Carisoprodol, Why Short Term Medicine? (Top voted first)

What is all the hype about taking carisprodol when you have had 2 neck, 4 back surgeries and osteoarthritis so bad that my fingers on my right hand can't even lift a cup or glass??? I am 60 years old. I do take ms contin, and Xanax for pain and anxiety. I have been on these meds for years. I can't hardly get out of bed in the morning if I am not up all night with pain and gastro problems. I have Lupus and severe fibromyalgia. I had my left hip replaced and after that cervical fusion and lower lumbar fusion. The doctors went to town on me! I hurt 90 percent of the time. I have taken more soma than 20 qty. for 30 days (90qty for 30 days) in the past ten years. I went off the soma for 1 year in exchange for 1 more Xanax a day. Although my muscular problems still existed. Now my Dr is telling me that she won't prescibe anymore. I totally understand if you young and don't have problems like me and others like me but this is unacceptable!!! No wonder people turn to the street to get their meds. The government wonders why we have such a drug crisis. It's not prescibed medicine, the pharmacies will tell you when, where and how much you can have, the doctors will prescibe shots for clear skin but those of us that are really hurting, take our meds the way we are supposed to, no longer count. We are dying inside and out and all we get in the end is more problems. Carisprodol (short term medicine)? Not for me, I am already dying.

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I have bilateral hips,knee replacements,dish syndrome with complications and degenerative bone and joint disease.
I am on 400 mg of MS Contin daily 4 30 mg roxicodone daily and 4 soma a day for 10 years now. It truly helps big time. I do stop the some for weeks at a time with no complications. I agree with you.

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I agree there is a major problem going on in this country with the pain management field and the government getting involved in doctor/patient business. Many doctors do not like to prescribe an opiate, a benzodiazepine like xanax and soma together because of the increased risk of breathing problems even if they prescribed it before in the past. Also just for information sake, soma when it breaks down in the body actually breaks down into a benzodiazepine-like tranquilizer called meprobamate. For example, if you were given a drug panel for benzos and were only on soma you would show positive. So maybe now with the new ridiculous FDA reports your doctor is unnecessarily worried about getting into trouble.

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Those three drugs together are definitely a red flag for breathing problems. Many doctors won't even prescribe Soma.

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Re: Sue (# 5)

I completely understand you issue. I am also a chronic pain patient. I have chronic pancreatitis, but I also have a panic disorder. I was just giving some reasons for what they are telling you, but I am in the same delimma. I am on clonazepam, and thank goodness my doctors still let me take both. I also have some muscular problems and like you I need a muscle relaxer. They wouldn't give me soma as a choice even. I can't take flexeril and baclofen didn't work for me. I also can take all my medicine together with no breathing problems whatsoever, but the doctors are so afraid now of being sued or the extra government scrutiny. I think decisions should always be on a case by case basis by the doctors instead of lumping us all together in one group who will all react the same to medication. Finally my pain doc put me on parafon forte (chlorzoxazone) which is an old muscle relaxer, but she actually told me that people who used to be on soma do really well with this one on particular. I guess she is saying it is a good substitute for soma. Maybe your doctor will allow you to try it. I personally was never on soma so I dont know enough to give a comparison. I hope everything works out for you in this situation. I know how frustrating it can be when they make changes that dont seem to make any sense for you, and are usually based on information that doesnt apply to you. Good luck and God bless.

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Re: Sue (# 7)

Oh no dear the drug companies could care less if the meds cause breathing problems. All they want is their FDA approval and to sell it for as long as possible brand name to make their profits. The doctors are the ones kind of left on the hook to handle whether they think we as patients can take these drugs together or not. I had my DNA tested to find out as much as I could about how I metabolize medication and the drugs I can and cannot take based on my genes. I didn't know all my life why I could take a lot of medications and feel like I was taking nothing at all or they only worked for a very short time. Like I said I am like you. I can take all kinds of drugs that are supposed to cause breathing problems together or are supposed to make you sleepy and have no issues or not feel anything at all. On my test i discovered for many drugs i am an ultra rapid metabolizer so i take them and they end up out of my body super fast. It explained a lot and now I can take the test to my doctors and show them I am not making this up. I don't know if your insurance pays for this kind of testing because it is expensive, but I really recommend genetic testing for all pain patients and psychiatric patients. The shortest and probably cheapest (still thousands without insurance) is called genesight. Just a suggestion for everyone.

