I. Zanaflex Fact File
Zanaflex was introduced by Acorda Therapeutics.
Acorda Therapeutics was established in March 1995 to develop therapies that restore neurological function to people with spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS) and related conditions of the nervous system.
Acorda's marketed products include Zanaflex Capsules (tizanidine hydrochloride) and Zanaflex (tizanidine hydrochloride) tablets.
II. Zanaflex Medication
Zanaflex medication (Tizanidine) belongs to a group of medicines called muscle relaxants. Zanaflex medication is a short-acting drug approved for the management of spasticity. Because of the short duration of effect, treatment should be reserved for those daily activities and times when relief of spasticity is most important. The most frequent adverse events with these products are dry mouth, sedation, asthenia, and dizziness, and are most often considered mild to moderate.
Zanaflex medication (Tizanidine) is used in multiple sclerosis to treat the increased muscle tone associated with spasticity. While it does not provide a cure for the problem, it is designed to relieve the spasms, cramping, and tightness of muscles.
Muscle Relaxants: Information
Muscle relaxants are drugs that relax certain muscles in the body. Muscle relaxants are not really a class of drugs, but rather a group of different drugs that each has an overall sedative effect on the body.
Strains, sprains, and other muscle injuries can result in pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms. Muscle relaxants do not heal the injuries, but they do help ease the discomfort and stop muscle spasms. Muscle Relaxants do not act directly on the muscles; rather they act centrally (in the brain) and are more of a total body relaxant.
Typically, muscle relaxants are prescribed early in a course of back pain, on a short-term basis, to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasms. There are several types of muscle relaxant medications that are commonly used to treat low back pain:
Carisoprodol (Soma)- Soma Drug's dosage is 350 mg every eight hours as needed for muscle spasm. Soma medicationis typically prescribed on a short-term basis and may be habit-forming, especially if used in conjunction with alcohol or other drugs that act on the mind.
Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) - Flexeril medication can be used on a longer-term basis and actually has a chemical structure related to some antidepressant medications, although it is not an antidepressant. Usually it is prescribed as 10 mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm, or it can also be prescribed as 10 mg at night as needed to help with difficulty sleeping. Flexeril drug can impair mental and physical function, and may lead to urinary retention in males with large prostates. Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) is also sometimes used to treat fibromyalgia, a condition that involves aches, stiffness, and fatigue.
Diazepam (Valium) - Valium drugs is usually limited to one to two weeks of use, and the typical dosage is 5-10 mg every six hours as needed to relieve low back pain associated with muscle spasm. Because of its habit-forming potential, and because it changes sleep cycles and makes it very difficult to sleep after stopping the drug, Valium drugs should not be used long term. Patients should also note that Valium is a depressant and can worsen depression associated with chronic pain.
Spasticity: Information
Spasticity refers to the often painful involuntary tension, stiffening or contractions of muscles. This condition occurs when the nerve cells in the spinal cord become disconnected from controlling centers in the brain, and therefore transmit unregulated impulses to the muscles.
Spasticity is common in neurological disorders where portions of the nervous system that control voluntary movement have been damaged, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke and traumatic brain injury. Up to 75% of people with chronic SCI, and the majority of people with MS experience some form of spasticity.
Spasticity is a neurological condition causing an abnormal increase in muscle tone that occurs when that muscle is stretched. Spastic muscles are resistant to the normal stretching that occurs during use, and may remain abnormally contracted for long periods.
Causes of Spasticity
Spasticity can occur in neurological disorders that damage parts of the motor pathways, those regions of the nervous system that control voluntary movements. The most common disorders leading to spasticity are cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain injuries, such as from lack of oxygen, physical trauma, hemorrhage, or infection.
Spasticity occurs when muscles receive improper nerve signals causing them to contract (become shorter, or flexed) when they should relax (remain unflexed). Improper control of signals is due to damage within the brain or spinal cord.
Triggers of Spasticity
Spasticity may not be present all the time. It can be brought on by rapid movement, or by sensory stimulation. An important aspect of spasticity treatment is minimizing the types of stimuli that can trigger it: pain, pressure sores, urinary tract infection, ingrown toenails, restrictive clothing, and constipation, for example.
