Clonidine for Opiate Withdrawal User Reviews (Page 5)

• catsg...
• July 25, 2009

"I have been taking one 2 mg clonidine twice a day for Opiate Withdrawals. I have a $200 a day Heroin habit. With the Clonidine, I have not been sick. The only side effect I have is trouble staying awake and operating a car. This could be the miracle I have been looking for to get off the Heroin."

• JerryH
• March 28, 2017

"Works, but has to be dosed correctly. There is little else that will help like this wonderful drug. DO NOT USE OTHER OPIOIDS AS YOU WILL ONLY TRANSFER YOUR DEPENDENCY. AVOID KRATOM, SUBOXONE, METHADONE AS YOU WILL JUST BECOME DEPENDENT ON THEM. The clonidine needs to be high enough to become slightly sedating. But at this level, it blocks the negative effects of the withdrawal. To be done right, you need to be monitored by a health professional, especially due to BP. I would recommend checking your BP 4-5 times daily (or have someone else do it) and report to your doctor. If you think it does not work, your dose is not high enough. Some require 0.2 mg every 4-6 hours. Watch BP closely."

• panic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2017

"I am in recovery (opiates of every type since 2002) and being tapered down, and it is a process that must be slow, measured, and cautious! I would never imply someone was being less than honest, but many of these breezy, nearly symptom-free withdrawals from opiates strain credulity to the breaking point. Only two people (so far) have been straight-up and said they are still going through some serious stuff. Clonidine isn't going to eliminate a single symptom entirely... my doc told me as much and was correct. Clonidine will help. One person had it right here, username 'WAITING FOR NEW START'-- 'I took my clonidine and am sitting here with my restless leg syndrome... hoping for the best'-- that is the truth. Manage your expectations -- Good luck!"

• Sckof...
• April 26, 2017

"I'm so tired of being an addict... or dependent or whatever you want to call it. I've been on old school Oxy 80s for over 3 years now. You know the old incredible APOS, just push and they powder like icing sugar. Started slow, just crushing/snorting quarters of an 80 at a time. I was getting 240/m (for free), we were making money, we were so high and happy. That is, I had become very, very sick, but I had no idea because the Oxy was masking all my symptoms. I was up to 6-10 80s a day. I went into the hospital here in Canada, where I went through 47 days of unimaginable pain to the point I prayed for death. As it turned out, Oxy was just covering up serious ailments, including a brain tumor! Clonidine is the only med that helped withdrawals."

• tram
• April 13, 2017

"Oh my gosh, how I hate tramadol! I've been on 350 mg a day for 8 years for lower back pain from 3 compression fractures in a car accident. Never increased this dose. Never abused. The freaking withdrawal from this demon Rx is so very underrated. The most intense jaw soreness, RLS, severe electric shock-like feeling throughout my whole body, sweating, diarrhea, stayed with goosebumps, impossible to lay down and be still-let alone soreness in my arms and legs at night. This drug has some other thing going on with it that affects the brain and depression or something. Anyway, 0.1 mg clonidine 4x a day has made it possible to taper down. 1 month in."

• MikeM
• February 11, 2014

"Was prescribed clonidine for withdrawal from Percocet. Honestly, it is a good medicine. I see people giving it a 10, and I wouldn't go that far. It's not a miracle. I've also used Suboxone before for detox, and in my opinion, it works much better. This medicine will help take the edge off of those withdrawal symptoms, but if you have a serious problem, you may want to consider inpatient."

• 604bc
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 24, 2012

"I tried to quit opiates on my own, and I couldn't do it. I was so dependent on them I would vomit, sweat, light-headed, aching bones... just miserable if I didn't have opiates in my system. I went into a detox program and opted out of doing either a methadone or Suboxone quick taper program. I instead went on the 'opiate protocol,' which was clonidine and Seroquel. I was amazed how effective it was. I went through none of the nasty initial withdrawal symptoms. After 5 days, I started feeling secondary withdrawal symptoms (nausea, irritable, bad insomnia, sweating, night chills, shakes, aches)."

• Saving...
• February 2, 2015

"I was addicted to 30 mg Roxicodone, taking about 8 a day. I would also take whatever I could get my hands on with it (Xanax, Ambien, whatever to mess me up). I tapered down significantly on methadone and am on day 4 of detoxing from the methadone. Clonidine was very helpful for me because I had severe anxiety and withdrawals from the methadone (not as bad as withdrawals straight from opiates, but lasting much longer). I had a lot of trouble with panic attacks, extreme anxiety, and absolutely nothing to give me any sort of comfort, which mainly came from severe back pain that would affect my entire body. Clonidine helped me so much with being able to calm myself down and taking away some of the symptoms. I am still not completely better, but I'm so happy for my freedom!"

