How Long Does Soma Stay In The System?

 

How long does Soma stay in your system? This is one question most Carisoprodol users often wonder as it determines the effectiveness of the muscle relaxer and its detection in drug tests. 

Soma pill is a prescription medication for treating short-term acute pain in users. The analgesic is very effective and can treat severe lower back pain in addition to other causes of acute pain. Carisoprodol targets the body's central nervous system and prevents pain stimulation from reaching the brain receptors. 

This exhaustive blog determines how long Soma stays in your system and how Soma drug tests can detect the presence of Carisoprodol in the body. 

 

How Long Does The Body Take To Eliminate Soma?

When we talk about how long Soma stays in your system, it is primarily determined by the half-life of Carisoprodol and Meprobamate. 

Carisoprodol, the active ingredient in the formulation of the Soma pill, is a centrally-acting muscle relaxer that is approved by the FDA for treating short-term acute pain. On the other hand, meprobamate is the active metabolite of Carisoprodol. Thus, a detailed knowledge of these two factors- the half-life of Carisoprodol and meprobamate can help us conclude the time our body may take to eliminate the Soma pill. 

 

The Half-Life Of Soma Pill 

The Soma half-life determines the time taken for half of the active compound to be eliminated from the system, primarily determined by Carisoprodol's elimination half-life. However, taking the half-life of Meprobamate is also important. In general, for a medication to be completely excreted from the body requires numerous half-lives. 

Half-Life Of Carisoprodol: How Long Does Carisoprodol Stay In Your System?

The average half-life of Carisoprodol is  1.7 to 2 hours, according to Till Conermann and Desirae Christian in a paper on "Carisoprodol." It means it takes about 2 hours to eliminate half of the Carisoprodol dosage administered. 

Half-life of Meprobamate: How Long Does Meprobamate Stay In Your System? 

The potency of Carisoprodol and Meprobamate is different, and so is their excretion time. 

The half-life of Meprobamate in one dose of Soma 350mg is 11.3 hours and can be up to 48 hours with chronic usage [3]. Thus, the elimination time of Meprobamate is about 2 to 3 days.

Thus, considering the elimination half-life of Carisoprodol, we can conclude that the half-life of the Soma pill is about 2 hours, which can vary to about 3 hours in some people. 

 

How Long Does It Take For Soma To Get Out Of Your System?

The four primary parts of the body that significantly retain the Soma pill and its metabolites, thus determining the time needed by the body to eliminate the muscle relaxer, include Urine, blood, saliva, and hair, as shown in the table below.

Soma Drug Test

The presence of Soma can be detected in different parts of the body along with urine, which is the primary mode of excretion. Carisoprodol and its metabolite, Meprobamate, can be tested in the blood, saliva, and hair follicles. 

Soma Blood Test 

Soma pill and its traces may be present in the blood sample for 11 to 24 hours, and drug tests conducted in this time frame can detect the presence of carisoprodol and meprobamate in the blood. 

Soma is detected in the blood to determine the serum concentration of Meprobamate or Carisoprodol. 

Advantage of a blood sample for detecting Soma- The advantage of detecting Soma through a blood test is its accuracy. If the sample is collected within 4 hours of drug administration, the test can determine the amount of Carisoprodol ingested. 

Disadvantage- Blood tests are not commonly preferred because it is invasive, have a shorter time frame for detection, and are time-consuming. 

Technique- Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques determine the level of Carisoprodol and Meprobamate in the blood sample. 

Soma Urine Test 

Soma drug tests can detect the presence of Carisoprodol and Meprobamate in the urine for 2 to 3 days from the last dosage. 

In some users, the presence of Carisoprodol may be higher, whereas, in others, Meprobamate may be detected in more significant amounts. This variation in their concentration is due to CYP2C19 metabolism. People with rapid CYP2C19 metabolizers have an increased concentration of Carisoprodol, whereas others show higher levels of Meprobamate. 

Technique- A fresh sample is collected and analyzed with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to detect Soma in the urine.

Is Soma Detectable In Urine After 2 Weeks?

No, the presence of Soma pill in the body cannot be detected in the urine samples after 2 weeks. 

Soma Saliva Test 

The saliva test shows the presence of Soma or its metabolite for up to 4 hours after administration. 

Advantage- This test can precisely reveal the quantity of meprobamate present in the saliva, helping in determining the soma dosage strength in cases of abuse or overdosage. 

