User Reviews for Clonidine
Also known as: Catapres, Kapvay, Clonidine ER, Catapres-TTS, Duraclon
Clonidine has an average rating of 7.3 out of 10 from a total of 618 ratings on Drugs.com. 63% of those users who reviewed Clonidine reported a positive effect, while 19% reported a negative effect.
Condition | Avg. Rating | Reviews | Compare | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Postherpetic Neuralgia Off-label | 10.0 | 1 reviews | 41 medications | |
Hypertensive Emergency Off-label | 8.8 | 11 reviews | 14 medications | |
Alcohol Withdrawal Off-label | 8.2 | 7 reviews | 12 medications | |
Opiate Withdrawal Off-label | 8.1 | 196 reviews | 6 medications | |
Migraine Prevention Off-label | 7.8 | 5 reviews | 31 medications | |
ADHD | 7.7 | 51 reviews | 41 medications | |
Bipolar Disorder Off-label | 7.5 | 7 reviews | 30 medications | |
Restless Legs Syndrome Off-label | 7.4 | 5 reviews | 14 medications | |
Hyperhidrosis Off-label | 7.3 | 7 reviews | 9 medications | |
Anxiety Off-label | 7.2 | 63 reviews | 53 medications | |
Perimenopausal Symptoms Off-label | 7.1 | 80 reviews | 12 medications | |
Tourette's Syndrome Off-label | 6.9 | 28 reviews | 7 medications | |
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome Off-label | 6.7 | 3 reviews | 4 medications | |
High Blood Pressure | 6.2 | 90 reviews | 266 medications | |
Insomnia, Stimulant-Associated Off-label | 6.2 | 60 reviews | 1 medications | |
Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Off-label | 3.7 | 4 reviews | 2 medications | |
Summary of Clonidine reviews | 7.3 | 618 reviews |
Reviews may be moderated or edited before publication to correct grammar and spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest in the medication will not be published. As reviews and ratings are subjective and self-reported, this information should not be used as the basis for any statistical analysis or scientific studies.
For Anxiety: “Worst medicine ever! I’m so mad that this was even prescribed to me for anxiety because it’s only made my anxiety 100 percent worse. I had no idea this medication was used to treat ADHD as my doctor told me it was used to treat high blood pressure which I have never had. She misled me and increased my dosage to .3 mg a day before I figured out what was making me crazy.”
For Perimenopausal Symptoms: “I have been taking clonidine for 2 years I'm 55 and my doctor has put me on HRT yesterday but I've stopped the clonidine and I'm scared that I have stopped has I have read you shouldn't stop taking them suddenly”
For Tourette's Syndrome: “I’ve had a flare up of vocal tics for several years now. I had tried about 8 meds with no luck. A neurologist put me on .1mg clonidine (final dose). I struggled to stay awake all day and my system dried out. I didn’t notice any benefit. Also, I have ADD-Inattentive. The drug didn’t help for that either. I already have low BP, so that might have added to the fatigue. Am getting to the point where I might try the older anti-psych drugs that carry the risk of permanent movement disorder. Don’t understand why some drugs work for some & not others.”
For Insomnia, Stimulant-Associated: “Clonidine is the only medication that makes me tired. Even medications prescribed for insomnia don't work as well.”
For Perimenopausal Symptoms: “I started with perimenopausal symptoms late last year but didn't realize that I was going into menopause. Only last month did I realize that it was menopause and it become worse. The sweating was unbareable coupled with severe headaches. My pharmacist suggested I use menograin (a brand of clonidine) and my sweating has subsided tremendously. Great product”
For Hyperhidrosis: “The best for hyperhidrosis”
For Insomnia, Stimulant-Associated: “I've tried everything for my sleep problems even Xanax and medical Marijuana. I have severe anxiety at bed time and can't sleep at all. But clonidine knocks me out till I start drooling. It's great minus the drooling lol. But it's a miracle medication for me. I have severe anxiety every day, but at night it is the worst! I take all 3 cuz of how severe my mental health is.”
For Opiate Withdrawal: “I don't get all of the people applauding Suboxone or Methadone. I've quit both, and let me tell you, I would stay away from both of them at ALL costs. Quitting pills, or kratom sucks for about a week (the worst of it) compared to around 40 days of a living nightmare for Methadone and Suboxone. Sure it has a higher retention rate BECAUSE YOU ARE TRAPPED! If I knew then, what I know now I would never go near that stuff. Clonidine helps a ton. Sure, there are some mild side effects, headache, lethargy, etc. But we are talking a week of MILD discomfort vs Methadone and Suboxone that will give you the absolute worst withdrawals of your life for MONTHS. Believe me on this. Bite the bullet, use some Clonidine, cry it out, but stay away from Methadone and Suboxone. You will regret it.”
