Clonidine- how has this helped manage your withdrawal symptoms?

[chelle216]

Wondering what benefits Clonidine offers in terms of opiate withdrawal aside from just decreasing blood pressure. Does it help you stop sweating, sneezing, ect?
Despite several attempts at rehab throughout 2004-2006 I was always denied this medication because my blood pressure was considered too low every time. The last time I had seen my Dr, my blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels were all very significantly higher than what's the norm, for me at least. I attribute this to the concurrent and likely too fast double taper of suboxone/klonopin that I was doing at the time. I've since stopped the klonopin taper and have stabilized at 1mg, however, it's the suboxone (4yrs ) that's giving me serious problems to the point that I can't seem to find a way out of the extensive withdrawal I'm experiencing at anything lower than 1mg. So, I'm looking for viable options to possibly consider for help in this area, which I will consider presenting to my dr upon my next scheduled appointment.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I find Clonidine to be very helpful for withdrawal, which is probably why it sees so much use clinically for this purpose.

The tightness in the chest area that I associate with anxiety is curbed greatly by the right dose of Clonidine. The hot and cold feelings and temperature insensitivity are also addressed by Clonidine. All in all, I would say it just makes you feel so much less tense. A larger dose in the evening could also be the difference between insomnia and a relatively good night's rest. I think Clonidine is a great option because it's non-addictive, easy to get a prescription for and it's effective.

Don't be expecting a magic bullet. It's just a good adjunct to whatever else you're doing to address your withdrawal symptoms. If you're blood pressure is low, however, you could end up passing out, so that's really something that's important to consider.