Cyclobenzaprine vs Tizanidine: Which is the Better Muscle Relaxer?

For most patients, the recommended dose of Flexeril is 5 mg three times a day. Based on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg three times a day. Use of Flexeril for periods longer than two or three weeks is not recommended. When it comes to addiction treatment and recovery, Bright Future Recovery’s team delivers beyond expectation. Just Google Tizanidine addiction and you’ll see that there are many facilities that treat Tizanidine addiction.

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These sudden jerks have been known to be so strong that they can break bones, damaged tendons, and more. Selection of a skeletal muscle relaxant should be individualized to the patient. If there are tender spots over the muscle or trigger points on physical examination, a skeletal muscle relaxant is a reasonable adjunct to analgesic treatment of low back flexeril.live pain. Skeletal muscle relaxants may also be used as an alternative to NSAIDs in patients who are at risk of gastrointestinal or renal complications. Cyclobenzaprine has been evaluated in most clinical trials with evidence to support its usage, according to a meta-analysis. Tizanidine has been shown to help with spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.

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Zanaflex, or tizanidine, is a muscle relaxant used to treat muscle spasticity due to multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. It works by blocking signals between motor nerves to relax muscle tone. It is usually taken as a 2 mg or 4 mg tablet every six to eight hours.

• When you have a spinal cord injury or Multiple Sclerosis, you may not have full control over your muscles.
• Two muscle relaxants called Zanaflex and Flexeril are among the drugs used to treat fibromyalgia.
• There is a key difference between the dosing instructions for each of the medications.
• Zanaflex has a half-life of around 2.5 hours while Flexeril has a half-life of 18 hours on average.

Withdrawal symptoms are typically seen in people who have been using very high doses of Tizanidine and especially those who use it alongside narcotics. It is much safer to use it at lower doses that have been prescribed by your doctor than to take it in higher doses. Typically, if you drop your dosing below your usual amount and experience withdrawal symptoms, you’ll know your body is dependent. Some of these symptoms include dizziness, dry mouth, heart palpitations, sweating, anxiety, and more.

How effective are both Zanaflex and Flexeril?

Muscle relaxers have a potential for misuse and addiction, especially carisoprodol and diazepam. Prolonged use can lead to increased tolerance and physical dependence. This means they have addiction potential and can cause withdrawal symptoms if you develop a dependence and stop taking them. You should avoid these medications if you have a personal or family history of substance use disorder. Spasticity is a disruption in muscle movement patterns that causes certain muscles to contract all at once when you try to move or even at rest.

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Drugs that block, or inhibit, this enzyme can increase Zanaflex levels in the body. Increased drug levels can lead to increased adverse effects such as drowsiness and dizziness. Zanaflex should be avoided with CYP1A2 inhibitors like ciprofloxacin and cimetidine as well as birth control pills containing ethinyl estradiol. The most common side effects of Zanaflex include dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, muscle weakness or fatigue, and constipation. Other reported side effects include urinary tract infections (UTIs) and involuntary movements (dyskinesia).

There have been no adequate animal or human studies that show Flexeril is harmful while pregnant. Muscle relaxers should only be used if there are clear benefits that outweigh potential risks. Seek medical advice from your healthcare provider for treatment options while pregnant.

The most common side effects of Flexeril include drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, fatigue, and dizziness. Flexeril is also known to cause other side effects such as constipation and nausea. Any missing drug warnings or information does not in any way guarantee the safety, effectiveness, or the lack of adverse effects of any drug.

What Happens If I Stop Taking Tizanidine?

It also has many drug interactions and, as such, must be used with great care and only taken with medical recommendations. Although these medications are similar in numerous ways, they have some unique differences in their mechanism of action, side effects, and uses. This article outlines the similarities and differences between Tizanidine vs. Flexeril and discusses possible alternatives among muscle relaxants and other drug classes. It’s believed to work by attaching to a receptor or protein in the brain called the alpha-2 receptor, which reduces the release of substance P in your brain and spinal cord. Substance P is a chemical that helps increase pain signals to and from the brain. Cyclobenzaprine treatment with the immediate-release medication usually starts with an initial dose of 5 mg that is taken by mouth three times a day.

Smooth muscles are the muscles that you don’t have control over, like the muscles in your intestine, stomach and blood vessels. Tizanidine (the generic name for Zanaflex) is a short-acting muscle relaxer, first approved by the FDA in 1996. It works by blocking nerve impulses that are sent to your brain and effectively reduces spasticity by slowing down nerve signal transmission in the spinal cord. Tizanidine is used for managing spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury; it does not cure these problems but allows more normal movement as the disease/condition progresses. Flexeril, a generic name for Cyclobenzaprine, is an effective alternative to Tizanidine. It is commonly used to treat severe pain caused by acute musculoskeletal conditions because its long-term efficacy is unclear.