clonodine/catapres withdrawal

[Stacy zimmerman]

I'm trying to detox off of clonodine but I don't know of anything that can aid in this. I am open to any and all suggestions as I am sick as a dog. Thanks in advance ☺

 

[Blackout2906]

All it takes is a simple taper with clonidine... Let me guess you used up all your pills right ?

 

[Kittycat5]

Yeah tapering is the way to do it. Even if you used up all your pills, your doctor should be aware of the dangers of abrupt discontinuation of clonidine and as it is not a controlled substance, give you a script.

 

[paranoid android]

You have to taper off Clonidine very slowly. Abrupt withdrawal can cause a stroke due to rebound high blood pressure so you need to taper very carefully with this one.

 

[JM357]

I'm actually always pretty careful with my clonidine now- I get prescribed it for anxiety and not for blood pressure. I used to eat them by the handful when sick. Now I always make sure to save some so I can do a couple day taper (and remember I am only using them a few days at a time). I actually didn't get that it had withdrawals (according to med sites especially when taken above or at 0.6 mg a day) and would end up needing like twice as much suboxone (I used to use them for like a day or so before I was getting cash to get all the subs out of my system) and still not feel right. Now I have like 6 left and will take 1 later today (yesterday was real rough and I took 6 and they have a 12 hour half life). 2 the next day. And halves twice a day after that. And I'm only on the 0.1s (90 a month).

I do figure they are the type of med where if you called your doc and said "I lost my bottle" they probably wouldn't question you much (depending on your relationship with your doc). For example I have a sub doc I've seen for 18 months and 9 of my subs dissapeared (I think stolen but not sure and not sure who- could have been lost though) and I called and they called in 10 more to the pharmacy b/c I have a long term relationship with that doc and that has never happened before. Clonidine would be a lot easier. Sucky part was I had to pay out of pocket b/c insurance don't cover that unless there is a police report.

 

[JM357]

And I have always used them short term- can't imagine if you took them EVERYDAY at a decent dose and then stopped. I'd go real slow in that case.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I'm a clonidine veteran, much like a lot of the other opiate fiends on BL. I've been prescribed it off an on for withdrawal management and mild hypertension. Are the two mutually exclusive? Who knows. Anyway, OP, like others have said, the best way to go about this is to taper. Can I inquire as to the current dose that you're withdrawing from?

I've now been taking clonidine for 2 years as it helps with the jitters from my anxiety and my inability to sleep. Sometimes I pop an extra pill at bed time if I can't get to sleep, or I'll take an extra one when I'm hungover to alleviate some of the body load of the experience. I've run out early before several times. Bear in mind that I was taking a total of 0.6mg per day; a moderate dose. Everyone's experience varies of course, but I always found the "withdrawal" to be relatively mild. You can expect a marked rise in blood pressure, tightness in chest, heart palpitations (feels like your chest is pounding like a drum during even limited exertion) and maybe some excess anxiety.

If you are out of pills, grit your teeth and bear it provided you're not taking them for serious hypertension. If you have pills, do a quick taper. It shouldn't be an incredibly long process. Reduce your dose by quarters. You can break pills apart yourself and guesstimate the dose, but for this process, I would highly recommend a dedicated pill cutter. They're cheap and work great.