Clonidine 0.1 mg

[[Ch...]]

My doctor put me on clonidine to help me sleep. At the time in June I was 97 lbs. I am now 130 and I read that weight gain is a side effects. Can I taper from clonidine. 

[[Li...]]

 

 

@[Ch...]

Yes, if you have been taking clonidine for 6 months, you can and should taper it.  See the WARNINGS section of its FDA Drug Label as well as Why Clonidine Should Not Be Stopped Cold Turkey. 

Yes, weight gain is a known adverse effect of clonidine.  (As we discussed on your ‘Help’ thread on the Tapering Strategies forum, so is constipation.)

Generally speaking, it’s preferable to taper only one medication at a time.  Given that you are tapering clonazepam, I suggest you make a list of the risks/benefits of tapering it versus clonidine to inform your decision making.  I also suggest you consult with your doctor and a knowledgeable pharmacist about this.

If you are taking the extended release form of the drug, see Determine How ‘Taper-friendly’ Your Drug is from The Withdrawal Project.

Lastly, I suggest you consult with a compounding pharmacist about how to taper clonidine given that you are taking the lowest dosage form available (0.1mg).

 

 

 

 

[[Ch...]]

Thank you.  I can’t afford companding medication. 

[[Li...]]

You’re welcome @[Ch...].  There are many misconceptions about the costs of compounding.  My experience is that reputable compounding pharmacists are quite open to (1) working with patients to find an affordable ‘solution’ to meet compounding needs and (2) educating patients about formulation options.  For example, here’s a stability-tested formulation for a stability-tested 10 microgram (10mcg) per milliliter clonidine oral suspension.

 

 

 

 

[[Ch...]]

My pharmacy is so busy. I am just going to shave like I do for my klonopin 

[[Re...]]

I would consider this @[Ch...]those people are trained professionals, it should not be an issue for them. I have just seen a video about it, it truly does not seem like something overcomplicated. 

Had I had the chance earlier and access to the mix liquid, I would have done this... It is way less stressful than shaving pills... 

[[Ch...]]

It is just clonidine 

[[Re...]]

Libertas provided a link above, please check it out. It does make sense... 

[[Ch...]]

6 hours ago, [[L...] said:

You’re welcome @[Ch...].  There are many misconceptions about the costs of compounding.  My experience is that reputable compounding pharmacists are quite open to (1) working with patients to find an affordable ‘solution’ to meet compounding needs and (2) educating patients about formulation options.  For example, here’s a stability-tested formulation for a stability-tested 10 microgram (10mcg) per milliliter clonidine oral suspension.

Can I do that myself? 

[[Li...]]

Yes, you could certainly trial this.  Multiple members over the years have made their own do-it-yourself liquids using regular tablets and a commercial suspending vehicle.  The formulation I cited upthread uses Ora-Mix SF (Sugar Free) from Medisca as the suspending vehicle, but there are also studies indicating that Ora-Plus and Ora-Blend may be used. See for example:

Stability evaluation of compounded clonidine hydrochloride oral liquids based on a solid-phase extraction HPLC-UV method (2021)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8631633/