodol →
botulinum toxin A
Botox
Botox is a drug that blocks nerve signals to muscles.
Compare with carisoprodol →
chlorzoxazone
Parafon Forte
Chlorzoxazone is a muscle relaxant.
Compare with carisoprodol →
cyclobenzaprine
Flexeril, Amrix
Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant.
Compare with carisoprodol →
dantrolene
Dantrium
Dantrolene is a muscle relaxant.
Compare with carisoprodol →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for carisoprodol: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 18,851.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 21.20%.
- tetrabenazine Δ 0.10 pts · 7,235 reports · VMAT2 Inhibitor 21.11%death share
- dronabinol Δ 0.24 pts · 7,819 reports · Cannabinoid Antiemetic 20.96%death share
- isavuconazonium Δ 0.26 pts · 3,219 reports · Azole Antifungal 20.94%death share
- dalteparin Δ 0.49 pts · 10,243 reports · Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin 21.69%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for carisoprodol
The FDA label for carisoprodol (sold under brand names such as Soma) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Centrally Acting Muscle Relaxant class. Carisoprodol treats the pain and discomfort caused by acute muscle and bone conditions. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Drowsiness (13-17% of users), Dizziness (7-8% of users), Headache (3-5% of users).
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 18,851 voluntary reports. The database also lists 4 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.61 versus $10.33 for the brand - a 94% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: December 24, 2024
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages