Misc Carisoprodol Addiction / Dependence

[Gaz_hmmmm]

Hi

I'm currently using 2 to 2.5 500mg carisoprodol tablets twice a day.
I've been doing this now for a few months and am definitely psychologically addicted, I'm just not sure if it's physical yet, as I've stopped cold last year and suffered no WD (Withdrawal) effects after about 4-5 months of daily use.


I have a few questions.

When stopping, how long after the last dose does WD kick in?
I've read that carisoprodol has a 10 hour half life.

Does anyone know if it's possible to switch to diazepam and if so what are the comparison dosages?

I'll add more questions later bit need to do stuff.

Thanks,
Gaz

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

(cool username)

I don't have any equipotency charts that overlap benzos with carisoprodol and the WD's are usually quite subjective with several contributing factors like tolerance, levels and time on the drug, but in my experience the WD's seem more manageable then other gabaergic substances.
I've used a short course of Alprazolam (not an optimal choice of benzo) and had fairly good results when discontinuing from 2 and a half weeks worth of use at a smidge over gram a day (350 x 3).

I know the T1/2 of carisoprodol is 2 hours and the active metabolite Meprobamate (which reaches higher levels than carisoprodol) is 9.5 hrs so the WD shouldn't be overly drawn out unless you have a history of gabaergic med WD's with kindling.

Treatment for physical withdrawal generally involves switching the patient to a long-acting benzodiazepine such as diazepam or clonazepam then slowly titrating them off the replacement drug completely

wiki/Carisoprodol

C

YP2C19 Inhibitors and Inducers Carisoprodol is metabolized in the liver by CYP2C19 to form meprobamate [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)
]. Co-administration of CYP2C19 inhibitors, such as omeprazole or fluvoxamine, with SOMA could result in increased exposure of carisoprodol and decreased exposure of meprobamate. Co-administration of CYP2C19 inducers,such as rifampin or St.
John’s Wort, with SOMA could result in decreased exposure of carisoprodol and increased exposure of meprobamate. Low dose aspirin also showed an induction effect on CYP2C19. The
full pharmacological impact of these potential alterations of exposures in terms of either efficacy or safety of SOMA is unknown

Some good general Carisoprodol info

 

[Gaz_hmmmm]

Thank you for the reply!

You don't happen to know the carisoprodol to diazepam dose equivalency?

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Honestly I don't know of any charts that overlap benzos with muscle relaxants, but if I come across any I'll put em in here or pm you. Carisopradol which is a prodrug for Meprobamate behaves more like a barbiturate.

 

[VerbalTruist]

10mg of Diazepam once daily 5 in the morning and 5 at night should do you fine, maybe 15mg 5mg and 10mg at night. Then just wean it down slowly. Your dose is not huge and it should be a fairly straight forward taper.

If you brought it down over 10 days I wouldn't expect to see any negative effects. If 10 or 15 isn't doing it for you move up a little and increase the weaning period.