Overview
A person who has been under the influence of alcohol, opiates, and other substances will experience withdrawal symptoms due to detox. When that happens, Clonidine or Catapres (brand name) is usually given by a medical personnel to ease these side effects.
Aside from easing withdrawal symptoms, this medication is also used for treating other conditions such as attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder (ADHD), pain from menstruation and cancer, and stomach ache.
Physical Feature
Clonidine usually comes in tablet form with different colors corresponding to various dosages or contents. Typically, there are three colors for the tablets, which are peach, tan, and orange. Each color has its respective strength – peach 0.3-mg, orange 0.2-mg, and tan 0.1-mg.
Factors Affecting Dosage of Clonidine
Similar to other types and brands of medication, the dosage of Clonidine will vary to different individuals. The usual factors considered for determining dosage include the type of substance abused, duration of addiction or abuse, and the presence of other drugs used along with the main substance abused.
The age and health status of the patients also affect the dosage given by doctors and medical staff. For the elderly, the initial dosage will be lower compared to that given for adults.
As the medication continues, the doctor will monitor the vital signs of the patient considering Clonidine affects blood pressure. This simply entails that each patient receives a customized medication program for Clonidine.
Meanwhile, for patients with kidney problems, a lower initial dosage will be given and doctors will keep a close eye on them. This must be done considering that hemodialysis only removes a minute amount of substance from the blood.
Ingesting Clonidine
The administration of Clonidine to patients can be done in three methods, which are injection, oral intake, and skin patch. Among these methods, oral ingestion and injection provide the fastest and best results in alleviating withdrawal symptoms.
You need to seek medical advice from a licensed medical staff or doctor in getting the proper dosage of Clonidine. Never practice self-medication as this can worsen the situation and may lead to another substance abuse.
The skin patch Clonidine is typically given when the patient has undergone treatment and counseling already. This is done to prevent any relapse after the medication program.
Interaction of Clonidine with Other Drugs
Similar to other medications, Clonidine interacts with other drugs and substances inside your body. This medication amplifies the sedating and drowsing effect of alcohol and other depressants.
When a person is taking a tricyclic antidepressant, it reduces the medicinal effect of Clonidine which pushes for the higher dosage to achieve the same level of effect. If Clonidine mixes with a neuroleptic, it induces side effects like lower blood pressure, drowsiness, and overfatigue.
Clonidine is also not advisable to mix with other medications having contents like calcium channel blockers and digitalis. The mixture of these compounds can lead to irregular heartbeat which can be a serious case that needs immediate hospitalization.
Considering these chemical interactions of Clonidine with certain medications and substances, it is best for the patients to fully disclose medical history when talking to medical personnel or doctors. This must be observed for the safety and welfare of the individual.
Natural Side Effects of Clonidine
Despite the beneficial impact of this medication, it comes with minor side effects that are not of great danger to patients. Rest assured, these side effects are expected to be felt by any individual taking Clonidine. Moreover, these side effects are not expected to last for a longer duration and be life-threatening to the patient.
- Stimulates Appetite of Patient
The expected effect of alcohol and drug abuse among patients is losing one’s appetite. Clonidine on the other hand does the opposite, that is, enhancing one’s metabolism to increase appetite.
While taking this medication, the individual is expected to gradually gain weight due to an increase in their metabolism and appetite. Likewise, glucose will slowly increase in the patient’s blood giving more energy for daily tasks and chores.
- Increased Sensitivity to Alcohol
When the patient ingests Clonidine, it affects one’s body by being highly sensitive to low alcohol contents. If the patient starts to drink alcohol again, negative effects will be felt by the body which moves the individual to shy away from substances with alcohol contents.
This makes Clonidine truly helpful for people suffering from alcohol use disorder. It motivates people to avoid alcoholic drinks because of the painful effects on the body.
- Induces Side Effects on Brain and Behavior
A patient under medication with Clonidine will also feel minor side effects parallel when abusing substances. These side effects include slight agitation, trouble sleeping, lack of enthusiasm, and anxiety.
This is the main reason why one cannot go for self-medication with Clonidine and other prescription drugs because it might worsen the situation and lead to another substance abuse.
- Minor Gut Pains
Regardless of the mode of taking Clonidine, one may feel slight discomfort in the stomach or gut. Constipation will also be felt by the patient but only for a temporary time. These gastrointestinal side effects are more common to patients orally ingesting this medication.
- Other Side Effects
Apart from the side effects mentioned above, there are other uncommon side effects induced by using this medication which include joint pains, muscle cramps, dryness of eyes and mouth, lower sex drive, skin rashes, drowsiness, and tendency to urinate frequently.
Conclusion
Clonidine is a proven medication to alleviate withdrawal symptoms when a patient undergoes detoxification from substance abuse and alcoholism. Similar to other drugs, patients require a prescription from certified doctors and medical staff.
Alongside with its health benefits, one cannot avoid the minor side effects from using Clonidine. However, the greater impact of this medication for the recovery of patients have been seen to be worthwhile for many years already.
If one is planning to overcome alcoholism and drug addiction, the individual can choose to undergo inpatient or outpatient treatment programs. No matter what type you choose, its overall goal is to help individuals recover from addiction and drug dependence.
Always seek medical advice from doctors and licensed medical practitioners when undergoing a rehab treatment program.