• Zobbie
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2016

"Been on oxy and morphs since early/mid 90's. Had a couple back surgeries, got off them, but pain always comes back. Ran a couple days short this month, tried some clonidine, and it seems to help with some withdrawal but makes me dizzy, so be careful!!"

• Joyde...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 13, 2016

"If you take clonidine 3 times a day and Xanax 3 times a day, you will not feel any withdrawal. Maybe a little more tired. I take 0.5 milligrams of Xanax morning, noon, and night, and clonidine 10 milligrams."

• Comfy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 26, 2016

"So in the UK, you can get clonidine, but not for opiate withdrawal. It's not even known about by my estimation by 90-95% of users, clinics, doctors. The alternative is Lofexidine, but to obtain this for a home detox is almost impossible. So after research, clonidine is marketed as symptomatic treatment of the female menopause, thus meaning you can obtain it legally via online pharmacy facilities where you complete an online consultation, then the meds are prescribed if you fit the criteria. Seriously, this medication is an absolute godsend. I don't say this lightly, but if you get the dosage correct, you will get 100% pain-free withdrawal. You will be extremely drowsy and lethargic, watch your BP."

• Skinny...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 18, 2018

"For me, clonidine should be a very, very *last resort* medication for opiate withdrawal -- i.e., if absolutely nothing else is available. The reason is, clonidine actually intensifies one of the worst opiate withdrawal symptoms: mental depression & weakness. So basically I go from feeling like awful -to- feeling like double awful. And when (we) feel like double awful, then we want to 'use' (opiates) again. This is why clonidine has a very low "retention rate", vs. meds like Suboxone and methadone."

• Jonboy
• September 4, 2017

"I had been on morphine sulfate called MSContin for 12 years along with fentanyl patch. MS is slow release, as is the patch. I decided to end this nightmare of addiction and clean out. Three months ago, I tapered off the patch with no symptoms, probably because of the MST. I'm three days into detox after reducing the dosage from 60 mg a day to 10 mg. The doctor gave me clonidine 0.1 and lorazepam 1 mg. Both make me sleepy, but I can't sleep more than 1 hour. Anxiety is always there, and stomach upset, diarrhea, and leg cramps. I wish I could say clonidine kept withdrawals away like others stated, but that's not the case. I'm hanging in, hoping tomorrow is better."

• Santa...
• August 6, 2017

"I've had a lot of experience using clonidine for withdrawal symptoms. Though I'm working on staying clean, I've smoked heroin (tar) for a long time, on and off. The dope I was getting was very strong, and because I smoked it, the withdrawal would make me extremely sick to my stomach, so that I'd be throwing up for days, literally every few minutes. I'd end up in the ER. But with clonidine, I'm hardly nauseous (though I still add an anti-nausea med). With clonidine, my withdrawal symptoms are much more bearable, though still difficult. It might make you sleep the first day or two, but I'm generally still pretty sleepless. It must be dosed correctly and be careful. For example, I take 0.1 mg every 4 hours, then a bit less the next day, etc."

• Norco...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 2, 2017

"I started using Norco about a year and a half ago. At first, it was for a legitimate reason, my lower back. I had lumbar strains my entire life. Sometimes a serious strain would incapacitate me for about a week. So a friend of mine said I should go see this doctor of his because he'll prescribe Norcos. Well, excited as I was to get them, I was even more excited I got a script for 100! I told myself 3 a day, no more or my tolerance will lower. Before I knew it, I was on 8, sometimes 12 a day. After 1 year, I couldn't get my script on time. I was going to go into withdrawal. On day 2 of Clonidine. Soreness, like from a workout, is all I have felt. Using the patch. Best thing to happen since I started this behavior. Ask your doc!"

• David...
• June 1, 2010

"This medicine helped immediately. I was having the shakes, terrible anxiety, and depression, and after taking clonidine for 1 day, I was feeling almost normal again. I was taking almost 10 Vicodin 10/325 per day. It has been 7 days sober, and I feel great."

