Hey
@Dextro .45 you've absolutely done nothing wrong. I value your opinion. I just want to share mine on the subject of your post above. I think it's best to start as low as possible regarding the medications. I have no doubt that this would feel great for someone in withdrawal. It's just a lot of stuff to throw out right from the start. We don't know if this guy will need two different Benzodiazepines and Pregabalin (Lyrica) on top of everything else. It's totally possible he might, but we should always try to start with less and work our way up. That's just my stance.
We're so much less in control of this shit than we tend to believe. Every time a person takes an addictive drug, it's opening that door a little bit and allowing the potential for chronic addiction/dependence. I'm not sure how many people have ended up Benzodiazepine addicts as a result of using them for Opioid withdrawal, but I damn sure know they're out there somewhere. I know plenty of former Opioid users who became lifelong, problem-users of Gabapentinoids. It's actually an incredibly common phenomenon, the latter statement I mean.
I definitely haven't turned into an anti-drug Nazi. I just want people to approach these situations with as much knowledge as possible. It's very easy to make wrong turns. I know a lot of people reading this right now can look back on their lives and remember those 2-3 major wrong turns that left them in places they never wanted to be. These drugs can be used both for fun and for medicine, but they need to be respected. We're playing scientist with the chemistry of our own brains, which from a philosophical standpoint means we are all fucking with our own reality when we use drugs (no I'm not on acid right now).
Clonidine (Catapres) can be taken with
Gabapentin (Neurontin) without issue. There are no specific contraindications between these two drugs. Both are capable of producing sedation/drowsiness, so you definitely should not drive or operate machinery until you're positive you know what these drugs are about. If you're using responsible dosages, the sedation shouldn't be anything too crazy. Most people will be put out pretty quickly by 0.2mg Clonidine, though withdrawal leads to an innate tolerance to the sedating effects of the Clonidine. People generally will take as much Clonidine as is needed to counteract their withdrawal.
The major indication that you've taken too much Clonidine is going to be severe sedation and
Orthostatic Hypotension> which typically manifests as feeling very light headed upon getting up from sitting or lying. This just means you need to not take any more Clonidine for 6-8 hours. The idea is that you will get to a relaxed state or otherwise be able to sleep.
