This sheet is about exposure to carisoprodol in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on available literature. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.
What is carisoprodol?
Carisoprodol is a medication that has been used to treat muscle pain and stiffness from muscle spasms. Two brand names are Soma® and Vanadom®.
Sometimes when women find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take your medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy.
I take carisoprodol. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
It is not known if carisoprodol can make it harder to get pregnant.
Does taking carisoprodol increase the chance of miscarriage?
Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can increase the chance of miscarriage.
Does taking carisoprodol increase the chance of birth defects?
Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. It is not known if carisoprodol use in pregnancy could increase the chance of birth defects. Experimental animal studies did not find a higher chance of birth defects. Studies on pregnant women have not been done to see if carisoprodol could increase the chance of birth defects. There have been some case reports of babies with birth defects after the use of carisoprodol in human pregnancy, but there have also been case reports that have not noted birth defects. Case reports are not the same as studies and cannot provide enough information to learn how carisoprodol would affect a woman’s pregnancy.
Does taking carisoprodol in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?
Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth). There have been some case reports of normal pregnancy outcomes after exposure to carisoprodol.
Does taking carisoprodol in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?
Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can increase the chance of behavior or learning issues for the child.
Breastfeeding while taking carisoprodol:
Carisoprodol has not been well studied for use during breastfeeding. Carisoprodol gets into breastmilk in small amounts. There are 3 case reports of women using carisoprodol while breastfeeding. One report described the nursing infant as being a little sleepier than expected while nursing. In other cases, there were no unusual findings in the nursing children. If you suspect your baby has any symptoms (such as being too sleepy or difficult to wake for feedings) contact your child’s healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.
If a man takes carisoprodol, could it affect his fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?
Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol could affect a man’s fertility (ability to get a woman pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects. An experimental animal study did not find carisoprodol to affect male fertility. In general, exposures that fathers or sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.
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