clonidine

My doc prescribed me some 0.3 clonidine tablets ,he said it would get me thru the nasty WD ,he only gave me a script 4 six of them which is three days worth I'm suppose 2 take 1 n the am & anotha in the pm starting 2morrow 4 the next 3 days&he said I shouldn't experience any WD while. I'm on them ,just the mental part. Which ill b following up with aftercare,has or does anybody out there have any knowledge about this clonidine??????

[bmdad]

It does seem to help. I don't know about not experiencing any withdrawal symptoms but they definitely make a difference. Clonodine is actually a blood pressure med that helps during withdrawals because of the elevated heart rate associated with withdrawals. It does seem to help other symptoms also such as hot/cold flashes, insomnia, creepy crawlies, and just overall makes you feel a bit better. Do be careful because since it is a blood pressure medication it can potentially cause some problems. More than likely you will be fine taking them but if you notice you feel faint or dizzy get to the doctor. Your doctor wouldn't have prescribed them if he thought your health was at risk so don't worry. I'm not sure if three days of it will be enough since the worst of withdrawals tends to be day 4. You could always ask for a few more days worth if you feel you need them. They are non addictive so no worries there. I am surprised he started you off at .03mg though. My doctor started me off at .01mg pills but did say I could take up to 3 at a time. I don't want to suggest something different than what you doctor said but I wonder if you could cut them in half and see if it helps before taking the whole .03mgs? Just a thought.

[chronicmistake]

I know you should monitor your blood pressure during because it could drop too low and after your done you could experience rebound effects, meaning low blood pressure issues even though you are not taking them.  Be careful not to think more is better because you will just drop your blood pressure and end up in the ER or worse.  Clonidine is a blood pressure medication but is known to ease WD in very small dosages.  Ok if prescribed by your doctor.  I like patch better because you will not try to take more to make you feel better,  Good luck..

[Dav125]

I'm with bmdad on being a little confused as to the dosing that you have. I too was prescribed the .01's with instructions that I may take "up to three" but only in one daily dose which was at bedtime..Then my doctor specifically warned me that this drug is not to be abused as it does lower one's blood pressure..The implication of taking more than prescribed could be the possibilty of setting yourself up for a stroke due to blood pressure getting too low..So I too am confused as to your dosing as you are being instructed to take the equivelent of me taking my maximum allowed dosing at bedtime,, except your getting it twice a day.

I never took more than one in the evening when I was going thru wd's though.Whether it eases wd's or not I can't really say. My Dr indicated his goal with prescribing it was to help restabilize my sleep over time and was not sometime that was going to "make" me sleep..This was the root of why he warned me about not following his specific instructions to be sure I understood that it was not something like a sleeping pill nor would taking more than prescribed make me sleep.

Thats about all I can tell you about what I know of the drug...

[this_big]

I'm with all above. In every story i have read about Clonidine being used for withdraw, the addict was only prescribed .1mg twice or three times a day.

I was prescribed 15- .1mg Clonidine every 12hrs and 15- .25mg Xanax every 6hrs as needed. It was a tremendous help as far as the anxiety goes. I'd been through withdraws MANY times, and i really feel like these were a huge help in getting me through that first week. I wish i had a few more Xanax, but i made it without.

I agree with bmdad...i'd maybe start off with only a half 1.5mg. Keep in mind these are only to relieve withdraw symptoms. Like the rest of the things. It will only make the symptoms a little more tolerable. Im no DR, but the DR who rx'd me STRONGLY warned me of taking more than prescribed. I was actually given a dose in the ER and monitored. Best of luck..I hope they work as well for you as they did for me.  

[FassFeat]

My Dr. prescribed me Clonidine .1mg (2 per day) It does seem to help.