Clonidine and Klonopin are two very different medications, although they have some features that overlap. If you’re taking Klonopin or Clonidine for withdrawal, it’s important to know how these medications work. Here, we’ll break down Klonopin vs. Clonidine for anxiety, withdrawal, and other uses.
Klonopin and Clonidine are often used for anxiety and withdrawal symptoms, but they work in very different ways. This guide compares their uses, effects, and risks to help you make informed choices. It’s helpful to learn the basics of each medication before starting a regimen.
Clonidine is a type of antihypertensive medication that helps to lower blood pressure and heart rate. It is available under several brand names, including Catapres, Catapres-TTS, Duraclon, Jenloga, and Kapvay. It is a short-acting medication, with an elimination half-life of between 6 and 20 hours, assuming an individual’s body is healthy and metabolizes normally.
Klonopin is a brand name for the drug clonazepam, a benzodiazepine. It has an elimination half-life of about 20 to 60 hours, classifying it as either a long-acting benzodiazepine or an intermediate-acting, depending on one’s definition.
Despite superficially similar names, these drugs are not in the same class of medication, although they can be used to treat some of the same issues. Note that Klonopin is a brand name, while clonidine is a generic drug name.
This table can help you understand the basics of both drugs at a glance.
| Klonopin | Clonidine | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug Class: | Benzodiazepine anticonvulsant | Central alpha agonist |
| Common Uses: | Used to treat seizure disorders and panic disorders; can reduce anxiety and promote feelings of relaxation | Used to lower blood pressure; can also act as an analgesic to alleviate cancer pain; can control symptoms of ADHD and Tourette syndrome |
| Onset/Duration: | Starts working within 30 minutes to one hour, can last between six and 12 hours | Starts working within 30 minutes to one hour, can last 12 to 16 hours |
| Side Effects: | Central nervous system (CNS) depression, abnormal eye movements, coma, headache, confusion, depression, amnesia, chest congestion, hair loss, gastrointestinal problems | Drowsiness, fatigue, coughing, runny nose, sneezing, throat pain, insomnia, nightmares, constipation, nasal congestion |
| Risk of Dependence: | Highly addictive due to its rapid onset and long half-life | Lower risk of abuse, but prolonged use can create physical dependency |
| Withdrawal Symptoms: | Headache, fast heartbeat, nausea, flushing, lightheadedness, and anxiety | Seizures, sleep disturbances, restlessness, nausea and vomiting, headache |
Clonidine acts on alpha-adrenergic and imidazoline receptor agonists, calming the arteries and boosting blood supply to the heart. This results in lowered blood pressure and a slower heart rate.
The hypothalamus and medulla in the brain stem control how hard your heart beats and how tight your blood vessels are. When you’re under pressure, these parts of the brain make your blood vessels squeeze tight and your heart beat faster. Clonidine blocks these signals, calming your overall nervous system.
If you quit clonidine abruptly, you could experience withdrawal symptoms like headache, fast heartbeat, nausea, flushing, lightheadedness, and anxiety.
Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine that acts by enhancing the effect of a neurotransmitter in the brain called γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA-A). This causes a sedative-hypnotic effect, which helps to slow abnormal activity in the brain. In the case of Klonopin, the medication can be used to treat panic disorders and some seizure disorders.
Klonopin works directly on GABA, chemical messengers within the brain. With Klonopin, parts of the brain that are overactive are quieter and calmer. As a result, people feel calmer and less anxious.
If you quit Klonopin abruptly, you can experience serious side effects like seizures. Anyone who uses the drug should work with a doctor to taper the dose slowly to allow the brain to adjust.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Clonidine to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, and cancer pain. If someone is in treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, then providers may recommend Clonidine as part of a medication assisted treatment (MAT) plan to help manage withdrawal or detox symptoms.
It’s sometimes used off-label to treat the following conditions:
Sleep issues
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
High blood pressure
Withdrawal symptoms from opioids, benzodiazepines, and alcohol
The FDA-approved Klonopin to treat seizure and panic disorders. In some cases, it can also be used to help ease anxious thoughts and feelings. Panic disorder is a form of anxiety, and someone might feel anxious if they think they’re going to have a panic attack. If their anxiety is specifically related to this condition, then Klonopin may help calm those fears.
It’s sometimes used off label to treat the following conditions:
Mania
Restless leg syndrome
Insomnia
Sleep disorders
Alcohol withdrawal
Because these drugs are in two different classes of medication, they are significantly different in many ways. One of the most significant differences is their mechanism of action.
Fundamentally, clonidine acts in a way that primarily affects the heart, with further effects generally stemming from the changes it causes to a person’s heart rate and blood pressure.
