Clonidine

What you should know before using

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

Children may be more sensitive than adults to clonidine. Clonidine overdose has been reported when children accidentally took this medicine.

Geriatric

Dizziness or faintness may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of clonidine.

Breast Feeding

Studies suggest that this medication may alter milk production or composition. If an alternative to this medication is not prescribed, you should monitor the infant for side effects and adequate milk intake.

Drug Interactions

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Acebutolol
• Amitriptyline
• Amoxapine
• Atenolol
• Betaxolol
• Bevantolol
• Bisoprolol
• Carteolol
• Carvedilol
• Celiprolol
• Clomipramine
• Desipramine
• Dilevalol
• Dothiepin
• Doxepin
• Imipramine
• Labetalol
• Levobunolol
• Lofepramine
• Metipranolol
• Metoprolol
• Mirtazapine
• Nadolol
• Nebivolol
• Nortriptyline
• Oxprenolol
• Penbutolol
• Pindolol
• Propranolol
• Protriptyline
• Sotalol
• Tertatolol
• Timolol
• Trimipramine

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Heart or blood vessel disease—Clonidine may make these conditions worse

• Irritated or scraped skin (with transdermal system [skin patch] only)—The effects of clonidine may be increased if the skin patch is placed on an area of scraped or irritated skin because more medicine is absorbed into the body

• Kidney disease—Effects of clonidine may be increased because of slower removal of clonidine from the body

• Mental depression (history of) or
• Raynaud's syndrome—Clonidine may make these conditions worse

• Polyarteritis nodosa or
• Scleroderma or
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (with transdermal system [skin patch] only)—Effects of clonidine may be decreased because absorption of this medicine into the body is blocked