Tizanidine
About Tizanidine
Tizanidine belongs to the class of drugs called skeletal muscle relaxants used to treat muscle spasticity (muscles become heavy, stiff, and difficult to move) and relieve discomfort due to acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions like stiffness, tension, rigidity, and muscle spasms. Muscle spasticity is a condition in which muscles become stiff, contract, or cause involuntary spasm, making it difficult to move, walk, or talk, which can sometimes be painful and uncomfortable.
Tizanidine contains Tizanidine that works on the centers of the spinal cord and brain. This helps relieve muscle stiffness and improves muscle movements, thereby relieves pain due to muscle spasms.
Take Tizanidine with or without food as advised by your doctor and swallow whole with a glass of water. Do not crush, chew or break it. Your doctor will advise you how often you take your tablets based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, constipation, nervousness, sore throat, runny nose, blurred vision, or weakness. Most of these side effects of Tizanidine do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Tizanidine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Tizanidine is not recommended for children as the safety and effectiveness were not established. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before taking Tizanidine. Do not consume alcohol with Tizanidine as it may increase the risk of adverse effects. Avoid taking Tizanidine with fluvoxamine and ciprofloxacin as it may cause adverse effects such as slurred speech, dizziness, weakness, confusion, low blood pressure, or drowsiness. You are advised not to take more than 3 doses of Tizanidine in a single day as too much of Tizanidine may cause liver damage. If you have low blood pressure, liver or kidney diseases, inform your doctor before taking Tizanidine.
Uses of Tizanidine
Medicinal Benefits
Tizanidine contains Tizanidine used to treat muscle spasms. It works on the centers of the spinal cord and brain. This helps relieve muscle stiffness and improves muscle movements, thereby relieves pain due to muscle spasms.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Tizanidine
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Flu-like symptoms
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Nervousness
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Blurred vision
- Weakness
Drug Warnings
If you are allergic to Tizanidine or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Take Tizanidine either with food or without food but in the same way, each time as switching between them may reduce the effectiveness of Tizanidine or increase adverse effects. Tizanidine is not recommended for children as safety and effectiveness were not established. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before taking Tizanidine. Do not consume alcohol with Tizanidine as it may increase the risk of adverse effects. Avoid taking Tizanidine with fluvoxamine and ciprofloxacin as it may cause adverse effects such as slurred speech, dizziness, weakness, confusion, low blood pressure, or drowsiness. You are advised not to take more than 3 doses of Tizanidine in a single day as too much of Tizanidine may cause liver damage. If you have low blood pressure, liver or kidney diseases, inform your doctor before taking Tizanidine.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Tizanidine may have interaction with antidepressants (escitalopram, duloxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine), anticonvulsants (pregabalin, topiramate), anti-allergic drugs (diphenhydramine, cetirizine), pain relievers (acetaminophen + hydrocodone), an anti-anxiety drug (alprazolam), sedative-hypnotic drug (zolpidem), bronchodilator (albuterol), antibiotic (ciprofloxacin).
Drug-Food Interactions: Tizanidine may interact with caffeine. Therefore, avoid intake of caffeine with Tizanidine as it may cause low blood pressure and dizziness. Also, avoid intake of alcohol with Tizanidine as it may increase the risk of adverse effects.
Drug-Disease Interactions: If you have low blood pressure, liver or kidney diseases, inform your doctor before taking Tizanidine.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended to avoid alcohol consumption with Tizanidine as it may increase the risk of adverse effects.
Pregnancy
cautionTizanidine is a category C pregnancy drug and is given to pregnant women only if the doctor thinks benefits outweigh risks. However, please consult a doctor if you are pregnant.
Breast Feeding
cautionIt is unknown whether Tizanidine is excreted in human milk. Therefore, please consult a doctor if you are breastfeeding. Tizanidine is given to breastfeeding mothers only if the doctor thinks benefits are greater than risks.
Driving
cautionTizanidine may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or vision problems in some people. Therefore, avoid driving if you feel any of these symptoms after taking Tizanidine.
Liver
cautionTake Tizanidine with caution, especially if you have a history of Liver diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Kidney
cautionTake Tizanidine with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeTizanidine is not recommended for children as the safety and effectiveness were not established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
Regular exercise helps in muscle stretching so that they are less likely to spasm, tear and sprain. Mild exercises such as jogging and walking are helpful for muscle stretching.
Massages can also be helpful.
Avoid freezing and hot temperatures.
Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes, instead, wear loose garments.
Rest well, get plenty of sleep.
To avoid developing pressure sores, change your position at least every two hours.
Hot or cold therapy can help treat muscle spasms. Apply an ice-pack or hot-pack on the muscle for 15-20minutes.
Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water.
Special Advise
Regular blood tests are recommended to monitor liver functioning while taking Tizanidine.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Muscle spasticity is a condition in which muscles become stiff, contract, or cause involuntary spasm making it difficult to move, walk or talk, which can be painful and uncomfortable sometimes. When the nerve impulses that control the muscle movements are damaged or interrupted, it could lead to muscle spasticity. Symptoms include muscle tightness, joint stiffness, unusual posture, difficulty in moving, pain in affected muscles and joints. Fatigue (weakness), stress, extreme heat or cold, infection, and tight clothing can trigger muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants and exercise can treat muscle spasticity. Muscle relaxants sedate the muscle and help in inhibiting painful contractions. Whereas, exercise helps in muscle stretching to be less likely to spasm, tear and sprain.
FAQs
Tizanidine is used to treat muscle spasticity (muscles become heavy, stiff, and difficult to move) and relieve discomfort due to acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions like stiffness, tension, rigidity, and muscle spasms.
Tizanidine contains Tizanidine that works on the centres of spinal cord and brain. This helps relieve muscle stiffness and improves muscle movements, thereby relieves pain due to muscle spasms.
You are not recommended to take Tizanidine with ciprofloxacin as co-administration of these two medicines may cause adverse effects such as slurred speech, dizziness, weakness, confusion, low blood pressure, drowsiness. However, please consult a doctor before taking Tizanidine with other medicines.
Tizanidine may cause drowsiness as a side effect. It is not necessary for everyone taking Tizanidine to experience this side effect. However, avoid driving or operating machinery if you feel drowsy after taking Tizanidine.
Tizanidine may cause low blood pressure, especially in patients taking antihypertensive drugs (high blood pressure-lowering medicines) or other medicines such as fluvoxamine or ciprofloxacin. However, if you experience low blood pressure signs such as dizziness, light-headedness, blurred vision, or fainting, please consult a doctor.
Tizanidine is not recommended for patients suffering from psychotic disorders as it may cause hallucinations or worsen the condition. Therefore, inform your doctor if you have any psychotic disorders before taking Tizanidine.
You are recommended to avoid taking caffeinated foods with Tizanidine as Tizanidine interacts with caffeine and cause severely low blood pressure and increase the risk of other adverse effects such as dizziness, irregular heartbeat, light-headedness, drowsiness, or fainting. However, please consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms while taking Tizanidine.
The side effects of Tizanidine include drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, constipation, nervousness, sore throat, runny nose or weakness. If these side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
No, sulfa and aspirin are not present in Tizanidine.
Tizanidine is gluten free. However, before use, check the package insert of the prescribed brand.
Tizanidine may cause insomnia or weight loss as a side effect. Few people may feel excessive sleepiness. However, if you experience such side effects, please consult your doctor.
No, Tizanidine does not show on a drug test. Only narcotic drugs are detected on a drug test.
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