For Anxiety: “Years ago, I had a mini-stroke, also known as a TIA. After I had tried countless different medications, I agreed to try Clonidine. In addition to my chronic hypertension, I also have PTSD. This medication GREATLY helped with panic attacks; I would be calm in 10 minutes. It's sad that a hypertensive emergency can so easily happen if you abruptly adjust the dose or quit it cold turkey, because otherwise I'd still be on it. It works as good as Ativan or Xanax, and is far faster... but the risk if you forgot to take it, personally for me, outweighs the benefits.”
For Anxiety: “My doctor prescribed 0.1 mg (smallest dose) for anxiety, irritability and anger. It was just what I needed, although I had to cut in half as the full dose was a bit too sedating. It really mellowed me out and helped me relax. Way better than the benzo I have been resorting to. I wish I had discovered this medication sooner as I have been suffering for a long time. I recommend starting with 1/2 and even a 1/4 to see how you feel. You'll need a pill cutter. Best of luck!”
Clonidine ER (clonidine) for ADHD: “Currently taking clonidine ER 0.2 mg at bedtime. I started out at 1 pill for a week then moved up to 2 pills. I am a 63 female and trying it out for adult AHDH but I have mainly ADD starting projects leaving unfinished, lack of concentration and focus. So far I feel it’s helping, I’ve been able to help my 9 year old granddaughter with remote learning, finish errands, get things done around the house Etc. So far I’ve had no side effects that I know of. I’m excited to see further down the road how it works. It’s a tad pricey but I use good rx so much cheaper. The regular clonidine is much cheaper but I wanted to try the extended release. I also use this for my high blood pressure and it works great!”
For ADHD: “I occasionally take half of a 0.1mg clonidine (0.05mg) if my stimulant medication is causing too many side effects and generally causing me to "freak out." It's really beneficial at slowing down your thoughts and helping to maintain focus; but if you don't have a tolerance to this medication you will definitely become very sleepy and more distractible lol! I find it's really great at cancelling out the negative side effects of stimulant treatment (namely adderall IR in my case), while still maintaining the focus from the stimulant.”
For High Blood Pressure: “I started taking clonidine for high blood pressure approximately 4 years ago and it never reacted with me in any negative way until recently a few months ago did they change the medicine and I've always taken a generic but with the orange (or more pink pills) I was getting sick not feeling well, tired, weak and really feeling horrible I didn't know what it was. Then when I changed my pharmacy I went back to the white oval ones I had before (I don't know the company's name) I'm feeling good again. Anyway I think it should be known that some of the generics really are not up to the Quality that they should be”
For Anxiety: “I am going through withdrawals to get off Methadone for back pain, and I was experiencing severe anxiety and panic attacks. I had to get off it because it caused severe constipation like I’ve never experienced in my life and was very painful. I sent my doctor a text on Saturday after 3 days of mental disorders from the withdrawals and asked him for a prescription of Clonidine, which he called in to CVS immediately. I’ve never experienced anxiety and panic attacks like that before, and I have been through several withdrawals while detoxing off opiates in the past, which I started taking after two invasive back surgeries in January 1998 and October 2000. Today is Day #4 on Clonidine, and I have not had the anxiety or panic attacks. I’m not going to take it tomorrow because I don’t want to become addicted to another drug with additive qualities. If the anxiety returns tomorrow, I’ll take half the 0.01 dose that was prescribed that’s suggested in these comments.”
For Perimenopausal Symptoms: “I was put into medical menopause due to cancer. The night sweats were absolutely horrible, and I was having issues falling asleep. And if I did, it was only for 3 hours broken up, throughout the night. I went to see my regular dr multiple times and was put on several prescriptions for the hot and night flashes - nothing worked. I then called my GYN dr and he prescribed me Clonidine HCL 0.1mg Tabs. I was to take 1 tablet at night daily for the first 2 weeks, then increase to 2 tabs. I have been taking 1 tab at night for 3 weeks now, and have been sleeping without night sweats. I was only on them for 1 week before I noticed a change. HOWEVER, I did not increase my dose to 2 tabs because 1 tab is working well for me. If this stops happening, then I will increase to 2 tabs, but for now, 1 is doing the trick, and I am so happy and back to my normal self. I have not noticed any side-affects at all.”
