Following SG Block yesterday doc gave me script for clonodine patch.

Anyone use these before? How did it make you feel?

Google says it is an Anti hypertentsive. Google says its works along the nerve pathways so blood passes through more easily. Guessing this may help with my cold hands and feet and the pain it causes when the vessels dilate.

Is it ok to use with Topral (25 mg)?

Just checking back...anyone have any experiences with this drug?

Thanks for any help.

Clonidine is used in RSD... to affect nerve functions (I don't believe it
has anything to do with dilating blood vessels per se--any dilation would be
secondary to the nerve blocking effects).

But I do see you are taking Toprol? This drug CAUSES cold hands and feet
as a side effect. It is one of the most common side effects people complain about.

Clonidine lowers blood pressure when it is elevated in hypertensives.
It is somewhat sedating also. But the sedating effects vary from person to
person. In addiction management very high doses are commonly given and those patients seem to tolerate it okay. One cannot stop clonidine cold turkey however when going off...it should be tapered. It can cause rebound hypertension and this can be serious.

Clonidine is often added to transdermal gels used for pain.
Other ingredients can be ketoprofen, gabapentin, Ketamine, mixed together.

Here is a site that discusses the patch you are considering:
http://www.rsdfoundation.org/en/en_treatments.html
The patch is typically used over the painful area only.

A small number of patients (about 2%) become agitated on clonidine. This can be confused with mania, and it goes away when the drug is discontinued.

This might not be of any help to you, Shelley, but my son took clonidine when he was a little boy to ease migraines and also to calm what they thought was chorea (movement disorder) at the time. It wasn't the patch though, it was in the pill form.

I'm not sure of its mechanism in helping with migraines, but I do know that was one of the main reasons the neurologist wanted to try this drug, because he basically felt he could treat the migraines and calm the movement disorder at the same time.

Clonidine [Catapres, Dixarit] is actually one of the most common medications prescribed to help calm/reduce motor tics in people who have tic disorders and want to try medication. I don't think it's used for migraine too much these days as there are newer medications now.

Just my personal obvervations... It made him perspire profusely. It in turn made him very thirsty and had very dry eyes. It made him lethargic. That, btw, was on only one dose daily. I've since figured out that he should have been receiving split doses throughout the day rather than the one dose in the morning. I guess that's why the patch is so popular.

As mrsd said, it's extremely important never to stop Clonidine abruptly as doing that can cause rebound high blood pressure.

Thank you both.

THis morning I took three things.

Clonidine patch, topamax and cellebrex. Clonidine for nerve pain for susupected rsd. topamax for pain for rsd and cellebrex for inflammation and swelling.

Weird thing I have been emotional now for 3 hours constant crying and I am not typically a cryer. I logged call to doc. I actually started the topamax last night and was emotional last night too after I woke up from drowiness caused after taking topamax.

Could the drugs be causing this this emotion? I certainly do not feel any better. Argh

I am so scared

Hey Shelley. big HUG to you. Just hang on there.
What time is it there? Sounds very complex to me. I take it that you were taking the Cellebrex before starting the Topamax and the Clonidine in the past 24 hours? If you have only begun to feel this way since adding the Topamax and the Clonidine, then they'd have to be suspect. I would suspect the Topamax if this was happening to me but then I'm no doctor.

Hopefully that doctor will get back to you very fast.
keep talking here if that makes you feel better.



P.S. You did stop taking that 5-HTP didn't you?

Shelley, found this about Topomax and Clonidine from drugs.com

Drug-Drug Interactions

clonidine and topiramate (moderate Drug-Drug)
Description:

MONITOR:
Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.

MANAGEMENT:
During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be made aware of the possibility of additive CNS effects (e.g., drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion) and counseled to avoid activities requiring mental alertness until they know how these agents affect them. Patients should also be advised to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.


Any word from that doctor yet?
gotta get off the phone here quickly as someone else needs to use it, but I'll come back as soon as they get off so I can check to see how you're doing there.

hey sweetheart...your monkey buddy is here for you.

i hope you are resting. i'll be watching for your little green light.

how are you feeling?

have some of the meds starting wearing off? have you taken anything since this morning?