Medical, Clonidine & Sinus congestion

Clonidine & Sinus congestion

Author	Message
maber.. #1 / 6	Clonidine & Sinus congestion I've been taking Clonidine for high {filter} pressure for some time but only recently have developed this apparent side effect of sinus congestion. Just hard to breathe, not runny nose etc. I've had no choice but to use these phenylephrine nose drops almost daily lately because it gets to the point where I have to breathe through my mouth, I get so blocked. I read where these nose drops counteract Clonidine's BP effect so I'm sure I don't want to be taking them, and I'm also puzzled about why the Clonidine is doing this to me (and I know it is!)... because Clonidine was originally developed as a "decongestant". I'm confused about this and wanted any thoughts on it. It's like nasal passages just can't take in air and they're at their worst at the peak Clonidine level. THANKS
Mon, 16 Jun 2003 21:37:59 GMT

Dr. Wayne A. Simo #2 / 6	Clonidine & Sinus congestion Clonidine stimulates the nucleus tractus solitarus, which sends inhibitory fibers to the vasomotor center, (in the medulla oblongata) anything causing inhibition of the adrenergic nervous system, will ultimately in some people lead to anti-adrenergic effects, essentially blocking vasoconstriction in the nasal sinuses, even causing vasodilitation and congestion. I never heard of clonidine as a nasal decongestant. This seems contrary to its mechanism of action. Quote: > I've been taking Clonidine for high {filter} pressure for some time > but only recently have developed this apparent side effect of > sinus congestion. Just hard to breathe, not runny nose etc. > I've had no choice but to use these phenylephrine nose drops almost > daily lately because it gets to the point where I have to breathe > through my mouth, I get so blocked. > I read where these nose drops counteract Clonidine's BP effect so I'm > sure I don't want to be taking them, and I'm also puzzled about why the > Clonidine is doing this to me (and I know it is!)... because > Clonidine was originally developed as a "decongestant". > I'm confused about this and wanted any thoughts on it. > It's like nasal passages just can't take in air and they're at their > worst at the peak Clonidine level. > THANKS
Tue, 17 Jun 2003 03:45:07 GMT

Steve Dy #3 / 6	Clonidine & Sinus congestion Quote: >I never heard of clonidine as a nasal decongestant. This seems >contrary to its mechanism of action. Clonidine is an imidazoline with agonist activity at both alpha-1 and alpha-2 receptors, and was originally discovered during the screening of compounds related to the nasal decongestants naphazoline and oxymetazoline. Outside of experimental models, its central alpha-2 actions predominate. I'd guess that when it's applied topically to the nasal mucosa, its alpha-1 activity is (initially) most prominent, but the rebound congestion when the central alpha-2 stimulation kicks in must be terrible! :-) -- Steve Dyer
Tue, 17 Jun 2003 04:28:44 GMT

aries #4 / 6	Clonidine & Sinus congestion at what strength, and it what solution, was it found to have topical vasoconstrictive properties, because certainly, orally its predominately a central alpha-2 agonist, causing not only decrease in {filter} pressure, but nasal congestion and sedation. Penicillin topically to the brain has pro-consvulsant activity. Many {filter} have different effects topically and in solution than they do systemically. I know you know this steve, but this is for the many readers of these posts who are not pharmacists, nurses, physicians, pharmacologists, etc. Quote: > >I never heard of clonidine as a nasal decongestant. This seems > >contrary to its mechanism of action. > Clonidine is an imidazoline with agonist activity at both alpha-1 > and alpha-2 receptors, and was originally discovered during the > screening of compounds related to the nasal decongestants > naphazoline and oxymetazoline. > Outside of experimental models, its central alpha-2 actions > predominate. I'd guess that when it's applied topically to the > nasal mucosa, its alpha-1 activity is (initially) most prominent, > but the rebound congestion when the central alpha-2 stimulation > kicks in must be terrible! :-) > -- > Steve Dyer
Tue, 17 Jun 2003 14:11:27 GMT

OMFS Associate #5 / 6	Clonidine & Sinus congestion I seem to have forgotten the mechanism for which rebound congestion occurs after prolonged use of OTC nasal sprays. Couldn't someone refresh my memory? Thanks DK Quote: > at what strength, and it what solution, was it found to have topical vasoconstrictive properties, because > certainly, orally its predominately a central alpha-2 agonist, causing not only decrease in {filter} pressure, but nasal > congestion and sedation. Penicillin topically to the brain has pro-consvulsant activity. Many {filter} have different > effects topically and in solution than they do systemically. I know you know this steve, but this is for the many > readers of these posts who are not pharmacists, nurses, physicians, pharmacologists, etc. > > >I never heard of clonidine as a nasal decongestant. This seems > > >contrary to its mechanism of action. > > Clonidine is an imidazoline with agonist activity at both alpha-1 > > and alpha-2 receptors, and was originally discovered during the > > screening of compounds related to the nasal decongestants > > naphazoline and oxymetazoline. > > Outside of experimental models, its central alpha-2 actions > > predominate. I'd guess that when it's applied topically to the > > nasal mucosa, its alpha-1 activity is (initially) most prominent, > > but the rebound congestion when the central alpha-2 stimulation > > kicks in must be terrible! :-) > > -- > > Steve Dyer -- ________________ http://www.***.com/
Wed, 18 Jun 2003 04:57:26 GMT

Steve Dy #6 / 6	Clonidine & Sinus congestion Quote: >I seem to have forgotten the mechanism for which rebound congestion >occurs after prolonged use of OTC nasal sprays. >Couldn't someone refresh my memory? Thanks This is strictly an educated guess, but I would imagine it's due to down-regulation of alpha-1 receptors (or some sort of adaptive receptor insensitivity) in the capillaries of the nasal mucosa as a result of their more-or-less continuous stimulation by the alpha-1 agonist in the nasal spray. Once the drug is stopped, the patient's residual sympathetic tone is much too puny to keep the capillaries shrunk at a normal level. Quitting the nasal decongestants cold turkey and suffering through the next several weeks of nasal stuffiness should be enough to experience an up-regulation of alpha-1 receptors, and a more normal response of the nasal mucosa to endogenous adrenergic stimulation. (Of course, the people who find themselves in a bind like this are usually wrestling with preexisting problems such as allergies, so their baseline wasn't "normal" to begin with.) -- Steve Dyer
Wed, 18 Jun 2003 05:00:43 GMT

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