For Anxiety: “A word of advice: do not take the full 0.1 mg clonidine pill. Most of the people here complaining about the medication making them drowsy and fatigued are likely sensitive to clonidine and are taking a much higher dose than they should. Chances are, your doctor will prescribe 0.1 mg since there is no lower dose for this med. If after taking the full 0.1 mg pill makes you tired, cut it in half, if it still makes you tired, cut it into a quarter, and if still, cut it into an eighth. I recommend buying a pill cutter. When I first took it, I felt terrible at the full dose, but I then cut it like I just instructed and at an eighth of a 0.1 mg pill I felt waaaay better. Anxiety almost completely gone and it has worked even better than benzos. Plus, this med, unlike benzos, is not associated with any kind of brain damage and/or addiction.”
For Hyperhidrosis: “I haven't been taking clonidine for long but I got switched from oxybutin to clonidine for sweating for my methadone. My dose is 138 but going down every other week. On the high side cuz I had a baby. I started taking 1 and a half .1 clonidine twice a day. Did that for a few days and no change. Now I'm doing 3 .1 clonidine twice a day which the only thing I've noticed was a little loopy and if you get up too fast watch out. I thought I was going DOWN! I later read it makes your blood pressure drop I guess. But no go on the sweating stopping. I just want to go back to the oxybutine I think. It wasn't 100 percent but it helped a lot more than this. Dry mouth is crazy but hey you gotta pick wet or dry lol”
For Tourette's Syndrome: “My son uses this medication for Tourette's and it is the best thing that has helped him tremendously. I am very thankful to the doctor who suggested this medication after trying others that did not work.”
For Insomnia, Stimulant-Associated: “I have suffered from insomnia all my life until my doc prescribed me clonidine! She originally prescribed it for night sweats due to antidepressants, which it didn’t help at all, but now I can sleep and it’s great.”
For ADHD: “My son is diagnosed with Autism and has behavioral acting out behaviors characteristic of ADHD. He is currently prescribed .05mg of Clonidine. I'm concerned that it's impacting his kidney function because his creatinine levels have been reported abnormal, so I'm very concerned about this. In regards to dryness, his eyes are excessively itchy, in conjunction with his allergies and he has been having bouts of diarrhea lately as well, but also has a failure to thrive diagnosis.”
For Insomnia, Stimulant-Associated: “I have horrible insomnia. I usually get 16 hours of sleep a week. Since starting this medication 2 months ago, I can finally sleep! I'm so impressed, I have tried so many other medications and nothing.”
For Perimenopausal Symptoms: “I took this clonidine for 3 weeks, work well for hot flashes but side effects were so hard on me - blurry eyes , numbness of finger. Than I stopped taking it. I start yoga LADIES plz plz do yoga it work amazing on hot flashes. i am back in my life .”
For Insomnia, Stimulant-Associated: “We tried this for my son whom is 7 , he was up all night did not sleep , and had bloody nose every night about 5 of them , we stopped it right away”
For ADHD: “My son is 14 years old and he takes clonidine for ADHD - one upon waking and one an hour before bed to support his long lasting Vyvanse (he's got a very high metabolism). We've used it for 3+ years and having needed to adjust, it has worked well. Has anyone had trouble with extended/habitual coughing? For the past year he's been cleared by ENTs, pulmonologists, etc., but we recently read about nasal and cough problems and think this is the cause. Anyone?”
This information is NOT intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews might be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge and judgement of healthcare practitioners.
More about clonidine
- Side Effects
- During Pregnancy or Breastfeeding
- Dosage Information
- Patient Tips
- Drug Images
- Drug Interactions
- Compare Alternatives
- Support Group
- Pricing & Coupons
- Drug class: antiadrenergic agents, centrally acting
- FDA Alerts (1)
Consumer resources
- Patient Information
- Clonidine injection
- Clonidine transdermal
- Clonidine Epidural (Advanced Reading)
- Clonidine Oral, Transdermal (Advanced Reading)
- Clonidine Transdermal (Advanced Reading)
- Other brands
- Catapres, Kapvay, Catapres-TTS, Duraclon, Nexiclon XR
For Anxiety: “I have Hypertension, ADD, and anxiety, the majority of the things that Clonidine is used for. I was so happy when I was finally put on it. I take .1 mg 3x a day and soon they are going to raise my dosage. It is a miracle drug, it does great for my BP and my anxiety I will say though it does not help my ADD so I am still on Adderrall for that. I do want to address something with those that are on it strictly for anxiety and who are having issues, this medication will lower your BP so if you anxiety is getting worse or you are extremely tired and possibly feeling faint, you are taking too much and your BP is more that likely to low. Try taking a smaller dosage, taking more would make it worse. For those that are saying it works but wears off and are taking the .1 mg talk to your Dr. because that is the smallest dosage and it can be raised.”