Zanaflex Capsules® are a short-acting drug for the management of spasticity. Zanaflex Capsules® have a short-term effect on the body. Your doctor may instruct you to take Zanaflex Capsules® just before you perform activities that are made more difficult by spasticity.
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about the right way to take Zanaflex Capsules® or about how this medicine makes you feel.
How Does It Work?
Zanaflex Capsules® works in the brain and spinal cord to change the messages being sent to the muscles and thereby reduce spasticity. In clinical studies in multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI), people taking Zanaflex Capsules® had fewer muscle spasms than the people who were taking a placebo (sugar pill). Zanaflex Capsules® can reduce the increased muscle tone that is causing your spasticity without affecting your muscle strength. Also, Zanaflex Capsules® is non-narcotic.
How to Take Zanaflex Capsules®
Zanaflex Capsules® are available in three different strengths–2 mg,
4 mg and 6 mg capsules.
The 6 mg capsule dose is not available in the tablet form of Zanaflex® (tizanidine hydrochloride) or generic tizanidine. If you have problems swallowing, the capsules may be easier to swallow than the tablet.
Important Differences Between Zanaflex Capsules & Tablets
Zanaflex Capsules® are different from Zanaflex tablets and generic tizanidine tablets, two other therapies for the treatment of spasticity. Zanaflex Capsules® are in capsule form, making them easier to swallow than tablets for many patients.
In addition, Zanaflex Capsules® are available in 2 mg, 4 mg and 6 mg capsules. The 6 mg dose is only available in capsule form. As a result, Zanaflex Capsules® may allow patients to take fewer pills.
Different forms of Zanaflex affect a person’s blood levels in different ways when taken with food. If you switch between taking the capsules form to the tablet form, this may affect the way the drug works and increase the risk of having side effects. It is important to know about these differences while taking this medicine. Please talk with your doctor before allowing a switch in your prescription from Zanaflex Capsules® to a tablet form of Zanaflex or a generic since these medicines are not the same.