melissaw72 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Pdoc just prescribed this med today (clonidine). Will start taking it in a few days. Has anyone taken it ... how was it ... any reactions ... etc. I know everyone is different and has different symptoms/reactions, just wanted to know any experiences while on it from others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Since this is a med question, I'm moving it to Miscellaneous Medications. You might get better responses there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianthus Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 What did he prescribe it for? It's an old-school blood pressure med that's been repurposed as an ADHD med.If you're already taking propanolol, it could tank your blood pressure. How does your pressure run now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 Thanks jt. He prescribed it so I wouldn't dream as much. So hopefully I can sleep longer and not wake up after every dream I have (so that is why I usually only sleep 1-2 hours at a time). Also as an anti-rage med. He also said something about it blocking norepinephrine (sp) or something like that (not sure how that related ... he explained it but it was complicated). He did mention my blood pressure getting too low, but we are starting out with 1/2 a pill, and slowly. He took my blood pressure and it was 115/79. I'm going to take the first pill over the weekend when I have lots of down time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarnandcats Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 supposed to take it ahem supposed being the key word at night as it causes drowsiness mainly for: having trouble with sleep and blood pressure through the roof on a very low dose (0.1 mg, i think) hope that helps a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 supposed to take it ahem supposed being the key word at night as it causes drowsiness mainly for: having trouble with sleep and blood pressure through the roof on a very low dose (0.1 mg, i think) hope that helps a bit Thank you. That is what I was told also ... to take it before I go to bed and not with flexeril. I go to bed at 2 PM or so for awhile because I like being up nights, so my "nights" are really my "days," if that makes sense. I haven't picked up the prescription yet, but I'm sure it is the 0.1 mg pill, and the first time I take it I'll cut it in half. I'm going to take the first pill Saturday, then be at home all day Sunday to "recover" if it gives me a problem. That is my plan at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 If you're taking that along side propanolol, one drink will most likely put you on the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 8, 2014 Author Share Posted August 8, 2014 If you're taking that along side propanolol, one drink will most likely put you on the floor. You mean alcohol? If so I don't touch it. Haven't had alcohol since beginning of college. Yes, I am taking it with propranolol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarnandcats Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 glad you're starting slowly and will have some down time to see how your body feels with the med beware of orthostatic hypotension if your BP is already that low without clonidine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Share Posted August 9, 2014 Thanks yarn. Last Thursday when I saw pdoc BP was 115/79 or around that, so it wasn't too low, even with the propranolol. I took half a pill of clonidine at first today, and was completely fine. Didn't sleep very long but it felt like a more restful sleep. A little while later I took the other half and slept some more off and on all day, without a problem. Tomorrow when I take it I am going to take the whole pill at once. Hopefully I can sleep for a longer stretch of time. Thank you all for commenting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Are you supposed to take this on an empty stomach or after you eat? I took it on a full stomach. I literally took a whole pill today, laid down, and lightly (if that) slept for only 1 hour, and woke up as if I hadn't even laid down. WTF? No side effects. Nothing. As if I hadn't taken it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bueler Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I'm sorry Melissa I just saw this, even though it's a couple weeks late. I took clonidine for a little while for tics I was having, and it worked well. For me, the first 0.05mg dose (1/2 pill) hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt really strange. Then, I pretty quickly developed a tolerance for it. If I took too much or took it too regularly it made it difficult for me to move. It wasn't very good at helping me sleep compared to a benzo, ambien, or a number of other things that work better. Also, if you're having nightmares, lookup Prazosin. It's an alpha blocker and seems to work for me sometimes. I just don't think clonidine is a good sleep medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 I'm sorry Melissa I just saw this, even though it's a couple weeks late. I took clonidine for a little while for tics I was having, and it worked well. For me, the first 0.05mg dose (1/2 pill) hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt really strange. Then, I pretty quickly developed a tolerance for it. If I took too much or took it too regularly it made it difficult for me to move. It wasn't very good at helping me sleep compared to a benzo, ambien, or a number of other things that work better. Also, if you're having nightmares, lookup Prazosin. It's an alpha blocker and seems to work for me sometimes. I just don't think clonidine is a good sleep medicine. Thanks Bueler. Yes, for me too it only worked the first 2 days, then nothing. Except it gave me chest pain and my left arm was heavy/felt squeezed. When I went off of it that went away. So I agree, I don't think it is a good sleep medicine either. But I did look up prazosin too (I am having vivid nightmares), and decided totally against it because I kept reading how it always was mentioning it was for bladder control, and that urine leakage (or whatever) was a side effect ... which I really really don't want happening. It did mention it was good for nightmares, but everything else I read about it, it just didn't seem worth trying for me. It wasn't worth it and from what I'd read I'd rather live with the nightmares. I know not everything I read will necessarily happen, but there were too many things that I was skeptical about (and I am not usually like that with medication; I will usually try anything). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 FWIW I've never had any urinary issues on prazosin and I am on a relatively higher dose compared to a lot of people here. Just some nasal congestion, so I need to use Nasonex with it or I mouth breathe all night and get terrible dry mouth in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 Thanks tryp for letting me know that! Maybe I'll give it a chance. Idk yet. I have time to think about it; pdoc is away this week and I don't see him until 2nd week in September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 (edited) Shit. I just went to surf around about the prazosin, and found this: http://www.drugs.com/cdi/prazosin.html if you have chest pain, heart disease, narcolepsy, or kidney problems Also ... my pdoc already recommended taking this and gave me a choice to take it or not, so I'm not asking for specific advice, just wanted to know if anyone has ever taken a beta blocker with this at the same time. Edited August 25, 2014 by melissaw72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bueler Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 1. I've never experienced bladder problems, or any other side effects with prazosin. I only take it as needed, and that's really only when I've had a string of bad nightmares, like nightmares every night for a week, and it breaks the cycle. That might be placebo, but if it works, so be it. 2. I do also take inderal, but I mostly take inderal in the morning to calm my tremor -- my job requires my hands to be still and precise. I don't think I've really taken the two at exactly the same time, but I don't notice any interaction or side effects from either medicine. Let's say the worst happens and you pee your bed... so what? Stop taking it then. The best thing that could happen is that it gives you relief. Prazosin is worth trying, IMO. Ask your doctor what s/he thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 1. I've never experienced bladder problems, or any other side effects with prazosin. I only take it as needed, and that's really only when I've had a string of bad nightmares, like nightmares every night for a week, and it breaks the cycle. That might be placebo, but if it works, so be it. 2. I do also take inderal, but I mostly take inderal in the morning to calm my tremor -- my job requires my hands to be still and precise. I don't think I've really taken the two at exactly the same time, but I don't notice any interaction or side effects from either medicine. Let's say the worst happens and you pee your bed... so what? Stop taking it then. The best thing that could happen is that it gives you relief. Prazosin is worth trying, IMO. Ask your doctor what s/he thinks. Ok, thanks. I will. Pdoc is off this week but I'll call him next week to ask about it. It sounds like something I want to try now; the nightmares are really fucking up what little sleep I do get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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