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Suggest Remedy For Slurry Speech And Excessive Sleeping After Stopping Clonidine
Question: My 87 year old mother got off .2 clonidine 3 times a day. She was slurring her speech and sleeping a lot. Pharmacist told her to get off because it should only be taken when top blood pressure number was above 150. Two days after getting off cold turkey she had leg cramps and vomiting so bad she had to go to ER. In ER they did many blood tests and EKG and found nothing wrong. I told them about getting off clonidine and wondered if that could be withdrawal symptoms. The next day she had to go back to ER for same thing. Did more tests and found nothing wrong. Again I told them about clonidine. They said it must be withdrawal symptoms so they gave her .1 before leaving ER. After asking my doctor, who said to get off gradually, I am giving her 1/2 of .1 twice a day for 2 weeks then down to 1 time a day.
My question is- she is also having shortness of breath which she noticed after getting off clonidine. Could that also be a withdrawal symptom? She also takes Atenolol. She has had no more leg cramps or feeling of nausea since getting back on the med.
My question is- she is also having shortness of breath which she noticed after getting off clonidine. Could that also be a withdrawal symptom? She also takes Atenolol. She has had no more leg cramps or feeling of nausea since getting back on the med.
Brief Answer:
Bronchioles constriction could be causing shortness of breath
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for asking.
I am Dr. Prakash HM and I will be answering your query.
Based on your query, my opinion is as follows:
1. Clonidine should always be stopped very slowly to avoid withdrawal effects. Usual side effects seen are rebound hypertension.
2. The same receptors, where clonidine acts, the alpha adreno receptors, are also present in smooth muscles of respiratory tract like bronchioles (very minimal effect). Even though not seen usually, loss of action on these muscles leads to constriction and hence possible breathlessness. Slow withdrawal should help here.
3. Atenolol is not responsible for any adverse events here, as she has no cardiac failure symptoms.
4. With gradual dose reduction, the symptoms should disappear. As, all other parameters are normal, all could be withdrawal symptoms.
Hope it helps.
Any further queries, happy to help again.
Dr. Prakash HM
Bronchioles constriction could be causing shortness of breath
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for asking.
I am Dr. Prakash HM and I will be answering your query.
Based on your query, my opinion is as follows:
1. Clonidine should always be stopped very slowly to avoid withdrawal effects. Usual side effects seen are rebound hypertension.
2. The same receptors, where clonidine acts, the alpha adreno receptors, are also present in smooth muscles of respiratory tract like bronchioles (very minimal effect). Even though not seen usually, loss of action on these muscles leads to constriction and hence possible breathlessness. Slow withdrawal should help here.
3. Atenolol is not responsible for any adverse events here, as she has no cardiac failure symptoms.
4. With gradual dose reduction, the symptoms should disappear. As, all other parameters are normal, all could be withdrawal symptoms.
Hope it helps.
Any further queries, happy to help again.
Dr. Prakash HM
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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