Clonidine for High Blood Pressure User Reviews (Page 2)

• Rae...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 10, 2020

"I have been taking clonidine for about 8 years straight. I was given the drug for extreme hypertension! I've never had any of the above mentioned side effects unless I took extra. Which, over the course of the years, I have had to do because of a high tolerance to the drug. But I have had a rapid decline in tooth health with decay/loss, which I'm sure can be attributed to the dry mouth I experience! I have started using Biotene and hard candies to combat this issue. Clonidine has never made me feel groggy, I never have 'nightmares.' I've only gotten dizzy/faint when having overtaken the drug. What it does is drop your blood pressure-hence the fact it's prescribed also for high blood pressure."

• Way...
• December 18, 2019

"I have been on clonidine 0.1 two times a day for three years. I do cut the 0.1 tablets in half, so I take 0.05 four times a day. I have to say there are side effects with this medicine, but it works fantastically for my high blood pressure, which is a problem for my lung disease. I don't have regular high blood pressure, I have a lung disease that causes my blood pressure to go high. Without this drug, I know I would be dead. The only thing I could say is be careful about which manufacturer you get. I use Unichem manufacturer, which seems to be really good for my blood pressure. So don't switch manufacturers because they all act and feel differently in your system. The side effects that I get during the three years are thinning of the top of my head of hair, and some days I'm very tired, and I sleep, and sometimes I have some aches and pains. I'm very grateful for clonidine."

• GS ...
• August 31, 2015

"Clonidine has been the most effective drug I have used to keep my blood pressure under control. My BP is now in the 130/80 range, which is down from 155-160/110. I do take it with a diuretic as well. Dry mouth is definitely a symptom, but over time it diminished for me. Also, it does make me a little tired, but not so much that I can't function. I take my night dose before bed anyway. Another little bonus is it seems to have eliminated my occasional RLS symptoms."

• pha...
• July 20, 2015

"Very effective, but has caused extreme drowsiness along with fluid retention. The drowsiness can be extreme in the morning and will require an hour nap. Lack of coordination and inability to think clearly and stay awake at times. Some shortness of breath at times."

• mmc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2018

"I have used probably 12 or 13 different blood pressure medications in the last 20 years. Clonidine lowers your blood pressure now. After 2 doses, my blood pressure is 109/70. For me, the sedation is here and there, not every day. Has a good calming effect."

• GLG...
• August 1, 2015

Clonidine "DR recommended patch over clonidine tablets I was taking. I waited three days for any effect. During the three days, I had to resort to my 0.1 mg tablets to control my blood pressure. On the eve of the third night, my BP hit 160, meaning the patch was useless, and I immediately went back to my regimen of 0.05 mg (half tablet) three times a day. This keeps my BP between 125-135/75-85. I have an undiagnosed condition where I have surges to 210/110 and have been higher, which can last from an hour or so to several days. The tablets stabilize my BP. Pheochromocytoma has been ruled out. To add insult to injury, these patches are very expensive even with an RX plan."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2014

"Experienced sudden dizzy spells and lightheadedness with this medicine. Also irregular heartbeats and fatigue. Quit in 2 weeks and felt much better. Blood pressure was still on the high side 150/100 while taking it also."

• BPs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2016

"I started showing signs of hypertension at the young and tender age of 16. I started taking blood pressure medications soon after. I am now 27 and still fighting to keep it under control. Here, the past year I have been in several times for 180s/120s. My poor Dr. has tried everything he can think of over the past several years, and I have even been to multiple cardiologists. No one knows why I am having high blood pressure, and no meds seem to be working. My Dr. placed me on the patch to see if it will work. Right now I am on a 0.1 mg patch for a week at a time. No change at all in blood pressure being high. It is currently 166/111. Not really sure what to do at this point. I am not overweight, and salt is cut out of my diet for the most part."

• tsb...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 12, 2024

"People have high blood pressure for different reasons. If you're the type of person or your blood pressure goes up and down quickly, it may be induced by anxiety and adrenaline. This drug is aimed at reducing the amount of adrenaline that your body senses. That's why it has a great calming effect also. It's true that if you have been using it for a while and suddenly stop, your body reacts to the adrenaline which is overstimulated, at least for a while. Therefore, your blood pressure goes way, way up. The things I notice about it are, in addition to the blood pressure going down, that at least in my case, it also reduces my back pain. So, with the combination of anti-anxiety, lowering of high blood pressure, and reducing pain, it's really quite a medication! The only side effect I had was a dry mouth and slight constipation. If you use any other high blood pressure medication and it controls your BP, then fine, use it. Clonidine has been around for a long time now."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 29, 2019

Clonidine "I started taking clonidine for opioid addiction and high BP when I stopped pain management. I was on Percocet 10/325, 180 count, and Fentanyl 50 mg every 3 days, every month. For 11 years... When I went to my GP, I was in horrible withdrawals and high blood pressure. Catapres-TTS took all my withdrawals away and lowered my blood pressure. It was a lifesaver... It made the whole process better. I still take it for my blood pressure."

• opi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 11, 2019

"My wife and I have been taking clonidine for about 3 years. It works great for us. I think it has saved us from a stroke or heart attack. Yes, you can have dry mouth, but I thought all drugs had some kind of side effects."