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Re: ozzyz666 (# 4)

You say there are better meds for anxiety. What are they?

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I too have had similar issues and find that there seems to be no lobby for the great population of the 60+ years in age to assist these new forced and very dangerous restrictions on medications that have assisted and sometimes just barely making life tolerable, yet no representation seems to show up for us! The one unimaginable thing is to create such a large group just trying to make another day, not a get high deal, a reprieve from the horrors of pain, anxiety and illnesses that have more contraindications that are ignored because there is a government stating rules that frighten our Medical practitioners and facilitators into disregarding what is truly best for a patient of age and respect, not abuse as that not the population that has caused the restrictions, back to where do we go? Can you imagine the entire population of 60+ aged men and women who rely for any for of quality of life go onto the streets without even the budget to get the proper medications which I gather with the restrictions the price of that life would put most of us on lines in shelters or selling our life’s acquisitions to get a box to live in as our needs are being ignored by the governments involvement and restrictions on genuine people reliant on medications that had never been abused but are not allowed to give us the dignity to even die in peace or worse yet by withdrawal by the undereducated people who have properly diagnosed and prescribed and no longer can for the government has restricted the once considered appropriate medications.

Where and to whom are we, as large a group as we are, to go? Why have we no say in the hardened hearts of people who make decisions that directly affect our lives to the extent that they may be responsible for just that... a matter of 'LIFE AND DEATH' for some and reducing the quality of what was once 'A PURPOSEFUL LIFE' for most now reduced to a newly acquired list of psychological diagnosis’s such as 'major depressive disorders' a great many purely situational in nature exclusively denying any possibility of regaining the potential of becoming effective with their disabilities whatsoever! Who do we address to lobby for us before all rights to any form of humanity is stripped from us, to know this clearly as ‘hope’. We need help, direction, and Voice’s NOW for it will not change, it will become permanent and will only become the beginning of an even greater nightmare! Sanding together is what we must do, I’m clueless regarding what to do next. What are or can WE DO TOGETHER? I just know that we had better do something!!

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Hi Sue!

Isn't this insane??? My life is more destroyed than ever now! I'm in too much pain to type my long horrible story tonight. But this a NIGHTMARE! What has been done to us by taking away our pain meds is evil! A lady on FB said that her primary care doctor did paperwork and now she gets palliative care. The CDC has zero control over that! It's not ONLY for people who are terminal anymore.

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Re: EDDY (# 2)

I have a doctor's appointment coming up and I guess I am going to have to go to pain management. It's really stupid to have to go there just to get a muscle relaxer that works. In the morning, because of the cervical fusion and frontal plate in my neck, my right thumb, I broke when I was young just throbbing in pain and both hands have severe osteoarthritis in them and all my other diseases, I have to seek out more help. I wish all I had to deal with was a new drug injection for clear skin. I guess the drug manufacturers aren't worried if these drugs cause breathing problems.

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Re: Curious80 (# 6)

I don’t yet have any issues so far & consider my self lucky that I go to a PM doctor that is in a hospital that works with Neurologist just a Pain management place outside of a hospital if I had what is happening to everyone above I would be at the emergency room every single day screaming in pain and then have no choice but to give me something for pain. To the person that is talking about Soma I have been taking it for about 8yrs 350mg every 4 hrs. Now I must say at this point as last year it is starting to not work as well maybe it’s because the manufacturer changed I can tell the difference in the new one it’s not as good and I also have to split them up as in take two in the morning and two before bed or I would run out because I wake up a lot in the middle the night with pain if I took them I went to I would need them to be prescribed eight times a day but that will never happen. They once switched me to Valium however it was such a low dose that it said nothing. I also take two different pain medicines, one all the time that last 12 hours and one for breakthrough. I have no issues like the person that tested on breathing and I even at times take melatonin, Benadryl and even Advil pm all together with my nighttime meds and still can’t fall sleep because of the pain.

