Re: question for everyone - clonidine

[Guest guest]

Hi Cy

I was on clonidine for about a year or so, a couple of years before

dialysis. I was on the pills, not the 24 hour patch. The brain is one of the

organs that have an ability to control blood pressure, and it seems very

common in the presence of chronic kidney disease for the brain, ie. the

sympathetic nervous system, to rack itself up into high gear to counter all

attempts to lower BP with medications. In other words, it often eventually

overwhelms all other drugs, and patients end up on clonidine as part of the

mix, because this drug works exactly on that part of the body's blood

pressure raising mechanisms. I've heard of many people who had no problems

with it, but some do. It is sometimes somewhat sedating. But it can be very

effective in lowering BP when the BP is being raised by the sympathetic

nervous system (it has nothing to do with being nervous or anything). In

pill form, it's a very short-acting drug. The patch form is better in terms

of keeping the dosage constant over a 24 hour period. Some people develop a

localized skin reaction though.

Hopefully this won't jinx it for , but I'll tell you exactly how I

felt on it:

To me, it felt exactly as if I was constantly high on one of the old,

classic antihistamines like Chlor-Tripolon. I was always half in a daze,

sort of feeling sedated and hyped-up at the same time. My name was foggy

brain when I was on clonidine :-)

But like I said, I've heard of many people who had no problems with it -

especially with the patch.

Any particular reason why 's doctor doesn't want to use a small dose

of diuretic?

Pierre

question for everyone - clonidine

>

> Hi guys,

>

> Anyone have any experience with clonidine (catapres)? I just reviewed the

> posts I've saved on hypertension and haven't found much - other than

> Pierre's warnings that it is associated with rebound hypertension when a

> dose is missed and saying that she was relatively pleased with the

> clonidine patch she wore. Any other comments on this? 's BP has

> kicked up a notch and I was talking to his neph who wants to put him on

> clonidine. He's already on 20 mg lisinopril 2x/day & 10 mg norvasc

2x/day.

> These drugs have served him well for roughly a year a a half, but they

don't

> seem to be doing the trick anymore.

>

> Thanks in advance!

>

> Cy

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Cy,

That is not good that 's BP has kicked up a notch. Has he had his labs

checked again? I know we were a little worried about a slight increase the

last time you posted his labs, and I am hoping if you have had him checked

again since then things are looking stable.

I have never tried Clonidine so I will have to defer to Pierre on that one.

Tell hello!

In a message dated 11/19/2004 6:40:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,

cyashleywebb@... writes:

> Hi guys,

>

> Anyone have any experience with clonidine (catapres)? I just reviewed the

> posts I've saved on hypertension and haven't found much - other than

> Pierre's warnings that it is associated with rebound hypertension when a

> dose is missed and saying that she was relatively pleased with the

> clonidine patch she wore. Any other comments on this? 's BP has

> kicked up a notch and I was talking to his neph who wants to put him on

> clonidine. He's already on 20 mg lisinopril 2x/day & 10 mg norvasc 2x/day.

> These drugs have served him well for roughly a year a a half, but they don't

> seem to be doing the trick anymore.

>

> Thanks in advance!

>

> Cy

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

You have such a phenomenally good memory of everyone here, it puts me to

shame. Most recent labs were kind of mixed. Creatinine was back to it's

normal range (for the moment, I'm considering that previous lab just a

fluke - if a second or third lab indicated a trend, then I'd be worried).

C3 and C4 are at the very low end of normal. However, proteinuria has been

trending up the past few months - as has blood pressure. Still slightly

anemic (no change there). Will see what we can do about the proteinuria at

the next neph visit in early December. We're doing a weekend of blood

pressures with an eye to starting clonidine next week. I am not keen on

adding another drug to the mix. I want to suggest a week of lower sodium to

see if some small dietary changes can do it. Will see what the neph says

early in the week.

Despite this, all is going really well. He just wrapped up stage managing

Pegora the Witch (closed today). ph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat is in

rehearsal (he's the brother Asher), as is Guys and Dolls (doing lightboard).

The big news is that the theater was asked to bring 101 Dalmatians to the

Broadway Jr. Festival help by Music Theater International in Atlanta over

Luther King weekend. Fingers crossed for the auditions on that one!

stage managed that production last summer, so so we're hoping he

makes the cut! I must say, though - that one has my stomach fluttering in

anticipation!

