Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Soma as follows:
Central nervous system side-effects
- Soma use can result in episodes of confusion, dizziness, and light-headedness. This risk with soma can be even high when taken in high doses or when it is taken along with any other products and medications causing central nervous depression, such as, alcohol, opioid pain medications, antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and sedatives. Watching closely for therapeutic response and gradually changing the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to controlling/reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication.
- Soma use, especially in individuals with history of mood disorders, can occasionally result in exacerbation of mania and depressive symptoms, changes in behavior, hallucinations, and compromised sexual drive.
- Soma use, especially in individuals with seizure history, can occasionally result in deterioration of seizure control and fresh episodes of seizures.
Cardiovascular side-effects
- Soma, especially when taken in high doses, carries the risk of depressing the cardiovascular center in the brain, which regulates the heart rate and blood pressure. Consequently, intake of soma can result in low heart rate and blood pressure.
- This risk with soma can be even high when it is taken along with any other products and medications causing hypotension and bradycardia, such as, antihypertensives, antidepressants, antianxiety medications, and sedatives.
- Soma use can also result in fast and pounding heartbeat. Individuals with history of cardiac arrhythmias can be at increased risk for precipitation of arrhythmic episodes with soma use.
- Individuals taking soma must be increasingly watchful to report worsening symptoms of arrhythmias, such as, chest pain, low blood pressure, confusion, dizziness, increasing shortness of breath, and worsening fatigue.
- Hypotension and irregular heartbeat, secondary to soma intake, can contribute to the confusion and dizziness, thus significantly increasing the risk for fall and accidents.
