How well does clonodine work?

[uphill7584]

I am curious as to how well clonodine works for opiate withdrawls. I am coming off 1-2 mgs of suboxone this week. Down from 16mgs where I started. My doctor gave me .1mg clonodine and 1mg klonopin. I have a week off of work and figure I may as well take the final jump.


I am curious about those who have had experiences with clonodine. My dose is .1mg twice daily as needed. What were your doses? And what kind of effect does the medicine actually have? If is for the anxiety or for the physical pain? Any info would be appreicated.

[landbray]

Hi,
I use to take klonipin, I don't know what clonodine is, but I took klonipin 1mg 4 times a day. I was given it after I had taken zanax for 20 yrs and it just wasn't working anymore.
I am now on Suboxine & only take valium for anxtiety.
The klonopin worked for anxiety, but it didn't work as well as the xanax.
I still felt my heart racing , my mind also.
Any benzo's helps with wd's b/c you can zombie out with it. Just need to be real careful. It didn't help with any physical part of wd's, maybe leg cramps but that was about it.
How long were you on suboxine.
I just started 6.24.08. So far I feel  great
good luck to you
paaddict

[lisa650]

I was giving clonodine for withdrawals once will in jail. Clonodine is presribed to people  with high blood pressure. It brings your pressure down and relaxes you. but you shouldn't take more than prescribed because it can make your blood pressure too low.  i also used to take it while in prison sometimes, and it really relaxed me., also once when i was coming off methadone, well i had completed a 21 day detox and they gave me clonodine patches but those didnt seem to work as well as the pills.  I hope this helps.  Please keep posting i would really like to follow your progress because i am also on suboxone and will eventually be coming off and i would like to know what to expect.  

[uphill7584]

Hey Lisa,


I started to feel a little achy this today and a edgy. I took .1mg of clonodine and within 30 minutes I was feeling a lot better. I have to say I kind of wish I would have went the clonodine route right off the bat. I don't want to get ahead of myself and and be let down, but at this point I think the clonodine is going to be wonderful to have for my first 2 weeks being completely substance free!

[lisa650]

I am very pleased to hear that!!   and since that is not an opiate you dont have to worry about getting something else to come off that right?  it's just a vicious cycle sometimes. The only thing is I slept alot when i took those, but then again i was in jail and had nothing else to do, i hope this doesnt interfere with your work schedule will it?  yeah , I took clonopin before and didnt like it. it made really groggy.  Maybe this is just good timing for you, i mean it might not have worked as well before but you are at a low sub dose.  Although when i  took it i was on heroin  a lot of it and it still helped alot.  Who knows if i had been able to get some i might not have gone the suboxone route either, but i believe everything happens for a reason, and if i wasnt on the sub i wouldnot be attending na meeting and going to group therapy, that also has helped tremendously, do you attend or plan on it?

[christos24]

clonidine is generally used as a blood pressure medicine, but it has been found to help a lot with the chills,sweats,and blood pressure spikes you experience during opiate withdrawals. it works in very small doses and helps with the insomnia you have as well. I used it during my hospital detox for my oxy and heroin addiction which was huge. they gave me .1 mgs of clonidine every five hours, .5 mgs of lorazepam every half an hour(def. not enough), ambien 10 mgs for sleep, and an injection i dont remember for the nausea and vomiting I experienced. the clonidine def. helped but it was still terrible. Then after three long and horrid days I saw the suboxone doctor and i was put on 8 mgs a day and then by the end of month one I was on 32 mgs a day. I stayed clean for almsot 9 months and then broke my wrist and started up my addiction up again it sucked. i am now on 60 mgs  a day of methadone and it works much much better for me than sub did.

[christos24]

the klonopin will help as well especially with the anxiety, insomnia, and muscle cramps and spasms youll have. be careful with benzos tho thye are addictivea s well and as you already know you ahve an addictive personaliity and any thing that can be addicting WILL. best of luck coming off of suboxone, its def. tough but you can do it for sure.

[kimmieb]

also, you have to be careful stopping the clonidine....i've just started it....strictly for sleep issues though (although i also have high blood pressure, so my blood pressure can support taking the medicine, whereas some people's can't if they're blood pressure isn't high enough to begin with, so says my doctor)....anyway, you can't just stop clonidine cold turkey either....you have to taper....just something to keep in mind....good luck!!!

[uphill7584]

I am only taking .1mg of clonodine a day? How can I taper that...the doc said .1mg was the lowest dose they have.

[tommm70]

I took clonidine while going through Subutex W/D. It really did help with the chills and aches
. You won't have to worry about tapering at .1mg. That is a very small dose, and you have been on it such a short time.

[lisa650]

Hi there, yeah, you wont have to taper, plus you're probably not going to stay on it for a prolonged period, right?  If i may ask what is your plan?  Did they give enough for what.. a week two? or longer?

[Markey1021]

Clonodine works as long as you take it correctly.  My doctor gave it to me for opiate withdrawls.  It tricks your body into thinking that it is getting the drug.  What I was prescribed was to use the clonodine (I had patches) and slowly stop taking the opiate.  Unfortunately, it didnt work for me because I was not ready to stop taking norco. But it makes you feel better!!!!  I was also given Klonopin to help me sleep at night.  Seems like you got a good mixture.  Stick with it!