clonodine | ADHD Information

Hello, I havent had my child on the medicine. but I myself have been on it for other reasons. I could not take it due to severe anxiety increase and severe memory loss. I tend to be sensitive to meds. though. Our sons take it for sleep. On our boys though it makes them very cranky. They do not take much at all. We use to take one during the day to help relax a little but it would make my youngest grouchy and fall asleep.

My daughter (who is 7 and severely adhd) takes it to help her sleep at night and to help calm her during the day. She only takes it before bed at night though. She seems to be doing a little better but it's only been a couple weeks. It helps her sleep but doesn't seem to help her GET to sleep.

Hope this helps!

Does anyone find that it helps with the evening let down period ( tantrum,anxiety,crabbiness) ??Yes it helps my daughter a lot. She goes to sleep easily and it seems to calm her during the day with Risperdal and Concerta.
It sounded like a ton of meds to me at the time her doctor prescibed it but she just had a fantastic week at school which in the past was unrealistic for her. She has been doing fantastic.
It definitely helps her at night though.

I really think the Clonidine is more effective in treating my son's ADHD than
the Ritalin. He takes it 3 times a day and I would not want to go a single day
without it.

He's been on it for 2 years along with a stimulant (first Focalin XR and now
Ritalin LA.)

Hey! I'm writing from Vegas. It's 114 here today, so my son and I are both taking a break from the heat--he is watching the Cartoon Network, and I am in the business station.

Got a question--has anyone tried Clonodine for anxiety in kids? I've been watching my kid for the last week, and I have come to the conclusion he needs something to calm his nerves. He's all over the place and none of this homeopathic stuff is making a bit of difference! I mean none! I've been doing some research, and I've read that Clonodine is being used for anxiety and tics. It's also suppose to be great for helping with sleep, as well, and my son has insomnia. I'm thinking this might be a good drug to try and it sounds less dangerous than a lot of others out there. Has anyone used this?

hi Lillian-There was another post regarding a 2 1/2 year old on Clonodine. My son is on Guanfacine(Tenex)-they are categroized similarly-he also suffered from anxiety,tics and impulsiveness. My son could not take stimulant medications or Strattera. It has helped both quite a bit. They can make the child tired at first, but my Dr. recommended starting at a very low dose and then increasing slowly. Also, there is an appetite increase as one of the side effects. I have seen some excellent sites on both meds, I will try to locate some for you.Oh-BTW-How is the Martial Arts Competition going??????????????????????When I started my research I noticed a lot of research stating that Guanfacine has fewer side effects than Clonidine and is less sedating-they are chemically related-you should probably ask your docotr about both. I don't see where it states that these meds help much with anxiety -although I did see a marked difference in my sons anxiety level-but it may have been performance anxiety and when he was able to perform, his anxiety decreased.

Clonidine: Sleepiness

The side effects of clonidine include sleepiness, which is dose-dependent and usually subsides within two to three weeks after the medication is begun. The dose should be started low at 0.05 mg twice a day to avoid excessive sedation and gradually increased as tolerated over two to three weeks to clinical effectiveness (approximately 4-5 micrograms/kg/day for school-aged children). The sleepiness with clonidine can often be helpful in treating bedtime wakefulness or sleep disturbances in children with ADHD (Wilens et al. 1994; Prince et al. 1996). Clonidine is also marketed in a patch form (Catapres TTS), which comes in three strengths and is effective for treatment of ADHD and tics (Comings et al. 1990). It provides a steady level for five to seven days and can be placed in the mid-back area so the child may not easily remove it. Sedation is less in the patch form compared to the tablet form. However, the patch may be irritating to the skin in approximately 30% of patients. Vancenase AQ double strength nasal spray may be sprayed on the back and allowed to dry before placing the patch to decrease skin irritation (Hagerman et al. 1998). In young children, four to six years of age, the Catapres TTS1 patch may be cut in half or smaller to decrease the dosage (Hagerman et al. 1995). The patch should be avoided in the child under four years, who may eat it and thereby cause a significant overdose, which requires hospitalization. When clonidine is discontinued, the dose should be tapered gradually to avoid a significant increase in blood pressure and severe headaches, which may occur with abrupt withdrawal. When the patch is removed, there is a gradual natural taper of the medication from skin stores.

