Clonidine?

[mindlink]

WIkipedia says clonidine is good for reducing sweats and general "unease", but the patient must withdraw carefully from it too, in order to avoid rebound hypertension.  Has anyone had experience with this?  Did you experience the rebound hypertension after using clonidine?  I'm considering asking my doctor for this drug because I'm still experiencing w/d symptoms after 2 weeks w/d.  I've not slept for four days, too.  Thanks for your help.

[candothis247]

I’m pretty sure clondine is a high blood pressure medication to reduce hypertension. It sounds like some side effects of taking clonidine may be helpful with w/d's.  I haven’t tried it for that, yet, however, I took it once to reduce my BP and I accidentally took too much and I was literally walking sideways, my BP got dangerously low....(if that happens, drink lots of H2o),  so, IMO, I would be very careful with it and take a very low dose. It’s nothing to mess around with….  

[Jade59]

I was taking Clonidine pills (2mgs 2xday)for w/d from smoking.  I began taking it in March and it works very well for the sweats and makes you feel pretty good, but I started to wonder as time went on why I couldn't sleep, and I mean At All, and why I was a nervous wreck!   My doc said I could use it "as needed" so I was using it erratically.  I finally looked up the side effects and everything I listed above were side effects of Clonidine.  I stopped it immediately, which you should never do, but I couldn't stand the anxiety and insomnia anymore.  

Well, I am just now feeling a little better after stopping this med on May2.  Horrible night sweats, terrible nightmares, high anxiety...I mean, it's been awful!  I am grateful for your post because I see what I'm going through is "rebound hypertension".

I would imagine if one weens off this drug instead of just stopping, it may not produce  those rebound effects.  I was given the Catapres Patch for opiate w/d in the early 90's and it worked really well.  Catapres/Clonidine is the same thing.  I don't remember having any rebound effects back then and certainly Nothing like I've experienced this time.

Best of luck to you!

[mindlink]

Thank you both for your inciteful comments.  They were just what I needed to decide not to ask my Dr. for this drug.  But I'm still left with these dreadful W/D symptoms more than two weeks after stopping Oxy entirely.  The sweats don't bother me as much as the insomnia ... now more than 100 hours since I last slept or napped.  I even took three whole Gravol and three Nytol last night, to no avail.  I've done all the warm milk and moderate exercise stuff.  Any suggestions?

[Ella789]

I used Clonidine during detox and was glad I had it!  As long as you don't have blood pressure issues, then I think it will not harm anyone.  Clonidine helps stabelize the bp and it really was a godsend for me!  I only had 12 of them and so I wasn't on them very long.  I didn't have to tapper off either.  I also took cymbalta and remeron for sleep, now I take 2 cymbalta a day and the remeron at night.  I hope you find some rest soon, I know it is hard when a person isn't getting the rest they need!
Ella

[Jade59]

No, Clonidine won't help you sleep, uh huh!  Have you tried Valerian Root or Melatonin?  You may want to check out the Health Pages which you will find up top on the right.  Look on the second page under "Shopping List for Detox," I think it was.  There are also other suggestions to help with sleep, I just listed these two.  

Hope you sleep soon.  Insomnia can make you feel like you're losing your mind for sure!

[mindlink]

Ahhhh, yes, I'm about ready for the looney bin! LOL I finally got to sleep at 4 a.m. last night and slept until the dog woke me at 8:45.  Not bad for two Nytol, two dramamine and a melatonin (what a cocktail!).  Of course, I'm foggy and disoriented when I wake up, but that dissipates through the day and I end up being too wakeful & skittish.  What I can't understand is that all this OTC medication would have put me under for days (before the w/d), yet now that I am off everything nasty, I can't relax???

I read something on the health pages (think it was about PAWS) which said this can go on for months ... gosh!  I have a job which I haven't been to for three weeks!  The company's starting to think I'll never be back and I'm just faking illness, yet I can't go back feeling as loopy as I do without sleep and sweating like a hog.  It's so frustrating.

[bobKidneyStone]

Hi hon. Talk to your Dr. There are good anxiety sleep aids out there. My Dr put me on Klonopin for 2 weeks. Talk to the Dr about the Clonidine. He had me on that too, but he has to check out your blood pressure. And it DID help with sleeep. Read my recent post on how I'm beating a heavy Diluadid (hydromorphone) use: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Addiction-Substance-Abuse/To-people-Quitting-Diluadid-or-any-hardcore-Opiate/show/951302

If you are in week two, you should be exercising if you can. That and Hot Epson salt baths with the Klonopin will get you sleep. If no Klonopin from your DR: Melatonin, try 3mg but it will prollly take 6 to 9, and Doxylamine Succinate an hour before you plan on sleep.

Good luck

[mindlink]

Bob, your descriptions of the w/d effects in your post were so real!  Especially the burning skin ... oh, that's just horrendous!  I got a better sleep last night after 1 Dramamine and 2 Simplex (a sleep-aid combo with valerian & paciflora), but it still didn't come until 2 a.m.  Hopefully, over the weekend it will get better yet, so I can function at work on Monday.  Thanks to all of you!

[mindlink]

Just to let you all know:  I had my blood pressure taken at the doctor's today and it read 85/55.  That's why I've been feeling so weak after a month of w/d.  The Dr said that if he gave me Clonidine, I'd die, because my blood pressure was so low.  He advised me to increase my salt intake and drink lots and lots of fluids, as well as drink about 1 litre of Pedialite a day.  Hope this helps anyone out there who may be thinking of taking Clonidine to help with sweats or sleep.  

As to the treatment of sweats and sleep deprivation, he prescribed a natural medicine used for relieving symptoms of menopause.  Why didn't I think of that?!! Duh!