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Medication Question- Tizanadine (Zanaflex)

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Posted 9/11/2012 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
I have a second post for today - new subject.  Has anyone been prescribed Tizanadine (Zanaflex) for pain relief related to CRPS/RSD? This was prescribed to me last week - it is a short acting muscle relaxer. I am trying to understand how the muscle relaxer will aid in pain relief. Taking 4 mg 3 x daily as they advised. Different than any other medications I have taken thus far for pain relief.   I am not having any pain relief, however I want to give it a fair shot. Have been taking it for 12 days; still have same level of pain as prior to taking it. Is there any magic to this medication - or do you think this was simply offered as "something else" to try.   It is  predictable in that once you take it; within about 90 min you experience the effects - dizzy and drowsy. Then within a couple of hours you are back to baseline. It was not helpful to me in my physical therapy regimen. It makes it very difficult to detect whether or not you are exercising correctly. It was apparent today that I was not yielding any results; therefore my PT suggested I take off and head home.   I thought that over time I would become used to the effects to be able to work through the drowsy and dizzy symptoms - each does is equally drowsy and dizzy.  Not so great if you want to work and need to be cognitively there.   Want something to work....not sure how long you need to take something before you should see some results. I have a call in to the pain center as well. Thanks for the help.  
Posted 9/12/2012 10:12 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I don't have an exact answer to your question, but I have used zanaflex myself once and I have friends who swear by it.  I had a reaction to it where it made my throat feel like it was closing up, so I don't take it now.

My friends, however, swear by it.  My very best friend uses it nightly because it knocks her out completely.  It is so strong, in fact, that she can time her need to go to bed exactly by when she takes her zanaflex.  Otherwise, she finds herself running into walls and getting bruises from striking tables and things with her wobbly legs.  Her husband (also CP, but a serious abuser of medications) takes them by the handfull.  I do not recommend or approve of any abuse of medication of any kind.  He has come very close to death from his abuse of this medication. Apparently it causes euphoria in such large doses and he does not seem to care about he long term issues associated with the abuse.

I would highly recommend speaking to your Dr about reconsideration on this medication.  Anything that can make you that dizzy will most certainly affect your mental ability and that is of great concern to me if you are driving.  I know most meds we take can (and many do) affect driving ability, but I am very concerned for anything that is still causing these symptoms after taking it for more than a few days.  My friend (not the addict) has been taking it for YEARS and still has the immediate need to sleep after taking it.


Good luck in finding the correct med.  Soma was a wonderful muscle relaxer for me, but sadly my PM let the DEA scare him into chaning all of his patients at one time to a different muscle relaxer.  First I went to one that made me very sick (can't remember name right now) and then on to Robaxin (which I don't find useful at all). 

All my best!

Posted 9/12/2012 1:09 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks much for the reply. I am not really finding any benefit from this medication and in fact, am not steady and therefore I too am hitting things and adding bruises, etc. I think it is time to back off of it and call the office to let them know that I am not better with it, just take it away. I still do not understand what the reason was for this medication. I would rather be cognitively here than sleepy and funky all day every day. It also seriously cut back the exercise routine (because I was so physically unable to be steady) which was quite noticable by my PT. I have worked for 12 months with this PT and I do not want to reverse any of that progress.

Talk with you later.
Posted 9/12/2012 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jl, I took this muscle relaxer and had good results in keeping the spasms down. This was one of the few that I could take and stay awake. Most just knocked me for a loop. My current pain mgt dr took all of her patients off of it and put everyone on Baclofen. She misread some info that came through about Zanaflex and this is why she took everyone off of it. I double checked with my pharmacist and she confirmed my dr misread the info, but I could not convince her to switch me back to it. One of our mods here at the forum has Baclofen in her pain pump and she has CRPS/RSD. I wonder if this may be something that would help you better. Now that I am use to it I really do like it.

I hope you can find something that works. Is that the only meds your dr has you on? Are you on any of the nerve related meds like Lyrica,Neurotin or Cymbalta?

