Mania clonidine

This a a2-noradrenergic presynaptic receptor agonist is approved by the FDA as an antihypertensive. The rationale for using clonidine for mania is based on the original catecholamine hypothesis (21, 22), which postulates a hyperfunctionality of the noradrenergic system predisposing to mania. Because the hypothesis... 

Other possible uses, not addressed in this study, are the potential benefit of clonidine as an adjunct to lithium or anticonvulsants, possibly serving as a substitute for anxiolytics or antipsychotics, or its benefit in less severe exacerbations of mania. 

Janicak PG, Sharma RP, Easton M, et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of clonidine in the treatment of acute mania. Psychopharmacol Bull 1989 25 243-245. 

Zubenko GS, Cohen BM, Lipinski JF, et al. Clonidine in the treatment of mania and mixed bipolar disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1984 141 1617-1618. 

Hardy C, Lecrubier Y, WidlockerD. Efficacy of clonidine in 24 patients with acute mania. Am J Psychiatry 1986 143 1450-1453. 

Clonidine, an antihypertensive drug, also has been used in the treatment of mania. Sudden withdrawal can produce a rebound hypertensive crisis. Consistent with the brain-disabling principles, it can produce a variety of psychiatric symptoms, including sedation, vivid dreams or nightmares, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and depression. More rarely, it can cause hallucinations. Unfortunately, this drug is too commonly used as a so-called mood stabilizer in children. When mistakenly prescribed with stimulants, it causes an elevated risk of cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest in children. 

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