i suppose this is especially for rosie, who i have gotten the impression had a favorable experience with clonidine.
rosie, when you stopped taking clonidine, did you experience withdrawal? severe anxiety/panic? did you have anxiety or panic attacks prior to taking it? did it help?
these questions are for anyone who has/or is taking clonidine.
i am a bit nervous about taking another drug after my effexor incident, especially b/c i read that clonidine, in some people, can cause extremely high blood pressure and anxiety.
lastly, it can be mixed with a beta blocker, right? will this reduce blood pressure a great deal? will it make me more likely that i will feel like a zombie?

sorry, one more question that i think you might be able to answer.
so, an snri is an anti-depressant because it increases serotonin and norepinephrine levels. does that mean that it is possible that a drug that blocks norepinephrine can cause depression?

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rosie, when you stopped taking clonidine, did you experience withdrawal? severe anxiety/panic?

No, nothing, but remember I had started using my CPAP before I stopped, and I did taper.

quote:

did you have anxiety or panic attacks prior to taking it? did it help?

Anxiety and yes, it helped.

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lastly, it can be mixed with a beta blocker, right?

I have no idea on this one. I was not on a BB, so that question never came up.

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does that mean that it is possible that a drug that blocks norepinephrine can cause depression?

I suppose that is possible, but since I believe that many of my symptoms were caused by NE, then I think reducing the NE level, as Clonidine does, is what helped.

I'd also like to chime in and ask if Clonodine would be beneficial for those of us whose 24 urine test came back normal, yet still struggle with sudden strange adrenaline rushes and high BP.

Gillian

Well, Gillian, I have to say that I started taking Clonidine before I had my Catecholamines tested. Maybe my Doc knew my levels would be high just by looking at me????? I don't know. And I honestly don't know the answer to you question...but Clonidine is a medication used for high BP, and it does decrease sympathetic traffic.

gillian - i think i'm going to give it a try. my NE levels were normal too, but i'm quite sure, along with my cardio, that i'm having major NE issues. did you read rosie's info on NET deficiency?
clonidine is primarily used to reduce hypertension.
if your adrenaline surges are caused by NE, as i suspect mine are, then clonidine would probably help.

My experience with clonidine.
I have high noradrenaline levels on my labs.
So the doc ordered the clonidine supression test to see if I had an adrenal tumor. There you get a BIG dose--and they do blood work to see how your body responds. I didn't have the tumor.

BUT! For a while before the drug knocked me out (as it's supposed to do for this test) and for awhile as it was wearing off--I FELT NORMAL!

WOW!

I was completely jazzed!!!!

So called my doc and asked for an Rx of this--instead of the lopressor (metaproprolol) he'd prescribed! (just a smaller "normal" dose)

I took it, and again in about 30 minutes I FELT NORMAL! It lasted an hour. Then I literally passed out--sleeping--but couldn't be roused--for 3 hours.

Then I woke up--and for another hour I felt NORMAL!!

Then it wore off and the surge was WA-AAAAAY worse! And the next dose wasn't due for 7 MORE HOURS! yikes!

So, OK, I tell my self I just need to catch on on all the sleep I've NOT gotten in two years. I just need to get it stablized in my blood stream. I keep taking it as prescribed for a week.

The week from HelL!

As the week worn on the "good" periods shortened--the bad ones got worse--I kept getting knocked out by it for at least 3 hours--kept getting more and more WIRED between doses.

In the end I gradually slacked off the stuff over another week. I haven't touched it since--tho I might try it again one day at a lower and more frequent dose.

Please to NOT read this to mean I'm saying do not try this. Those few hours I got where I felt normal were--for me--a gift from God. And the ONLY time I've felt normal in 2 years now. So it "might" work for someone--or at some dose level I didn't find.

But, when it didn't work out in the long run, it was also a HUGE dissapointment for me that I was not prepared for.

I write this ONLY so you will be prepared.

And to say I REALLY hope it works for you!!!

If not, maybe you'll at least get those few hours of 'normal" to look back on to know it IS possible.

