tizanidine vs verapamil
Side-by-side comparison of tizanidine and verapamil. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
7.2 Moderate or Weak CYP1A2 Inhibitors Concomitant use of tizanidine with moderate or weak CYP1A2 inhibitors (e.g., zileuton, antiarrhythmics [amiodarone, mexiletine, propafenone, and verapamil], cimetidine, famotidine, oral contraceptives, acyclovir, and ticlopidine) should be avoided.
Recommendation: You should avoid taking these two medications at the same time.
Zanaflex
Calan, Verelan
Tizanidine is a muscle relaxant. It is used to treat spasticity, which is when your muscles are tight or stiff.
Verapamil is a drug that helps to lower blood pressure and treat chest pain (angina) and irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). It works by relaxing blood vessels and slowing down the heart rate.
Tizanidine is used to treat spasticity in adults. Spasticity is a condition where your muscles become stiff or tight. This medicine helps to relax your muscles and reduce the stiffness. It can help you move and feel more comfortable.
Verapamil is used to treat chest pain called angina. This includes angina that happens when you are resting or during normal activity. It is also used to control your heart rate if you have a fast or irregular heartbeat, such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. Verapamil also treats high blood pressure.
Tizanidine works by affecting certain chemicals in your brain. It is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. This action helps to reduce muscle spasms and tightness.
Verapamil belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers. It works by blocking calcium from entering heart and blood vessel cells. This relaxes and widens blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure and makes it easier for the heart to pump.
- • Dry mouth
- • Sleepiness
- • Weakness
- • Dizziness
- • Constipation
- • Shortness of breath
- • Dizziness
- • Slow heart rate (less than 50 beats per minute)
- • Nausea
- Tiredness 1,693
- Aches 1,615
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,530
- Falling down 1,318
- Head pain 1,289
- Shortness of breath 356
- Feeling sick to your stomach 341
- Interaction with another medicine 316
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 286
- Low blood pressure 280
Tizanidine can cause low blood pressure, liver problems, and hallucinations. It can also make you very sleepy, especially if you drink alcohol or take other medicines that cause sleepiness. Your doctor should check your liver function before you start taking tizanidine and one month after you reach your highest dose. Do not stop taking tizanidine suddenly, as this can cause withdrawal symptoms.
You should not take this medicine if you have severe heart problems, very low blood pressure, or certain types of irregular heartbeats without a pacemaker. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these conditions.
Tizanidine may harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if tizanidine passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. It is not known if verapamil will harm your unborn baby. Verapamil can pass into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take this medicine.
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How to Read This tizanidine vs verapamil Comparison
tizanidine is classified in the Central Alpha-2 Agonist (Muscle Relaxant) drug class, while verapamil sits within the Calcium Channel Blocker class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, tizanidine has 7,445 submissions while verapamil has 1,579. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to verapamil slows down the liver process that clears tizanidine from your body, which can lead to higher drug levels.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between tizanidine and verapamil - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.