How does clonidine affect the body?
Clonidine treats high blood pressure by decreasing your heart rate and relaxing the blood vessels so that blood can flow more easily through the body. Clonidine extended-release tablets may treat ADHD by affecting the part of the brain that controls attention and impulsivity.
What’s wrong with clonidine?
Clonidine can bring about anxiety, hallucinations, depression, and sleep disorders. These effects can be severe and dangerous, and they should be treated by medical professionals in short order. Gastrointestinal effects may also arise due to long-term use of clonidine.
Why is clonidine given?
This medication is used alone or with other medications to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems. Clonidine belongs to a class of drugs (central alpha agonists) that act in the brain to lower blood pressure.
Is clonidine a good blood pressure medicine?
Clonidine has an average rating of 6.1 out of 10 from a total of 77 ratings for the treatment of High Blood Pressure. 43% of users who reviewed this medication reported a positive effect, while 32% reported a negative effect.
How long do the effects of clonidine last?
Following intravenous administration, clonidine displays biphasic disposition with a distribution half-life of about 20 minutes and an elimination half-life ranging from 12 to 16 hours. The half-life increases up to 41 hours in patients with severe impairment of renal function.
Can clonidine cause memory loss?
Clonidine did not affect the formation of new long-term memories, in contrast to temazepam, but did impair measures of working memory. Subjective effects, especially feelings of drunkenness and abnormality, were particularly marked with clonidine.
What are the long term side effects of clonidine?
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 1, 2020. Commonly reported side effects of clonidine include: drowsiness, fatigue, hypotension, lethargy, sedated state, headache, and upper abdominal pain. Other side effects include: dizziness. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.
What are some of the medical uses for clonidine?
Medical uses. Clonidine is used to treat high blood pressure, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), drug withdrawal (alcohol, opioids, or smoking), menopausal flushing, diarrhea, and certain pain conditions.
How does clonidine affect the central nervous system?
More serious effects on the cardiovascular system are also possible. These effects can include heart palpitations, congestive heart failure, and atrioventricular blockage, among others. Such serious effects can be extremely dangerous and, in some cases, irreversible The central nervous system can also be adversely affected by use of clonidine.
How does clonidine HCl work for high blood pressure?
Clonidine HCL is a drug used alone or in combination with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Clonidine is a type of drug known as a central alpha agonist that works in the brain to lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels so blood can flow more easily.
What are the uses and side effects of clonidine?
Catapres (clonidine hydrochloride) is a centrally acting alpha-agonist hypotensive agent used to treat hypertension. Catapres is available as a generic named clonidine (tablets and patches). Common side effects of Catapres include: dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, irritability, tiredness, mood changes,
Is clonidine a dangerous drug?
For the length of time you’ve been using this drug, Clonidine has kept your blood pressure low. If the drug is stopped abruptly, it can lead to an extremely high blood pressure. This can be dangerous, and in some, it can even be fatal.
Will side effects of clonidine go away?
Mild side effects may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if they’re more severe or don’t go away. The more common side effects that can occur with clonidine include: dry mouth and dry eyes.
How long for clonidine to take effect?
The effectiveness and response of clonidine is excellent. Within 1 to 3 hours, the effect of the medicine is visible. The blood pressure gets lowered pretty quickly. The minimum time to show the effect is 30 minutes while the maximal is 2-4 hours.