Alpha-2 Agonists
ClonidineClonidine Hydrochloride
Clonidine comes as immediate-release tablets (generic Catapres) and a weekly patch for high blood pressure, and as a 0.1 mg extended-release tablet (generic Kapvay) for ADHD in ages 6 to 17. The forms are not interchangeable, are priced very differently, and must not be stopped suddenly.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
Tablets, patches and ADHD tablets are generic; the Catapres tablet and Kapvay brands are discontinued, but the Catapres-TTS patch is still sold.
About Clonidine
Clonidine stimulates alpha-2 receptors in the brainstem, lowering blood pressure and heart rate. The immediate-release tablets, usually taken twice a day, and the weekly patch treat high blood pressure. The ADHD tablets are used alone or with a stimulant; clonidine is neither a stimulant nor a controlled substance. Nexiclon XR, a once-daily extended-release tablet for blood pressure, is a different product from the ADHD tablet.
Dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness and constipation are common; children on the ADHD tablets most often had sleepiness, tiredness, irritability and nightmares. Stopping suddenly can cause nervousness, headache, tremor and a rapid rise in blood pressure, so the prescriber tapers it: over 2 to 4 days for the blood pressure forms, and by no more than 0.1 mg every 3 to 7 days for the ADHD tablets. In someone also taking a beta blocker, the beta blocker is stopped several days before the taper.
The patch delivers 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3 mg a day for seven days and takes two to three days to reach effective levels. It can irritate the skin, and people sensitized to it may get a rash from oral clonidine. It must come off before an MRI, which can burn the skin, and before cardioversion. Javadin (an adult blood pressure solution) and Onyda XR (a once-daily ADHD suspension) are brand-only liquids. A hospital epidural injection for cancer pain has a boxed warning against its use for obstetric, postpartum or perioperative pain.
Taking Clonidine
- How to take it
- Immediate-release tablets usually morning and bedtime, often with the larger part at bedtime to ease dry mouth and drowsiness. ADHD tablets twice a day, swallowed whole, never crushed, chewed or broken. Put the patch on hairless, unbroken skin of the upper outer arm or chest every 7 days, at a new site each time, using the adhesive cover if it loosens. Never stop any form suddenly.
- If you miss a dose
- Blood pressure tablets: take it when you remember unless the next dose is near; never double up. ADHD tablets: skip it and take the next dose on time. Patch: apply a new one at a new site as soon as you remember.
- Storage
- At room temperature, away from moisture. Fold used patches in half, sticky sides together, and discard them out of reach of children and pets.
- Interactions to know about
- Alcohol and sedatives add to drowsiness, and tricyclic antidepressants can weaken its effect. With digoxin, beta blockers, diltiazem or verapamil the heart can slow too much. Remove the patch before an MRI or cardioversion. Avoid dehydration and overheating on the ADHD tablets.
This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.
Why the cash price for Clonidine differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
Immediate-release tablets cost pharmacies very little and appear on flat-price generic lists, so the price is mostly the dispensing fee. A generic patch costs the pharmacy far more per week, comes in cartons of four, and competes with the still-sold Catapres-TTS brand, so quotes depend on what each pharmacy stocks.
The ADHD tablet costs more per tablet than the immediate-release one, and higher doses mean several a day. The liquids are brand-only.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Clonidine without insurance
- For blood pressure, ask the prescriber whether tablets would suit you instead of the patch.
- For the patch, ask whether the quote is for the brand or a generic.
- Ask whether immediate-release clonidine is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list.
- For the ADHD tablets, ask for a ninety-day prescription once the dose is settled.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Clonidine
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Clonidine prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Clonidine
- 1.Is this the immediate-release tablet, the ADHD tablet or the patch?
- 2.How will it be tapered if I need to stop?
- 3.Where should the patch go, and what if it falls off?
- 4.Is it safe with my beta blocker or sleep aids?
Related medications
Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.