Tizanidine for Muscle Spasm User Reviews (Page 4)

• Chronic...
• April 14, 2010

Zanaflex (tizanidine) "I have been living with chronic neck, back and migraine pain for several years now. In the beginning, my doctors had me go to physical therapy, take ibuprofen, or aspirin. None of these things ever really helped. After trying Flexeril and numerous anti-inflammatories, my pain management doctor did an MRI and found that among the many tension knots and twisting of my spine, I had bulging disks in my neck. He gave me Zanaflex to take at night. It knocks me out within 20 minutes but helps relax my back and neck so that I can get restful sleep - been on it for 3 months now! I highly recommend it for continuous back pain and it's even helped with my migraines. Be ready for bed though - very powerful!"

• Masha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2016

"I started to take this medication after telling my doc about all the failing attempts to reduce my upper back pain. I have a scoliosis and the curvature of my spine is to the right of my shoulder blade. I'm also a very busty lady and the extra weight doesn't help. After trying out flexural at a very high dosage I was pretty concerned about the side effects of this medication. To my surprise I feel GREAT! My prescription is 2.0mg and says 1-2 capsules per night time only AS NEEDED. I have been taking only one pill and after a half hour I fall into really deep sleep for about 6-8hrs. The only side effect I noticed is a minor stomach ache the next day after I take it. I would recommend this medication to a friend."

• Anonymous
• August 28, 2008

Zanaflex (tizanidine) "I am very happy taking Zanaflex. I was originally put on it for migraines but after a major car accident they tried to put me on Soma which caused some side effects. I went back to Zanaflex and have never looked back."

• MiKe...
• September 18, 2009

Zanaflex (tizanidine) "I had been having muscle spasms the Zanaflex helped. I suffer from real bad insomnia; I have been unable to find a medicine that would work for me and once prescribed Zanaflex I have been able to sleep every night as long as I have them. So if anyone else suffers from insomnia maybe they could try Zanaflex, it really helps."

• Suse
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2022

Zanaflex (tizanidine) "I had muscle spasm from several neck surgeries. Diagnosed with DDD. I had been using carisoprodol for 21 years. I had to switch to a doctor that wouldn't prescribe carisoprodol. I was prescribed tizanidine and I am having a really bad experience. I have developed significant anxiety/nervousness. My eyes have gotten so dry that they're red. I can't sleep and experienced chest and right arm pain and a rapid heartbeat. My family is upset with me because I'm so anxious/nervous, and have become rude. I never had any of this before this drug. It's destroying my life and my doctor doesn't care. He doesn't believe any of these side effects. I'm taking 4mg four times a day. It helps a portion of the muscle spasms. I might like it if I didn't have these disturbing side effects. The carisoprodol was more effective for me."

• Another...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 7, 2019

"My experience with this medication for my Chronic low back pain was awful. As noted in another users review, I had same terrible reaction. As if I was sleeping but my eyes were open and I couldn’t move a single part of my body or even speak a word but my brain wanted too ! ???? I literally could not even lift my head off the pillow as much as I knew I had to. I was prescribed this by neurologist after minimal results on flexeril. I also take 2400 mg gabapentin which has taken me months to baby step my way on to that amount, it helps tremendously but at an expense to my cognitive function :( Anyway, back to flexeril I suppose or onto another script with high hopes ! (Cymbalta was also horrific horrific horrific)"

• Anonymous
• April 13, 2012

Zanaflex (tizanidine) "Been taking this for months for DDD/DJD (neck). I notice severe pain when I don't take this nightly but still have muscle pain even when I do. Main side effect is severe grogginess and dry mouth/hung over feeling. I have to be in bed about 20 mins after taking it or I am walking into walls literally. I have to drink a lot of water before bed to combat the hung over feeling. Recently switched back to Flexeril. Have also taken Robaxin but that didn't help much either. I get headaches when I take Tramadol and any narcotic so I take Tylenol during the day."

