To be honest, though, clonidine is only slightly helpful, and comes with its own
side effects like sedation, dry mouth, fatigue, and dizziness. Opioid
withdrawal can be very severe in people taking high-potency opioids like heroin, fentanyl, or oxycodone-- so severe that people generally cannot even walk during the first week, and the legs are kicking uncontrollably. In those cases, clonidine may make more sense than in the case of withdrawal from less-potent opioids like codeine.