Disadvantage- The use of saliva samples for the Soma drug test is occasional and is possible for a short duration after administration. 

Technique- The collected sample is tested through liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS) that reports the precise Meprobamate concentration in the Saliva. 

Soma Hair Test 

The presence of Soma can be detected in the hair for about 30 days (1 month) after the last dosage.  

Advantage- The benefits of Soma drug testing through hair follicles are-

• It allows the detection of Carisoprodol for a long time period. So, it is a better option for conditions where the individual is tested 3 to 4 days after the administration. 

• The quantity of Carisoprodol or Meprobamate that appears in the hair follicle is close to the amount of Soma ingested. 

Disadvantage- A drawback of this drug test is that it takes longer for the metabolite to appear on the hair follicles after ingesting. 

Technique- The consumption of the Soma pill through hair follicles is analyzed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry ( GC/MS).

 

Theoretical Evaluation: How Long Does Soma Stay In Your Urine, Hair And Blood?

Let's have a theoretical evaluation of the time needed by the body to eliminate Soma based on its half-life. So, let us consider the administration as "zero hour." With 2 hours of half-life, about 50 percent of the active compound (Carisoprodol) is eliminated from the body. So, taking that into consideration, a dose of Soma 500 mg will be 250 mg, and a dose of 350 mg will be 175 mg after 2 hours. 

 

 

So, it would be safe to say that it takes about 12 hours for the body to eliminate Soma or Carisoprodol. However, in many people with a lower metabolism, it may take about 17 to 24 hours for the body to eliminate the Soma pill. 

 

Who May Be Tested For Carisoprodol Or Soma?

Soma drug testing is uncommon and is often done in specialized cases. Soma or Carisoprodol is not included in the  SAMHSA-5 screening or pre-employment drug test. 

But in four conditions, an individual may be particularly tested for it is in drug rehabilitation centers, military, corporate employees, and criminals.  

In Drug Rehabilitation-

Patients in rehabs or people suspected of overdosing or abuse are often tested for Soma pills. It is also detected in people who use higher dosages of Soma pills without a prescription and avoid using lower doses of the muscle relaxer. Overdosing on Carisoprodol can cause severe health risks in individuals. 

So, people wanting to buy Soma 500mg online should use it cautiously and, most preferably, with a doctor’s consultation. 

In the Military-

Military officials are often on combat missions or may have to operate heavy machinery requiring optimal alertness, cognition, and vigilance. Soma abuse can cause dizziness and impact their thinking ability. Thus, they often have to go through a Soma drug test during their service. 

Corporate Employees-

Soma drug testing in employees is not frequent and is rarely done. Your employers may test for the Soma pill if-

• They have a no-drug policy at their organization.

• If the side effects from administering the Soma pill are affecting your productivity.  

Criminals-

The effect of the Soma pill is similar to benzodiazepines (slow reflex, lethargy, blurry vision), which might help criminals for illicit means. Therefore, a suspected convict may be subjected to a Soma drug test. 

 

Soma Drug Testing- False Positive 

Meprobamate, which is classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance, is the primary metabolite of Carisoprodol and may lead to False-Positive test results. 

The effect of Meprobamate on the brain and body is similar to barbiturates. It has a sedative effect that is essential for Carisoprodol’s efficacy as an analgesic and also has a therapeutic benefit in treating anxiety. 

 

Factors That Affect How Long Soma Stays In Your System? 

Even though we have an average estimate of how long Soma stays in your system, seven key factors determine how long Soma or Carisoprodol stays in the system, as mentioned below.  

Age Of The Person-

The metabolic activity of an individual largely governs how long a medication stays in the body. With age, the metabolic activity declines. Thus becoming a significant factor in determining the duration of Soma in the body. 

Older people may show lower efficacy or take longer to eliminate Soma from the body, as the metabolic activity decreases with age. Thus, older adults over 65 should not take Soma muscle relaxers without consulting a doctor. 

Food Intake- 

Carisoprodol is a sparingly soluble analgesic; thus, it increases bioavailability when taken with a high-fat meal. Based on the patent report (Patent No.: US 7,550,509 B2, Date of Patent: Jun. 23, 2009, and  Inventors: Richard H. Roberts), administering the Soma pill with food decreases the Cmax (maximum serum concentration) of Carisoprodol. Thus, the intake of a heavy meal with the Soma pill can lead to altering the working mechanism of the drug. Users can, however, have a light meal before taking the Soma pill to avoid nausea. 