• Ky512
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2017

"Tizanidine is an excellent muscle relaxer compared to ones like Flexerral, Robaxin, Baclofen, etc. Soma does work better but now it's hard to be Rxed because of FDA overregulating. Anyway, it helps me, gives me great sleep, and helps with headaches. The only side effect I get is dry mouth. Overall though, I highly recommend this over all the other ones our there! It's done an awesome job for muscle spasms."

• Ch3vy...
• November 8, 2016

"So the doctor decided to prescribe me this when I had pneumonia. Then moved me up dosage and then told me to stop taking it. I ended up with horrible electric shock symptoms permanent. I tried going back on it and weaning myself off. I have had every test known to man and the doctor finally admitted to it being from the medicine. As I am having these electric shock sensations it makes my muscle super sore and is horrible to live with this. So to keep the pain and shocks down I am 29 years old and am taking 4 Tramadol a day. I wanted to warn people that this is a real problem that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

• beanh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 13, 2016

"Works excellent for sleep. I have chronic neck pain and I am allowed to take this 4 times a day 4mg....however It knocks me out and makes me very dizzy and just off. So unless I'm really hurting or have time for a nap I only take it at night."

• Crazy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2019

"I have been taking tizanidine for 2 weeks, 4 mg tablets, they calms the spasm in my lower back. I had a L4/5 discectomy due to pressure on spinal from a lifting and turning injury. Causing pain in one leg and one testicle. The surgery results were good but after a hard day at work I have muscle spasm and pain in my lower back this seems to help but it does make me fall asleep so I only take 4 mg before bed. It seems to be my bed time buddy."

• slick...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 3, 2018

"I'm 60 years old. This is the worst medication I have every been given. I took the medication for 2 nights and that was enough for me. I felt like I was on LSD in the 70's. I was asking my dogs to turn off the lights-like they were human. I saw bugs crawling all over the electrical outlets and anything electric. When I say bugs I mean thousands of them. NEVER AGAIN."

• Gypzy
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 7, 2019

"I have been taking Tizanidine for almost 4 years now. It has been a lifesaver for me & given me mobility again. HOWEVER, THE APOTEX CORP. BRAND OF TIZANIDINE IS A VERY DISAPPOINTING DISPLAY OF THEIR LACK OF QUALITY MEDICATIONS IN THIS AREA. HORRIBLY UNDER THE STANDARDS OF OTHER COMPANIES THAT SUPPLY THIS SAME MEDICATION. I'm better off drinking water than taking any Tizanidine supplied by this company "

• Lower...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 18, 2013

"My GP prescribed this for neck cramps from sitting in front a PC monitor so much. Works great for that. However, it also works wonders for my lower and mid back pains, aches and spasms. I take 2 mg a couple times during the day and 4 mg about 30 minutes before bed. If I am having really bad back pain, I'll take 4 mg 3-4 times during the day. I do have some pretty vivid dreams, some bizarre, but few horrid dreams. Overall this is wonderful medicine for my ailments!"

• Catewms
• February 5, 2016

"I have chronic pelvic pain of unknown origin. This medication reliably relaxes me and knocks me out enough to sleep. It also sedates me enough to have conversations I don't recall and to pass out mid-sentence. Needless to add, perhaps, I do not take it during the daytime. Like many users, it tends to wear off after about 4 hours and I find an additional dose doesn't promote longer sleep. The sleep I do get is so good that I can put up with the short duration. I am taking the 4mg tablet. A time release formulation would be ideal, I think."

• Nature...
• October 3, 2019

"Tried Flexeril with no real improvement and switched to Zanaflex. I thought it was great for sleep for about a month until I dropped to the floor for no apparent reason. Took my blood pressure and was surprised that I was still alive, it was so very low. I normally have high BP so that was some drop! I handled the situation by taking a BP reading first. If it was high I could take 3/4 of a tablet or whole, lower BP meant half or quarter. After a year that still works but I’m noticing that it takes more and more to relieve the muscle so I guess soon I will stop."

