Metaxalone vs Tizanidine

Human life is full of challenges; and with challenges comes pain. The same applies in medical condition also, there is always a medicine which is efficient  in their qualities to treat.

What Is Metaxalone?

Metaxalone is used to relax muscles and prescribed for short-term pain like spasms, musculoskeletal pain, and acute pain, menstrual cramps. It is one of the widely used muscle relaxers.

FDA approved Metaxalone in 1962. It comes under the Skeletal Muscle relaxants drug class. Its sedative effects block muscle pain receptors in the brain and thus relax the muscles.

Metaxalone is both available in brand as well as generic. It is a prescribed drug. You can buy Metaxalone online from the certified online pharmacy with a doctor’s prescription before consuming any medications (Cacace, J., Reilly, E.E. and Amann, A., 2004).

Brands of Metaxalone

• Skelaxin is a brand of Metaxalone
• Metaxalone is the generic name of the drug (Cacace, J., Reilly, E.E. and Amann, A., 2004).

How does Metaxalone Works in your Body?

Metaxalone relaxes the muscle pain. The mechanism of Metaxalone is not properly documented, it is observed that its sedative effects block the pain receptors' impulses from reaching the brain. Thus, the pain is decreased in the human body.

What Is Tizanidine?

FDA approved Tizanidine in 1996. Tizanidine is used as a short-acting muscle relaxer for the pains like acute low pain, drug withdrawal, headache, insomnia, migraine.

Technically speaking, Tizanidine is an Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor that reduces spasticity. It is used as a short-acting muscle pain relaxer.

It comes under a skeletal muscle relaxant. Just as the Metaxalone. It is a prescription-based drug (Wagstaff, A.J. and Bryson, H.M., 1997).

Brand of Tizanidine

• Zanaflex is brand for Tizanidine
• Tizanidine is the generic name (Wagstaff, A.J. and Bryson, H.M., 1997).

How does Tizanidine Work?

Tizanidine reduces spasticity through neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitter causes the firing of neurons that promote muscle spasm. It stops the firing of neurons that causes pain in muscles.

Hence the working of the Tizanidine mechanism depends on the Nervous system and spinal cord of the body. You can order Tizanidine online from a certified online pharmcacy, but always contact your health care before consuming these medicines.

Metaxalone Vs Tizanidine

The drug comes under the same class  (what?), so what is the actual difference between them?

According to the sources, Tizanidine is not the first choice as muscle relaxers due to its short-lasting effects. In the case of Metaxalone, it uses the sedating method to relax the muscles, mainly used to treat short pains that last more. Metaxalone quite works as a CNS depressant than Tizanidine.

Study shows Tizanidine is not a muscle relaxer; it's used in sclerosis and mental-related pains or injuries on the spinal cord. Tizanidine is less fast and takes about 3 hours to activate. The side effects of Metaxalone are low as compared to Tizanidine. The addiction rate is higher in Tizanidine. Hence Metaxalone is effective and fast as compared to Tizanidine (Richards, B.L., Whittle, S.L. and Buchbinder, R., 2012.).

 How should you consume it?

There are age boundaries while taking this drug, plus you should also consult your doctor for references.

Metaxalone comes in tablet form, and Tizanidine comes in Tablet, capsule form. The capsule can be opened up and used with food for some patients.

For Metaxalone: 

• 2-12 years: Must take consultation from doctor
• 13 to 65+ years: 400 mg and 800 mg 3 to 4 times a day.

For Tizanidine:

• 12 years and adult: 2mg 4mg for the tablet form
• 12 years and adult: 2mg 4mg 6mg for the capsule form
• Under 12 years: Not recommended; requires examination of the doctor.

How Should you Prepare Yourselves before taking the Dose?

For Metaxalone:

• Confirm you had an allergy or not
• Consult a doctor when an ongoing medication is in progress
• Have a prescription if you are pregnant
• Avoid driving, traveling
• Don't consume alcohol

For Tizanidine

• Avoid if you are allergic to Tizanidine 
• See a doctor if you are using medic like Cipro, fluvoxamine
• Have a prescription if your vitamins and other supplements are in progress
• Avoid mental alertness activity

Side Effects

For Metaxalone:

• You can feel dryness in the mouth
• Dizziness and sedative feeling
• Your stomach can get upset
• You can feel tiredness and weakness

For Tizanidine:

• You can feel Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Your eyes can become yellow
• Rashes
• Depression
• Nervousness

Conclusion

Metaxalone is a muscle relaxer medicine, and Tizanidine is used to treat sclerosis and spinal cord injury; The mechanism differs based on sedation method and neurotransmitter method.

There are age barriers in drug consumption, and doctor consultation is also mandatory in cases. Overall, as a muscle relaxer, Metaxalone performs better than Tizanidine.