Cy

Re: question for everyone - clonidine

>

> Hi Cy,

>

> That is not good that 's BP has kicked up a notch. Has he had his

labs

> checked again? I know we were a little worried about a slight increase

the

> last time you posted his labs, and I am hoping if you have had him checked

> again since then things are looking stable.

>

> I have never tried Clonidine so I will have to defer to Pierre on that

one.

>

> Tell hello!

>

>

>

> In a message dated 11/19/2004 6:40:34 PM Pacific Standard Time,

> cyashleywebb@... writes:

>

> > Hi guys,

> >

> > Anyone have any experience with clonidine (catapres)? I just reviewed

the

> > posts I've saved on hypertension and haven't found much - other than

> > Pierre's warnings that it is associated with rebound hypertension when a

> > dose is missed and saying that she was relatively pleased with

the

> > clonidine patch she wore. Any other comments on this? 's BP has

> > kicked up a notch and I was talking to his neph who wants to put him on

> > clonidine. He's already on 20 mg lisinopril 2x/day & 10 mg norvasc

2x/day.

> > These drugs have served him well for roughly a year a a half, but they

don't

> > seem to be doing the trick anymore.

> >

> > Thanks in advance!

> >

> > Cy

> >

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Pierre. As always, your explanations have anything else I've read

beat cold. Without knowing why, I'd thought of clonidine as a drug of last

resort. I'd like to exhaust other drug options first. I'll raise the

possibility of using a diuretic with the neph when I speak to her.

The neph mentioned the sedating effect, but said it wasn't seen in kids that

often. However, it would be nice to make it through highschool maybe,

without having to think about being fogged in.

Cy

question for everyone - clonidine

>

>

> >

> > Hi guys,

> >

> > Anyone have any experience with clonidine (catapres)? I just reviewed

the

> > posts I've saved on hypertension and haven't found much - other than

> > Pierre's warnings that it is associated with rebound hypertension when a

> > dose is missed and saying that she was relatively pleased with

the

> > clonidine patch she wore. Any other comments on this? 's BP has

> > kicked up a notch and I was talking to his neph who wants to put him on

> > clonidine. He's already on 20 mg lisinopril 2x/day & 10 mg norvasc

> 2x/day.

> > These drugs have served him well for roughly a year a a half, but they

> don't

> > seem to be doing the trick anymore.

> >

> > Thanks in advance!

> >

> > Cy

> >

>

>

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

Hi Cy,

That is good news about 's creatinine and C3, C4, but troublesome that

his BP and protein are trending up. I am just so glad he is able to enjoy his

theater and the things he enjoys and still be a kid in the midst of his

health.

I hope the sodium will do the trick and get his BP down. Do let us know on

that one.

Tell to break a leg on 101 Dalmatians!

In a message dated 11/20/2004 9:50:40 PM Pacific Standard Time,

cyashleywebb@... writes:

> Hi ,

>

> You have such a phenomenally good memory of everyone here, it puts me to

> shame. Most recent labs were kind of mixed. Creatinine was back to it's

> normal range (for the moment, I'm considering that previous lab just a

> fluke - if a second or third lab indicated a trend, then I'd be worried).

> C3 and C4 are at the very low end of normal. However, proteinuria has been

> trending up the past few months - as has blood pressure. Still slightly

> anemic (no change there). Will see what we can do about the proteinuria at

> the next neph visit in early December. We're doing a weekend of blood

> pressures with an eye to starting clonidine next week. I am not keen on

> adding another drug to the mix. I want to suggest a week of lower sodium to

> see if some small dietary changes can do it. Will see what the neph says

> early in the week.

>

> Despite this, all is going really well. He just wrapped up stage managing

> Pegora the Witch (closed today). ph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat is in

> rehearsal (he's the brother Asher), as is Guys and Dolls (doing lightboard).

> The big news is that the theater was asked to bring 101 Dalmatians to the

> Broadway Jr. Festival help by Music Theater International in Atlanta over

> Luther King weekend. Fingers crossed for the auditions on that one!

> stage managed that production last summer, so so we're hoping he

> makes the cut! I must say, though - that one has my stomach fluttering in

> anticipation!

>

> Cy

>