Zanaflex

Zanaflex Benefits and Contraindications

Zanaflex is a medicine taken by people to treat their muscle spasms caused by such conditions as multiple sclerosis. Basically, it works by relaxing muscles, so it belongs to muscle relaxants.

How to Take It Properly

Take Zanaflex (Tizanidine) each 6-8 hours orally and according to the recommendations given by doctors. Your regular doses should be based on other meds that you need to take, individual tolerance and medical condition.

To avoid a possible risk of side effects, start this treatment at lower doses. It’s not allowed to take more than 36 mg or 3 doses a day.

The human body absorbs this medicine differently based on its form and if you take it on an empty stomach or with food.

Discuss everything with doctors to decide how to take Zanaflex to get its full benefit.

In rare cases, this medicine may lead to specific withdrawal symptoms, especially after taking it in high doses and for a long time.

They may include increased blood pressure, muscle tenseness, tremor, anxiety and others. To effectively prevent them, reduce your regular doses gradually.

Unwanted Side Effects

There are certain adverse effects caused by this medicine, and the most common ones include:

• Drowsiness and constipation;
• Unusual weakness and dry mouth;
• Dizziness and tiredness;
• Lightheadedness and nausea.

To get rid of dry mouth, it’s worth drinking water, sucking ice chips and using any saliva substitute.

To decrease the risk of feeling lightheaded and dizzy, get up slowly from lying and sitting positions.

Most of these symptoms are mild, so severe side effects are quite rare and they include:

• Sudden mood and mental changes;
• Hallucinations and fainting;
• Irregular or slow heartbeats;
• Unusual vision changes, such as blurred vision;
• Persistent vomiting and nausea;
• Yellow skin and eyes;
• Dark urine and severe stomach pain;
• Allergic reactions.

If you experience any of these unwanted symptoms, get emergency medical help.

Important Zanaflex Precautions

Before you start taking this medication, you should be examined by doctors who need to know about other conditions that you have, especially possible allergies to drugs, liver and kidney problems, low blood pressure, etc.

Zanaflex may make some patients feel drowsy or dizzy, so they should be very careful when driving and performing other similar activities. When undergoing this treatment, you should avoid alcoholic beverages, too.

Older patients are more sensitive to the adverse reactions caused by this medication, especially drowsiness, dizziness and accidental falling.

Pregnant and nursing women should consult their doctors about the safety of this therapy.

Dangerous Drug Interactions

They must be avoided by patients, because they change the way medications work and increase their risk of having severe side effects.

To avoid this risk, make a full list of other drugs that you’re taking, including herbal supplements, minerals and vitamins, non-prescription and prescription meds.

For example, some of the most common medications that may interact with Zanaflex include pills to treat hypertension, such as alpha-agonists.

It’s not advisable to take this medicine with certain birth control pills, antihistamines, drugs for anxiety and sleep, other muscle relaxants, narcotic pain killers and so on.

That’s because they may change its mechanism of action and result in unwanted symptoms or health complications.

Be sure to check the labels of all medications, including allergy and anti-cough products) before taking them, because they may contraindicate with Zanaflex.