Tizanidine--initial pharmacokinetic studies in patients with spasticity

The time-course of plasma concentrations of the antispasticity agent tizanidine were measured by a specific radioimmune-assay in six adults who had severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. The drug was given as a single oral 4 mg dose to each subject. The drug had a mean absorption half-life of 0.30 +/- 0.155 h following a mean lagtime of 0.361 +/- 0.118 h, and a mean terminal elimination half-life of 4.16 +/- 2.06 h. Only 2.65 +/- 0.82% of the dose was excreted unchanged in urine in 2 h. Calculated values of clearance and apparent volume of distribution were almost certainly overestimates as it seems probable that the orally-administered drug undergoes significant presystemic elimination (its bioavailability was not determined in the investigation here reported). Relief of spasticity, from the dosage used, was relatively slight and appeared greatest at the time of peak plasma levels of the drug.