Take care.....Susie
Posted 9/12/2012 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks. I am on 25 micro of Fentanyl every 48 hours, 100 mg nortryptaline, 30 mg ritalin daily and 20 mg ambien. I do not believe I have spasms, my PT states I have loose shoulder or multi directional instability. In addition to the meds 2 times per week he tapes my shoulder up into place. Been 7 months, it makes it feel lighter with better posture. I also use acupuncture.....not as helpful as it was years ago for my back.

My pain center has me scheduled for a lidocaine infusion next week. Not sure yet, I do not like what I read, but I do want pain relef....so I might try it.

Couuld you explain what a spasm feels like...maybe I don't know what I am feeliing or best how to verbalize the pain. Hard to elaborate sometimes. 90% of my discomfort is just above the elbow, burning and sharp with deep pain in forearm into last two fingers.

JL
Posted 9/13/2012 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hey JL, I t have been taking Tanazandine for over 7 months now. It's a muscle relaxer, but honestly it really does not help to relieve any pain. I think it did in the beginning. I would say maybe the first two month, it's more like a sedation aid and will make you sleep. It's good to take I. The evening if your having problems with sleep. But like some meds given for pain. You hold on with hopes that something is working.

Lynn
Posted 9/13/2012 5:12 PM (GMT 0)
JL, muscle spasms can vary, usually when my neck is involved I get a lot of pain in both shoulders all the way to the shoulder blades. Your physical therapist should be able to feel around on your neck and shoulders and know if you have spasms going on. I get what I will call knots in both my neck & back. These knots will be as hard as a rock and painful. When my neck is at its worst it will feel like I have tennis balls under my shoulder blades and that is a tough spasm to get rid of.Talk to your PT person about this.

Take care....Susie
Posted 9/13/2012 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
This is the med I use as a mucle relaxer and I find it extremely strong. For me personally, I do not like muscle relaxers and I was prescribed 4 to 8mg up to 3 times a day. I began to sleep walk. I would find myself at 3 AM putting my makeup on in the dark, or making a meal again in the middle of the night in the dark. my hubby and I got some laughs about it but it sort of freaked me out. So now I take only 1mg if I need it and that is rarely. I have tried many others like flexeril, robaxin, skelaxin and either they do not work or they make me very drugged and sluggish feeling. Now the 1mg will just make me sleepy, so I only take it at night. Although my last refill was 2mg capsules and I can't break those in half LOL!!!
Posted 9/13/2012 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
Haven't tried this particular medication but have been on the other muscle relaxers like Flexeril, Robaxin and Skelaxin.

As Stray asked, I was also curious about whether you are on an actual nerve pain medication since you didn't list it. The ones she listed are specifically for nerve pain since muscle relaxers or even opiates aren't as effective for that type of pain.

From what you describe with the shooting and burning type of pain...that sounds like nerve pain.

As mentioned, muscle spasms tend to be achey, throbbing, and usually feel like a knot/ball of pain in specific spots.

I would certainly ask your Dr. about it because there is no sense taking a medication that you don't feel is helping or don't think you need.
Posted 9/13/2012 11:52 PM (GMT 0)
I really appreciate the feed back, especially today. Short term disability problems and hit with the first migraine I have had in almost 6 months. I cannot believe I used to get 2 of these every week. They suck all around. I am sure this pain condition and work related stress is just piling up in my body. I need a massage and really really wealthy spouse who can say..."do not worry about the money. Just buy the brand name drugs that the insurance company won't let you have".

Regarding Nerve medications - I am currently on nortriptyline, 100 miligrams daily. This was offered for both Migraines and for the Ulnar Nerve pain, and it also was being perscribed to assist with depression. So one pill, many uses. It worked wonders for the migraines. I cannot say that it has helped at all with nerve pain, for depression I think I am sort of in a WHAT IF or WHATEVER kind of zone. Not sure it is good - but I am working on it. I am taking one day at a time - that is the best I have to offer right now.

JL
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