“Clonidine for withdrawal?”
My wife has taken hydrocodone for years and became addicted. She has disposed of her meds yesterday and her pain doctor gave her the lowest dose of Clonidine twice a day and told her to see him Monday. She is having a tough time. He can’t be reached. Should I give her more?
Female | 65 years old
Complaint duration: Yesterday
Medications: Blood pressure med
Conditions: Pain & addiction
6 Answers
For patient's safety, please go to ED to assess the withdrawal symptoms and decide the appropriate level of care.
Your wife should go back to the pain clinic and resume her opioid analgesics as request her provider to withdraw her from the hydrocodone. She can also see her primary care provider and discuss a buprenorphine product to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and her pain. Clonidine will help with some of the anxiety related to withdrawal and not much more. Clonidine can also lower her blood pressure. Dr. Dixie
No don’t give her more unless her treating physicians directs you to this is also a strong blood pressure medication and could suddenly cause orthostatic blood pressure drop in blood pressure and collapse dizziness etc
No, do not give more clonidine. Clonidine is an ancient, not terribly effective drug for opiate withdrawal. Your wife is probably miserable. Please contact an addiction specialist.
Given her age and not knowing her current blood pressure, it’s not necessarily a good idea to give more. If she’s really having a tough time, any emergency department should be able to improve her symptoms. Additionally, she may be a great candidate for Buprenorphine prescription. It can treat pain as well as prevent relapses to opioids. Sometimes it’s tough finding a doctor who is familiar with this med, but they are out there!
Clonidine is a GREAT detox drug for opiate withdrawal. It doesn't completely resolve detox symptoms but helps a lot. If she takes too much, it can drop her blood pressure even to the point of passing out. So she could take more so long as you have a home blood pressure meter to ensure she isn't taking too much. And a single dose of clonidine lasts for 1-2 days. So sure, so long as she's safe, she could take more.
You should know that although opiate withdrawal can make you feel completely sick and miserable, it's almost always harmless and medically safe. A lot of experienced addicts take very little detox medication, knowing they'll get through it on their own in a few days.
You should know that although opiate withdrawal can make you feel completely sick and miserable, it's almost always harmless and medically safe. A lot of experienced addicts take very little detox medication, knowing they'll get through it on their own in a few days.