Lately it has been getting more intense and the medicine that is new brand wise is causing gastroparesis which doesn’t help just causes more pain. If they took my meds away it would be hard for me to want to live. They don’t seem to understand That the people who really need the medicine should not be criticized for the people who are Addicts. I knew there’s a petition on change.org to fight this and it should only be up to the pain management doctor or whatever doctor and no one else on what you can and cannot take and how much of it. The government nor the FDA should be able to get involved. Unless that Dr is truly doing something corrupt. I am very much with all of you especially because the medicine I’m on is my last resort because I’m allergic to almost everything out there and a high tolerance. If I need surgery takes them forever to knock me out. And I wake right back up like nothing happened. I hope the petition that’s out there is getting same but the people who really need the medicine and get seen & things change for disabled pain patients.

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Re: ozzyz666 (# 4)

Yes! I agree. After a broken hip, back and neck, osteoarthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, no female stuff, no gall bladder, dentures that hurt all the time, no family left, the loss of a young child to leukemia, I can still get up and walk with a cane and smile. If at 60 years old, after working for the government for 30 years, this garbage about these drugs and how they metabolize in the system or cause breathing problems doesn't bother me. I always hear "well he or she died from natural causes" maybe their bodies didn't metabolize junk food very well or better yet maybe the person just was driving to work and someone t-boned them!

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Re: Curious80 (# 1)

A doctor could give me a horse tranquilixer and I could still function. Actually Morphine helps my breathing. 2 years ago I was at 1000mgs of. Ms contin. I was on alot and both my doctors know that my pain receptors are obliterated. I don't ever ask for more or take more than prescribed now. Believe me I was off 1000mg in 4 months. It was hard,but I never slipped back one time in 4 months. I have been through a lot emotionally and physically. I am stable with 100mgs daily. I take instant release and time released Ms contin. My pain causes anxiety and my neck, where they put a metal plate in the front and a rod in the back cause way too much tightness and spasms. To some it all up, it is up the the patient and their special needs. I just believe that it is in humane to not keep a patient like me comfortable. I don't drive and I have IHSS watching me and taking care of me. Soma? I can't take Flexeril or baclofen. These meds are too medicating and make me severely drowsy. Sue

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I understand you completely, Soma is a controlled substance that turns into Meprobamate (Miltown, Equanil) in your body. Miltown was a second generation sedative, I don't even know if it's still on the market. Good Luck

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James (# 13) --

I AM 60 Yeats los. Muy liberal Andrés kidney función área un crear shape! I have has 12 surgeries from a broken neck and back. Why on earth do I care about addiction or anything else. Its ok to carry a hand gun though!

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Re: Sue (# 5)

If you can’t take flexeril because of drowsiness, don’t even consider Soma. It will knock you out. I am a chronic pain patient and at the time I was given soma I was on 120mg/day MSContin. I was at work when I took 1 soma then went to lunch. About 15 minutes into my lunch, in mid fork full I just blanked out became so sleepy and couldn’t function. I had taken my mscontin 60mg 6 hours prior. This happened to me several times over a 6 month period so I had to go off them but yet I can take 2 flexeril and walk around fine. Just be very careful and not alone the first few times you take soma if it’s prescribed.

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Re: spiritscript (# 19)

I am going to comment on the Soma post separately, but I just read your comment, and I wanted to affirm it as true. I've worked in Healthcare for many years, and 4 years of college, Health Science related. I am not tooting a horn, "look at ME...I'm special!".

OK, I merely want to convey where I am coming from with this, "info".

Yes, palliative is simply the medicinal side of easing, bringing comfort, and the arts therein. HOSPICE, which came from a British Dr, forget her name, but in the late 60s (I think that's the time frame here), sbe was a Pain Management Dr in the UK...treating painful conditions like Cancers, Rare pathophysiological disease states, etc. Chronic pain, YES. Pin Management as we know it today, NO.

Well, Dr's started to ask her (timing is everything) if she could help THEIR patients who might be dying, but no protocol for end of life palliative care had yet to be cooked up.

She took the patients on and treated them her way...essentially self implementation of the, 'go big or go home' phrase. Go big meant humane, yet safe use of polypharmacutical treatment.

Polypharm, simply = the use of multiple drugs to treat the same problems...pain, and the easing of fear toward dying, if the latter was even possible. Well analgesia was.

