Clonidine: Blood Pressure Medicine is a Dangerous New Target for Drug Abuse

Clonidine, a prescription blood pressure medicine, is a dangerous new target for drug abuse. It curbs withdrawal symptoms for opiate and alcohol addicts but clonidine may also be abused to prolong the effect of drugs. Clonidine alone is also a new target for abuse due to its side effects, especially in high doses. Abusing this blood pressure medicine puts users in danger due to the risk of cardiovascular events.

Why is this Blood Pressure Medicine Abused?

Due to its normal side effects, clonidine is effective in curbing withdrawal symptoms of watery eyes, diarrhea, and agitation in patients with addiction.

Clonidine can cause altered mental states including elation and hallucinations and it can have sedative effects.

Addicts may use clonidine in dangerously high doses to "get high."

Clonidine is also a new target for drug abusers because it can potentiate the effects of drugs like Valium and narcotics. This allows addicts to get the same effect with lower doses of expensive drugs they abuse.

What are the Dangers of this New Target for Drug Abuse?

Clonidine is a blood pressure medication. When improperly used, blood pressure can be decreased to dangerously low levels.

When it is stopped suddenly, clonidine causes withdrawal symptoms of its own.

When therapeutic doses of clonidine are stopped, it should be gradually tapered off over several days. Abusers who take high doses of clonidine are especially at risk for dangerous withdrawal when clonidine is stopped suddenly. Blood pressure can shoot up to dangerous levels, causing stroke and death. High doses of clonidine require tapering off over several weeks.

Abusers are likely to have periods when clonidine is unavailable to them, especially for long periods needed to taper off of high doses. This increases the likelihood of dangerous withdrawal from clonidine.

Summary

Clonidine is a blood pressure medication that is helpful in curbing the uncomfortable symptoms of narcotic withdrawal. Unfortunately, its ability to potentiate and prolong the effects of drugs that are abused makes clonidine a new target for drug abuse. Abusers may get dangerously low blood pressure when they take exaggerated doses to "get high." They are at risk of strokes and death when they discontinue clonidine abruptly.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided for information only. This information is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other health care professional. I am not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied by the information. This information is in no way intended as a recommendation of any drug therapy and is not intended as a diagnosis of any problem you may have.

Sources:

Clonidine Abuse. Pharmacist's Letter/Prescriber's Letter 2010; 26(3):260305.

Lisa Merlo and Mark S. Gold. Addiction Research and Treatment. Psychiatric Times.

Sylvia J. Dennison. Clonidine Abuse Among Opiate Addicts. Psychiatric Quarterly.

No author given. Opiate Withdrawal. Medline Plus.

No author given. Clonidine. Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders.