Catapres

(Clonidine)

●●●●●
3.2/ 5 average rating with 78 reviewsforCatapres
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Lowers blood pressure.

Skip Upsides & Downsides section. Skip to side effects section.

Our bottom line

Catapres (Clonidine) is a good addition if you need more than one medicine to control your blood pressure, but it has a lot of side effects. You can't miss doses.

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Quick facts about Catapres
  • Drug class: Cardiovascular
  • Rx status: Prescription only
  • Generic status: Lower-cost generic available (clonidine)

Upsides

  • Can be added to other blood pressure-lowering medicines if you need additional blood pressure control.
  • Available in a weekly patch for people that aren't good at taking medicine by mouth.
  • Works in the brain, so it can help treat some nervous system and psychiatric conditions.
  • Under the brand name Kapvay, it's used to treat ADHD in children and teenagers.
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What to expect from Catapres, on one page

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People’s experience with Catapres

78reviews so far. What do you think?

Downsides

  • Has a lot of side effects compared to other blood pressure-lowering medicine because it works in the brain.
  • The pill form can make some people sleepy, dizzy, and have dry mouth.
  • You can't miss doses. Stopping Clonidine suddenly can cause your blood pressure to go up suddenly, which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.
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What to expect from Catapres, on one page

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How it works

Catapres (Clonidine) is an alpha-2 agonist. It works in the brain to tell your blood vessels to relax, and it lowers the activity of certain stress hormones. This lowers blood pressure.

Quick facts about Catapres
  • Drug class: Cardiovascular
  • Rx status: Prescription only
  • Generic status: Lower-cost generic available (clonidine)

Used for

Dosage forms

  • Pill
  • Extended release
  • Patch
People’s experience with Catapres

78reviews so far. What do you think?

Prices and coupons

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What to expect when you take Catapres (Clonidine) for Lowers blood pressure

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  • First few hoursHours
    First few daysDays
    First few weeksWeeks
    First few monthsMonths
  • Effectiveness
  • Starts to kick in
    Full effects
  • First few hoursHours
    First few daysDays
    First few weeksWeeks
    First few monthsMonths
  • Possible side effects
  • Dry mouth
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Constipation
  • Headache
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Side effect rates for Catapres (Clonidine)

From 101 clinical trials of Catapres when taken for high blood pressure (patch)
  • Erythema / pruritis
    26%26%
  • Dry mouth
    25%25%
  • Drowsiness
    12%12%
  • Localized vesiculation
    7%7%
  • Fatigue
    6%6%
  • Headache
    5%5%
  • Allergic contact sensitization
    5%5%
  • Hyperpigmentation
    5%5%
  • Lethargy
    3%3%
  • Sedation
    3%3%
  • Edema
    3%3%
  • Excoriation
    3%3%
  • Burning
    3%3%
  • Insomnia
    2%2%
  • Dizziness
    2%2%
  • Impotence/sexual dysfunction
    2%2%
  • Dry throat
    2%2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Where we got our data »

The placebo bar shows how common a side effect was for people taking a sugar pill instead of Catapres.

Catapres (Clonidine)
Placebo

People taking Catapres felt side effect more

People taking Catapres felt side effect less

No difference

Risks and Warnings for Catapres (Clonidine)

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    • Higher risk if:
    • › Sudden discontinuation of medicine

    Stopping Catapres (Clonidine) suddenly can cause agitation, headache, tremors, or have a sudden rise of blood pressure that can result in complications. Catapres (Clonidine) should be stopped over 2-4 days with the guidance of a doctor. If using with a beta blocker medicine, slowly stop the beta blocker first before stopping Catapres (Clonidine).

Pharmacist Q&A

Catapres (Clonidine) questions for

Frequently Asked Questions

This medication treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Who is this drug for?

This medication treats attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Common concerns from people taking Catapres (Clonidine)

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Pregnancy

Research studies with animals found harmful effects on unborn babies. It hasn’t been properly studied in humans. The benefits might outweigh the risks even if you’re pregnant. Talk with your doctor.

See the FDA package insertSee pregnancy safe medications
Tip: Always talk with your doctor before you take any medication while pregnant.
FDA pregnancy category for Catapres
CWeigh risks vs. benefits
Sleep
  • Can cause drowsiness, headache, dizziness, and dry mouth.
  • Not sure
    Reviewed clonidineon 2/24/2018I hate the dry mouth and throat as well as the sleepiness. The Dr said the drowiness would go away but I've been on it for a few yrs and it still makes me sleepy. It works extremely well to lower my bp but I'm tired of the side effects.
    47
    Woman
    Two years or more
    Would rather not say
  • Not worth it
    Worked well
    Big hassle
    Reviewed Catapreson 7/17/2017Even after months I'm still drowsy all the time. Caffeine doesn't help. Impossible to live this way.
    33
    Woman
    A few months
    High blood pressure
  • Worth it
    Worked well
    Some hassle
    Reviewed Catapreson 5/22/2017Drowsiness will pass... take it at night if you have too
    64
    Woman
    Two years or more
    High blood pressure