Clonidine

Generic Name: clonidine (oral) (KLOE ni deen)
Brand Names: Catapres, Kapvay

What is clonidine?

Clonidine lowers blood pressure by decreasing the levels of certain chemicals in your blood. This allows your blood vessels to relax and your heart to beat more slowly and easily.

The Catapres brand of clonidine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). The Kapvay brand is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Clonidine is sometimes given with other medications.

Important information

Before you take clonidine, tell your doctor if you have heart disease or severe coronary artery disease, a heart rhythm disorder, slow heartbeats, low blood pressure, a history of heart attack or stroke, kidney disease, or if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a Catapres TTS transdermal skin patch.

Before taking this medicine

You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to clonidine.

To make sure clonidine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

heart disease or severe coronary artery disease;
heart rhythm disorder, slow heartbeats;
low blood pressure, or a history of fainting spells;
a history of heart attack or stroke;
pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal gland);
kidney disease; or
if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a Catapres TTS skin patch.

Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking clonidine.

Clonidine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Catapres is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old. Do not give Kapvay to a child younger than 6 years old.

What should I avoid while taking clonidine?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase certain side effects of clonidine.

Clonidine may impair your thinking or reactions. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine will affect you. Dizziness or severe drowsiness can cause falls or other accidents.

Clonidine side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to clonidine: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

severe chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeats;
a very slow heart rate;
severe headache, pounding in your neck or ears, blurred vision;
nosebleeds;
anxiety, confusion; or
a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out.

Serious side effects may be more likely in older adults.

Common clonidine side effects may include:

drowsiness, dizziness;
feeling tired or irritable;
dry mouth, loss of appetite;
constipation;
dry eyes, contact lens discomfort; or
sleep problems (insomnia), nightmares.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

What other drugs will affect clonidine?

Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before taking clonidine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

other heart or blood pressure medications;
an antidepressant; or
any other medicine that contains clonidine.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with clonidine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

In Summary

Commonly reported side effects of clonidine include: drowsiness, fatigue, hypotension, lethargy, sedated state, headache, and upper abdominal pain. Other side effects include: dizziness. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.

For the Consumer

Applies to clonidine: oral tablet, oral tablet extended release

Other dosage forms:

epidural solution
transdermal patch extended release

Along with its needed effects, clonidine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking clonidine:

Less common

Mental depression
swelling of the feet and lower legs

Rare

Anxiety
blistering, burning, crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
chest pain or discomfort
confusion as to time, place, or person
decreased urine output
dilated neck veins
drowsiness
dry mouth
fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
fever
general feeling of discomfort or illness
holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by fact
hyperventilation
irregular breathing
irritability
itching, scaling, severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin
large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting
mental depression
paleness or cold feeling in the fingertips and toes
pounding, slow heartbeat
problems in urination or increase in the amount of urine
raised red swellings on the skin, lips, tongue, or in the throat
restlessness
seeing or hearing things that are not there
shaking
shortness of breath
skin rash
swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
tightness in the chest
tingling or pain in the fingers or toes when exposed to cold
trouble with sleeping
troubled breathing
unusual excitement, nervousness, or restlessness
unusual tiredness or weakness
vivid dreams or nightmares
weight gain
wheezing

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking clonidine:

Symptoms of overdose

Dizziness (extreme) or faintness
feeling cold
pinpoint pupils of the eyes
unusual tiredness or weakness (extreme)

Some side effects of clonidine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

Constipation

Less common

Darkening of the skin
decreased sexual ability
dry, itching, or burning eyes
loss of appetite
nausea or vomiting

Rare

Blurred vision
decreased interest in sexual intercourse
hair loss or thinning of the hair
inability to have or keep an erection
leg cramps
loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
muscle or joint pain
pale skin
swelling of the breasts or breast soreness in both females and males
weakness

A total of 339 drugs are known to interact with clonidine.

35 major drug interactions
298 moderate drug interactions
6 minor drug interactions

Most frequently checked interactions

View interaction reports for clonidine and the medicines listed below.

Clonidine alcohol/food interactions

There is 1 alcohol/food interaction with clonidine

Clonidine disease interactions

There are 5 disease interactions with clonidine which include: