Yeh I agree, clonidine is a very underrated compound.
Orphenadrine citrate is a skeletal muscle relaxant but not a particularly strong one, I haven't tried the medication you mentioned, flexeril is cyclobenzaprine if I remember correctly.
I only take orphenadrine when needed and I generally find a dose of 70mg orally to be helpful for anxiety, as well as analgesia and helps with sleep also.
It is probably worth a try, and as you pointed out, it is prescribed by most Dr's far more freely than benzos.
Similar to Clonidine, Zanaflex operates on and with the alpha2 receptors in the bottom of the brain stem down the spinal cord. both of these drugs work similar and Clonidine stronger. Clonidine is 40x times greater than Xylazine.
Zanaflex (Tizanidine) -- Alpha-2 adrenergic receptor
The
alpha-2 (
α2)
adrenergic receptor (or adrenoceptor) is a
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) associated with the
Gi heterotrimeric G-protein. It consists of three highly homologous subtypes, including
α2A-,
α2B-, and
α2C-adrenergic. Some species other than humans express a fourth α2D-adrenergic receptor as well. Alpha-2_adrenergic_receptor.
Catecholamines like
norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and
epinephrine (adrenaline) signal through the α2-adrenergic receptor in the
central and
peripheral nervous systems.
The α2-adrenergic receptor is classically located on vascular prejunctional terminals where it inhibits the release of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) in a form of negative feedback. It is also located on the
vascular smooth muscle cells of certain blood vessels, such as those found in skin arterioles or on veins, where it sits alongside the more plentiful α1-adrenergic receptor, The α2-adrenergic receptor binds both norepinephrine released by
sympathetic postganglionic fibers and epinephrine (adrenaline) released by the
adrenal medulla, binding norepinephrine with slightly higher affinity.. It has several general functions in common with the
α1-adrenergic receptor, but also has specific effects of its own.
Agonists (activators) of the α2-adrenergic receptor are frequently used in
anaesthesia where they affect
sedation, muscle relaxation and
analgesia through effects on the
central nervous system (CNS).
In the brain, α2-adrenergic receptors can be localized either pre- or post-synaptically, and the majority of receptors appear to be post-synaptic.v For example, the
α2A adrenergic receptor subtype is post-synaptic in the
prefrontal cortex and these receptors strengthen cognitive and executive functions by inhibiting cAMP opening of potassium channels, thus enhancing prefrontal connections and neuronal firing.vThe α2A-adrenergic agonist,
guanfacine, is now used to treat prefrontal cortical cognitive disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Cyclobenzaprine is a
centrally acting muscle relaxant with a
chemical structure that is very similar to those of
tricyclic antidepressants like
amitriptyline and
imipramine.
Its known actions include
serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibition,
serotonin 5-HT2A,
5-HT2B,
5-HT2C,
5-HT6, and
5-HT7 receptor antagonism,
α1- and
α2-adrenergic receptor antagonism,
histamine H1 receptor noncompetitive antagonism, and
muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonism. In terms of its
antimuscarinic activity, it is said to be an antagonist of the muscarinic acetylcholine
M1,
M2, and
M3 receptors, but not of the muscarinic acetylcholine
M4 or
M5 receptor.
I hope I gave enough information that can help a report