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Clonidine

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Thought it would be good to have a thread on this medication for those with hyperadrenergic POTS and/or orthostatic hypertension issues. Please share your experiences with this drug.

Clonidine is a high blood pressure drug but one which lowers noradrenaline so it can have a balancing affect on BP.

I went back to the specialist who'd been the one who put me on this drug (for hyper POTS and orthostatic hypertension spikes).. and interestly my "regular" sitting BP actually seems to have gone up a little on it (but now without the standing high BP spikes which were an issue). My sitting BP today was something like 137/86. Not something I would of expected seeing its a drug used for high BP and of recent times before starting this drug, my sitting readings are usually lower.

My sitting BPs used to be this high or higher at one point with the ME but havent been for over a couple of years so todays sitting BP rate surprised me. (unless it was coming down from a standing spike? I think I need to be taking my BP more to make sure the standing spikes are gone. My specialist for some reason had to take it several times in a row.. the other results I didnt see.. maybe my body was doing its erroring out BP monitor thing??)

As there has thou been no effect on the POTS, we are now trialing it in a higher dose. .. so going up from quarter of a 100mcg pill to half a pill. Really hoping it helps the hyper POTS.

Im still also on the Florinef for the low blood volume side of my POTS.
 

Allyson

Senior Member
Messages
1,684
Location
Australia, Melbourne
Thought it would be good to have a thread on this medication for those with hyperadrenergic POTS and/or orthostatic hypertension issues. Please share your experiences with this drug.

Clonidine is a high blood pressure drug but one which lowers noradrenaline so it can have a balancing affect on BP.

Hi Tania, I did not know clonidine was used to treat hypertension

I take it occasionally to sleep - only when I really need to.

I take the smallest bit I can break off - so much less that a quarter tab or less thatn .05 mg and I find it usually works reaaly well to help me sleep - sonetimes takes 30 minso or so, and that I almost always wake up feeling pretty good after taking it...in that i feel well and asymptomatic.

I don t want to take it regularly though as it is habit forming..
I understood that it boosts blood volume and put these effects down to that as I find anything that does that helps me. (eg IM vit B 12)