Zanaflex/ Tizanidine

Here’s All You Need To Know About Zanaflex Tablet

So, do you have mild anxiety, or do your muscles get stiff? What will be your first reaction? Take a Zanaflex pill and let the medicine do its miracle. If this is the first thought that comes to your mind, let me remind you that Zanaflex is a prescription drug. It is not sold without a prescription and must not be taken without a doctor’s advice. However, many have access to this drug, and you may find a few pills in your home’s medicine cabinet. Therefore, we have decided to educate on this drug’s aspects in this article. You will get to know all about the medication and its uses. The later stages also deal with the indication of doses and intake. But before we dive into the other aspects, let us understand the basics of Zanaflex generic tablets.

Zanaflex – overview and composition

Zanaflex is a medication recommended by doctors to treat spasticity and, sometimes, anxiety. However, Zanaflex muscle relaxer must be used only when the muscle stiffness is associated with neurological conditions. These conditions may be cerebral palsy, sclerosis, or likeness of such conditions. The medicine belongs to a class of drugs known as central Alpha-2 Adrenergic Agonist. And this medication can be used alone or with other medications. However, do not experiment on your own and follow the proper instructions.

Neurological conditions affect the central nervous system. This nervous system is responsible for several of our voluntary and involuntary muscle movements like a reflex, movements of limbs, etc. The muscles become stiff at times during spasticity, and your brain cannot understand the external stimuli.

Zanaflex is commonly called tizanidine (spell tyezan I deen) of tizanidine hydrochloride. It is a fine crystalline powder whose color may vary from white to off-white. The powder is water-soluble and doesn’t impart any odor. However, the solubility in water decreases as the pH of the water increases.

The drug’s chemical name is 5-chloro-4-(2-imidazoline-2-acylamino)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole monochloride. The molecular formula is C9H8ClN5S-HCl. A Zanaflex pill is available in 2, 4, and 6mg doses when a patient requires an oral dosage. The most common dosage form is the 4mg capsule with tizanidine hydrochloride as an active ingredient. Colloidal silicon dioxide, stearic acid, microcrystalline cellulose, and anhydrous lactose are the inactive components in the pill.

Dosage and strength

The drug is found in two forms – tablets and capsules. The most widely used form is the capsules or pills as Zanaflex generic.

For a 2 mg capsule, you may see the light blue body with a cap. The strength is mentioned on the light blue opaque cap. On the other hand, 4 mg pills have an opaque white body with an opaque blue cap. The 6 mg capsule has an opaque blue body with a blue and white striped cap with its dose.

The Zanaflex for anxiety tablets are available in white and are uncoated. The strength available is 4 mg with “A594” debossed on one side.

Handling and storage of Zanaflex capsules and tablets

The Zanaflex pills of all strengths are available in an airtight sealed container that contains 150 capsules. However, the bottles are not childproof, and therefore, it is recommended to dispense them in a child-safe container. In addition to that, you can store the containers at 250C. The storage temperature must be within 15 degrees to 30 degrees Celsius. The tablets also come in a container with 150 tablets, and the storage temperature is the same as that of capsules. Moreover, you must keep the containers in a dry and cool place to avoid humidification. Make sure to tighten the container after every usage.

Administration of dosage

The dosage must be administered and only taken as per the doctor’s prescription. The recommended starting dose is 2 mg and must be administered during the fasting period, i.e., within 30 minutes of a meal. The effect of the drug peaks at around 1-2 hours after consumption of the capsules or tablets and wears out between 3-6 hours after the dose has been taken.

The Zanaflex muscle relaxer tablet must be administered up to three doses per 24 hours and must be taken at an interval of 6-8 hours. The strength of the doses can be increased to 4 mg after 2-3 days of initial dosage. The daily dosage must be restricted to 24 mg and must be subjected to the doctor’s recommendation.

When you need to discontinue the drug usage, please connect with a pharmacologist to understand the risk of sudden discontinuation. Studies have shown a risk of drug dependence and withdrawal symptoms when patients receiving high doses of Zanaflex generic pills and tablets suddenly discontinue the treatment. Also, the dose must be decreased slowly to remove these effects, but it is always better to consult a doctor.

