Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking tizanidine as follows:
- Tizanidine only helps with relieving muscle spasms, by inhibiting the conduction of nerve impulses from the spinal cord to the skeletal muscles. Tizanidine only temporarily relieves the spasms but does not fix the actual condition causing the muscle spasms and so, is not a permanent cure. Continue taking tizanidine as ordered, even if you experience relief from muscle pain and spasms, until your physician orders for the discontinuation on the medication.
- Individuals on sudden withdrawal from tizanidine, especially after prolonged use or use in high doses, can present with unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, such as, hypertension, tachycardia, exacerbation of anxiety, agitation, sleep disturbances, mania, bad muscle spasms, and seizures. Discontinuation on tizanidine use must be slow and gradual, using tapering doses, and only on your physician recommendation.
- Your physician could change the dose of tizanidine, based on the response you show, relief obtained, and side-effects presented with. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
- Notify your doctor of any unresolving muscle spasms, progressively worsening muscle pain and discomfort, compromised range of motion in the involved muscle groups, and any continuing or worsening unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
