Tizanidine and Tiredness: What Users Say

• cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2018

Tizanidine for Muscle Spasm "It works well to relieve pain, but at the cost of an astronomical exhaustion. This drug makes me so tired that walking to the fridge is a tremendous task. I could sleep on the floor. Probably the most effective muscle relaxer I've taken, but my quality of life - even 24 hours later - is nil."

• cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2018

Tizanidine for Muscle Spasm "It works well to relieve pain, but at the cost of an astronomical exhaustion. This drug makes me so tired that walking to the fridge is a tremendous task. I could sleep on the floor. Probably the most effective muscle relaxer I've taken, but my quality of life - even 24 hours later - is nil."

• tun...
• September 21, 2013

Tizanidine for Muscle Spasm "This has served duty as a sleep aid and muscle relaxer. I seemed to never get sleep until I tried this. My neck pain is much better. Only bad note is I'm a little more tired but it's worth it for the pay offs."

• Jam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 8, 2018

For Muscle Spasm "Herniated discs in my neck and back. Back spasms and extreme neck spasms. Sometimes, as a 'bonus,' they cause migraines/tension headaches. For years, they gave me Flexeril, which I hated. It made me lethargic and groggy for almost two days. Finally, the doctor switched me to tizanidine. What a relief! For me, there are no bad side effects. They help me go to sleep in no time, and when I wake up, I don't feel groggy or drugged since it has a short half-life. I prefer the tablets. Food supposedly affects the level, but I don't notice any difference in strength if I've eaten something. I think it's great just as a sleeping aid in general, and it also should be considered for tension headaches. I am grateful tizanidine exists to help."

• Chi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 15, 2013

For Muscle Spasm "I've had several lower back issues for the majority of my life, including surgery. I used to take Flexeril but didn't like the way it made me feel. I told my doc, and he switched me to Zanaflex. It has been a Godsend, especially when it comes to sleep. I used to take Ambien but had severe side effects, including a dangerous sleepwalking episode. I have replaced Flexeril and Ambien with Zanaflex with incredible results. I take it before bed and am able to get a great night's rest without that horrible 'drunk'/drowsy feeling when I get up. The only drawback is I do get very tired approximately 30 minutes after taking it, so I don't use it during the day."

• Ash...
• August 31, 2019

For Muscle Spasm "I was given tizanidine to help with back spasms from 2 herniated discs. Within 10-20 minutes of taking this, I was extremely tired. The first time I had the side effect, I would wake up a few hours into the night completely drenched in sweat, and it sounded like people were talking, which I live alone. I continued taking it with the same issue every night. After a week in, I woke up with hallucinations. I had never been so scared in my life, it lasted a good hour. I never took it again, and when reading up on it after, this is a common side effect. I just want to warn other people before taking this medicine."

• sol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 17, 2015

For Muscle Spasm "I developed a muscle spasm in my neck while taking Lamictal. Eventually, the spasm did not go away-it turned into an incredibly painful condition, Dystonia. The spasm has displaced my jaw and disabled me from being able to work. After developing problems with Flexeril and Cogentin, I was switched to Tizanidine. What a wonderful difference. Though the spasm or pain never stops, it reduced my involuntary movements to the point where they are not obvious, and the pain is also reduced. No bad side effects besides tiredness."

• Dew...
• February 1, 2020

For Muscle Spasm "I took 1 dose of tizanidine 4 mg and wham! Not with any warning, it hit me. This drug should be taken off the market!!! I almost fell, literally fell asleep standing and just made it to a chair! I had a hallucination, I guess they call it, I saw green lines, my heart rate dropped, my mouth became extremely dry, I could hardly talk, I blacked out for a few minutes, was extremely tired, and the pain! I felt 100 times worse than before. There was a nasty taste in my mouth, then my heart was having palpitations. I became extremely tired very fast, hallucinated, and had no relief, just tired! I have an autoimmune disease (adrenal hypofunction) and was afraid to take ANY med until this got out of my system, it gave me a whopper migraine or pain in my head, anxiety, and my heart rate dropped. Never ever will I take this."

• SAa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2020

"I suffer with muscle tightness in my neck and shoulders, migraines. I think the tightness in my neck has gotten maybe a little bit better since taking this tizanidine. However, I’ve all of a sudden since taking it gotten bad acne. Also, about 30 minutes after taking it before bed, I get suddenly extremely sleepy to the point I fall asleep immediately, and my body feels super weak and tired... but then I wake up 3-5 hours later and cannot fall back asleep the rest of the night. It doesn’t seem to leave me tired or weak past the initial “high” of feeling extremely sleepy and weak. I don’t know that the benefits of this drug outweigh the side effects for me."

