Clonidine for High Blood Pressure User Reviews (Page 3)

• pen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2013

"I have been taking clonidine for 4 days, and my blood pressure has not gone down at all. I am so dizzy and lightheaded that it is making it difficult to function. Also, very dry mouth, so it is just not working for me."

• Pri...
• May 27, 2017

"I do not respond well to drugs and need the highest dose possible; e.g., I have taken Amitriptyline 100 mg plus Clonazepam 2 mg for sleep for years and still am not a good sleeper. Clonidine was added to my blood pressure regimen (Lisinopril 40, Atenolol 100, Amlodipine 10) when I continued to have erratic blood pressure and frequent TIAs. When my blood pressure is high, it is my go-to drug because it works. And I got a couple of side benefits. It has a calming, sedating effect on me and, added to my other sleeping meds, really helps me get quality sleep. And then, I discovered that it helped when I was having a severe flashback (I also have PTSD and other dissociative symptoms, including fugues). It has been a wonder drug for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 26, 2023

"I see clonidine can be very helpful to some people, but my experience has been different. I was originally on labetalol, which helped my blood pressure somewhat, but it gave me heartburn and subsequent erosive esophagitis. I was then put on lisinopril 20 mg twice a day, a.m. and p.m., and clonidine 0.01 three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening. This caused severe constipation and worsening of my esophagitis. For myself, this has been a very scary situation because my gastrointestinal symptoms got much worse, and this is a very difficult medication to come off. I am now in the process of weaning off this medication after being on it for a year. It has caused my blood pressure to go too high and then too low. It has caused me severe anxiety and made me unable to function, along with muscle and back pain. I am trying very hard to come off this medication by cutting each dose by half, such as the 0.01 pill I cut in half. For myself, the side effects got worse the longer I was on the medication."

• Lam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 25, 2023

"I have been taking this awful stuff for about 5 years. It was the only drug that brought my BP down, but the side effects continue to make my life hell. I’m tired all day. I take .3 mg three times a day, and about an hour after each dose, I can’t function. I get high, extremely tired, and have to lie down. It can ruin your day. I’m constantly constipated to the point of sometimes having one bowel movement a week! I have PAD, and this stuff makes my legs ache, making it difficult to walk. My doctor won’t budge on changing it. I’m ready to go through withdrawals and live my life again, even if it’s shorter. It’s that nasty."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2016

"I've been taking clonidine for over a month for anxiety, but the psychiatrist said it can help my hypertension as well. So I went ahead and tried it, and after a few days of taking a small quarter to half of the 0.1 mg, I was able to go to half, which I am very proud of because I have severe anxiety when it comes to taking meds! Anyway, I had 3 blood pressure scares in a 2-month time that led me to my P.C. and 5 HBP meds later (2 in which had me in the ER for an allergic reaction). It is safe to say that this medication has been a huge blessing to me for anxiety and hypertension. My numbers for blood pressure are still higher than I'd like, but have gone down several points in 2-4 weeks. I am fairly okay with this one! A little drowsiness and dizziness, but I can get used to that! Give it a try!"

• rl_...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2024

Clonidine "Taking Nexiclon has been a game-changer for me since it simplifies my daily medication routine. Instead of taking clonidine twice a day, I can now take just one extended-release tablet. What makes this medication particularly impressive is how it effectively manages both my blood pressure while also helping with my ADHD symptoms. The convenience of having one medication serving dual purposes has really streamlined my daily routine. Getting good results with a single daily dose has made everything so much more manageable, and I'm really pleased with how well it's working for both conditions."

• Anonymous
• October 19, 2008

"Clonidine, along with Diovan, brought my blood pressure under control. The side effects that are so annoying for me are extreme dry mouth and constipation. So, I chew gum, gargle, and brush my teeth with a product for dry mouth, and I am using Mag 07 for the constipation. I dislike the side effects, but I am so glad my blood pressure is under control."

• Flo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 28, 2016

"Been taking it on and off because I have high blood pressure. However, I am a college student and I suffered from severe drowsiness during the day. I was prescribed 0.1 mg at night. I slept well, but during class, I was so sleepy I found it difficult to stay alert. I stopped taking it, and currently, I am on break from school. I restarted the clonidine, and I was hoping I would get used to it, but I still feel drowsy during the day. On the other hand, my blood pressure has still been high, it's been 4 weeks, and I am taking it religiously. I plan to discuss this with my doctor on my next office visit. I am afraid that she is going to increase my dose. I can only imagine how much more drowsiness I am going to feel on a higher dose :("

• nrv...
• January 25, 2016

"Used Clonidine transdermal for 3 months, brought BP of 169/114 down to an average of 135/90. Had swelling of the face, redness, swelling, itching of eyes, and blurred vision. Made it extremely hard to function with tiredness and inability to think and worsened feelings of depression. After the 3rd month, developed painful, itchy rashes at the patch site even with the application of Benadryl spray before application. Became allergic to jewelry, deodorants, and some foods. Trial of Lisinopril was a nightmare, so had to go back on the patch with worsened symptoms. Have been off for two days, and pressure is spiking. I am to try another med, but am experiencing a prolonged allergic reaction at patch sites and am nervous about the consequences."