• JCano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2018

"I was prescribed this medication for muscle spasms after orthopedic surgery to repair a severely crushed lower leg. It was the only one of 3 or 4 meds that worked but the side effects were bizarre. As I would start to drift off I would wake and open my eyes and if I looked straight at the wall beyond the foot of my bed I would have the sensation that I was looking straight down and was vertical in my orientation. It was very shocking at first because I of course would think I was going to fall. I also had extremely lucid dreams that I thought were real even in a waking state. I learned to control the orientation problem but the dreams were off the charts."

• Siam
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2018

"Just came across this site. About five years ago I was prescribed Zanaflex to help with severe neck pain from facet arthropathy. The first night of taking it and going directly to bed, within ten minutes I literally could not move. I could not speak or moan to call out to my husband in another room for help, could not move my extremities, felt like I couldn't breathe, etc. I was horrified and helpless throughout the night; and was awake the entire night. I notified my Dr and tossed the Zanaflex. I have extreme drug sensitivities and this was the worst I've ever experienced. There should be a warning about this kind of reaction."

• victo...
• April 10, 2009

Zanaflex (tizanidine) "I've been suffering with severe muscle spasms in neck, back, chest and shoulder since a whiplash incident 1-1/2 years ago. Other medicines previously prescribed include Soma and Flexeril, but results were insubstantial. I received substantial relief the first time I used Zanaflex and finally feel like I might be able to learn to live with this condition."

• Loveb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2017

"I have MS and the associated chronic pain. My trapeze and entire neck and back are constantly in spasm mode. I do not sleep more of a float above sleep. My nephrologist thought this would help my torso muscle spasms, several types of headaches and facial muscle spasms plus help me sleep. No on all of the above. No sleep. No relief. A new Headache was created by this and it is causing constipation, dizziness, facial flushing, nausea, depression and tummy pain. I took one 4 mg tablet and will not give it another chance. I am miserable enough I do not need to add to my issues with this drug."

• GMR
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2018

"I was prescribed this for numerous symptoms. I’m in the process of being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and I experience full body pain that nothing else touches, difficulty sleeping, and migraine like headaches. This medication has helped me tremendously. I can only take it at night as it does make me extremely sleepy. And if I take too late in the evening, I have a difficult time waking up on time."

• SnowW...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 21, 2015

"While the effects of the back were helpful, the toll it took on my liver was not good. I have many separate symptoms: nausea, pale stool, right upper quadrant pain, elevated LFT, feeling tired, and sweating."

• TXGirl
• February 8, 2020

"I fell off a 10 foot ladder onto my left knee resulting in a stage five tibia plateau fracture and broken tibia Anyway my muscles do get very tight he prescribed 4 mg every eight hours as needed. I could feel the muscles relaxing especially my calf but I had hallucinations so bad I wound up in the hospital for three days I mean it was bad!! So bad they restrain me after I punched out to a five nurses seriously and I feel bad about that today but it was the medication. I’ve taken Flexeril before soma they help someone so much got me kind a loopy though. I’m sure not everyone experiences hallucinations but it’s true I did for me it was so bad even in the hospital they called in psychiatry before I can even think of getting discharged praise God by then the meds were out of my system. I can say Zanaflex never made me drowsy"

• Ivygirl
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 27, 2015

"I have been in this med for years and while it helps, the side effects are awful. I hallucinate, sleep walk, carry on lucid conversations, eat (that's the worst one!) and by morning I'm in pain again. There has got to be something better than this! Even Soma was better but the lucid conversations, answering the phone and answering the door was something that couldn't continue either. I've been off of the tizanidine for 2 weeks now and all of the Side effects stopped but I can't take the pain!"

• Wrecked
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2019

"Was prescribed tizanidine after being involved in a serious auto accident. Seemed to help with my lower back pain. Be careful because is will definitely put you asleep. I passed out straight away now at night"