Nexiclon

Clonidine is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure, ADHD, and cancer pain. Clonidine belongs to a group of drugs called centrally acting alpha-agonist hypotensive agents, which work by relaxing the blood vessels and decreasing heart rate. It also prevent pain signals from being sent to the brain. The way it works to treat ADHD is not well understood.

This medication comes in tablet, extended-release tablet, and patch forms. The tablet and extended-release tablet is usually taken twice a day, with or without food. Clonidine also comes as a patch that is placed on the skin once every 7 days.

This medication is also available in an injectable form to be given by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects of clonindine include dry mouth, constipation, and sedation. Clonidine can also cause dizziness or drowsiness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how this medication will affect you. Alcohol may intensify this side effect.

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• Tris Pharma, Inc.

Common side effects of clonidine tablets and extended-release include:

• fatigue
• upper airway tract infection
• irritability
• sore throat
• insomnia
• nightmares
• emotional disorder
• constipation
• nasal congestion
• increased body temperature
• dry mouth
• ear pain

Common side effects of the clonidine patch include:

• dry mouth
• drowsiness
• fatigue
• headache
• insomnia
• dizziness
• dry throat
• constipation
• nausea
• change in taste
• nervousness

Common side effects of clonidine injectable include:

• drop in blood pressure
• dry mouth
• drowsiness
• fatigue
• headache
• insomnia
• dizziness

This is not a complete list of clonidine side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with clonidine. See “Drug Precautions” section.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking clonidine, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• if redness or swelling develops at patch site
• have a history of heart problems
• have hypertension due to pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal glands)
• are planning to undergo surgery
• have kidney problems
• have liver problems
• wear contact lenses
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Clonidine falls into category C. No adequate studies have been done in pregnant women. Animal study results do not always equal that of human response. Clonidine should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed. It is not known if clonidine will harm your unborn baby.

Take clonidine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

Oral:

• To start therapy, 0.1 mg tablet is given twice daily (morning and bedtime). Elderly patients may need to start from a lower dose. Further increments of 0.1 mg per day may be made at weekly intervals if necessary until the desired response is achieved. The typical dose range for clonidine tablet is 0.2 to 0.6 mg per day, divided into a morning and an evening dose. Maximum effective dose is 2.4 mg per day, but this dose amount is not commonly used.

Topical:

• To start therapy, the patch dosage should be adjusted according to individual needs, starting with the lowest patch dose (0.1 mg). If after one or two weeks the desired decrease in blood pressure is not achieved, your dose may be increased by your doctor by adding another clonidine 0.1 mg patch or changing to a larger system (0.2 or 0.3 mg).

Injectable:

• The recommended starting dose of clonidine for epidural infusion is 30 mcg/hour. Dosage may be increased or decreased depending on pain relief and occurrence of side effects.