Clonazepam and other benzodiazepines primarily act in such a way that the brain is affected, with further effects stemming from the way it changes brain activity.
Klonopin is a Schedule IV drug, meaning that it has a potential for abuse. Doctors are encouraged to monitor their patients, and they may not provide Klonopin to people with a history of drug abuse.
Clonidine is different, as it’s not a scheduled drug. It has no known potential for abuse or dependence. This difference in schedule designation means Klonopin has a higher risk of abuse than clonidine.
These drugs don’t share significant enough overlap to claim one is more effective than the other. They act on the body in different ways. With that said, clonidine often won’t be one of the first options a doctor chooses to treat something like severe anxiety, whereas a benzodiazepine might be considered for this purpose. Meanwhile, benzodiazepines cannot directly treat many of the issues clonidine is used to help with, such as hypertension.
Research into some of the off-label uses for clonidine is ongoing, but promising. One of its more interesting potential uses is to treat combat nightmares in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. It seems to do this effectively enough that it may one day be approved for this kind of use.
Klonopin is a Schedule IV substance, the second lowest category. This means it is considered by the DEA to have some abuse potential, but not enough that it is a generally major concern, at least when taken as intended.
Clonidine isn’t scheduled at all. It is generally used to treat hypertension and considered not to have significant abuse potential.
There are rare reports of clonidine abuse, although this abuse seems to be uncommon. Clonidine dependence becomes a bigger concern when mixed with other benzodiazepines, opioids, or alcohol. This is because it can cause a greater level of drowsiness and a high level of detachment from reality, increasing the likelihood that a person may become addicted to its use or otherwise continue to intentionally abuse it.
Benzodiazepines are known to cause physical dependence with long-term use, which is why they’re generally not prescribed for more than a few weeks if alternative options exist. This dependence becomes more likely with long-term or heavy use, with repeated abuse also associated with more intense withdrawal symptoms.
Common side effects associated with benzodiazepine use include the following:
Drowsiness
Changes in appetite
Changes in sex drive or ability
Constipation
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty urinating
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Headache
Increased salivation
Irritability
Joint pain
Lightheadedness
Nausea
Talkativeness
Tiredness
Weight changes
The side effects commonly associated with clonidine include the following:
Abdominal pain
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Dry mouth
Emotional instability
Fatigue
Headache
Hypotension
Nausea
Sedation
Sexual dysfunction
Side effects often lessen over time, but you should talk to a doctor if any significantly impact your quality of life. You should also talk to your doctor about potentially more serious side effects to watch out for.
If you ever experience a side effect you believe is from your medication, whether it’s on the lists above or not, that seems severe or life-threatening, always call a doctor right away. If it seems like an immediate medical emergency, call 911 instead.
Do not suddenly stop taking Klonopin without first talking to a doctor or you may experience withdrawal. Whether your drug use was prescribed or illicit, a doctor can help you taper your doses so that withdrawal symptoms are minimized, and quitting is easier.
Neither drug is better than the other. Neither clonidine or Klonopin is a “perfect” answer to the problems they are often used to treat, and this is because perfect answers generally do not exist in medicine, at least until our understanding of medicine is itself perfect.
They are both valuable tools for doctors to consider when treating patients, with their use backed by evidence and many patients benefiting from them. While both medications have risks and downsides, in most cases, they are prescribed because the benefits outweigh these.
Taking these medications together can increase the side effects of each. Some of the symptoms you may experience include drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion. You may also find that you have a hard time concentrating. In some cases, combining these medicines can lead to more serious effects such as severe respiratory depression, coma, or death.
As Klonopin is a benzodiazepine, it’s a more effective treatment for anxiety than Clonidine. The anti-anxiety effects of this medication will be stronger because this drug enhances the work of a specific neurotransmitter in the brain called GABA, which is responsible for calming brain activity. On the other hand, Clonidine is more often used to treat hypertension, though it can help some individuals manage their withdrawal symptoms.
No, Clonidine is not a benzo, but Klonopin is. Instead, Clonidine belongs to a class of drugs called centrally acting alpha-agonists. These are medications that are specially designed to slow a person’s heartbeat and help lower their blood pressure. They work by blocking the brain from sending signals to the nervous system that cause blood vessels to narrow and the heart to beat more rapidly. This allows the heart to relax a little so it doesn’t have to pump as hard and blood can flow more easily.
Clonidine and Klonopin are medications often used for different conditions, but misuse of either can lead to serious health risks, including dependence and dangerous side effects. If you or someone you know is struggling with Clonidine or Klonopin misuse, call us or visit one of our locations today to receive professional care and begin the journey toward recovery.
Evidence Based
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