• Anonymous
• August 21, 2010

Tizanidine for Muscle Spasm "Zanaflex considerably reduced my back pain, headaches, muscle spasms, mandibular stress-related spasms, and overall pain associated with spasticity due to a neuromuscular condition. I take 2 mg as I am a small-framed and thin person. I take it at bedtime to offset the 2-hour tiredness effect following ingestion. It works well for me."

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

For Muscle Spasm "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."

• cai...
• January 17, 2018

For Muscle Spasm "I have fibromyalgia. This drug makes me very sleepy, yet it makes me not sleep 'well.' I just feel very tired and sluggish, as if I hadn't had sleep even though I did. It also makes me depressed and sad. Oxycodone is much better, I can stay awake and alert, do my job, and the pain is gone for a few hours to five hours completely. This stuff just puts you in a dark, depressing cloud, even if I take it at night, the next day I feel very depressed. I've tried a few times, but I can't live my life (I work full-time and have kids) with this nonsense."

• Wan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 11, 2018

For Muscle Spasm "I have taken tizanidine a few years for muscle spasms, and it worked pretty well. Now when I take even one 4 mg tablet, my chest gets tight, I have trouble breathing, and I am extremely weak and tired. I thought I was having heart problems, but I believe the tizanidine is causing these symptoms. I won't be taking any more."

• Lau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 10, 2017

For Muscle Spasm "I have had chronic pain and muscle soreness and tightness for about 13 years. Recently, my pain management doctor left his practice, but I had 2 refills on my Tizanidine and could no longer get my Hydro :( so I got Tiz refilled. (Previously, I had only taken the Tiz at night once in a while.) The first time I took it was Sunday during the day, and it was fine, it just made me feel a bit relaxed. I also took one Sunday night before bed and slept like a rock. But it seems that this med really adversely affects me the next day. On Monday at work, I suddenly started feeling extremely tired and out of it around noon. (I didn't even take it on Monday.) Then Monday evening, I began to get very nauseous and sweaty. Very strange drug. I also got headaches from it."

• Anonymous
• November 30, 2011

For Muscle Spasm "Kipple-Feil syndrome and Sprengel's deformity: My back has major problems, and this medicine works the best by far. It works on the back without turning the rest of you to jello. I mostly limit it to before bed because it can make you very tired. It lasts about 6 hours."

• MaM...
• June 25, 2016

For Muscle Spasm "Had a son 10 years ago, and they botched my epidural. I also developed fibromyalgia about 6 weeks later and am getting the Depo shot. I had never had any chronic pain conditions before becoming pregnant. I have been on every pain medication you can think of, but all I want is to be fixed and live a normal life again. I had the same primary for 10 years, he would definitely over-prescribe pain medications. I was steadily on Soma and Valium (he was constantly changing pain medications). I decided to find a new doctor, and for the last year he's had me on Subutex and Valium, but will NOT prescribe me Soma, which I told him worked better for me than the pain pills. Flexeril did nothing! He just put me on this drug with no warning! I'm feeling a bit relaxed and tired, but it's my first time taking it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2022

For Muscle Spasm "This medicine is not for me! After taking the first dose at night, I had a terrible, vivid dream about my deceased father. So I didn’t sleep well. The next day I was tired. When I laid down to rest, my body was jumpy, like I was having spasms. A scary feeling. I had the same reaction when I was prescribed cyclobenzaprine. I have fibromyalgia, back, lumbar, hip, neck, and knee problems that I have been dealing with for over 15 years. Over 30 hours standing, doing repetitive motion on the job. Three times rear-ended and one T-bone accident. I am 70 years old and would like to live the rest of my life out with less pain. But this doesn’t work. One pill, 4 mg at night."

• ACE...
• March 31, 2022

For Muscle Spasm "It helped with my restless legs/spasm, and taking the lowest dose (generic) caused cold-like symptoms and a walking mucus machine. I thought I had COVID, lastly, a horrible, itchy rash on my neck that nothing helped. Also lethargic. Didn’t want to move and cared about nothing."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 19, 2022

For Muscle Spasm "I had ACDF (anterior cervical discectomy and fusion) surgery and was having muscle spasms. I was prescribed tizanidine. Did little to nothing for spasms, made me groggy and tired, but offered zero relief for what I needed it for."

• ign...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 28, 2013

For Muscle Spasm "I have been on tizanidine for about a month now, and it does help me with muscle spasms. The biggest drawback is that I feel extremely tired during the day, almost like a hangover."

• Anonymous
• November 30, 2009

For Muscle Spasm "This is good, really helps with the pain. But makes me tired."