Clonidine

[TrayCee]

PLEASE ....EVERYONE....BE CAREFUL... Even tho clonidine is probably one of the greatest detox meds available, you shouldnt self medicate with it (if possible).
To clarify, clonodine IS a GREAT detox drug, but I cant emphasize enough to you all...try not to take this into your own hands without medical consultation.

Clonodine is a blood pressure medication that helps immensely with leg cramps and those hot/cold flashes, it will also help with the anxiety and some other w/d symptoms like insomnia. Just make sure you watch your blood pressure is all I'm asking.

Be safe.

You will only need it during the acute w/d phase....the first 2-4 days in most cases.
Also, if you get 0.1 mg tablets, I would recommend that you only take 1/2 at a time. That way, if it should lower your blood pressure too much then you are safer with less in your system. Listen to your body and use it sparingly, you may not need to take it more than once a day.

If you can't get a blood pressure cuff to use at home then you'll probably have to go to one of the drug stores that has a self-serve blood pressure machine. I know we have many of them in this area, but they may not be available everywhere.

It IS a pain to have to anything extra while detoxing but it IS important to know what your normal blood pressure is so please take the time to check it. Of course, during active opiate use, your blood pressure will read lower than it normally would.

I have used it at home for detox at .05 mgs at a time with good results.
.1 Mgs was too much for me at 5'6" x 115 pounds so use your common sense if a doctor is not available.

Be safe!

[Penelope14]

I,ll keep that in mind, I have a script waiting at Kaiser to pick up, but the problem is I already have low blood pressure, but high anxiety! If I did take it, I will make sure I only do take .05, as I am 5'2 110 pounds. Penelope

[avisg]

PLZ take meds precribed by your doctor ,if you have any negative side  effects  LET HIM KNOW RIGHT AWAY. I have heard of some people who had lower blood pressure having black outs from colidine . Very scary ...... that is why I did not use it my blood pressure is low most of the time.

[Army220]

Clonidine worked great for me.  Doc gave me .1mgs about 3 weeks worth.  taken twice a day.  No side effects for me being that I am 6'3" 225lbs.  It takes alittle more for us Big Boys.

Army

[TrayCee]

Thank you MedHelp!

[wait2long]

my BP is always on the low side also..but when your in WD's it does not stay low, thus purpose of clonidine, used often for WD's but only a caring doctor will give it, most would rather see you suffer....i took .1 mg of clonidine 3 times daily...worked tremendously well...if taking clonidine will help get you off your d.o.c.,...take it as your doctor has prescribed it...regardless of what you think MIGHT happen...it does help more than i can describe, i think it is a miracle drug for wd's. i took it for 10 days, then tapered for 3, it is not addictive, but you have to taper to avoid rebound high BP...nothing physical felt.
especially with the length of time you MIGHT be looking at for withdrawals...

[usarmymedic1]

actually at the detox center I go to it was given to me for 3 weeks the dr. said that is the length of time it was benifical to me after that it was not need. I don't remember but I don't think there was a scored line on mine that means it should not be done in halve becouse the med is not set to do that meaning there is .1 mg in the pill but not .05mg on each side.

[FLaddict]

I was instructed by my doctor to take half of a .1 pill due to my petite size its not uncommon for a doc to suggest that.

[usarmymedic1]

i guess my bp was spiking also around the 160-170 range with a diastolic over 100 so that is why maybe i was on 1 tab 3 times daily and he left me on it for longer cause he did not want a rebound effect from the meds

[f1swede]

Landed me in the ER from going off Fentanyl patches. It started with that i had problem with coordination. When i was led in to ER my blood pressure was down to 62 over 60. Not knowing about bloodpressur values they admitted me and gave me IV fluid. So to me it was very scary. F1 swede

[123456m]

Please be careful on this site when your speaking about dosage. You never took 1mg of Chondline if you did you probably be dead you took 1mcg a very big difference. Also bad info if you cut the pill in half and its 1mcg you will get half of that.
Peace

[bkwrm679]

I know this is sort of an old post, but I see some new activity and it's a common topic for opiate withdrawals so I wanted to add one thing. Somebody mentioned fainting or blacking out or something. Basically since this medication is lowering your blood pressure, it can cause orthostatic hypotension -  if you stand up too quickly, you don't get enough blood to your head and you can get dizzy or even pass out. You can mitigate this by moving slowly from a lying to a sitting position, then a sitting to a leaning position (stand and hold on to something) and then move on to standing, walking, whatever. I was on .1mg 3 times a day and I definitely would have passed out if I had jumped out of bed. I was reading up on rebound hypertension (because I'm nervous like that) and I read that it mostly occurs when people use it for long periods of time and at high dosages and didn't taper off.