Risks of Clonidine Treatment
Clonidine can be used safely in many people. However, one of the biggest risks of clonidine is that it should not be suddenly discontinued. Stopping the drug cold turkey can have serious health consequences, including a rapid rise in blood pressure that can cause a stroke or death. You may also experience symptoms like agitation, tremor or confusion.
If you need to stop taking clonidine, you should only do so while being closely monitored by your doctor. Generally, your doctor will reduce your dose over the course of several days to safely wean you off the drug.
Abuse Potential
Although clonidine is not a controlled substance, experts believe it does have abuse potential. Some people may begin to psychologically rely on clonidine while getting treatment for opioid addiction, associating clonidine with the relief of opioid withdrawal symptoms. Other times, people who struggle with central nervous system depressants like opioids may intentionally take clonidine in an attempt to enhance their high.
Related Topic: Narcotics abuse symptoms