• Today
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2019

"I overused medication and shorted 2 days on my (1 patch) Fentanyl patch. Dr. said no early refill - I was terrified, anxiety I think was more of an issue than helping with clonidine and also 1 extended-release tramadol. I can see how this is a great help. I did get a headache, dry mouth, and lightheadedness. But it was a great feeling to feel different than I have in 13 years. I am going to discuss trying to get off meds with the help of the doctor."

• Datta...
• November 20, 2016

"I was on heroin and methadone for 12 years. I heard about clonidine from other addicts and asked my dr for a script. He gave me 0.2 mg TID. It helped immensely with withdrawals. Still clean today, almost 4 years. I take propranolol also to help with anxiety, but there are beta blocker withdrawals."

• Mjr
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2018

"I’ve been on Percocet for 6 months for post-surgery and also Norco 10/325 for years for an unrelated condition. My surgeon took me off the Percocet recently, and I was worried I’d have withdrawal symptoms. My pain management doctor prescribed the clonidine patch, and it worked like a charm."

• Tygwins
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2019

"I used Clonidine to ease the withdrawal symptoms of opiate withdrawals. With regards to that, it helps, but at the cost of feeling like a complete bag of energy-less sand. I've never felt so energy-less. And not to where you can sleep, your mind is still going, your body is just dead. No more for this guy."

• MikeLAX
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 25, 2016

"I have recurring biological pancreatitis (not from gallstones, not from alcohol-I don't drink) and, of course, with each episode, it's off to the hospital for a few days with Dilaudid. Coming off Dilaudid, as most know, can be harsher than the illness. I went to a great pain management doctor and he gave me a prescription for a box of clonidine transdermal patches 0.30 mg you wear for a week each. After suffering from withdrawals in the past from Dilaudid, CTP was given to me by an outside hospital pain management doctor. I have had zero withdrawal symptoms except for a minor cold sweat, but that's it. No side effects from the patch. The key to this for me was to take CTP at the same time I started with Dilaudid before tapering down. That way, the drug is already in me."

• lostg...
• June 26, 2015

"I have been abusing opiates for the past two or so years, taking about 130mg of hydrocodone a day. Today I went to a medical doctor and told him what's going on. I was too scared to tell my doctor because I didn't want the information in my chart. I broke down and told him the reason I was there because withdrawals suck. For me, the restless legs at night, not able to sleep, fatigued during the day. Anyway, he prescribed Clonidine and Vistaril and signed me up for a Psych appt for Suboxone next week. I'm deathly afraid to come off. Tomorrow will be my first day trying this to see if I can before work Monday."

• Migra...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 13, 2017

"I've had chronic migraines since I was 12. I've been on opiates since 24, now I'm 31. My doc from Northwestern started me on Norco, now I'm on 80 mg Norco and 150 mg of oxycodone a day. I told the doc I wanted to quit, so he gave me Xanax. Then I got hooked on 0.3 mg Xanax. Well, then I get a letter from Northwestern that my doc has left and lost his license and that I need to see a new doc. So I do, and he straight-up says he will not prescribe any opiates or benzos, only clonidine. I'd never felt withdrawal before, the government should get terrorists hooked like this. There is literally nothing I'd do to stop this feeling. I'm about to take 0.3 mg of clonidine and am praying for sleep."

• Gary...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 28, 2016

"Under treatment for 5 years for peripheral neuropathy and severe burning pain in toes, feet, ankles, and lower legs. With pain doctor, used 30 mg oxycodone 3X/day + 1.2 grams of gabapentin 4 times/day + (at max.) 20 mg of methadone, 4X/day. On methadone for 2.5 years. Oxy for 4 years. Did a 6-month slow weaning off methadone. Feeling much better now, but still get an occasional hot flash and massive sweats. Then, went 'cold turkey' on the (four years of) oxycodone. Started Nucynta Extended Release: 150 mg 2X/day. And used 0.3 mg of clonidine 3X/day for withdrawal. But WD was still pretty bad. Used frequent medical marijuana to handle WD symptoms."

• pinkr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 9, 2015

"I was placed on 90 mg Methadone by a pain clinic doctor daily, along with 10 mg of a muscle relaxant 4 times a day. Last April, I had had enough of all the additional side effects, so I began weaning myself off by 10 mg about every 5-6 weeks. Going from 30 mg to 20 mg was terrible. A new pain doctor ordered clonidine. Last Friday, I stopped all Methadone, and withdrawal symptoms are very intense this time, even with clonidine. Any suggestions on how long these horrific side effects will last? Unable to rest, every muscle hurts, and intense jerking of lower limbs."