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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.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of clonidine transdermal in children below 12 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric
No information is available on the relationship of age to the effects of clonidine transdermal in geriatric patients. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related heart or kidney problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving clonidine transdermal.
Dizziness or faintness may be more likely to occur in the elderly, who are more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of clonidine.
Pregnancy
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | C | Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women. |
Breastfeeding
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
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Cyclosporine
- Fluphenazine
- Mepivacaine
- Naloxone
- Yohimbine
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:
- Cardioversion (a medical procedure) or
- Defibrillation (a medical procedure)—Clonidine transdermal system should be removed before having cardioversion or defibrillation to avoid worsening of the condition.
- Heart attack, recent or
- Heart or blood vessel disease or
- Heart rhythm problems or
- Kidney disease, severe or
- Stroke—Use with caution. 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.