Fat Percentage With Body Mass- 

The Soma muscle relaxer is a lipophilic drug that retains Carisoprodol for extended periods in the lipid bilayer of the body. Thus, the fat percentage in the body can affect the elimination time of the Soma pill from the system. 

People with a lower body fat percentage will eliminate Soma quicker than users with more fat content. 

Genetics Of The User- 

Carisoprodol in the human body gets metabolized in the liver with the assistance of the enzyme CYP2C19, suggest Jørgen G. Bramness et al. in a 2003 comparative study. 

The CYP2C19 gene excretes this enzyme, which is determined by the number of CYP2C19 alleles in the body. Thus, the genetic expression of the gene plays a crucial role in determining how long Soma stays in the system.

Hepatic And Renal Functioning- 

The elimination of Soma from the system involves the hepatic and renal functioning of the body. Therefore, a person's liver and kidney disorders can affect how long Soma lasts. Impaired liver and kidney disorders can slow down the removal process of Carisoprodol from the body.

Gender Of The User- 

The data published on Carisoprodol by the FDA states that exposure to musculoskeletal pain medication is higher in females when compared to males. At the same time, the exposure to Meprobamate is almost similar in both genders. Therefore, gender is also essential in determining how long Carisoprodol stays in your system.

Dosage- 

The Soma dosage determines the time needed to excrete it from the system. People taking higher or frequent Soma pills dosages have traces of the medicine for extended periods. 

Strength Of Analgesic- 

The Soma muscle relaxer is available in two main dosages: Soma 350mg and Soma 500mg. The strength of the muscle relaxer also plays a primary role in determining how long Carisoprodol stays in your system, thus concluding that Soma 500mg remains longer in the system than Soma 350mg.

 

Tips To Accelerate Soma Pill Excretion

Several activities can speed up the process of Soma excretion from the human body. However, four activities, as shown below, must be performed after consulting a doctor to accelerate the excretion of the Soma pill and its metabolite. 

 

 

Daily Exercise- 

The possibility of Meprobamate accumulating in the adipose tissue lowers by exercising. Therefore, daily exercise can alter how long Soma stays in the system. 

Any form of physical activity will help burn body fat and facilitate the faster elimination of Carisoprodol and Meprobamate from the tissues. Running or jogging can help if you do not wish to indulge in an intense workout routine.

Using Supplements- 

Health supplements such as Calcium-D-gluconate help clear up the renal detoxification pathways. Thus, it helps accelerate the removal of Soma from the body.

Activated Charcoal- 

Using Charcoal can increase the clearance of Carisoprodol from the circulating system of the body, suggests E Hassan in a 1986 case report entitled "Treatment of Meprobamate overdose with repeated oral doses of activated charcoal." It works by binding to the remnants of the muscle relaxers present in the person's gastrointestinal tract. The use of activated Charcoal must be done only under the guidance of a physician. 

Level Of Hydration- 

Increased water intake can also help improve the process of removing Carisoprodol from the body by speeding up the renal system. 

 

How Long Does Soma Stay In Your System After Stopping?

Most people eliminate Carisoprodol within 24 hours and Meprobamate 4 days after the last Soma dosage. 

People with Soma addiction or dependency may take a higher dosage of the muscle relaxer and, therefore, may take around a week to eliminate it completely. 

 

How Long Does Carisoprodol Stay In Your System- Our Verdict 

Let us run down all the information we have glimpsed on how long Carisoprodol stays in your system to help you get a better idea of its elimination time and factors that may affect its time of action in the body. 

The key points that we can draw from our findings in this blog include-

• The Soma pill stays in the system for 12 to 24 hours.

• Meprobamate takes longer to get excreted from the body.

• Soma drug test is not commonly detected in the standard 12-panel drug tests. If a Soma drug test is performed specifically to identify and detect the presence of Carisoprodol and its metabolite in the system, it is only then its presence can be determined. 

• The detection of Soma in the system is possible for a more extended period in chronic users. 

• Soma drug testing can be performed in blood, hair, saliva, and urine samples. 

• One can pass a Soma drug test by discontinuing the administration of the muscle relaxer 7 to 10 days before the examination.