Tizanidine

Category: pharmacological

Aliases: Zanaflex

Pharmacological Mechanism

Centrally-acting α2-adrenergic agonist — reduces presynaptic excitatory neurotransmitter release in spinal cord interneurons → less muscle tone. Used for spasticity. CYP1A2 substrate — ciprofloxacin / fluvoxamine + tizanidine = severe hypotension (boxed warning).

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 2.5h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 8 mg (Range: 2–36 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• nervous
• digestive

Pathways It Modulates

• Skeletal muscle relaxants (activator) — α2-adrenergic (central)

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 5487
• Formula: C9H8ClN5S
• Molecular weight: 253.71 g/mol
• InChIKey: XFYDIVBRZNQMJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES: C1CN=C(N1)NC2=C(C=CC3=NSN=C32)Cl

References

• PMID 17062304
• PMID 36101495