Clonidine, Catapres additional information

Common uses

Catapres, clonidine, is indicated in the treatment of hypertension. Clonidine may be employed alone or concomitantly with other antihypertensive agents.

Directions

The dose of clonidine must be adjusted according to the patient's individual blood pressure response. The following is a general guide to its administration.

Initial dose: One 0.15 mg Catapres tablet twice daily (morning and bedtime). Elderly patients may benefit from a lower initial dose.

Maintenance dose: Further increments of 0.15 mg per day may be made if necessary until the desired response is achieved. Taking the larger portion of the daily dose at bedtime may minimize transient adjustment effects of dry mouth and drowsiness. The therapeutic doses most commonly employed have ranged from 0.2 mg to 0.6 mg per day given in divided doses.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as remembered if it is within an hour or so. If you do not remember until later, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not "double-up" the dose to catch up.

Precautions

As with all antihypertensive therapy, clonidine should be used with caution in patients with severe coronary insufficiency, recent myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease or chronic renal failure.

For individuals with renal impairment, the dosage of clonidine must be adjusted according to the degree of impairment, and the individual should be carefully monitored. Since only a minimal amount of clonidine is removed during routine hemodialysis, there is no need to give supplemental clonidine following dialysis.

Patients should be instructed not to discontinue therapy without consulting their physician. Sudden cessation of clonidine treatment has resulted in subjective symptoms such as nervousness, agitation and headache, accompanied or followed by a rapid rise in blood pressure.

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women why clonidine should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

As clonidine hydrochloride is excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when clonidine hydrochloride is administered to a nursing woman.

Possible side effects

Less frequent side effects include nausea and vomiting, anorexia, malaise, mild transient abnormalities in liver function tests, nervousness, agitation and insomnia.

If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor.

Overdose

The signs and symptoms of clonidine hydrochloride overdosage include hypotension, bradycardia, lethargy, irritability, weakness, somnolence, diminished or absent reflexes, miosis, vomiting and hypoventilation.

Additional information

If a patient receiving clonidine is also taking tricyclic antidepressants, the effect of clonidine may be reduced, thus necessitating an increase in dosage. Clonidine hydrochloride may enhance the CNS-depressive effects of alcohol, barbiturates or other sedatives.

Note