Comparing Tizanidine vs Zanaflex

For Muscle Spasm 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.

For Muscle Spasm Tizanidine was prescribed in 2015 to help relieve pain caused by spinal stenosis at the top and bottom of my spine. I am extremely tolerant of most drugs. One 2 mg tab was prescribed for 3 times a day. It seemed to relieve my pain just enough to help me sleep. I haven't had back pain for the 3 years I've taken it (as of 2018), and it still helps me sleep a little. I'm unsure whether the Tizanidine is reducing my pain, or the stenosis is hibernating, but I'm not about to mess with success and intend to continue taking it. The drug seems somewhat effective and has no untoward side effects for me.

For Muscle Spasm I have been taking zanaflex for about 2 years. The best thing about this medicine is it helps me sleep and for me there is no grogginess in the morning. I'm totally alert. Not like with other muscle relaxants. However the medicine usually last about 3-4 hours so it's quite common to wake up in the middle of the night. I give it an 8 because it does work really well for me however I wish the effects would last a little longer to get a full nights rest and also because I can't take it in the day because it knocks me out.....cold.

For Muscle Spasm I found this to be a wonderful muscle relaxant with very few, if any, negative side effects. It worked well for me during many bouts of chronic back pain that kept me awake at night. It did make me a little bit sleepy and dizzy, but nothing that bothered me very much at all. At night, this wasn't even a concern, but I could easily take it during the day at work and perform and feel fine. This isn't exactly a "pain" medication but I did find that it worked almost as well for my particular back pain as the narcotic medicines I was also prescribed.