How Long Does Soma Stay in Your System?

Soma (Carisoprodol) Prescription Facts

Soma is a prescription muscle relaxant, usually given to patients in conjunction with a plan for rest and physical therapy. The generic name for the drug is carisoprodol. Soma is similar to the barbiturate drug class in terms of how it works on the brain and body. Soma is only supposed to be used as a short-term drug. Most physicians won’t prescribe Soma for longer than three weeks because of the drug’s risk for abuse and dependence. This risk is particularly high for people with a history of substance abuse or addiction. The recommended dose of carisoprodol tablets is anywhere from 250 mg to 350 mg -taken three times a day. Soma has sedative properties and it can make it dangerous for people to do things like operating machinery or driving.

Soma Regulations

Under the Controlled Substances Act in the U.S., Soma is classified as a Schedule IV drug. This means that Soma is a controlled substance. There is a potential for abuse and addiction recognized by the federal government. Anyone with a history of substance abuse should let their physician know before using this medication. A physician should assess the risk of abuse in patients before prescribing Soma, and the length of treatment with this drug should be no more than three weeks. Doctors are also instructed to make sure that they educate their patients on Soma’s potential for abuse.

Most Commonly Abuse Muscle Relaxants

Muscle relaxants are often abused. People commonly will use muscle relaxants with other types of drugs, such as opioids, to heighten the effects. However, people can abuse muscle relaxants on their own as well. Muscle relaxants are prescribed for a wide variety of conditions, including strains and sprains, tension headaches, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and cerebral palsy. They have therapeutic benefits when used as directed; however, there is a potential for abuse as well. Some of the most commonly abused muscle relaxant drugs include Soma, Flexeril and Lioresal. Other abused muscle relaxants include Robaxin, Norflex and Parflex.

How Soma Affects the Brain and Body

Soma is believed to affect GABA receptors in the brain and, in doing so, it changes how nerve signals are sent. The drug is a central nervous system depressant. This means that people may feel drowsy or intoxicated when using Soma -particularly at higher doses. Some of the side effects of Soma can include sedation, dizziness and headaches. If someone takes too much Soma, they can overdose. Signs of a Soma overdose can include confusion, problems breathing, hallucinations, muscle stiffness, uncontrolled eye movements and weakness of the arms and legs.

Half-Life of Soma

The half-life of Soma refers to how long it takes half of a dose to leave the body. It usually takes several half-lives for a drug to be fully eliminated from the system. The average half-life of Soma is around two hours but it can vary anywhere from 1 to 3 hours for most people. Based on that half-life, it would take an average of 11 hours for someone to fully eliminate a dose of Soma from their system. Soma leaves behind metabolites as well. The meprobamate metabolite can take nearly four days to be eliminated from the system, even after the parent drug has been fully eliminated.

Factors That Influence How Long Soma Stays in Your System

While there are average estimates for how long Soma stays in the system, there isn’t one specific answer for everyone. There are different variables that can influence how long Soma stays in the system, such as the dosage taken and how the drug was used. If any other drugs were taken at the same time then the elimination time can take even longer. There are personal factors that influence how long Soma stays in your system as well, including age, metabolism, overall health, as well as genetics and body mass.

How Long Does Soma Stay in Your Urine, Hair, and Blood?

Soma isn’t something that would be included on a standard drug screening panel. For Soma to show up on any drug test, it would have to be specifically tested for. The test would have to detect the presence of both the drug and the meprobamate metabolite. Soma could show up in a urine test for several days following the last dose. It can be detectable for even longer in urine for people who use Soma chronically. In a blood test, Soma could show up for around 24 hours after someone took a dose. In a hair test, Soma could show up for up to a month after someone used it.

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