Moxonidine: Initial thoughs after taking...

[Guest guest]

Hi,

New doctor today. She listened to my problems with flushing to

heat / stress / exercise / hot foods / anxiety, etc. and was

sympathetic: I took with me some pictures of the worst flushes. We

talked about moxonidine (she hadn't heard of it but I took Dr. Nase's

book and 4 excellent abstracts from medline). She looked it up in

her drug book and we talked about the potential side effects. She

was caring but wary of prescribing a drug for an off-label use.

I have recently found out I have high blood pressure so we are hoping

that this will kill 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak. I have been

given an initial prescription for 30 0.2 mg tablets with the

instructions to take 1 per day and re-visit in 1 month; I thought

this was fair but jumped aboard and took 2 x 0.2 mg tablets today

(the normal hypertension dosage and that which Dr. Nase had success

with).

Research on medline suggests that the maximum dosage of Moxonidine in

the body is achieved ~1 hour after taking it. I can confirm this

because I had a mild dry mouth and mild light-headedness for around

15 minutes almost exactly an hour after taking the drug. Note: I

suspect that if I take 0.4 mg in the future I will take one in the

morning and one at lunch. Abstracts on medline state that the " half-

life " of Moxonidine is in the region of 2.5 hours (but that it may

remain in the nervous system for longer, hence the reason it can be

prescribed once-daily).

Initial impressions are favourable:

I had a high-profile meeting at work and felt *no* inclination to

flush (normally a meeting in a hot room with a speaking part would

bring on a flush).

After a walk in the heat at lunchtime I immediately went into a

meeting room for another meeting (where everyone was sat down). No

major flush.

Usually by the end of the day my cheeks would be burning because of

the heat of the office or the usual average work stresses (mild).

This didn't happen today.

I helped carry a heavy computer up some stairs. We all sweated and

struggled but unusually I didn't feel flushed.

The problem with flushing is that it is very easy to have a

strong " placebo " effect with treatments. I will keep making mental

notes of how Moxonidine is affecting me and report back. 1 day is

really far too early to tell for sure. I plan to do some

caridovascular exercise tonight and see if flushing to that has been

helped because it is always guaranteed to bring on a very long-

lasting burning flush after a short period.

I will try to keep everyone informed. I personally found the fact

that Moxonidine may be helpful in relation to thermoregulatory flush

and exercise flush (see Dr. Nase's book) as convinging in making me

try it as its action on stress / anxiety / blush related flushing.

.

[Guest guest]

,

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds hopeful... I hope it

continues to work for you.

I too have triggers from stress and heat mostly. I have tried

atenolol beta blocker and mirtazapine anti-depressant. Neither are

working to combat my flares durring meeting, excerise, nor heat. I

am anxious to try something new. I believe my GP will try clonodine

next, but I will mention the monoxidine....if he can get it. He is

open to new ideas like your doctor. Let me know if I will have a

problem obtaining this in the US.

Have you tried beta bloskers or anti-depressants??

Good luck, look forward to hear more as you progress.

> Hi,

>

> New doctor today. She listened to my problems with flushing to

> heat / stress / exercise / hot foods / anxiety, etc. and was

> sympathetic: I took with me some pictures of the worst flushes. We

> talked about moxonidine (she hadn't heard of it but I took Dr.

Nase's

> book and 4 excellent abstracts from medline). She looked it up in

> her drug book and we talked about the potential side effects. She

> was caring but wary of prescribing a drug for an off-label use.

>

> I have recently found out I have high blood pressure so we are

hoping

> that this will kill 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak. I have been

> given an initial prescription for 30 0.2 mg tablets with the

> instructions to take 1 per day and re-visit in 1 month; I thought

> this was fair but jumped aboard and took 2 x 0.2 mg tablets today

> (the normal hypertension dosage and that which Dr. Nase had success

> with).

>

> Research on medline suggests that the maximum dosage of Moxonidine

in

> the body is achieved ~1 hour after taking it. I can confirm this

> because I had a mild dry mouth and mild light-headedness for around

> 15 minutes almost exactly an hour after taking the drug. Note: I

> suspect that if I take 0.4 mg in the future I will take one in the

> morning and one at lunch. Abstracts on medline state that the

" half-

> life " of Moxonidine is in the region of 2.5 hours (but that it may

> remain in the nervous system for longer, hence the reason it can be

> prescribed once-daily).

>

> Initial impressions are favourable:

>

> I had a high-profile meeting at work and felt *no* inclination to

> flush (normally a meeting in a hot room with a speaking part would

> bring on a flush).

>

> After a walk in the heat at lunchtime I immediately went into a

> meeting room for another meeting (where everyone was sat down). No

> major flush.

>

> Usually by the end of the day my cheeks would be burning because of

> the heat of the office or the usual average work stresses (mild).

> This didn't happen today.

>

> I helped carry a heavy computer up some stairs. We all sweated and

> struggled but unusually I didn't feel flushed.

>

> The problem with flushing is that it is very easy to have a

> strong " placebo " effect with treatments. I will keep making mental

> notes of how Moxonidine is affecting me and report back. 1 day is

> really far too early to tell for sure. I plan to do some

> caridovascular exercise tonight and see if flushing to that has been

> helped because it is always guaranteed to bring on a very long-

> lasting burning flush after a short period.

>

> I will try to keep everyone informed. I personally found the fact

> that Moxonidine may be helpful in relation to thermoregulatory flush

> and exercise flush (see Dr. Nase's book) as convinging in making me

> try it as its action on stress / anxiety / blush related flushing.

>

> .