Using Carisoprodol for the Treatment of Anxiety

Since Carisoprodol, or Soma, is a muscle relaxer, many people wonder about its capabilities of treating anxiety. Anxiety medications have become very popular and there are reasons why one might think of a muscle relaxer for anxiety. However, Soma is not a good medication to take for this purpose, and in some cases, using it for anxiety can become dangerous.

Carisoprodol has certain anxiolytic effects and can alleviate anxiety. However, these anxiolytic properties are not very strong. What people may be feeling instead is the muscle relaxing and sedative effects of the drug. These effects can often be confused for reliving for anxiety.

Many people who have experienced an injury or suffer from chronic pain may suffer from anxiety due to their condition. They may be out of work, unable to compete in a sport, or unable to care for themselves - all situations which can cause anxiety. Also, insomnia is a common symptom of anxiety. Muscle relaxers relieve your pain and have a sedative effect. Therefore, you may feel less anxiety due to the reduction of these symptoms, without actually treating anxiety.

Many times, drugs are prescribed for "off-label" uses. These are uses that are not currently approved for use, but the drug has been shown to provide benefits anyways. However, Soma and anxiety is not one of these situations. Since the anti-anxiety effects of Soma are not very strong, you would need to take unsafe amounts to treat your anxiety. A good doctor would not prescribe Soma for your anxiety and would suggest other alternatives.

Many times, people have to take anti-anxiety drugs for long periods of times - sometimes years. Soma is only to be used in the short-term, often less than three weeks. Muscle relaxers can be highly addictive, and this makes short-term use important. Also, if you do end up taking Soma long-term, you could suffer from serious and unpleasant side effects when it comes time for you to stop using the drug. For this reason, Soma does not make a great anti-anxiety medication. Soma is not currently approved by the FDA for use as an anti-anxiety medication.

If you need help managing your anxiety (or insomnia), speak with your doctor. There are many safe and effective anti-anxiety drugs on the market that will provide you with better and more permanent anxiety relief. However, if you need help managing muscle pain, Carisoprodol is a great treatment option.