I use clonidine in very small doses every 2 1/2 hours. I have Neurocardiogenic Syncope and long term diabetes so I'm different from most people here. I have supine hypertension with low blood pressure if I stand to long. The clonidine helps. I use more clonidine at night to cover the supine hypertension. It helps some with anxiety but not totally. And I have found mestinon helpful. I also use very small dose of florinef.

Always remember with anything you try - use very small doses to see how your body responds.

Thanks for your posting!!!

You've given me hope--and another thing to try that might help!

I'm totally off meds now in 24 hours for a tilt table test--but after that I think I'm going to try a VERY small dose and just repeat it as it wears off.

This may just be the answer for me.

But no one ever said it could be used this way--in fact I lost my Endo doc for "not taking my meds properly" since I was ALWAYS having to adjust doses downwards due to strange side effects.

But I DO have a re-fill on this and I'm going to give it another shot! If it works my GP will give me a re-fill--it's not like it's a narcotic or something--and my dose will probably end up being so small they'll not be worried about my taking it--'cause no one but you guys will believe it's doing anything anyway. <chuckles>

Thanks HUGE!

Sandy...what dosage were you on before? Clonidine will absolutely knock you on your butt if you take too much, and of course since the Docs don't understand our systems, more often than not, the dosage is too high.

I just went digging in my bedside table--GEESH I could open a drug store with the bottles of meds in there!!

But I found it--Clonidine--probably half the bottle still left--and it's marked 6 refills to boot!

The dosage I was on was 0.1 mg to take twice a day (every 12 hours is what I took this to mean).

I have pruchased a pill cutter--those of you who have this stuff know why.

It IS a scored pill so I CAN cut it. In fact I see a half pill still in there where I did cut it in half as I was slacking off the stuff.

But I'm thinking now--please guys don't laugh at me--that I might try 1/4 a pill? And take it "as needed?"

Willone of you guys who are taking this please tell me what dose you're on. I KNow I should see a doctor--but mine dumped me for not taking meds right--kept calling with odd side effects til I bugged him to death I suppose andhe quit returning calls--and NEVER set follow ups more often than every 3 months to begin with so---I'm cutting pills in half and he got ticked.

Forget that- sorry no sleep will make ya goofy.

I just fumbled thru a drawer filled with sleeping meds--none of which have worked. 3 hours at a stretch is it for me--for 2 years.

Maybe this will help? If you take this and it works please tell me your dosage. There is NO OTHER endo doc anywhere near here to go see until late Sept--and I'd really like to sleep before then.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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But I'm thinking now--please guys don't laugh at me--that I might try 1/4 a pill? And take it "as needed?"

I am not going to laugh. I have taken 1/4 before. Mine were for 0.1 mg, and I was to take 1/2 pill once a day. I think you were taking too much. Be careful if you are mixing it with anything else. Watch your BP.

Thank you Rosie for posting this!!!

I will be VERY careful--I promise--and will probably try this after my tilt table test since I'll be off all meds then and can get a fresh start. I'm thinking to try this before I get back on BBlockers (tho now I'm down to taking 1/4 of it too.)

I will keep my BP monitor on my wrist--I will check it often--and I will be VERY careful.

Again, thanks forgiving me a clue where to start--and for not laughing at me.
<big hugs!!>

My cardiologist said he would have never thought to use clomidine the way I use it. He just started me out with 0.1 mg at bed time to keep the supine hypertension contolled. I eventually upped it to 0.2 mg. It does help me sleep better for at least 5 hours. and my night time blood pressure is normal now.

Then he allowed me to try daytime use. I kept track of every blood pressure and amount of medications and when the drug wore off. I eventually found that 0.05 mg. every 2 1/2 hours works best for my situation.

A word of caution I found different brands of generic clonidine responed differently for me. My doctor now writes non generic on my perscription script so I always gets the same amout of drug action. My body is very sensitive to little changes of meds.

When I first started on clonidine I had to take afternoon naps but now it doesn't seem to cause this problem. I brought two alarm clocks that I can set to remind me when to take the pills. I carry some in my purse so I don't forget any dose when I out shopping.

Good luck - start slowly. That 1/4 dose sounds like a good idea.