Aspergers, ODD, Anxiety, ADHD, Is Clinodine helpful?

Rachael - posted on 10/02/2011

My son is 16 is like that. He takes Zoloft for anxiety, concerta for ADHD and trazadone to sleep.

Lee Etta - posted on 09/21/2011

MY son was prescribed Clonidine for sleep only. At first the dose was .1 mg but then in it was increased to .2 mg as he got older and got bigger. It did help and now he no longer uses it but my daughter(who is almost 2 years younger) does. She had the exact same dose and had hers increased also. This indeed was first used as a blood pressure medications for adults. It is not a long lasting drug and the main side effect is drowsiness. I would not use this during the day for my children. There are plenty of medications that are specifcally for anxiety that I would want to use instead of Clonidine.

Tania - posted on 09/17/2011

i give my son melatonin its brought from a health food shop and it helps with sleep

Keri - posted on 09/15/2011

For my son, it no longer works very well as a sedative. But with a combination of meds it at least helps him fall asleep.

Katherine - posted on 09/15/2011

As a sedative it doesn't affect them as far as falling asleep?

Keri - posted on 09/15/2011

My son is 14 and has been taking Clonidine since he was 3. At first I found it slowed him down enough to allow him to be in a classroom setting during the day but as the dosage was increased is was more useful for sleep (currently taking .4 mg) but at this point in time he only sleeps @ 6 hrs a day but this is coupled with taking 3 other drugs with it. I do know that when we have tried to decrease the clonidine he has become very difficult to handle.

Rochell - posted on 09/15/2011

Apparently I'm reading it all wrong... shocked that Clonidine is used strickly alone for those issues... My son is also diagnosed with all those... and has other physical problems... but Clonidine is very sedative.. I wouldn't want my child like that all day.. But I guess it affects everyone differently. Just sayin though... It's also a blood pressure medication...

Katherine - posted on 09/15/2011

What about Melatonin? It's all natural. It's for sleep.

Rochell - posted on 09/15/2011

My son is 8 and exactly like yours!! He .. to a T ... is exactly that! He used to take Clondine.. but it is also a blood pressure medication and it messed with my sons so he was taken off. Now.. he takes Benedryl that is prescribed.. 50mgs every pm for insomnia. It doesn't necessarily put him to sleep but it calms him down to where he can actually sit and watch a movie if you know what I mean. To me, that is just as important as sleep because as you well know, these children never quit moving. Benedryl is completely safe.. and actually has even worked to keep my sons allergies away. Melatonin is something else a lot have tried, it did nothing for us, but I have heard good stuff for some people and it is herbal so again, no harm. I honestly would be careful with long term use of clonidine... but that's just me.. Best of luck!!

Katherine - posted on 09/14/2011

Less serious clonidine side effects may include:

feeling dizzy, drowsy, tired, or nervous;

dry mouth;

dry or burning eyes, blurred vision;

headache, muscle or joint pain;

nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite;

sleep problems (insomnia);

urinating more at night;

mild skin rash or itching;

decreased sex drive, impotence; or

skin rash, discoloration, or mild irritation where the patch is worn.
You may want to read this site: http://www.drugs.com/clonidine.html