Does Clonidine help with sub/opiate withdrawals....

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schao

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Just wondering if anyone has had luck with clonidine helping with withdrawals. After doing a bunch of research it seems it does, but my doctor has never mentioned this to me.
Thanks for any feedback.

schao :wave:
 
I forget why are you getting off the drugs in the first place? Also I would drop that doctor. But good luck on getting help unless AZ has good help for this. I imagine you PM doc wants to keep you strung out so he continues to get his money. Don;t be surprised. They have no problem dishing out Oxycontin etc that have bad reps but to help with your getting off the pain mes is terrible..I would report him to whoever that oversees his profession. You also might want to tell him how you feel , maybe he will sprout a heart.
I think some of these DRs are interested in just the money considering some will kick you out the door within a minute. My doctor is an older one and still has the old fashioned good customer service. Iwent through a few doctors before I found one that was actually interested in helping you properly. Sorry about the hassle.
 
schao so sorry you have to do the cold turkey thing. I understand suboxene does not relieve the withdrawls but supposedly makes it more tolerable. the jury is still out on that. Nothing will completely eliminate your misery but some meRAB can help with some side effects. Methadone at just enough amounts and than tapering off right away with methadone is the most civil . Methadone was actually invented in Germany around the World wars to help heroin addicts get off of it. Methadone is addicting also as it is an opiate. but it is unique
When I was told to go off for a while the Doc gave me phenergan,clonidine and valium. all having their specialtys. valium is good at calming seizures along with xanax. Clonidine is good for the crazy High Blood Pressure , restless leg or body syndrome andgood for mellowing. Phenergan is great for the tummy and also relaxes ..Immodium you figure out on you own..I had the pill form and it worked fine. A patch is slow release over several hours.
Once again nothing really helps 100 percent except for methadone. I know the withdrawls get so bad you just don't want to move from the bed but than the restless legs drive you nuts. thankfully the meRAB do help with side affects. they used to say vitamin C was good for heroin addicts. I would imagine all vitamins are good..Potassium would also help against the kicking legs. After 4 days to a week you should be close to recover. The last week is for getting strength back. Hopefully you have people around you who are not judgemental and don't act as if it is nothing ..I find there are lots of people who have not have to endure chronic pain, and drug withdrawl. If you can live with the pain you are better off trying to but there are many who cannot. I describe some of my pain as having to go thru a high fever every day where your body aches. Not to forget the more sharper pains.
I had heard that subonx. wasn't addicting and so it was a wonder drug. God bless and if you need some more friendly encouragement don't hesitate.
 
What are your symptoms of suboxen withdrawl and maybe this doctor thinks they are not as bad as an opiate WD..I thought that suboxen wasn't an opiate so it wasn't addicting.. Is it more of a mental addiction like anxiety as you say versus the opiate WD that cause every symptom possible.
 
to add to my previous comment today I get all of those symptoms and than some. I have dreams constantly that I am spitting up nasty stomach fluiRAB and more and so I call it my body cleansing itself like its a natural process. those dreams are the worst. and I cry at the drop of a hat and get mad just as quick. The withdrawls can be as bad as the chronic pain.
Don't get stuck in a hospital with a nurse that likes to help themself. I had one do that to me and After surgery on my broken arm I went thru withdrawls in the hospital because I believe the nurse was giving me next to nothing. they say it happens all the time.
take care and hope it goes well.
 
Thanks everyone for the support....it really means alot to me.
I'm actually going to see my primary doctor and see if he can help me first, then if not I'll be on the phone trying to find a good sub doctor for sure.

Ilovehawaii....My PM doctor said that using suboxone is tons easier to get off of than the percocet and morphine I was on before. Unfortunately suboxone is VERY hard to get off of and he just doesn't understand that. Doctors can be so stupid sometimes.
Suboxone is an opiate..it has 2 components in it....buprenorphine (the opiate), and I believe it's called Naloxone (the opiate antagonist). I think that's right.