Clonidine: Guanfacine (Tenex)

Guanfacine (Tenex) is chemically related to clonidine, but it has a longer half-life (18 hours vs. 6 hours) and it is less sedating. Hunt et al. (1995) recently reported that guanfacine significantly improved hyperactivity and inattention in 13 children with ADHD. They also mentioned that several patients responded better to a combination of guanfacine and methylphenidate than to either medication alone. Many children with FXS have been successfully treated with guanfacine when the side effects from clonidine, particularly sedation, have been intolerable (Amaria et al. 2001). Guanfacine can also be substituted for clonidine when the child wakes up at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. after a bedtime dose of clonidine. The longer half-life of guanfacine facilitates a full night of sleep.

EastWest38548.7308796296my son has been on clonidine for about 3 years now. The normal dosing for kids is .1mg I'm not sure what it is for an adult with high blood pressure. I'd like to know that. Well, it's back to google. gana find out and get back to you.well, it looks like it is the same in adults. go figure, i think i'm going to ask the dr what kind of long term effects this will have on his heart.Hi Lillian! Hope you get to have some fun and R&R while in Las Vegas! My son was on Clonidine for about a year. Yes, we did notice it helped him sleep... but that was about it. We had to have a heart test recently (why can't I think of the name!?!?) since his new Dr. found out he'd been on Clonidine for a year. Apparently, any heart problems or family history of heart problems is a factor to consider when giving your child Clonidine. We took him of recently, since the effects were so minimal, and he is now taking Melatonin (frm. GNC) now to help with sleep and it does just as good for us! Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Clonidine is a high blood pressure medication.

I know quite a few parents that use Leprexo for anxiety.

You don't think that all this anxiety is related to the competition? I would wait until that is over before trying a med for anxiety....just my opinion.

My 3 year old is on clondine. and for the first 2 days it worked great. but now he fights it off. even a whole pill of it. but other than that in my opion its a good med. its non addictive.

my son's dose right now is a half a pill in the morning and a full pill at night.
I could of swore I saw a commercial & that they put this stuff in a new vitamin by FLintstone. Was I hallucinating????????

My daughter shakes her leg!!!!!! Is this the same thing??? Just curious. She used to twirl her hair & mine too. Oh I forgot, she used to chew on her long sleeved shirts..........then she wore only short sleeves the rest of the year.......even in winter.

Flintstones vits----it said also it helps brain functioning.............

Hey, Tater! Yes, I think part of the problem right now is the competition, but I am growing more and more concerned about his tics, which just began three months ago. I know kids can outgrow these, but when he gets nervous, he starts twitching like crazy. I watch him and say to myself, "Man, this kid needs some relief!" Rubbing his nose, scratching his head, blinking his eyes...When he's at home and he's relaxed, he doesn't have any tics. This is one of the reasons Clonodine appeals to me because he wouldn't have to take it all the time.

Anyway, the competition is going well. He has his tournament tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed.

As always, thanks for your great advice. You guys are wonderful!!!

There are supplements you could try...check out this link

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/hc/resourceareas_supp/1,1442,43 0,00.html

My son tics away when stressed or overtired.

Good luck with the competition!!

[QUOTE=Tater]

Flinstone Vits are full of sugar, dyes, etc.

[/QUOTE]

i agree!!!!

Flinstone Vits are full of sugar, dyes, etc.

Tater----thanks for clearing that up!!!! I was close though......It is for brain functioning.

OK I don't use them. I have prescription vits from the doc. Just wondering if what I saw on TV was true.

[QUOTE=laurapalmer]I could of swore I saw a commercial & that they put this stuff in a new vitamin by FLintstone. Was I hallucinating????????[/QUOTE]

This cannot be-Clonidine in a vitamin that is sold over the counter??????????

A child needs to be monitierd when taking these medications-there is no way it would be in a vitamin.

Hi, lillan, my son is on clondine at night for sleeping. I never knew you could take it durning the day, but my husband's grandma takes it for blood pressure and she takes it durning the day. She's 84 and it makes her drowsey. [QUOTE=EastWest]

[QUOTE=laurapalmer]I could of swore I saw a commercial & that they put this stuff in a new vitamin by FLintstone. Was I hallucinating????????[/QUOTE]

This cannot be-Clonidine in a vitamin that is sold over the counter??????????

A child needs to be monitierd when taking these medications-there is no way it would be in a vitamin.