• man...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 24, 2016

"I take it at night because my doc said it could cause drowsiness, but I have taken it during the day if I have a BP spike, and I've never had drowsiness or dizziness. Guess I'm lucky considering what I have read here. I also take amlodipine in the morning and don't have any side effects with that."

• kal...
• October 20, 2019

"I've used clonidine before for high blood pressure. I don't think I had hot flashes at the time, but I wanted to give my two cents' worth regarding a couple of things. It absolutely will make you sleepy for a couple of weeks, then it wears off. The sleepy part, that is. Also, you get dry mouth. The sleepy part is great at night for those of us with insomnia, but during the day, it's not feasible. Lastly, I need to comment about how much people are saying they're taking. No way it's 25 mg, probably 0.25 mg! I overdosed on this medication when I was much, much younger. It would be very dangerous for someone to take a dose like that! Please don't play with these pills. If your doctor says one pill, take one pill. I may try them again for hot flashes, as HRT made my migraines worse."

• Kat...
• May 28, 2018

"I have problems with blood pressure meds, but the clonidine patch is horrible. It has caused a lot of bad side effects, I feel horrible all the time, and it has caused bad reactions with my other meds."

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2022

"I’ve been taking .1 of clonidine for 2 weeks. I had suffered with generalized anxiety disorder and post-menopausal hyperhidrosis. I could not function because my hands, scalp, and face would get so wet and drip everywhere. I would have to drink a lot of water because I was sweating so much. Clonidine is a miracle drug for me. I don’t have any side effects, just a little constipation that I fixed by eating more fiber and magnesium citrate. I am very happy."

• Qua...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2023

"I have been on Nadolol for 30 years, Lisinopril for 10 years, and Losartan for 5 years. In March of this year, I was taking up to 6 Nadolol tablets a day. However, I had to stop taking Lisinopril due to kidney function issues caused by potassium, which actually raised my blood pressure. So I started a plant-based diet to improve the health of my kidneys, liver, and pancreas and I also lost 45lbs. My doctor had previously prescribed Clonidine for the withdrawal off of opiates 3 years ago, which worked well for me. So I told my doctor that I started using the remaining Clonidine, taking .001mg every 12 hours, and stopped taking Nadolol. I have been taking Clonidine daily for 4 months now and it has kept my blood pressure average at 115/65 all day, even during physical activities like landscaping. It has also helped with my ADHD, GAD, OCD, and arthritis."

• Lmj...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 21, 2021

"Have HBP secondary to PKD. Tried many meds to find something that worked, landed on clonidine. Worked great for years until my pharmacy switched primary manufacturers from Unichem to Trupharma, which only worked a few hours, and not well. Had tried other generics, did not have an issue. Until now. Pharmacy did not have Unichem, gave me Trupharma, got a replacement, Actavis, which is worse. Pressure behind eyes is severe, BP is in the 150s/90s (I take other BP meds too). All generics are NOT created equal."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2022

"Like many other reviewers here, I had a bad experience. It does lower blood pressure, but at the expense of numerous side effects. The active ingredient has a significant effect on adrenaline and cortisol. Cortisol is the feel-good hormone, so when it is deficient, you will have symptoms of fatigue, nausea, orthostatic intolerance, etc."

• chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 8, 2024

"Clonidine IR has been a miracle. I'm in my 40s. I've had high BP since my late 20s and was taking hydrochlorothiazide. In my mid-30s, that didn't work anymore. Doc switched me to triamterene. It didn't help. Then I tried lisinopril which gave me extreme headaches and nausea, interfering with work. Doc switched me to amlodipine. I ended up in the ER with 182/101, so I went back to the thiazide. 145/94 became my average and sometimes 155/98. I also deal with anxiety, pain, PTSD, and ADHD. I stopped my pain meds. Stopped all my other meds and only take clonidine, and it helps with everything! I can actually watch a movie, get work done responsibly, and sleep. My BP is 117/64 after I take it and up to 138/84 as it approaches time for another dose. My only concern is that my body can feel when it is due for another dose, and I can feel it wearing off, and I need the next dose to prevent anxiety or spikes. Xanax was better in that regard. I never felt like I needed another dose of Xanax 0.5. Last resort."

• sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2017

"No. No. No. Scary. I never had sleep problems, and when I went to the doc, my blood pressure was high because of some things going on in my life. She said, 'Here, take this.' I got home, took it, and woke up with dreams that scared me so bad, and then I felt drained all day. I've been on it 3 days, I don't like it. Last night, I took my normal med and slept better than I have all week."

• Emm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2016

"I am new to this drug. I've never had high blood pressure before now. Weight gain doesn't help it. I was on Norvasc 5 mg. It made my heart race and my face bright red. I called the pharmacy and asked about cutting it in half. They said it was okay to do. My pill cutter is inaccurate, so it was more like a 2/3 to 1/3 split when I cut it. I am cowardly regarding Rx medicine. I took the 1/3 pill. Same exact reaction - very fast heartbeat and red face. I was only walking from the kitchen to the computer - not exercising. So I had this one (Clonidine) in the ER when I went in for back pain (which turned out to be shingles). It worked quickly in the ER but made me dopey. I'm going to try it for a week. I'm in my mid 60s."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2017

"I am being weaned off Valium, but I am still on morphine. I have been going through withdrawal symptoms. Sweating, insomnia, anxiety, panic, stomach pain, BP going up to stroke zone, glucose levels, just as bad. All of September and October have been some of the worst days of my life. Dr. put me on Clonidine for high blood pressure, it made it go higher, and I am sleeping my life away... not good."

• Avo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2018

"This drug gave me intense hallucinations. I'd ask the doctor for something else if you have any tendency toward hallucinations (Vicodin does that to me as well). Then my dad took just one pill and had to go into the hospital with severe diarrhea and passing out."

• Nes...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 13, 2022

"I am a retired physician. When I was an ER doctor, I used clonidine extensively on patients with severe high blood pressure, with good results. (This was short-term). I developed hypertension myself about 15 years ago. However, it became much more severe over time. I have been given about 6 different blood pressure agents, but recently none controlled me. Clonidine 0.1 mg was initially helpful. I was finally hospitalized with a BP of 220/120. I was seen by a total of 6 doctors over three hospitalizations. Nothing they gave me worked. I went back to clonidine 0.2 mg every 2 hours. (Sometimes with doxazosin 2 mg or amlodipine 10 mg. These do not help very much). The most severe elevations usually occur between 5:30 AM and 11:00 AM. This is called the 'morning surge'. (Causes?). During the surge, I take clonidine more frequently. However, I have found that if you take clonidine 0.2 mg with Ambien 10 mg at bedtime, this will drop your systolic BP to about 120 mmHg for 7 hours."

• Hea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 3, 2023

"Better BP. Have been taking Clonidine for 4 years. I have tried many BP meds with negative results. I have POTS/Dysautonomia. Clonidine pill form 0.1mg, use only Unichem or Sun Pharma / white oval. Pill splitter or compound pharmacy. Success comes with a smaller dose from the start! Clonidine. 0.1mg = 100mg of something else. Having the freedom of dosing at certain times can greatly improve the negative side effects like elevated BP etc. For me, Clonidine has an 11-hour cycle and I will begin to feel dizziness, headaches, anxiety and high BP at 8 hours. My experience for BP stability is 7 hours at 3 times daily, keeping my dose lower than most with 0.13 - 1.3mg per day, yet ahead of the curve for a 12-hour dosage. Clonidine is interesting and what I have discovered is that taking the same daily dose, 1.3mg at 4 times daily, leaves me stupefied. I can’t think, just want to sleep. Overdose! If you're new to Clonidine, give it two months. Be cautious with sugar, fruit, caffeine. No alcohol or cannabis."

• Mr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 26, 2016

"Well, I was prescribed this in the ER for cardiac rhythm issues and crazy cardio. Electrical activity. Transdermal - had periods of high and low BP, no reason diagnosed yet. Also on 100 x 3 mg morphine sulfate, MS Contin (es) 5 x daily for severe back injury with 7 surgeries. Had been able to not have ANY cardio issues at all - e.g. sweating, pounding heart, erratic rhythm, ringing ears, feeling like passing out, etc. Also able to drop pain management by 30%, no issues or withdrawal. Worked like a charm and only knew about cardiac uses until I looked at the reviews here (no joke). Stats - age 47, male, no smoker, no alcohol, no recreational drugs. No other scripted meds."

• car...
• April 21, 2016

"Well, I just started, been on them about a month now. And so far, I guess I'm cool with them. My high blood pressure was just out of control, y'all. But so far, I haven't had a bad trip or anything, and I'm also a Suboxone user, have been for 8 years and counting. I had a few side effects like the stuffy nose and insomnia, and this is my story."