Prescription medicine
Carisoprodol Brand names: Soma
Carisoprodol (Soma) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1959. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 24 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.0706 per carisoprodol 350 mg tablet in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
- DEA Schedule IV
Check it at the source: the carisoprodol FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 15, 2025, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.); the NDA 11792 record on Drugs@FDA; every carisoprodol label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of July 15, 2025; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageCarisoprodol tablets are indicated for the relief of discomfort associated with acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions in adults.
Forms and strengths
- 250 mg
- 350 mg
Tablet.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- April 9, 1959 Soma, Mylan Speciality Lp; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 21 first June 12, 1979; 13 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 26 of which 24 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.0706 per tablet Carisoprodol 350 mg tablet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- 5 since 2012 0 Class I among all firms' recalls; latest January 28, 2014
- FAERS reports
- 18,964 through July 30, 2026
What is carisoprodol used for?
From the label: indications and usageCarisoprodol tablets are indicated for the relief of discomfort associated with acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions in adults. Limitation of Use Carisoprodol tablets should only be used for short periods (up to two or three weeks) because adequate evidence of effectiveness for more prolonged use has not been established and because acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions are generally of short duration [ see Dosage and Administration (2) ]. Carisoprodol tablets are a muscle relaxant indicated for the relief of discomfort associated with acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions in adults. (1) Limitations of Use
Should only be used for acute treatment periods up to two or three weeks […]
Conditions named in the indications of carisoprodol's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
FDA pharmacologic class: Muscle Relaxant.
Source: FDA drug label (Carisoprodol), Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective July 15, 2025 (SPL set 7c9184c0-7a2e-11df-8c8d-0002a5d5c51b), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for carisoprodol (Soma)?
The FDA approved the first generic carisoprodol on June 12, 1979. 21 generic applications are approved; 13 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists carisoprodol from 24 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 1 brand labeler. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1959 earliest approval on file
- 1979 first generic approved
- red ticks recalls
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for carisoprodol (Soma)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.0706 per Carisoprodol 350 mg tablet, up 3% from $0.0684 on October 8, 2025. Prices per unit in the table differ many-fold by strength, form and brand, so compare like with like. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Carisoprodol 350 mg tablet (generic)
- Soma 350 mg tablet (brand)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carisoprodol 250 mg tablet | Generic | $0.474 per tablet | $14.22 | -14% |
| Carisoprodol 350 mg tablet | Generic | $0.0706 per tablet | $2.12 | +3% |
| Soma 350 mg tablet | Brand | $11.30 per tablet many times the lowest per-tablet cost; NADAC records the price, not why | $338.92 | +5% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
Has carisoprodol been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement Report lists 5 recalls naming carisoprodol since 2012: 0 Class I (the most serious), 3 Class II, 2 Class III; 0 still ongoing. A recall names products and lots, not every product of the medicine.
| Started | Class | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 28, 2014 | Class III | Mylan Institutional, Inc. (d.b.a. UDL Laboratories) | Failed Impurity/degradation Specification |
| December 23, 2013 | Class II | Watson Laboratories Inc | Presence of Foreign Substance; metal particulates were visually observed in the tablets. |
| November 7, 2013 | Class II | West-Ward Pharmaceutical Corp. | Presence of Foreign Substance; heavy metals (chromium, titanium etc) and inactive components of the product were visually observed during routine stability … |
| December 7, 2012 | Class II | West-ward Pharmaceutical Corp. | Presence of Foreign Substance: Uncharacteristic blacks spots on tablets. |
| November 30, 2012 | Class III | West-ward Pharmaceutical Corp. | Labeling: Not elsewhere classified: On 12/12/11, DEA published a final rule in the Federal Register making this product a schedule IV (C-IV)controlled … |
Source: FDA Enforcement Report (drug recalls) via openFDA, through October 8, 2026
What does the carisoprodol label say about other medicines?
The carisoprodol label names 5 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 1 other medicine name carisoprodol. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Aspirin | drug interactions | Low dose aspirin also showed an induction effect on CYP2C19. |
| Fluvoxamine | 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. |
| Meprobamate | contraindications | CONTRAINDICATIONS Carisoprodol tablets are contraindicated in patients with a history of acute intermittent porphyria or a hypersensitivity reaction to a carbamate such as meprobamate. |
| Omeprazole | 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. |
| Rifampin | drug interactions | Co-administration of CYP2C19 inducers, such as rifampin or St. John’s Wort, with carisoprodol could result in decreased exposure of carisoprodol and increased exposure of meprobamate. |
Source: FDA drug label (Carisoprodol), Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., effective July 15, 2025 (SPL set 7c9184c0-7a2e-11df-8c8d-0002a5d5c51b), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for carisoprodol?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 18,964 reports that list carisoprodol among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 4,011 are coded as a death and 4,645 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as carisoprodol?
9 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as carisoprodol or labeled mainly for the same use (muscle spasms and spasticity), the same class first. Muscle spasms and spasticity lists all 12 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclobenzaprine | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 60 labelers | $0.0171 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Methocarbamol | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 54 labelers | $0.0395 per tablet 500 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Metaxalone | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 33 labelers | $0.452 per tablet 800 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Chlorzoxazone | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 19 labelers | $0.210 per tablet 500 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Orphenadrine | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 14 labelers | $0.454 per tablet 100 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Aspirin and caffeine and orphenadrine | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 3 labelers | n/a | No current entry |
| Baclofen | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 52 labelers | $0.032 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Tizanidine | Muscle spasms and spasticity | 51 labelers | $0.0331 per tablet 4 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as carisoprodol
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does carisoprodol compare with medicines for the same use?
6 side-by-side pages set carisoprodol beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to carisoprodol
- 9 medicines for the same use
- Other muscle relaxants
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Carisoprodol side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other