Posted by Shes_Initforthemoney on March 27, 2012, at 15:16:31
In reply to anyone with Clonidine experience?, posted by g_g_g_unit on March 26, 2012, at 20:46:07
> I've read that Clonidine is a selective alpha-2 agonist that's capable of both suppressing and stimulating noradrenaline release at different doses. I'm also aware that it has an extremely long half-life (Wikipedia says 12-33 hours?).
>
> I really can't tell what effects I can attribute to it. It helps with sleep onset (0.2-0.3mg), but I don't sleep particularly well. I also find that the next day, I feel a little blunted in certain respects - I'm less irritable and also feel less physically anxious but at the same time kind of 'dead'. Is it usual to expect some carryover effect into the next day?
>
> As for its interactions with Parnate, it's hard to say. As I've mentioned, there's a blunting of physical stimulation, but I can't really tell what effect it's having on the mental stimulation-side of things. I feel kind of blank and overstimulated at times, which I tend to associate with too much noradrenaline, so either the Clonidine's not helping or potentiating that side of things?
>
>Hi,
I've been on Clonidine for awhile now, and after the initial start-up effects, I found .1mg 2x a day to be best. Any higher doses just seem to cause more side effects. It helps a little bit with sleep onset, but I have to take melatonin (Plus I am on Risperdal @ 4mg a day) with Clonidine in order for it to seem to work well.
I would say it helps often in the 30-40 percent range (and sometimes as high as 80-90) for my GAD.
But, only at the small dose I mention. I also use it mainly for keeping nightmares and intense and persistent dreaming out of my sleep.(Hyper-REM)It seems to have taken about 2 weeks of steady dosing, like I said, in order for it to be effective and side-effect free. Minipress (Prazosin) is similar I believe, but you may want to ask SLS about that.
Hope that helps...
Jay
"Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic and we'll change the world," ~Jack Layton 1950-2011
poster:Shes_Initforthemoney
thread:1014119
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120316/msgs/1014219.html