Letter to the Editor: Clonidine for the management of refractory distressing hallucinations, a case report

Clonidine is an antihypertensive agent frequently used for alternative purposes including drug withdrawal, neuropathic pain, anxiolysis, and treatment of emergent agitation post anaesthesia (1-4) Unlike traditional treatments for agitation or hallucinations such as antipsychotics, clonidine has no activity on dopaminergic, serotonergic or GABA receptors in the central nervous system; its activity is mediated via agonism of the alpha-2 adrenoreceptors (4,5). The alpha-2 adrenoreceptor is implicated in promotion of natural sleep, decrease in delirium, anxiolysis and neuropathic analgesia (6-8).
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - Category: Palliative Care Authors: Source Type: research