Hi:
Has anyone taken or had any experiences with Zanaflex for sleeping. I was given a sample of this to try, but have found very little on it. I note it was only approved by the FDA last summer. On the side affects, it mentions that the studies haven't been done long enough so many are unknown. Hmmmmmm....makes me concerned to take this. TX dawn2

Zanaflex is great for pain in my opinion. However, when I take it during the day, it puts me to sleep. When I take it at night, it keeps me awake even when coupled with ambian. How's that for strange. I take it as needed. My family knows that when I have a 3 zanaflex day, they should probably leave me alone, I'm having a rotten day. Give it a try!

HI

I have been taking Zanaflex for about 6 months. It, along with Ambien, is the reason I am now able to sleep at night. I take 4mg every night. There is very little information out there. I do know that it is a muscle relaxer used primarily in Multiple Sclerosis. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.

Thanks for your replies. I did notice one of the contraindications said that it may have the opposite affect - keeping you awake. Elavil does that to me. Did you find any other side affects like that hangover feeling the next day? So, it's something you can take now and then - not all the time. Only as needed? I had a PA yesterday and she was in such a rush and explained nothing. I don't mind seeing a PA, but when I made the appt I asked to see the doc for injections and then I show up and am told I'm only being seen by the PA. That means I have to go back for injections. So each time it's extra gas and extra copays. Not too keen on this. I wouldn't mind if I was told ahead of time. It seems like more and more docs are using their PA's (nothing against PA's) but I hadn't seen the doc in a year! Thanks again. Dawn

Zanaflex has been a godsend to me. It helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. Of course, my hubby thinks I don't fall asleep as much as I just pass out. LOL OH well I am sleeping. I take 8mg every night and really no druggy feeling in the morning.

My dr wants me to take it during the day also but it just makes me to tired. Hope this helps, angie

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Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Thanks All! dawn

I have taken Zanaflex, it makes me tired. It did help me sleep. I don't know how much it helped with the pain, tho. For me Ibuprofen works about the same.

I took it for a while and while it helped me relax, the pain was still there in the morning and I still woke up numerous times throughout the night. Maybe I just wasn't taking enough. I was only taking 2mg a night. Good luck with it.

If you try taking a half or less of Zanaflex a few times during the day, it will not make you as sleepy. I have been a Flexaril girl for years until last month.
Zanaflex is a real breakthrough pain management drug in collaberatin with oxycontin 20mg 2x day for me.
As far as sleep, I take a half with my Ambien 10mg.
I get a full 8 hours.
Another wonder drug for FM is Ambien for sleep. I live in Canada and we do not have it here yet.
I seek my pain management in Minnesota due to a doctor shortage here and the inability for doctors to believe that we have FM here in Ontario.
Since I have been on Ambien, I have slept like before I had babies!!!LOL.
I can still wake up tp pee or if my kids have a bad dream and fall back asleep easily in the middle of the night.
Try both if you can.

Zanaflex aka Tizanidine is a muscle relaxer. It is often prescribed for sleep. 2 - 8 mg seems to be a normal dosage based on your response to it. At first, I was only able to take 1/2 of the 2 mg tablet and as I respond, it gets increased. However, it does "knock you out". But sleep does happen. I notice that there is a hangover feeling in the a.m. if it is taken to late at night. It should be taken 2 hours before you plan to go to bed. Good Luck.

Try asking for ProSom-1mg. for sleep. Doesn't have residual effects. I would think a sleeping pill is what you are asking for. Zanaflex takes getting used to and you need periodic blood work[liver monitor] while on it. Zanaflex and myself never made friends, some days you need one amount, another day different, some days makes you very sleepy. Just don't like the feeling of being tired. Different for each of us. I have fatigue as it is..

Hi,
I take Zanaflex as needed for sleep. I find it puts me to sleep no problem but does not last all night.

I have been on Zanaflex for 3 years, my previous doctor (and I use that term loosely), suggested it for me because I had such bad FMS and degenerative disc disease.

Zanaflex fails to tell anyone how addicting it is. I went off it cold turkey over a year ago because I hated the fact that this drug was running my life. If I went past the time to take it I started to feel very ill. So I stopped. It almost killed me, I was vomiting for 10 days, could not even swallow my own saliva. My lips and mouth were burnt from the bile. I lost 15 pounds in that time. I did not sleep at ALL for roughly 5 days. Then it started coming slowly, few minutes at a time.

It is the ONLY thing that worked so well on my muscles, but boy do you pay the price!!!

Please, never stop anything cold turkey. One must taper off gradually, reducing the dosage a bit at a time as the body adjusts to the absence. You can get so sick like the above post and even life threatening. I didn't know zanaflex was addicting [from above post].
I do not like zanaflex and the icky feeling I have on even a very low dose,4mgs. It doesn't agree. Soma is what I take, but I would never stop abruptly w/out tapering off, either.