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Clonidine

Catapresan · ATC code C02AC01

Also known as: Clonidin, Klonidin · Brand names: Catapresan, Alcaridin, Clonid-Ophtal, Clonidin Ampullen Ratiopharm, Clonidin Carinopharm, Clonidin Ratiopharm, Clonid®-Ophtal®, Clonistada, Paracefan, Catapres-TTS-1, Catapres-TTS-2, Catapres-TTS-3, Duraclon, Javadin, Onyda XR …

Key facts
Active substance
Clonidine
ATC code
C02AC01
Authorisation
authorised nationally; no central EU authorisation
Information as of
2026-10-29

Key facts

Clonidine is, per the US prescribing information, a centrally acting alpha-adrenoreceptor agonist used alone or with other antihypertensive agents to treat hypertension.

What it is used for

  • Treatment of hypertension, alone or together with other antihypertensive agents.

Dosing

  • Initial dose: 0.1 mg twice daily (morning and bedtime); elderly patients may benefit from a lower initial dose.
  • If needed, increase by 0.1 mg per day at weekly intervals; usual therapeutic doses 0.2 mg to 0.6 mg per day in divided doses; 2.4 mg is the maximum effective daily dose.
  • Taking the larger portion of the daily dose at bedtime may minimize dry mouth and drowsiness.
  • Renal impairment: a lower initial dose may help, with careful monitoring; no supplemental dose is needed after hemodialysis.
  • Discontinuation: reduce the dose gradually over 2 to 4 days.

Contraindications

  • Known hypersensitivity to clonidine.

Important warnings

  • Sudden cessation can cause nervousness, agitation, headache and tremor with a rapid rise in blood pressure; rare hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebrovascular accidents and death have been reported.
  • In patients also on a beta-blocker, withdraw the beta-blocker several days before gradually discontinuing clonidine.
  • May worsen sinus node dysfunction and AV block; severe bradycardia has been reported.
  • Sedation, dizziness and accommodation disorder may impair driving; alcohol and sedatives increase sedation.
  • Perioperatively, continue to within 4 hours of surgery and resume as soon as possible afterwards.
  • After contact sensitization to transdermal clonidine, oral clonidine may cause a generalized skin rash.

Side effects

  • Mostly mild and tend to diminish with continued therapy.
  • Most frequent (dose-related): dry mouth (about 40 in 100), drowsiness (about 33 in 100), dizziness (about 16 in 100), constipation and sedation (each about 10 in 100).
  • Less frequent include fatigue, headache, bradycardia, AV block, orthostatic symptoms, depression, sleep disorder, nightmares, rash and dry eyes.

Interactions

  • Potentiates the CNS-depressive effects of alcohol, barbiturates and other sedating drugs.
  • Tricyclic antidepressants may reduce the hypotensive effect; neuroleptics may induce or worsen orthostatic disturbances.
  • Monitor heart rate with agents affecting sinus node or AV nodal conduction (e.g. digitalis, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers).

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

  • Clonidine crosses the placental barrier; for animal data see the full text.
  • Clonidine is excreted in human milk; use caution in nursing women.

Summary of the official product information, written with AI on 2026-10-29. Every number was checked automatically against the original text. Not reviewed by a physician – the full official text is authoritative.

Full official text →

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For patients

Patient information (US)

This product has no separate US patient information.

Authorisation and brand names by country

Medicines with exactly this active-substance composition, as listed in the national registers – alphabetical and without ranking. Whether a product is currently available is not shown here.

Austria

  • CatapresanGlenwood Gmbh · 2 register entries

Source: EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), as of 2026-10-29

Germany

  • AlcaridinCarinopharm Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • CatapresanGlenwood Gmbh · 2 register entries
  • Clonid-OphtalDr. Gerhard Mann Chem.-Pharm. Fabrik Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • Clonidin Ampullen RatiopharmRatiopharm Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • Clonidin CarinopharmCarinopharm Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • Clonidin RatiopharmRatiopharm Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • Clonid®-Ophtal®Dr. Gerhard Mann Chem.-Pharm. Fabrik Gmbh · 2 register entries
  • ClonistadaStadapharm Gmbh · 1 register entry
  • ParacefanHikma Farmacêutica (Portugal), S.A. · 2 register entries

Source: EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), as of 2026-10-29

USA

  • Catapres-TTS-1Technomed Inc. · 1 register entry
  • Catapres-TTS-2Technomed Inc. · 1 register entry
  • Catapres-TTS-3Technomed Inc. · 1 register entry
  • DuraclonMylan Institutional LLC · 1 register entry
  • JavadinAzurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. · 1 register entry
  • Onyda XRNextWave Pharmaceuticals, Inc · 1 register entry
  • QlonilikCMP Pharma, Inc. · 1 register entry

Source: U.S. FDA – Drug labels (openFDA/DailyMed), as of 2026-10-29

Brand names in 20 more European countries
Belgium
Catapressan
Bulgaria
Хлофазолин
Czechia
Clonidine Olikla
Denmark
Caruxin, Clopressan, Clotaxip, Vempadix
Finland
Catapresan, Clonidine Macure, Clotaxip, Vempadix
France
Catapressan
Greece
Catapresan
Ireland
Catapres, Clonidine Hydrochloride Syri Pharma
Italy
Catapresan, Clonidina Cloridrato Biondustria L.I.M.
Latvia
Chlophazolin
Luxembourg
Catapressan
Malta
Alcaridin, Catapres Tablets, Clonidin, Clonidine Hydrochloride Syri Pharma
Netherlands
Catapresan, Clonidine Hcl Cf
Norway
Caruxin, Clotaxip, Vempadix
Poland
Iporel
Portugal
Catapresan, Edolglau
Romania
Clonidina Sintofarm, Clonidină Arena
Slovakia
Clonidine Olikla
Spain
Catapresan
Sweden
Caruxin, Catapresan, Clotaxip, Vempadix

EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), 2026-10-29

Medelix receives no money from pharmaceutical companies. Brand names are listed alphabetically and without ranking.

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Sources

  1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Clonidine hydrochloride (TruPharma, LLC) – Prescribing Information, 2026-04-30. DailyMed (NLM), 2026-10-29. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=c83e4e4f-bd0e-449d-958a-dc0d570a01ba
  2. EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), 2026-10-29. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/post-authorisation/data-medicines-iso-idmp-standards-post-authorisation/public-data-article-57-database
  3. EMA – Article 57 product data (EU/EEA), 2026-10-29. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory-overview/post-authorisation/data-medicines-iso-idmp-standards-post-authorisation/public-data-article-57-database
  4. U.S. FDA – Drug labels (openFDA/DailyMed), 2026-10-29. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/

Editorial: Medelix editorial team · last updated 2026-10-29 · How these pages are made · Report an error

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), prescribing information, via DailyMed (NLM); public domain. Not advertising, not a treatment recommendation. For questions about your own treatment, ask your doctor or pharmacist.