Originally Posted by wikipedia Originally Posted by

Clonidine (trade name Kapvay or Nexiclon) is a sympatholytic medication used to treat medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, ADHD, anxiety/panic disorder, and certain pain conditions. It is classified as a centrally acting α2 adrenergic agonist. An alternative hypothesis that has been proposed is that clonidine acts centrally as an imidazoline receptor agonist.



Clonidine may be used to ease withdrawal symptoms associated with the long-term use of narcotics, alcohol and nicotine (smoking). It can alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms by reducing the sympathetic nervous system response such as tachycardia and hypertension, as well as reducing sweating, hot and cold flushes, and general restlessness.[5] The sedation effect is also useful although its side effects can include insomnia, thus exacerbating an already common feature of opioid withdrawal.



Clonidine treats high blood pressure by stimulating α2 receptors in the brain, which decreases cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance, lowering blood pressure.



Total daily dosage for the treatment of opiate withdrawal range between 0.5 and 1.5 mg[citation needed], depending on the stage as well as the severity of withdrawal symptoms. If the clonidine patch is used to treat nicotine withdrawal symptoms, dosages that deliver 0.1–0.2 mg daily are used. For oral therapy (tablets), a total dosage of 0.2–0.4 mg daily is taken in divided doses.