So, we'll see if I can get help from my primary....wish me luck!

schao
 
I used clonidine for withdrawals and it definitely helped. Clonidine is a blood pressure medication that slows down the central nervous system, however it was found to help with opiate withdrawal as well. I found it really helped with the sweats/chills and anxiety.

Your doctor may not have mentioned this cause he/she isn't aware that it helps addicts. Is he/she a family physician? You should print off some info about it, just in case your doctor isn't aware of the benefits of Clonidine, and ask him/her if you can do a trial to see if it helps you.

Good luck,
emsmom
 
Thanks ilovehawaii. Well, went to my PM appt. at least hoping for some anxiety medicine and he gave me NOTHING!!!! He said he doesn't prescribe anything to help with withdrawals. I was soooo mad at him. I have been going to him for 4 years now, I've been a good patient and he says that there's nothing he can give me. Clonidine was ridiculous to him.

So, if anyone knows of a sub doctor in AZ that actually helps their patients..please let me know.
I'm very down now so I'm off to bed.

schao
 
Schao, I would find another doctor period. Clonodine is well know in addiction circles to ease some of the syptoms of withdrawals. In fact, it was offered immediately to me when I went to detox at a local hospital for my withdrawals. I refused it, but it is utterly ridiculous that your doctor does not know or acknowledge this. It makes me wonder what other wrong things he has done in treating you. Do not get discouraged, just be vigilant about your health and find someone to work with you.
 
I agree with Musicman. Do some research and find another doctor. Your recovery is nuraber one, period. It may take many phone calls until you find the right one, but it will be worth it in the end.

Good luck,
emsmom
 
Haven't heard from you if I know any better and you are going through you are not wanting to do anything. Like to hear from you and see how you are doing. although suboxin. isn't somthing I am familiar with the rest is. God Bless and hang in there ...
 
If you can you might want to find a clinic etc that is more knowledgeable sounRAB like the doc missed one of the important ones to help in your pain from witdrawl..my blood pressure went thru the roof and clonidine is good for that and it has more than just blood pressure claims as it seems to calm and help with the restless leg syndrome(the reslessness can also go thru-out the body as if you have tourettes syndrome which it did for me) that can drive you mad and keep you sleepless. If you have a heart condition allowing your pressure to go thru the roof is not a good idea. But after several days you should be cleaner in your blood. I am a legal taker of pain meRAB from numerous injurys and try to educate myself as much as possible since Drs like to keep it a mystery.
 
Hi there....I was really sick yesterday laying on the bathroom floor sick from both enRAB....yuck!
My allergies are wreaking havoc on me too which doesn't help the situation at all.
I took some vistaril on Thursday night and it totally knocked me out for over 12 hours then I was really weak yesterday. Feeling a bit stronger today.
My doctor says that Suboxone is easier to come off of then percocet itself, but I really don't know if that's true or not..and I hope to never need to find out.
I do have chronic pain but I am trying to manage it myself.
Thank you for checking in on me and for the support....it really means alot to me.

Thanks,
schao
 
Ok, so my primary doctor is calling in Vistaril and Xanax. Do you all think this will help me?

Thanks,
schao
 
Hope you loaded up on the immodium for the runs. I know the WRAB are just as worst as the chronic pain if not worse. Load up on the vitamins and esp potassium for the muscles. it may help. If you can hold them down.
It is so hard I wish I could be off of the opiates but I know my migraines and pain thru put my body will not let me function properly in my life especially at work. I at one time was on four 80 mg of oxycontin along with breakthru,muscle relaxer and anxiety meRAB. ..I got off of oxycontin because of the price and it didn't last lon eough so my body was in need to soon. I am still not fully covered for my pain but it is a lot better than some of the clown DOctors out there who are either too paronoid or don't understand true pain since they never experinced it I have an old fashioned doctor. I find the methodone helps to even the wRAB thru the day and the breakthru 30 mg oxycodone- i hate the fact I am stuck on he meRAB but I have such pain that working would be out of the question and this country has a problem with taking care of its own when they are weak etc. We seem to give socialized money over to other countrys to help them in their emergencys or to keep them running but our own we insist they do it and complain how we can't afford it-job situation so poor that we cut our ownnose off to spite our face. On and on but I am ver y heart sick over the lack of compassion of our own people. If I have GoRAB backing I would do what I could to help this out.
The march of dimes back in the polio days had a great plan that seemed to take care of all the sick maybe I could get a very rich wealthy company or celebrity who made millions of billions off he backs of the american people.
Where do I start.
By the way hows the hot and cold chill and fetal position feeling along with no appetite -sick leg and body surges and restlessness-no sleep , Mood swings , thru the roof high blood pressure, inability to accomplish anything. Cringe at the feeling of or thought of water touching your flesh. running nose and yes if you suffer from allergies you will get weird returns like sneexing to the point you cannot catch your breath. opiates suppresses thecoughing, sneezing. HAve I hit most of the symptoms? Nothing helps but a methadone take over and than after a week wean off them but don't stay on them as a replacement since they are an opiate also.
In my state the help for this is appaling and the system makes you feel like a bad person.
Those who have not expericenced chronic pain and judge us should have to go thru it themselves to learn their mistaken ways.
God Bless and talk about it if you want or have the energy.
 
SounRAB like a similar med (vistaril) as the phenegan. They are older antihistamines with many qualitys. I have taken only the phenergan. I suffered from allergies when I was a child more so than as an adult and so who knows what I may have had.
Even with those two meRAB to control the WD's you will still suffer ..Can't you wean yourself down? Is suboxin more extreme to go cold turkey than say oxycodone? Whatever that case may be can you be off of the opiates completely or are you in such chronic pain? I tell people if they can go without they are better off. If you are working also don't be surprised if you have to call in sick from the havoc your body will go through.
LAstly DO NOT forget your anti-diarhea meRAB because you will not be able to be normal for a while and because of that you may lose your electrolytes so replenish!!!!!!
 
Without naming it since it doesn't run thru my mind but it starts with a p and is an old fashioned antihistamine/recovery med that works wonder on the severe agitation on your stomach and also helps to mellow you from the terrible anxiety from crying to anger..It is one that is used in hand with clonidine. It is a motion sickness helper as many antihistamines can be. I had used it from my pain mangement doctor as he wanted me to go off from time to time. Boy was that cruel. Phenergan now popped into my head..This is one more your doc should be helping you with.
As it is nothing total eliminates( unless you wean thru methadone which I have but that can be addicting too so to be on it for a long time is not a good idea) and it is still a cruel adjustment. Don't forget the Immodium full strength..These are my experiences and to get professional help who are experienced in pain med withdrawl is helpful if you can..My area where I live is so limited and it is a shame since I live in a large suburban area of a big city. It is a real shame the picture that is painted of pain meRAB and the ones who use them through a doctor to alleviate pain. The war on drugs goes so far that it creates problems for those who are legally using them..I find the hypocrisy of alcohol abuse that is an epidemic compared to legal pain meRAB to be unnoticed by the lawmakers or politicians etc. God Bless
 
Thank you all sooooo much for your replies. I really appreciate it! I'm going through this with my pain management doctor. He feels that there should be no problem getting off of suboxone..but we all know that's a bunch of crap. I see him this afternoon so I will be asking for clonidine.
Is the patch or the pills better? I'd probably have a better chance at getting the pills but we'll see. He's not a very open minded doctor and I don't think he would like it at all if I brought in info. from the internet....I would LOVE to do that though and I have thought about it. :)

If you all don't mind....say a quick prayer for me that he will be more open minded today on helping me through this. :angel: I'm down to a very low dose on suboxone but I'm really needing some meRAB for just a very short time to help with the end of this.
My symptoms are: LOTS of anxiety and panic, tired but can't sleep well, depression feelings, restlessness, and that awful crawling out of your skin feeling. Did anyone else have these as well??

Thanks so much,
schao :wave:
 
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