PainMedInfo.comDiscover The Best Answers chosen by the Community!

Goofyfut says:

While Soma or Carisoprodol is far more effective a muscle relaxer than benzos, which are to be honest, not very good muscle relaxants, it is not necessarily a cheaper drug, and has a much higher rate of abuse than benzodiazepines.

Carisoprodol is a pro-drug, it's broken by the body into another form, called meprobamate, more commonly known as Miltown. This drug fell almost completely out of use in the 1970s due to replacement with benzos for anxiolysis and sedation, and due to completely rampant abuse.

Not going to disagree about it being more effective, but it does not have less abuse potential than benzos. Of course, there's always the nice middle ground of something like cyclobenzaprine.

The UK's use of Benzos is quite odd. The NICE guidelines on their use aren't followed (and the NICE guidelines are pretty bad too). They seem to at once loathe them and use them sloppily and frequently. This contrasts pretty sharply with the American absolute terror and stigma, and the mainland Europe usage that is much more level headed and practical.

EDIT: Oh yes. Withdrawal from Carisprodol or Meprobamate after developing a dependence on it is apparently one of the worst withdrawals, bar none in existence.