Tizanidine interactions are possible with other drugs, vitamins, or even herbs. These will change the way Zanaflex works, which can render the medicine ineffective and is dangerous to health.
Learn About Zanaflex Interactions:
- Can One Take Tizanidine with Alcohol?
- Is It Safe to Use Tizanidine and Ibuprofen Together?
- What Happens If One Takes Tramadol With Zanaflex?
- Which Drugs Should Not Be Taken With Zanaflex?
- Which Drugs Require Medical Supervision When Used With Zanaflex?
- Which Drugs Cause Minor Interactions When Combined With Zanaflex?
Tizanidine and Alcohol Interaction
Drinking while taking tizanidine can increase risks of serious side effects, including extreme drowsiness or sedation, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Older people may also experience impairment in judgment, thinking, and motor coordination.
Besides, mixing tizanidine and alcohol may also have additive effects in decreasing blood pressure. If this occurs, one may experience headaches, dizziness, fainting, and changes in heart or pulse rate.
These side effects are most likely to occur at the beginning of the treatment, following an increase in dosage, or when treatment is restarted after an interruption.
Zanaflex and alcohol also depress the body in similar ways, and their combination can lead to shallow or slowed breathing. This increases one’s risk of brain damage.
Patients should be cautious when driving or operating machinery to avoid accidents and use caution when getting up from a sitting or lying position. One must avoid drinking while on Zanaflex treatment.
Tizanidine and Ibuprofen Interaction
Other than a possible additive CNS depression, no other serious drug interactions were found between ibuprofen and tizanidine. They are being used as a combination therapy for the treatment of low-back pain.
Zanaflex and Tramadol Interaction
While tizanidine and tramadol belong to different drug classes, they share a few side effects. Combining these two can increase one’s risk of anxiety, nervousness, drowsiness, dizziness, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and skin rash.
Drugs That Should Not Be Used With Zanaflex
Because of tizanidine MOA, a central-acting alpha2-adrenergic agonist, it can cause significant hypotension in some patients, especially with higher doses. For this reason, the following drugs should not be taken with Zanaflex.
Cipro
Tizanidine and Cipro combination may cause very low blood pressure. There is also an increased risk of extreme drowsiness, bradycardia, and decreased muscle control.
Even just a single tizanidine 4 mg dose can increase its maximum concentration by as much as 7-fold when administered with Cipro.
Fluvoxamine
Another severe Zanaflex interactions involve the use of fluvoxamine. When used together, one may suffer from tizanidine toxicity, including hypotension, sedation, and bradycardia. Fluvoxamine can increase Zanaflex’s maximum concentration and half-life by as much as 12-fold and 3-fold, respectively.
Thiabendazole
Tizanidine is metabolized by CYP1A2. The use of thiabendazole, a potent CYP1A2 hepatic enzyme inhibitor, can increase the concentration of Zanaflex. Aside from the usual hypotension and drowsiness, one is at risk of psychomotor impairment.
Other alpha-2 agonist medications that also cause a significant drop in blood pressure when used with Zanaflex include:
- Clonidine
- Methyldopa
- Guanfacine
- Guanabenz
Serious Interactions with Zanaflex That Require Medical Supervision
Hydrocodone, Codeine, Alfentanil, and Opium
Concomitant use of tizanidine and hydrocodone may cause respiratory depression, hypotension, profound sedation, and even death. The same interactions are observed with codeine, alfentanil, and opium. These combinations, with the approval of a physician, are only given to patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate.
If concurrent use is necessary, the initial dosage of Zanaflex should be reduced to the lowest effective dose, and treatment duration must be shortened.
Gabapentin
Mixing tizanidine with gabapentin can cause additive CNS depression. Patients should be monitored for symptoms of sedation and somnolence. Gabapentin should be initiated at the lowest recommended dose. Proper education about the risks and symptoms of excessive CNS depression and monitoring is necessary.
Amiodarone and Cimetidine
Cimetidine is yet another potent CYP1A2 inhibitor that can cause a substantial increase in Zanaflex concentration. The same side effect is observed with amiodarone. There is an increased risk of hypotension, bradycardia, and excessive drowsiness. Doctors may initiate the use of 2 mg tizanidine depending on clinical response, but close monitoring should be done regularly.
Oral Contraceptives
Oral contraceptives can also increase Zanaflex blood concentrations. The clearance of Zanaflex is 50% lower in women who take combined hormonal OCs with tizanidine. Increased hypotensive effects may occur. If concurrent use cannot be avoided, doctors should start with a 2 mg dose with close monitoring.
Givosiran
Tizanidine is a sensitive CYP1A2 substrate. Givosiran may also decrease hepatic CYP1A2 enzyme activity, which, in turn, can increase tizanidine hydrochloride side effects. If use is necessary, decreasing the Zanaflex dose must be considered.
Drugs That Can Cause Some Risks When Taken with Zanaflex
Clonazepam and Xanax
Concurrent use of tizanidine and clonazepam can cause additive CNS depression. The same is true with Xanax.
Acebutolol and Triamterene
Zanaflex, when used together with anti-hypertensive agents, can result in significant hypotension.
Aliskiren
Aliskiren may enhance the effects of Zanaflex on blood pressure if given concomitantly. Blood pressure and electrolytes should be monitored regularly.
Cannabidiol
A dose adjustment of Zanaflex may be needed when administered with cannabidiol. Additive drowsiness and sedation may occur.
Dronabinol
CNS depressants like Zanaflex can potentiate the effects of dronabinol on respiratory depression.
Teriflunomide
Use caution when administering teriflunomide and Zanaflex concurrently. Teriflunomide is a weak inducer of CYP1A2, which may decrease tizanidine exposure and cause a reduction in efficacy.
Get Professional Help In Case of Tizanidine Addiction
Can tizanidine get one high? Evidence shows that tizanidine is very to have psychic-dependence potential, but there is a possibility of the drug being abused.
Is tizanidine a narcotic? Though Zanaflex can be addictive, it is not a narcotic. It is a muscle relaxant that has a short duration of effect. It peaks within 1-2 hours and starts wearing off within 3-6 hours. For this reason, Zanaflex may be taken as needed, hence often being abused.
Addiction occurs when one exceeds a daily average dose of 20-36 mg. Withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, hypertension, tachycardia, tremor, and hypertonia, start to show up after drug cessation. Healthcare professionals can help with the management of withdrawal symptoms.
Will tizanidine show up on a drug test? Yes. One can confirm the abuse of tizanidine via a urine screen test. The drug is traceable in the urine for up to 2 days.
Medical help is available for everyone who is addicted to tizanidine. Detox is best done in a reputable addiction rehab center.
Page Sources
- Berry H, Hutchinson DR. Tizanidine and ibuprofen in acute low-back pain: results of a double-blind multicentre study in general practice.J Int Med Res. 1988 Mar-Apr;16(2):83-91. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2967781
- Suárez-Lledó A, Padullés A, Lozano T, Cobo-Sacristán S, Colls M1, Jódar R. Management of Tizanidine Withdrawal Syndrome: A Case Report. Clin Med Insights Case Rep. 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29467587