The pregnancy period is a crucial time in a woman’s life. The same goes during Breastfeeding, as the baby’s nutrition also depends on the woman. Muscle pain is a common thing that happens during both situations. The reasons may vary with the conditions.
As we can observe, several muscle relaxers help relieve the pain, but the question arises whether it is safe to use while pregnant or during Breastfeeding, as the risk of passing the medicine through milk or cord is more.
To give a glimpse of it, Soma, a muscle relaxer, is firstly a prescribed medicine, and while the mentioned scene, the drugs are highly prescribed under the guidance and observation of medical experts. Soma is only considered when the Woman/ Mom does not affect her or the baby.
A Short Brief Of Soma
Soma is used as a short-term medication to treat muscle pain and discomfort. Carisoprodol is soma generic name. It gives instant relief from the pain. It is usually used with proper rest, physical therapy, and other treatments.
Soma is classified as a schedule IV control substance because of its sedative and euphoric effects. This is the reason why soma is a prescription medication. So buy soma only if your doctor or health care provider prescribes it and buy from a certified pharmacy.
Mechanism Of Soma
Soma is a fast-affecting drug. It works within 30 minutes and gives a quick and best result. Soma affects the communication between nerves in the central nervous system to prevent muscle pain and discomfort.
Soma is converted into meprobamate, believed to relieve anxiety and cause sedation. The sedation or drowsiness effect can be passed into the infant, causing sleepiness and other problems. That’s why pregnant women or Breastfeeding is strictly observed when the person uses Soma.
Can I Take Soma While Pregnant?
Pregnant women are now taking medication during pregnancy more often than their mothers ever were. Pregnant women assume that a drug is safe if their doctor prescribes it.
The FDA classifies medicines based on Safety for use during pregnancy.
Five sections: A, B, C, D, and X, are used to distinguish the potential dangers to an unborn baby when a medicine is taken during pregnancy. Carisoprodol falls into category C.
Though the drug is not recommended for the woman during pregnancy, it is used only if your health care provider thinks the benefit may surpass the risk, i.e., no harmful effect is found when under Soma.
Does Soma Cause Congenital Disabilities?
Every pregnancy has a 3 to 5 percent chance of congenital disabilities. This is called background risk. Experimental animal studies did not find a higher chance of congenital disabilities.
Studies on pregnant people have not been done to see if Soma could increase the chance of congenital disabilities.
There have been some case reports of babies with congenital disabilities after using Soma, but most exposed babies did not have birth defects. Case reports are not the same as studies and cannot provide enough information to learn how Soma would affect a human pregnancy.
Is Soma (Carisoprodol) Safe for Breastfeeding?
Soma is not suitable for Breastfeeding.
According to two case reports, one report explained that the nursing infant is a little sleepier than expected.
It can have troublesome effects on infants. A Safety level of 3 indicates that using Soma in breastfed babies may cause minor side effects.
Soma Breastfeeding Side Effects A mother who took Soma (700 mg, propoxyphene 70 mg, and paracetamol 900 mg three times a day) while breastfeeding her baby noticed unusual behavior and side effects in her baby.
Various scientific studies suggest Soma can cause moderate side effects in breastfeeding mothers. After one week, the mother nursed an infant 2 hours after Breastfeeding and 3.5 hours after her previous dose with immeasurable serum concentrations of Carisoprodol (2 mg / l) and Meprobamate (4 mg / l).
Light sedation was observed in short-term infants with a birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestation and Breastfeeding, and signs and withdrawal symptoms were observed after Breastfeeding.
New mothers are prescribed safe drugs, but there are medications that new mothers should never take. Taking Soma while Breastfeeding can lead to permanent injuries or even the death of your baby.
If A Male Takes Soma, Could It Affect Fertility Or Increase The Chance Of Birth Defect?
Studies have not been done to see if Soma affects male fertility or increases the chance of birth defects. In general, exposure to fathers or sperm donors is unlikely to increase the risk of pregnancy.
What Side Effects Does Soma Have While Pregnant?
Soma is not recommended for a woman who is pregnant. It is prescribed only if the medical experts get to the point it is safe for pregnant women.
Its soothing properties may impair the mental or physical abilities to perform potentially hazardous tasks such as driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery.
If the drug is still consumed, they may cause soma withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, abnormal or persistent crying, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Are Muscle Relaxers Safe while Pregnant and Breastfeeding?
Regarding Soma Vs. Doctors recommend Flexeril for pregnancy and Flexeril for Breastfeeding, . It is a pregnancy B-category drug and can be utilized in pregnancy only if needed.
The drug has been examined in rats, mice, and rabbits at a dose up to 20 times the human dose and has reported no such evidence that will diminish fertility or harm the fetus.
There is not enough research on pregnant women. Because animal reproduction examinations are not always imminent for human response, this drug should be practiced during pregnancy only if required.
While Breastfeeding, the drug appeared in the milk in a minimal amount, and two infants tolerated it in the milk well. If a mother requires Flexeril, there is no reason to stop breastfeeding. It can be used with proper care.
Some Extra Information
A review of studies from 2004 states that there is adequate evidence that Soma, Carisoprodol, and Robaxin are effective in treating acute back and neck pain compared to placebo. Still, more data must be collected on the effectiveness of Robaxin vs. Soma.
Conclusion
The whole conversation states that while pregnant and Breastfeeding, Soma highly depends on the doctor’s advice until it is unsafe to consume Soma or other muscle relaxers without a prescription.
mixing soma and alcohol or with certain drugs may increase the risk of side effects and cause serious health issues.
Certain drugs are prescribed for specific conditions only. The benefits and risks may differ from person to person, according to their age, health, medical history, etc.
Consult your doctor before using Some or any other medications. Follow their advice and directions. If you find any difficulties, do not avoid them or try to manage them independently; see your doctor immediately. While taking any medicine, the patient should be monitored closely.
References
- Briggs, Gerald G et al. “High-dose carisoprodol during pregnancy and lactation.” The Annals of pharmacotherapy vol. 42,6 (2008): 898-901. doi:10.1345/aph.1L042
- Carisoprodol by Mother to baby accessed on August 28th 2021.
- Carisoprodol During pregnancy from Drugs.com accessed on August 29th 2021.
- High Dose Carisoprodol during pregnancy and lactation from Researchgate accessed on August 27th 2021.