Complications of Spasticity
- Activities of daily living: The inability to control muscles independently can mean increased difficulty in activities of daily living such as dressing, eating, and grooming.
- Hygiene: Stiff, contractured, or spastic muscle can prevent access to such areas as the palm, armpit, or groin, interfering with hygiene. Odor and skin breakdown may occur. Bowel and bladder care may be more difficult.
- Mobility: Spasticity in the leg muscles can interfere with mobility, seating, and transfers, such as from bed to wheelchair or from sitting to standing.
- Comfort: Spasticity may make it difficult to sit comfortably, or to change positions frequently enough to prevent joint pain and pressure sores. Spasticity in the feet can prevent comfortable fitting of shoes. Severe spasticity may cause painful joint misalignments.
- Direct drug treatments for spasticity
- Benzodiazepines - Diazepam (Valium) and Clonazepam (Klonopin and Rivotril)
- These work by relaxing the central nervous system (CNS) and reduce muscle overactivity and painful spasms. They are physically addictive drugs with a number of side-effects including drowsiness and muscle weakness.
- Baclofen (Lioresal)
- As with benzodiazepines, this works on the CNS and decreases spasms, muscle tone and improves posture. It can be pumped into the CNS via a Baclofen Pump. Baclofen has a number of side-effects including muscle weakness, drowsiness, fatigue and nausea. Baclofen can interact dangerously with alcohol and other drugs. It can also cause seizures and hallucinations if stopped suddenly.
- Dantrolene sodium (Dantrium)
- Dantrolene works directly on the muscular chemistry and increases passive movement, decreases muscle tone, reduces muscle spasms, tightness and pain.
- Tizanidine (Zanaflex)
- Tizanidine works on the CNS and relaxes muscles though is less likely to cause muscle weakness than other spasticity treatments.
Side effects of Muscle Relaxants
The most common side effects of Muscle Relaxants are vision changes, such as double vision or blurred vision; dizziness; lightheadedness; drowsiness; and dry mouth. These problems usually go away as the body adjusts to the drug and do not require medical treatment. If dry mouth is bothersome, suck on sugarless hard candy or ice chips, chew sugarless gum, or use saliva substitutes, which come in liquid and tablet forms.
Less common side effects of Muscle Relaxants, such as stomach cramps or pain, nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, hiccups, clumsiness or unsteadiness, confusion, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, flushed or red face, headache, heartburn, weakness, trembling, and sleep problems, also may occur and do not need medical attention unless they do not go away or they interfere with normal activities.
Methocarbamol and chlorzoxazone may cause harmless color changes in urine --orange or reddish-purple with chlorzoxazone and purple, brown, or green with methocarbamol. The urine will return to its normal color when the patient stops taking the medicine.
More serious side effects are not common, but may occur. If any of the following side effects occur, check with the physician who prescribed the medicine as soon as possible:
- Breathing problems
- Swelling of the face
- Fainting
- Unusually fast or unusually slow heartbeat
- Fever
- Tightness in the chest
- Rash, itching, hives, or redness
- Burning, stinging, red, or bloodshot eyes
- Stuffy nose
- Unusual thoughts or dreams.
Dantroloene has a number of side-effects including drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea and skin photosensitivity. It can also damage the liver in a minority of people.
Side effects of Zanaflex include drowsiness and occasionally low blood pressure, dry mouth, dizziness, and hallucinations. As with Dantrolene it can cause liver damage in a minority of users.
Additional, rare side effects may occur with any muscle relaxants. Anyone who has unusual symptoms after taking these drugs should get in touch with his or her physician.
|| Top ||
III. Useful links
Government http://www.cdc.gov/
http://www.fda.gov/
http://www.fda.gov/cder/ogd/
http://www.nih.gov/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/
National Library of Medicine
World Health Organization
Health Sites
http://www.mayoclinic.com/index.cfm
MedicineNet.com
Drugdigest.org
Healthsquare.com
About.com Health section
Pharmacy sites http://www.acorda.com/about_profile.asp
http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/spasticity.html
http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1509
http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1516
http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1504
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~urdesai/atc.htm#Process%20of%20clotting
|| Top ||
|
