Tizanidine was approved for medical use in the United States in 1996.[5] It is available as a generic medication.[3] In 2022, it was the 94th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 6million prescriptions.[7][8]
Side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, nervousness, confusion, hallucinations, strange dreams, depression, vomiting, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, heartburn, increased muscle spasms, back pain, rash, sweating, and a tingling sensation in the arms, legs, hands, and feet.[9]
Symptoms of overdose in 45 cases reported to a poison control center included: lethargy, bradycardia, hypotension, agitation, confusion, vomiting and coma.[10]
Tizanidine is an α2 receptor agonist closely related to clonidine. It has approximately one tenth to one fifteenth of the blood pressure lowering effect of clonidine. The relation between the α2 receptor agonism and the spasmolytic action is still not fully understood.[2]
Tizanidine is available as a tablet or capsule. Capsules may be opened and sprinkled on food. However, this may change the absorption of the medication compared to taking the capsule whole.[16] It has a volume of distribution of 2.4 L/kg following intravenous administration.[1]
Chemistry
Tizanidine is a derivative of 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole and its first published synthesis was reported in a patent.[17] The 5-chloro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4-amine intermediate was a known compound, produced in three steps from 4-chlorophenylenediamine as shown.[18] Treatment with two equivalents of thionyl chloride in pyridine formed the heterocycle, which was nitrated with sodium nitrate in sulfuric acid and reduced using iron and acetic acid.
^ abKatzung BG (30 November 2017). Basic & clinical pharmacology (14th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Education. p. 487. ISBN9781259641152. OCLC1015240036.
^ abBritish national formulary: BNF 76 (76 ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. 2018. p. 1094. ISBN9780857113382.
^ abKamen L, Henney HR, Runyan JD (February 2008). "A practical overview of tizanidine use for spasticity secondary to multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injury". Current Medical Research and Opinion. 24 (2): 425–439. doi:10.1185/030079908X261113. PMID18167175. S2CID73086671.
^ abcBlaxall HS, Murphy TJ, Baker JC, Ray C, Bylund DB (October 1991). "Characterization of the alpha-2C adrenergic receptor subtype in the opossum kidney and in the OK cell line". The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 259 (1): 323–329. PMID1656026.
^ abUS patent 3843668, Neumann P, "Certain 4-substituted amino-2,1,3-benzothiadiozoles", published 1974-10-22, assigned to Sandoz AG
^Pesin VG, Sergeev VA (1969). "Research on 2,1,3-thia- and selenadiazole". Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds. 3 (5): 662–666. doi:10.1007/BF00468340. S2CID98830770.