Drug & supplement interaction

Procaine + Tizanidine

Tizanidine brand names: Zanaflex, Ontralfy.

Major Interaction
The bottom line Major

Procaine has a major interaction with Tizanidine. Intravenous use of procaine hydrochloride is contraindicated.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Procaine and Tizanidine

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Major

SKELETAL MUSCLE RELAXANTS

Why this applies to Tizanidine

Tizanidine falls under SKELETAL MUSCLE RELAXANTS — the group Procaine interacts with.

Intravenous use of procaine hydrochloride is contraindicated.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: both procaine (a numbing medicine, like the Novocaine kind) and tizanidine can lower your blood pressure and slow down your nervous system. Tizanidine already tends to cause drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, and a drop in blood pressure when you stand up. Pairing it with procaine, especially procaine given by IV, could stack those effects and make you feel faint, very sleepy, or lightheaded.

I'll be honest, this warning is theoretical, based on how the two drugs work rather than lots of real-world reports, and it really centers on intravenous procaine. Tizanidine isn't a prodrug, so this isn't about one activating the other. Still, if you're prescribed tizanidine and any procaine product comes up, mention it to your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Procaine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Procaine has 36 major, 19 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Tizanidine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Procaine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Procaine. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Procaine or Tizanidine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Procaine or Tizanidine, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tizanidine

This page covers Procaine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tizanidine page lists 143 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Arsenic (major), Beer (major) and Cesium (major).

By severity: 11 major · 101 moderate · 31 minor.

Open the Tizanidine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Procaine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 2 real supplement products containing Procaine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Procaine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tizanidine too, on top of Procaine — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Procaine and Tizanidine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Procaine
Steady interest

#1,097 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Tizanidine
Steady interest

#1,745 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Procaine

What is Procaine?

  • Local anesthesia (medical/dental use)
  • Marketed 'anti-aging' supplements
  • General well-being and vitality claims
  • Mood and energy support (unproven)

Procaine is a synthetic local anesthetic (best known by the brand name Novocaine) used by doctors and dentists to numb tissue. It is not a true dietary supplement or herb, and the 'anti-aging' products built around it (such as GH3 or 'Gerovital') have weak evidence and real safety concerns. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using any product containing procaine.

Read the full Procaine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tizanidine

What Is Tizanidine Used For?

Brand names: Zanaflex, Ontralfy

Tizanidine — available as tablets, capsules, and as the oral solution Ontralfy — is used to manage spasticity (abnormal muscle stiffness or spasms). Because it works for a relatively short window of time, it is typically scheduled around the activities when spasm relief matters most.

Ontralfy (oral solution) and Zanaflex capsules are specifically indicated for the treatment of spasticity in adults. Other tizanidine tablets and capsules are indicated for the management of spasticity more broadly.

See full Tizanidine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Procaine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Procaine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

36Major
19Moderate
0Minor
2,774No known interaction
Major

36 interactions

Moderate

19 interactions

No interaction 2,774 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Procaine and Tizanidine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Procaine with Tizanidine?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Procaine and Tizanidine interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Tizanidine and Procaine?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.