Generic name: Tizanidine (tiz ann e deen)

Brand name: Zanaflex (zan e flex)

 WHY is this drug prescribed?

WHEN should it be used?

HOW should it be used?

 What SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS should I follow while using this drug?

 What SIDE EFFECTS can this medication cause? What can I do about them?

 What OTHER PRECAUTIONS should I follow while using this drug?
 
 

WHY is this drug prescribed? Tizanidine acts on the spinal cord to decrease spasticity, the uncontrolled reflex contraction of muscles in the extremities.

WHEN should it be used? Tizanidine usually is taken three times a day. Follow the instructions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your pharmacist or doctor to explain any part that you do not understand. The action should begin within 1-2 hours and wear off after 6-8 hours.

HOW should it be used? Tizanidine comes in 4 milligram tablets taken by mouth. The medication can be taken with or without food. Your physician may start you on a lower dose of the medication and increase the dose slowly.

• Tizanidine can cause dizziness, incoordination, or drowsiness. Do not drive a car, operate machinery, handle weapons, or do anything that requires alertness until you know how this drug affects you. Ask your physician when you can go back to driving.
• Keep all appointments with your doctor so that your doctor can monitor your response to this medication. Your dose may need to be adjusted frequently, especially when you first take tizanidine.
• Take tizanidine exactly as your doctor has directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more or less often than as instructed. If you experience difficulties with side effects, call your doctor before you change the dose.
• Do not stop taking this drug without consulting your doctor. Stopping the drug suddenly may have unforeseen consequences. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually.
• Keep track of your spasticity in a log book. You may also want to track your strength and any side effects in your log.
• Be sure that you have enough medication on hand at all times. Plan ahead when getting refills to avoid running out.

What SIDE EFFECTS can this medication cause? What can I do about them?

• Tizanidine does reduce blood pressure. This may be an advantage if you have high blood pressure and may allow your doctor to reduce the use of other blood pressure medicines. On the other hand if you don't have high blood pressure the drug may lower your blood pressure. This may cause you to feel light-headed particularly if you stand up quickly. For this reason the drug must be used cautiously if you are taking other blood pressure medicines.
• Tizanidine may cause liver damage. Most of the time this is discovered by checking liver blood tests initially and at 1, 3, and 6 months after starting the drug. Usually when the blood tests become abnormal they return to normal if the drug is stopped. A small number of patients have died from liver damage. Some of these patients were also taking other drugs which can cause liver injury, so how much of the damage was due to tizanidine is not clear. The drug should be used with caution in people who are known to already have liver injury. If you experience jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite, or vomiting, notify your physician.
• Many patients experience tiredness or sleepiness while taking tizanidine. This effect increases with higher doses. Sleepiness is likely to be increased if you drink alcoholic beverages, or take other sedating drugs such as valium or baclofen.
• Some patients taking tizanidine have experienced hallucinations. These are generally well-formed visual hallucinations which the patients usually knew were not real. Usually these hallucinations occurred in the first 6 weeks of taking the drug.
• There are no known bad effects from tizanidine during pregnancy but it should be given to pregnant women only if clearly necessary.

What OTHER PRECAUTIONS should I follow while using this drug?

• Before you take tizanidine, tell your doctor if you are pregnant (or even if you think you could become pregnant), breast-feeding, if you have diabetes or kidney or liver disease. The drug probably is transmitted to babies through breast milk.
• Tizanidine can affect the action of other drugs, and many drugs can affect the action of phenytoin. Before you take this drug, tell your doctor what prescription and non-prescription drugs you are taking.
• Tizanidine should be used cautiously in the elderly because its effects are more long lasting and it could build up in their system. A lower dose may be necessary.
• Women taking oral contraceptive drugs may have increased effects from tizanidine.
• There is no information to show that tizanidine is safe in children.
• Drinking alcohol is discouraged; these substances can add to the drowsiness from tizanidine.
• Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of the reach of children. Store at room temperature.