[/QUOTE]

It's choline added to Flinstone's

Whew! Thanks for the clarification

My daughter takes clonodine for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-- she has anxiety and tics and difficulty sleeping -- all of which have been improved by the clonodine. One doctor said she had mild ADHD, which may also account for the decision to prescribe clonodine. I don't believe she is having any noticeable side effects. She also takes Lexapro. If folks can get help with homeopathy, I think that is truly wonderful. My daughter has had to have conventional medicine, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people think it is perfectly okay for them to weigh in on the issue of children taking medication -- and then tell me it is wrong for her to take a prescription. Sometimes it is the best way to go. You can always try the clonodine; and if it doesn't help, try something else.

Best regards

Ds took clonidine for several years. Yes it should help tics but it is a drug that I heard doctors say should not be suddenly started or stopped, hence I do not think it could be used as needed. Used for sleep, it has a "small window of opportunity" for one to fall asleep. Wow! This is an old post of mine brought back to life . I'm sad to see how many people are gone--Tater, Eastwest, Redhead

. Update...My son has been on Tenex for a year now, and he's doing very, very well. It has worked wonders with him

.[QUOTE=laurapalmer]

Flintstones vits----it said also it helps brain functioning.............

[/QUOTE]

This sounds like more of a sensory response, or an anxiety response, not like tics. Tics are involuntary, like blinking, and the other things lillian described with her son. We can stop ourselves from blinking for a minute, but eventually we have to blink, this is how tics are. They tend to come out more when the person is under stress, anxiety, etc, though.

My sons doctor seemed to be pretty comfortable with Clonidine. He's had some really odd reactions to medication (trying to treat ADHD, when it's likely Aspergers), but he said if we ever needed to medicate for his reactive type mood, we would start with this. He said as far as side effects go, this would be the one he would be the most comfortable with. He did say though, that he would not use it for anything severe, but it can work well with mild things.

lillian,

Why was your son put on Tenex and how has it helped? I would like to hear more about your son's experience.

My daughter's doctor just put my daughter on guanfacine and she will go back on the concerta just before school starts. She needs to gain some weight and we want to see if guanfacine will augment the concerta (because of the weight issue, the concerta cannot be increased at this time).

Hey, Jfla. Hope you had a good time in ME.

About Tenex...It is a muscle relaxer, designed to lower blood pressure in adults. My son started taking it last summer, when I noticed that his twitching was getting pretty bad. It has worked wonders with him! We did not have any success with traditional ADHD meds. Strattera made him bug eyed. Adderrall caused him to lose too much weight. Concerta made him depressed. Ritalin LA caused lip smacking and depression. Short-acting Ritalin didn't do much of anything--he was tested for LD's when on it, and he was so hyper the evaluator had to shorten and prorate the tests. He also develped the twitching, towards the end of his time on Ritalin. I put him on Tenex, hoping it would act like a mild tranquilizer, and it has. It basically takes the edge off, which is what he needs, and does a lot to control his impulsivity. He's been drug free all summer, though, and he's doing absolutely great!

lillian,
We had a great time in a rustic cabin by the water and in the woods on an island. Lots of sailing and visiting with relatives. Returned home and its back to grey skies. What happened to summer? Aug is 'sposed to be the best month here!

That's great about your son's med free summer! Ds seems to have made a transition this summer. After a month long program at a college he rose to the challenge of responsibility and independence and was also successful managing his meds. It also seems that much of the hyperactive part of the ADHD is not present. (He is almost 18) He is still impulsive in the a.m. until the meds kick in, but without the demands of homework he is able to do well on one dose a day instead of two. Altho he recognizes that he still has difficulting focusing, his behavior after the meds wear off shows improvement. (Impulsive chatter and not bouncing off walls)

Wow! This is an old post of mine brought back to life

I'm laughing at myself for thinking that July 15th was old, but didn't notice it was 2005.

I was wondering why you were interested in Clonidine!

We came back from our Me vacation Sunday night. Hope everyone is having a nice summer!
Has anyone had better luck with Clonidine or Tenex with a child who seemed very sensitive to stims? Just curious. My son is very hyper and impulsive. Adderall made him very sensitive, teary, and angry. Strattera did nothing, Focalin ok for awhile, but does make him zone out and get very sensitive, if used consistently. OK for occassional use.