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 people 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 this 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 for miscarriage?
Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol increases 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 people that are pregnant 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 human pregnancy.
Does taking carisoprodol in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?
Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol increases the chance for 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 human pregnancy outcomes after exposure to carisoprodol. Case reports are not the same as studies.
Does taking carisoprodol in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child?
Studies have not been done to see if carisoprodol can cause 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 people 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 male takes carisoprodol, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?
Studies have not been done in humans to see if carisoprodol could affect male fertility (ability to get partner pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects above the background risk. 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 the 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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OTIS/MotherToBaby encourages inclusive and person-centered language. While our name still contains a reference to mothers, we are updating our resources with more inclusive terms. Use of the term mother or maternal refers to a person who is pregnant. Use of the term father or paternal refers to a person who contributes sperm.
