Clonidine + Clonazepam

[Sosumi]

Is there any rational reason to use the combination of clonidine and clonazepam for any indication? That is without any other antihypertensive and antiseizure medication.

One of the first weird things I learned working retail in downtown was the abuse potential of these two agents. It's always fishy seeing "Clonidine 0.3mg po tid #90" and "Klonopin 2mg po tid #90". My pharmacist never fills these scripts, but I have seen it dispensed at my suburban community rotation sites.

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[bananaface]

Menopause related symptoms? Not that either is a great choice.

Why not two seperate diagnoses?

 

[Pilot]

Anxiety-mediated hypertension.

 

[kristakoch]

Is there any rational reason to use the combination of clonidine and clonazepam for any indication? That is without any other antihypertensive and antiseizure medication.

One of the first weird things I learned working retail in downtown was the abuse potential of these two agents. It's always fishy seeing "Clonidine 0.3mg po tid #90" and "Klonopin 2mg po tid #90". My pharmacist never fills these scripts, but I have seen it dispensed at my suburban community rotation sites.

Sure there is - withdrawl. Both medications are used very commonly in a withdrawl situation to counteract many of the adverse events that occur when a patient goes through withdrawl

 

[Sosumi]

Sure there is - withdrawl. Both medications are used very commonly in a withdrawl situation to counteract many of the adverse events that occur when a patient goes through withdrawl

I thought you usually give other benzos like diazepam for withdrawal symptoms?

 

[npage148]

Not postive, but i think klonipin is one of the more used benzons when dealing with alcohol withdrawl. I think valium would come into play with benzo withdrawl due to its longest halflife.
I see alot of clonidine used for anxiety somethimes with a benzo or not

 

[Sosumi]

Thanks. That's good to know.

Most of the prescriptions we see are clearly not for that indication then, but rather just to get high. They're pretty easy to spot.

 

[MAXHARDC]

Personally I feel benzo's are underutilized in the medical community. They are a very effective means of treating mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, phobia's, insomnia, behaviour disorders etc.

Anyhow, in my personal experience with benzo's, I've found Klonopin (clonazepam) to be my preferred drug in this catagory. Unlike Valium, Klonopin has a long half life ie 24-36 hours (i can't remember the exact number). For me, this prevents peaks and crashes, and keeps my anxiety at bay for 2-3 days from one single dosage. Where is Valium would put me to sleep like a baby, then the effects subsided early the next morning and left me feeling more anxious than my original state prior.

The downside with benzo's is definately ther addictive tendencies.
For this reason, I use low dose Klonopin ie 0.5mg only as needed to treat occasional anxiety related sleep difficulties. At this point I have had zero problems, and zero side effects.

These drugs do not go well with alcohol, and may introduce you to the "g-hole" real quick. For those of you who have used benzo's, I'm sure your already aware of this.

A patient once told me his story where he used 1 gram of phenibut/600mg of l-theanine/0.5mg Klonopin with 6 Coors light. Within a couple hours he was "g-holed" quite badly.

He said he could see things ahead of him while he was walking, and istead of walking around them, like he intended to do, he would walk straight into them. Almost as if he had no choice.

Thats it for now. Come on, someone else add to my pathetic stories.

Max

 

[bananaface]

I think you have effectively demonstrated why benzos are not preferred for all conditions in which they are effective.