***Just in case the FYI is not known... "analgesia" (an), without / (alges), feeling pain / (ia), pertaining to - in medical terminology, the suffix ends in a vowel in order to flow off the tongue with greater ease. The same is true for something in med termini called, 'combining form. It joins two or more Latin/Greek words with 1 or 2 vowels, mostly "o" or "a". - Example word: Fibromygia.*** (Fibre), fiber / (my), muscle / (algia), pain. The vowel "o" allows fiber-my, to flow like water =FibrOmy. Because -algia, our suffix, already STARTS with a vowel, there's no need to add a new letter (vowel), so we get fibromygia = a painful condition of muscles and muscle fibers.

Sorry, I can never pass up the chance that someone will read how medical terminology works, & that wasn't even the whole explanation in entirety) because I found it to be the most important class in my medical life. The course allows one to TRULY understand that those "fancy medical words they be using", are simply Latin, Greek, and the reason for speaking this way.

Anyways, I again apologize. Back to Hospice, Palliative, and how one can be implemented w/out the other, but not the other way around.

So she pulled out her toys and let those patients get SOME semblance of peace, a respis from the relentless, agonizing torture. It was inhumane before palliative care, hospitable palliative end of life treatment...and it's even MORE SO TODAY.

So someone with a diagnosis (di,dial), through / (gnosis), knowledge. Diagnosis = through knowledge = A, the predicting factors in medicine through certain data (mechanical or physical), in which a Doctor or Practioner of medicine...can assume the facts, or as close to it as possible.

...Diagnosis of disease state, painful & probable death. Doing what's best for the patient, without pharmacological fear (essentially), would then become a standard. And it was deemed a humanistic right, whether you could afford to or not. Everyone, in the care of Hospice, would be able to go out peacefully.

No more just some morphine and maybe some barbiturates too. Now we had the good stuff, but for good reasons. Take 'The BROMPTON COCKTAIL' - a compounded mixture of morphine, some amount of alcohol, amphetamine class ingredient, barbiturate like pentobarbitol.

They no longer use certain ingredients, but with soooo many choices of controlled substances, without limits dosage wise & got involment, a lot more safer Type drugs producing equally desired effects...the game is the same, but PALLIATIVE Care is actually an excellent choice for many health care providers to focus their careers on.

Just to agree with my lady who posted this, Palliative is the relief of pain, for people with intractable chronic pain conditions. Hospice, is a free from fee - end of life care, serviced by an official organization, 'Hospice'. Also, hospitals have end of life care called hospice, but it is a fee like any other band-aid that can cost you $20 USD. Which also means depending on the hospital, it's Administrators & Organization who owns it. The care, type of care might be modeled around the UK flagship and their courageous, innovative and humanitarian ideals...bless the woman & her colleges. However, the true standards of 'Hospice', and their modus operandi, their handbook. If you will.... Are NEVER going to live up to the real deal.

Takeaway:
- 1) I can write WAY TOO MUCH when excitable, lol.
- 2) Hospice is an, "end-of-life" system, in which they make possible, (you don't always die in Hospice) the chronic pain that stems from something deemed intractable, and/or a dying state...PALLIATIVE.
- 3) Palliative, the medical science of easing Intractable Pain by pharmaceutical, interventional, and other treatment modalities in the hopes of lessening chronic, intractable (intractable is the inability to take away/abduct, etc.) painful, debilitating...conditions

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Re: EDDY (# 21)

Sorry there Eddy, I get side railed or distracted too easily.

OK, I was going to mention how the pharmacy and a lot of prescribing physicians call SOMA, BENZODIAZAPINE, AND OPIOID in combination = "the GOLDEN TRIANGLE".

Back in Florida, my state, during pill mill factory days of the 2000s...this was a Major combination of meds. Either requested by patient or naturally prescribed by pain management providers.

Of course back then we didn't have the Blackbox warning of opiate benzodiazapine freak out combination, like we have now. However, corisopridol (SOMA), has been a long time beneficial drug for quite some time. It's beneficial to a ton of people who truly need a muscle anti-spasmodic of its nature, which is moreover effective in ceasing such problems than drugs more commonly Rxd...like Flexeril, Skelaxin, etc.

