Zanaflex Relaxes Muscle Tone Temporarily And Thus It Is A Muscle Relaxer

Zanaflex General Information

Generic Name: Tizanidine

Brand Name: Zanaflex

It is a medication for spasticity and it works by temporarily relaxing muscle tone.

Zanaflex Uses

Zanaflex is used as a short-acting muscle relaxer. The medicine blocks nerve impulses sent to the brain.

How Take Zanaflex

The medication is to be taken with a full glass of water. Since it is a short-acting medication, the effects of it would begin to get noticed within six hours of intake. The medicine is meant to get relief from muscle spasticity to carry out daily activities. Up to three doses, equivalent to 36 mg, can be taken in a single day, but a time interval of 6-8 hours should be allowed between the doses. The drug can be taken with or without food. The levels of Zanaflex in the bloodstream normally increase when Zanaflex tablets are taken with food while capsules taken with food lead to a decrease in the levels. Switching between tablets and capsules can either lead to side effects or it can bring down the therapeutic effect.

Zanaflex Warnings

This medication can damage the liver. For this reason, liver functions need to be monitored regularly to note the conditions of the liver. Leaving the medication after a prolonged period of use can cause withdrawal symptoms like dizziness, tremors, fast heart rate, anxiety and even an increased spasticity. Persons allergic to Tizanidine and those taking Ciprofloxacin and antidepressant Fluvoxamine might not be considered fit to use the drug. The doctor should know whether an individual is suffering from liver disease, kidney disease, high or low blood pressure or whether there is a history of "Long QT Syndrome". The medication is harmful for an unborn baby. It is not known whether it passes into breast milk, causing harm to an infant.

Zanaflex Missed Dose

One should refrain from taking extra medications to make up for a missed dose.

Zanaflex Side Effects

Many people, using Zanaflex, have reported pain or a burning sensation during urination. Other side effects include feeling light-headed, unusual thoughts or behavior slow heart rate, loss of appetite, hallucinations, fainting, confusion, nausea, stomach pain, dark urine, low fever, clay-colored stools and jaundice. Less serious side effects include drowsiness or dizziness, numbness or tingling, increased muscle tone or spasms dry mouth, stomach pain, constipation, vomiting, diarrhea and sweating or skin rash.

Zanaflex Storage

Zanaflex should be stored at room temperature and should be kept away from heat and moisture.

Zanaflex Overdose

An overdose might damage the liver. Zanaflex overdose is reported to have caused symptoms like drowsiness, slow heart rate, shallow breathing, confusion, feeling light-headed, fainting or coma.

Zanaflex More Information

Zanaflex causes dizziness and this increases with the intake of cold or allergy medicine, sleeping pills, narcotic pain medicine, other muscle relaxers and medicine for depression, seizures or anxiety. Dizziness is common while rising from a lying or a sitting position. One should avoid driving or operating risky machinery after taking this drug. There are certain drugs which interact with Zanaflex. These include Famotidine, zileuton, cimetidine, ticlopidine, acyclovir, birth control pills, blood pressure medications like Clonidine, antibiotics like enoxacin and heart rhythm medications like mexiletine, verapamil and propafenone. A doctor needs to be informed about all the medications which the individual is taking. The 4 mg dose of Zanaflex appear as white, round tablets, 2 mg as blue capsules and 6 mg as light blue capsules with white stripes.