Clonidine Withdrawal & Tolerance
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I am taking Clonidine for an off label use to treat Bruxism(teeth clenching at night). Currently 0.2mg just at night ,but considering trying 0.3mg. My questions are

1) I've heard some people develop a tolerance to Clonidine after taking it for a longtime(so it becomes ineffective and the dose must be increased or treatment stopped). How long can I take before I should take a break ,so I don;t develop this tolerance?


2) If I take 0.3mg and then want to stop taking it , if i reduce my dose by 0.05(half a tablet) every 3-4 days should that avoid rebound hypertension ?


My doctor said withdrawal and tolerance are not problems at all so i can stop cold when i want, but don;t think it is a drug she has experience prescribing (only prescribed it as I suggested trying it ,from studies I had seen regarding bruxism). Any advice would be great , as I am taking this medication but pretty much in the dark how to use it safely!!!!

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The most common medication for bruxism is flexeril. It doesn't make sense for them to give u clonidine for this. The flexeril is to relax your muscles so that you won't grind your teeth

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PLEASE READ ALL THE INFO. ON THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS MED. AND WITHDRAWAL OF IT FROM YOUR MEDICATION REGIME. IT READS: To wean off of Clonidine as withdrawal symptoms can be a problem. The major symptom is extreme hypertension. It usually is transient but can be extremely high.

I suggest that you purchase a blood pressure monitor (wallmart brand- $40 or use some access b/p machine close to you (drugstore etc) to monitor your b/p during the time you quit taking the med. Try to cut down on the dosage and go slowly.

I am an RN with a Masters Degree and have been a nursing educator for the last 15 years and I have been on this drug for 4 months. I have completed extensive research on the internet on Clonidine. I did notice a dramatic rise in my blood pressure when decreasing the dose from 0.6 mg to 0.4mg. It was transient but drastic. Everything that you read warns that stopping the drug without weaning can cause some problems. Just wean down a mg every week until you reach your desired dose.

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Everyone will eventually develop a tolerance to any medication that they take for a long period of time, that's not just relevant to Clonidine.

And there is no way to know when it will happen to you, or if any changes to taking it, such as break, would help prevent it. That sometimes works for some people, but there are others that have had no luck with it.

As to an appropriate taper schedule, you'd need to talk to your doctor about that. They can help you discover what would work best for you to prevent the rebound problems. Sometimes it's tapered by lowering the dosage, as you mentioned, but sometimes it may be better to skip days, there are various factors involved.

And yes, you are right, they are very real problem, if your doctor isn't familiar, she should research it.

You can learn more Clonidine details here.

As to the bruxism, have you consulted your dentist on how best to deal with it?

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