People, patient, and pharm-nuts, who like to have a good relationship with the knowledge of the pharmacology world and especially the meds they take...more than likely realize that corisopridol DOES INDEED pass through the metabolism of liver enzymes and 2nd pass as an old school drug know, proprietary wise, as Milltown or meprobamate.

However, today it is known that corisopridol ITSELF is very effective and is the chief thing regarding effectiveness in the drugs actions. Unfortunately this is not a very long-term efficacious drug before it gets metabolized into meprobamate. Which targets the same receptors as do barbiturates.

People that overdo the taking of Soma, say self medicate BEYOND that of the Rx itself, ie 2 tablets per dosage instead of one, or any variation therein, get very inebriated and can be at risk for self harm in ways that contribute to falls, or dissertation, etc.

Taking overuse of Soma is dangerous, essentially, but add an opiate of considerable intolerance or high doses, as well as any benzodiazapine which have replaced barbiturates in safety and effectiveness of use. The so coined, "Golden Triangle", (trifecta).

It's just a redflag to nosy, but trying to do their job, pharmacist. (they can be SUCH a pain in the ass sometimes. However, I respect the profession a great deal and the good ones have personable communication skills with their patients, without belittling them... Though these are hard to find it should seem to be).

Anyways, Dr's can be quite scarred of loosing their license, and they fear that will lead to lack of money, lifestyle changes and professional prixe/passion.

This witch hunt of epidemic lameness is pulling wool over NOBODY'S eyes, but suckers, sheep and those who have not had the misfortunes the same as the people in their care. Suffering from pain. Acute, chronic, centralized, or intractable...will be something THEY might have to experience for themselves, or they'll have to be something in the class that are passionate in their field, do research, stay up-to-date and in the fold.

It's no joke that medication, next to surgery with medication, are medicines best hope to get the job done properly. It's is the doctor with balls and the fearless attitude and education that you can change your life for the better. If you are unable to make a connection with this rare opportunity, meeting said physicians, you can change and MUST KEEP LOOKING, they certainly will not be knocking on your doorsteps.

Keep up the fight people. Personally, I live with CRPS, failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), and a few more ailments, so I am not only someone who worked as a healthcare practitioner (surgical field), but NOW for 2 years & the rest of my LIFE - will be known for a human being, suffering from a rare neurological disease (according to the NIH), and chronic pain.

However, with my experience in medicine, etc. I, personally, take NO BULLS*** from any of the prospective providers in the care of my health... PERIOD.

NEITHER SHOULD YOU! EDUCATE, BE STRONG AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE SET UP WITH INSURANCE, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, MARKETPLACE, ETC.

Most important - education is key. Knowing is one thing, but knowledge is a very different process, and KNOWLEDGE... TRULY IS POWERFUL.

Again, Soma is tricky. It's only going to get harder to come by. Pain Management or a decent PCP are the best options in obtaining the help you need, and if Soma helps a great deal...let the doctor know just how much your quality of life has been greatly improved since you started taking that medication. If you find yourself in the golden triangle, you really might have to bare with that polydrug adjustment, (a little less of this and/or that...in order to keep Soma on board). Your body, your life, your right to choose WHO YOU WILL LET TREAT YOU.

Neverending storyline is the link to your health and anonymity to create a team, a great investment for your health and your family.

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I don't see a problem with Soma but Doctors do, especially now that its a C4 medication. With MS Contin & Xanax, Soma is now under scrutiny not to be prescribed, and here's the kicker, especially for older patients. Luckily I have a really old Doctor!

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Those three drugs together are definitely a red flag for breathing problems. Many doctors won't even prescribe Soma. also I would get off the Xanax. They're better medications for anxiety. Xanax will make your anxiety worse in the long run. Xanax is toxic to your body. The reducers the myelin sheath around your nerves. Xanax can actually start causing anxiety you get addicted to it very quickly and your tolerance will go up you just need more to get the same effect. My life has been destroyed by starting out with Xanax and and studying to take clonazepam got up to very high doses of clonazepam. Trying to come off of it as hell very damaging to your body. Benzos are the worst drug in the world 2 get off of potentially

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Re: Curious80 (# 6)

Thank you! I will write the name of medicine down.

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