When to use Zanaflex?

Zanaflex is a drug that many doctors and pharmaceutical companies recommend to treat anxiety and muscle spasticity due to neurological conditions. Following are a few conditions when doctors prescribe the medication:
 Multiple sclerosis
 Spinal cord injuries
 Cerebral palsy
 Nervous breakdown
 Anxiety and depression
 Muscle stiffness or spasticity
These are the conditions to which doctors prescribe the medication. However, Zanaflex for anxiety is not a widely accepted treatment as it may lead to severe damage to the brain and induce drug dependence.

Possible side effects of Zanaflex consumption

The clinical studies haven’t shown any significant side effects of the drugs. But again, it all depends on the health of the patient and the patient’s medical conditions. So, we have listed down a few rare but possible side effects of using Zanaflex pills:
 Slow pulse or heart rate
 Abnormal liver and stomach functions
 Low Bile production
 Drowsiness
 Low blood pressure
 Dry mouth
 Weakness in the limbs

 Hallucinations
 Lazy eye
 Fatigue
 Runny nose
 Sore throat
 Nervousness
 Constipation
 Flu symptoms
 High frequency of urination
If you encounter any of these symptoms, reach out to the doctor and let them examine the condition. It may also happen that these symptoms are entirely unrelated to the medicine but for a different medication. You can also consult with the doctor regarding the effects of
Zanaflex.

Other medications with Zanaflex

While Zanaflex muscle relaxer pills and tablets are safe to use with other medications, some medicines require proper consultation from the doctor. You may be asked not to take the medicines with Zanaflex or consume them at an interval. The list includes:
 Acyclovir
 Zileuton
 Blood pressure medications
 Arrhythmia medications
 Ticlopidine
 Contraception pills
 Certain antibiotics
There are other medications as well that are not listed here. So, please make sure that you report to the doctor beforehand if you are under any of these medications. The doctor will then examine your health and routine and provide you with proper intake indications.

Drug interaction

Another critical aspect of the drug is understanding its interaction with foods, drinks, and other medications. Some of the known interactions of the drugs are listed below for your reference:
 The use of Zanaflex with fluvoxamine is not recommended as it may result in decreased blood pressure and increased dizziness. Much reported nausea and clinical pharmacology have found evidence of increased psychomotor impairment. The same result can be expected from the mixed-use of Zanaflex and ciprofloxacin.
 Alcohol has a significant impact on the strength of the drug. It increases the overall quantity of Zanaflex in the bloodstream. This leads to adverse reactions of Zanaflex, like drowsiness and low blood pressure. The use of Zanaflex with alcohol is addictive and not recommended.
 If you take contraceptive pills quite often, the use of Zanaflex is strictly prohibited unless clinically necessary. The adverse reactions are hypotension, reduced reflex, and bradycardia.
 CNS depressants are already using chemicals like opioids and tricyclic

antidepressants. Upon intakingZanaflex, the sedative effects become high and may become addictive. So, it is essential to monitor the patient constantly for symptoms
of excessive sedation. Please note that the dependence on this drug is relatively high, and therefore, you must consult a doctor before starting the treatment or ending it. Furthermore, tizanidine’s structure is quite similar to that of clonidine. This compound is often associated with narcotics abuse and is famous for its withdrawal symptom. A few cases of sudden withdrawal have been noted following these symptoms:
 Tachycardia
 Tremor
 Anxiety
 Hypertension
 Hypertonia
Thus, if a patient is exposed to this medication, it is advisable to slowly increase/decrease the dosage to minimize the risk of such withdrawal symptoms.

Final words

So, this was all about the Zanaflex capsules and tablets. As you must have read, Zanaflex is quite handy for dealing with neurological conditions’ muscle stiffness. But the use of this drug must be monitored and well-administered. If taken otherwise, one may encounter severe side effects of the capsules. The storage temperature and handling must be appropriately ensured so that there is no sudden withdrawal symptom. The medication must be administered appropriately with other medications and alcohol as it may lead to low blood pressure, increased dizziness, and abnormal liver functions.