• dkh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2014

"Since my diagnosis of aortic and mitral valve insufficiency, my systolic blood pressure has been poorly controlled. Clonidine 0.2mg 3x per day has proven a miracle, allowing me to now feel part of the world, erasing the horrible side effects I was experiencing related to a high systolic. In the 3 months I have been taking clonidine, I have not experienced any of the symptoms reported herein. The patch works best as it evens out my systolic, which tends to spike in the late afternoon/evening otherwise. The insurance company won't allow 2 0.3mg patches per week, so I still have to supplement the patch with 0.1mg three times a day."

• Anonymous
• July 24, 2012

"I love the transdermal patches. Very convenient weekly application and virtually eliminates the ups and downs I experienced with the pill form of clonidine. Tiredness, fatigue, dry eyes are a small price to pay for good blood pressure control."

• SpT...
• June 17, 2017

"Five days after I began using the clonidine patch, I started having terrible side effects. These included extreme dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, and a hard, bloated stomach. I immediately discontinued the patch after using it for six days. These effects are still continuing to a lesser degree almost two months later. My hair also stopped growing, but started to regrow after a month. My blood pressure did go down, but it wasn't worth it! The owner at my local health food store recommended that I try taking beet root - two pills twice a day. My blood pressure is now normal and I'm having no side effects!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 14, 2019

"Prescribed 0.1 mg for hypertension at my annual physical. Being unaware of this condition, I did not know that I actually had white coat syndrome and that BP was not nearly as bad as the office reading. This drug causes dry mouth and fatigue in addition to orthostatic hypotension, which makes you lightheaded upon standing. Check your BP at home. It might be lower than you think. Overall, not a good experience. Change your diet and exercise. BP will normalize, and you won’t have to deal with side effects."

• Hap...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 16, 2018

"Clonidine was good for me in the beginning, more so for my anxiety than my high BP. I started having terrible side effects, all the bad ones listed pretty much after several years on this drug. Then it just stopped working for me. It was very hard to get off of it. It took several months. I would not ever take this drug again."

• Jan...
• May 17, 2016

"I was taking Amlodipine for high blood pressure (about 160/85). I had to stop taking it because I could get diarrhea 10 minutes after being constipated. My vision was blurry. My PCP prescribed 0.1 mg twice a day. The medicine hardly made a change, so my PCP increased it to two pills twice a day: no change at all. The side effects were horrible: a desert-dry mouth, fatigue, sleepiness, assorted muscle pains, a limp in my right leg. I stopped taking it, and within 24 hours, those symptoms disappeared."

• Bar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2013

"Clonidine 1 mg x 2 times a day did not lower my blood pressure enough. It brought it to 135/95 (without medicines my readings are 160/110). So now I am taking it 1.5 mg x 2 times (morning and at bedtime) and waiting to see if it helps to get back to 120/80. I also take Cozaar 50 mg once a day. Yes, dry mouth is a slight problem, but I just carry bottled water wherever I go. Cozaar gives me diarrhea and the clonidine has a constipating effect. So they kind of cancel each other out. Clonidine also gives me slight dizziness, especially when I bend down to reach for something and then get my head back up. If the head is not subject to sudden motion, I really have not felt dizziness to be a problem."

• Anonymous
• May 17, 2011

"Clonidine may help with blood pressure, but the drug has severe side effects for me. These include terrible dizziness, joint and hip pain that makes it difficult to walk without pain. Thirty hours off the medicine and the pain is gone and the dizziness is much better. Perhaps I am allergic to the medication."

• Joy...
• August 18, 2017

Clonidine "It has reduced my blood pressure while taken in conjunction with 2 other drugs. However, I feel just plain lousy 2-3 days after taking it. My arms and legs feel leaden, and I have no energy. As the week goes, those side effects appear to lessen, and I feel okay. Then the cycle repeats itself. It has also reduced my heartbeats to below 60. I wonder if this drug is worth it."

• Kit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2019

"Shocking reaction of severe shin pain within hours of the first patch applied in November 2014, subsequent knee and joint pain, and chronic muscle ache for 4 and 1/2 years now. Rue the day it was prescribed. A once active lifestyle now seriously limited due to mobility and bone ache. Inflammation triggered from day one. Heinous drug."

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2018

"My BP was 180/118 for my DOT physical, was prescribed this and told to return the next day. The next day, BP was still high. I've been taking 0.2 mg/day for a week, and the lowest BP was 175/101. Now taking 0.2 mg every 12 hours, 0.4 mg/day. BP 194/113."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2020

"I went into the emergency room for a pulled side muscle and a blood pressure of 215/120. I was given clonidine while I was there in the waiting room. An hour later, I was nauseous and so dizzy. Ended up in the restroom throwing up with diarrhea and so weak and dizzy I couldn't stand or walk straight. Long story short, I had to get a change of clothes and stayed in the restroom for an hour before I could come out. It lowered my blood pressure to 120/60, but I don't ever want this medicine again."

• Fem...
• June 12, 2009

"I took this medicine for one week. It caused extremely blurry vision, tired all the time, jittery feeling, and extremely dry mouth problem. I called my doctor and was taken off the medicine immediately. The only good thing I have to say is that it did lower my blood pressure."

• Ann...
• March 21, 2010

"I've taken this medicine since January 2010. It controls one part of my blood pressure but not the lower number. When taken with Cozaar, both are under control. However, recently I have been having problems with dizziness and confusion. One day I forgot to take my medicines, left my pill box at home, and found I had no confusion that day or dizziness. My concern is that I am developing a tolerance to these medicines which has happened in the past for me. It is good for controlling blood pressure, but these new side effects are scaring me."