[ADeepSandbox]

My psychiatrist put me on prozac and clonidine today. I'm familiar with the prozac but was not expecting the clonidine. Does anyone have experience with it? It's prn for nightmares and anxiety, but it's not a benzo if I understand correctly. I'm working on deciding when to use it. Thanks!

[eyesclosed]

It's a blood pressure med the doc is worried about your nightmares raising your blood pressure I guess. It may help eliminate them and Prozac can mess with your REM sleep.

[ADeepSandbox]

Thanks...tried one tonight to see how it would affect me. It just made me sleepy and groggy, kind of feels like taking benadryl. I will try the full dose tomorrow night and see how it works. I'm prescribed .2 mg a day but the psychiatrist said I can use it as needed, like cutting one in half or just taking one.

I appreciate having something to help me sleep, I think it will be useful especially while getting used to the prozac. Don't think I will want to use this as a prn for daytime anxiety at this dose, maybe will try half a pill if I need to. Apparently it can be taken daily for ADHD too but I don't think I want to be on it daily.

[Yoda]

Clonidine has a mild sedative effect that promotes sleep. My son took clonidine from age 6-14 years old. It worked well for him until he reached adolescence.

I am not familiar with its effect on nightmares/anxiety. I would not use it in the daytime for anxiety. Try taking it about thirty minutes before your bedtime if you have trouble falling/staying asleep.

Did your doctor not explain the drug to you?

[ADeepSandbox]

Thank you!! Yes, but she prescribed it as prn and left it up to me to decide whether or not to use it and how often to use it and at whatever amount works for me up to.2 mg. We talked about trying it out at different lower doses if I wanted and figuring out what works for me. I also talked with the pharmacist about it.

I've never been on psych meds or really any meds prn before so I am working out how I prefer to use it within the way it was prescribed. I can take it every day but I don't have to. My nightmares and trouble sleeping tends to come and go depending on how much I am dealing with PTSD and anxiety symptoms, there are times I can get by without it, but I also anticipate it being helpful while adjusting to the prozac.

Thanks again!!

[ADeepSandbox]

Just an update that I had a lot easier time getting to sleep and slept pretty well, and I'm not too groggy or anything in the morning.

[Submax]

I took clonidine for three years for blood pressure. I took it at night and slept great. They took me off it because for blood pressure you really need to take it twice daily. Too tired to take during the day. I wish I could get it back at night,I miss it.

[*Laurie*]

Sometimes blood pressure meds are used to treat anxiety. Another one is propanolol.