This article describes possible side effects of clonidine oral tablet. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for clonidine.
Clonidine oral tablet is a generic medication. It isn’t available in a brand-name version. Clonidine also comes in other forms: one that you swallow and a patch you apply to your skin, but these forms aren’t described in this article. To learn more about these forms, talk with your doctor.
You can explore this overview article to learn more about clonidine oral tablet, including the drug’s uses, dosage, and more.
More common side effects of clonidine
Clonidine oral tablet may cause mild or serious side effects. Below are some of the more common side effects of this medication.
Commonly reported side effects of clonidine oral tablet include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of clonidine in detail” section below.
Mild side effects of clonidine
Clonidine may cause certain mild side effects. Most often, mild side effects are temporary and can be easily managed. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have side effects that don’t go away or become bothersome.
Mild side effects of clonidine oral tablet that occurred in studies include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of clonidine in detail” section below.
Clonidine oral tablet may cause more mild side effects than those listed above. For details, see the drug’s prescribing information.
Serious side effects of clonidine
Clonidine may cause certain serious side effects. If you have any serious side effects from clonidine oral tablet, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency or your side effects feel life threatening, take immediate action. Call 911, or a local emergency number, or go to the nearest emergency room.
After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks and reviews side effects of the medication. Visit MedWatch’s website if you’d like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with clonidine oral tablet.
Serious side effects of clonidine oral tablet that occurred in studies include:
* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of clonidine in detail” section below.
Common questions about side effects of clonidine
Here are answers to some common questions about side effects of clonidine oral tablet. If you have other questions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Does clonidine 0.1 mg cause fewer side effects than the drug’s other strengths?
It’s possible. Different side effects weren’t reported with different strengths of clonidine in the drug’s studies. But in general, lower strengths of a drug tend to cause fewer side effects than higher strengths.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about how the clonidine dosage you’re prescribed may affect your risk of side effects from the drug.
Is weight loss or weight gain a possible side effect of clonidine?
Weight gain may be a side effect of clonidine, but not weight loss.
Weight gain was reported among people taking clonidine in the drug’s studies. However, it’s possible that factors other than clonidine were responsible for causing weight gain in these studies.
If you’d like to know more about this, talk with your doctor.
Can clonidine cause long-term side effects?
Yes, in some cases, clonidine oral tablet may cause long-term side effects. These can occur if you take the drug for a long time. Heart failure can continue causing symptoms even if you stop taking clonidine.
Examples of long-term side effects include:
Talk with your doctor to learn more about these side effects and how to best manage them. Ask your doctor for more information about how long these side effects of clonidine may last.
* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects of clonidine in detail” section below.
Coupon for clonidine
Visit this page to access Optum Perks coupons and get price estimates for clonidine when you use the coupons. These coupons can provide significant savings on your prescription costs.
Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.
Side effects of clonidine in detail
Below you’ll find details on some of the side effects of clonidine oral tablet.
Heart-related side effects
In studies, heart-related side effects were rare in people taking clonidine oral tablet. These side effects may be serious.
Heart-related side effects reported with clonidine include:
Certain factors can increase the risk of heart-related side effects with clonidine oral tablet. These include having a heart condition, including heart disease.
Ways to manage
If you experience symptoms of heart-related side effects, tell your doctor. They’ll likely recommend setting an appointment so they can review your symptoms in person. They’ll then recommend the best treatment for your symptoms. This may include stopping treatment with clonidine and exploring other medications for high blood pressure instead.
Withdrawal symptoms
In studies, withdrawal symptoms were rare in people taking clonidine oral tablet. This side effect may be mild or serious.
Withdrawal symptoms are side effects that happen when you suddenly stop taking a medication that your body is dependent on. (Dependence means your body needs a drug in your system in order to feel and function as usual. Dependence is different from addiction.)
Withdrawal symptoms reported with clonidine include:
Certain factors can increase the risk of withdrawal symptoms with clonidine oral tablet. These include:
- suddenly stopping treatment with clonidine
- taking a higher dose of clonidine, especially with long-term treatment
- taking a beta-blocker drug such as metoprolol (Toprol XL, Lopressor)
Ways to manage
To help avoid withdrawal symptoms, do not suddenly stop taking clonidine. Talk with your doctor first if you’re interested in stopping treatment with this drug.
Your doctor can design a plan to slowly lower your clonidine dose over time. This is called a drug taper. It helps lower your risk of withdrawal symptoms when stopping treatment. Preferably, your clonidine dose should be gradually lowered over at least 2–4 days until it’s safe to stop taking the drug completely.
If you experience symptoms of withdrawal after you stop taking clonidine, tell your doctor. They’ll likely recommend treatments based on your specific symptoms.
Dry mouth
In studies, dry mouth was the most common side effect in people taking clonidine oral tablet. This side effect is usually mild. It usually goes away as you continue treatment with clonidine.
Dry mouth happens when your salivary glands don’t make enough saliva. This causes a dry feeling in your mouth. It can also cause other symptoms, including bad breath, dry throat, and cracked lips.
Taking a larger dose can increase the risk of dry mouth with clonidine oral tablet.
Ways to manage
Dry mouth caused by clonidine oral tablet often goes away on its own as you continue taking the medication.
If you have symptoms of dry mouth that don’t go away or become bothersome, tell your doctor. They may recommend a home remedy, such as using a humidifier while you sleep. Limiting alcohol or caffeine may also help.
Your doctor may recommend artificial saliva that can help relieve symptoms of dry mouth. They may also recommend stopping treatment with clonidine and trying a different medication for your condition.
Allergic reaction
For some people, clonidine oral tablet can cause an allergic reaction. But these reactions were rare in the drug’s studies.
Symptoms can be mild or serious, and they may include:
- itchiness
- skin rash
- swelling under the skin, usually affecting eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
- swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe
- flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)
Ways to manage
For mild allergic reaction symptoms, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may recommend treatments to help manage your symptoms. They’ll also let you know whether you should keep taking the medication.
For severe allergic reaction symptoms, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms require immediate medical care because they can become life threatening. If you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to clonidine oral tablet, your doctor may recommend taking a different medication instead.
Warnings for clonidine
Below are some factors you may want to discuss with your doctor before taking clonidine oral tablet.
Warnings
It may not be safe for you to take clonidine oral tablet if you have specific health conditions. These are sometimes called drug-condition interactions. Other things may also affect whether clonidine oral tablet is a safe treatment option for you.
Before taking clonidine oral tablet, tell your doctor about your health and medications you take. Things to consider include:
Clonidine and pregnancy
It’s not known whether clonidine oral tablet should be taken during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or can become pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking this medication.
Clonidine and breastfeeding
It’s not known whether clonidine oral tablet should be taken while breastfeeding. If you’re currently breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before taking this medication.
Clonidine and alcohol
Clonidine oral tablet is known to interact with alcohol.
Consuming alcohol while taking clonidine raises your risk of certain side effects, including drowsiness and dizziness. Combining clonidine and alcohol also raises the risk that these side effects will be severe.
In addition, some people taking clonidine in studies reported an increased sensitivity to alcohol.
If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about whether it’s safe to consume it during your treatment with clonidine oral tablet.
What to ask your doctor
This article describes common and serious side effects of clonidine oral tablet. If your doctor prescribes this medication, they can discuss possible side effects with you. Let your doctor know if you have concerns or questions about treatment with this medication.
Here’s a list of some possible questions you may want to ask your doctor:
- Does my health history raise my risk of side effects from taking clonidine?
- If I have side effects from clonidine, can you prescribe a lower dose for me to try?
- How long do side effects caused by clonidine usually last?
Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
