|
 |
|
SOMA
SOMA ONLINE
Before Using This Medicine
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine
must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision
you and your doctor will make. For the skeletal muscle relaxants,
the following should be considered:
Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever
had any unusual or allergic reaction to any of the skeletal muscle
relaxants or to carbromal, mebutamate, meprobamate (e.g., Equanil),
or tybamate. Also tell your health care professional if you are
allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or
dyes.
Pregnancy—Although skeletal muscle relaxants
have not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems,
studies on birth defects have not been done in pregnant women.
Studies in animals with metaxalone have not shown that it causes
birth defects.
Breast-feeding—Carisoprodol passes into the
breast milk and may cause drowsiness or stomach upset in nursing
babies. It is not known whether chlorphenesin, chlorzoxazone,
metaxalone, or methocarbamol passes into the breast milk. However,
these medicines have not been reported to cause problems in
nursing babies.
Children—Studies with the skeletal muscle
relaxants have been done only in adult patients, and there is no
specific information comparing use of these medicines in children
with use in other age groups. However, carisoprodol and
chlorzoxazone have been used in children. They have not been
reported to cause different side effects or problems in children
than they do in adults.
Older adults—Many medicines have not been
tested in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether
they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if
they cause different side effects or problems in older people.
There is no specific information about the use of skeletal muscle
relaxants in the elderly.
Other medicines—Although certain medicines
should not be used together at all, in other cases two different
medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur.
In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other
precautions may be necessary. When you are taking a skeletal
muscle relaxant, it is especially important that your health care
professional know if you are taking any of the following:
 | Alcohol or
| Central nervous system (CNS) depressants or
| Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil],
amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil],
desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan],
imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl],
protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil])—The
chance of side effects may be increased |
| |
Proper Use of This Medicine
Chlorzoxazone, metaxalone, or methocarbamol tablets may be
crushed and mixed with a little food or liquid if needed to make
the tablets easier to swallow.
Dosing—
The dose of these medicines will be different for different
patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the
label. The following information includes only the average
doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not
change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
For carisoprodol
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For relaxing stiff, sore muscles:
| Adults and teenagers—350 milligrams (mg) four
times a day.
| Children up to 5 years of age—Dose must be
determined by your doctor.
| Children 5 to 12 years of age—6.25 mg per kilogram
(2.5 mg per pound) of body weight four times a day. |
| |
|
|
For chlorphenesin
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For relaxing stiff, sore muscles:
| Adults and teenagers—800 milligrams (mg) three
times a day, at first. Your doctor may decrease your
dose after you begin to feel better.
| Children—Use and dose must be determined by your
doctor. |
|
|
|
For chlorzoxazone
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For relaxing stiff, sore muscles:
| Adults and teenagers—500 milligrams (mg) three or
four times a day.
| Children—125 to 500 mg three or four times a day,
depending on the child's size and weight. |
|
|
|
For metaxalone
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For relaxing stiff, sore muscles:
| Adults and teenagers—800 milligrams (mg) three or
four times a day.
| Children—Use and dose must be determined by your
doctor. |
|
|
|
For methocarbamol
| For oral dosage form (tablets):
| For relaxing stiff, sore muscles:
| Adults and teenagers—1500 milligrams (mg) four
times a day, at first. Your doctor may decrease your
dose after you begin to feel better.
| Children—Use and dose must be determined by your
doctor. |
|
|
| For injection dosage form:
| For relaxing stiff, sore muscles:
| Adults and teenagers—1 to 3 grams a day, injected
into a muscle or a vein. This total daily dose may be
divided into smaller amounts that are given several
times a day, especially when the medicine is injected
into a muscle.
| Children—Use and dose must be determined by your
doctor. |
|
|
|
|
Missed dose—
If you miss a dose of this medicine and remember within an hour
or so of the missed dose, take it right away. But if you do not
remember until later, skip the missed dose and go back to your
regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage—
To store this medicine:
| Keep out of the reach of children.
| Store away from heat and direct light.
| Do not store this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen
sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the
medicine to break down.
| Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of
children. |
| | |
Precautions While Using This Medicine
If you will be taking this medicine for a long time (for
example, more than a few weeks), your doctor should check your
progress at regular visits.
This medicine will add to the effects of alcohol and other CNS
depressants (medicines that slow down the nervous system, possibly
causing drowsiness). Some examples of CNS depressants are
antihistamines or medicine for hay fever, other allergies, or
colds; sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping medicine;
prescription pain medicine or narcotics; barbiturates; medicine
for seizures; other muscle relaxants; or anesthetics, including
some dental anesthetics. Do not drink alcoholic beverages, and
check with your doctor before taking any of the medicines listed
above, while you are using this medicine.
Skeletal muscle relaxants may cause blurred vision or
clumsiness or unsteadiness in some people. They may also cause
some people to feel drowsy, dizzy, lightheaded, faint, or less
alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react
to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything
else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert,
well-coordinated, and able to see well.
For diabetic patients:
| Metaxalone (e.g., Skelaxin) may cause false test results
with one type of test for sugar in your urine. If your urine
sugar test shows an unusually large amount of sugar, or if you
have any questions about this, check with your health care
professional. This is especially important if your diabetes is
not well controlled. |
Side Effects of This Medicine
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some
unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may
occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the
following side effects occur:
| Less common
| Fainting; fast heartbeat; fever;
hive-like swellings (large) on face, eyelids, mouth, lips,
and/or tongue; mental depression; shortness of
breath, troubled breathing, tightness in chest, and/or
wheezing; skin rash, hives, itching, or redness;
slow heartbeat (methocarbamol injection only);
stinging or burning of eyes; stuffy nose and red or
bloodshot eyes |
|
| Rare
| Blood in urine; bloody or black, tarry stools;
convulsions (seizures) (methocarbamol injection only);
cough or hoarseness; fast or irregular breathing;
lower back or side pain ; muscle cramps or pain (not
present before treatment or more painful than before
treatment); painful or difficult urination;
pain, tenderness, heat, redness, or swelling over a blood
vessel (vein) in arm or leg (methocarbamol injection
only); pinpoint red spots on skin; puffiness
or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes;
sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth;
sore throat and fever with or without chills;
swollen and/or painful glands; unusual bruising or
bleeding ; unusual tiredness or weakness;
vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee
grounds; yellow eyes or skin |
|
Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical
attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your
body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your doctor if
any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
| More common
| Blurred or double vision or any change in vision;
dizziness or lightheadedness; drowsiness |
|
| Less common or rare
| Abdominal or stomach cramps or pain; clumsiness or
unsteadiness; confusion; constipation;
diarrhea; excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or
irritability; flushing or redness of face;
headache ; heartburn; hiccups; muscle
weakness; nausea or vomiting ; pain or peeling
of skin at place of injection (methocarbamol only);
trembling; trouble in sleeping; uncontrolled
movements of eyes (methocarbamol injection only) |
|
Although not all of the side effects listed above have been
reported for all of these medicines, they have been reported for
at least one of them. However, since all of these skeletal muscle
relaxants have similar effects, it is possible that any of the
above side effects may occur with any of these medicines.
In addition to the other side effects listed above,
chlorzoxazone may cause your urine to turn orange or reddish
purple. Methocarbamol may cause your urine to turn black, brown,
or green. This effect is harmless and will go away when you stop
taking the medicine. However, if you have any questions about
this, check with your doctor.
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some
patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.
|
|
|
