Prescription medication · Central Alpha-2 Agonist
clonidine
Also sold as Catapres. Clonidine is used to treat high blood pressure.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 49,370
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 29
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- 3
- Recall records
What the data shows
clonidine (Catapres) is a prescription Central Alpha-2 Agonist, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (49,370 FDA reports), with 29 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
clonidine (Catapres) is a prescription Central Alpha-2 Agonist. Clonidine is used to treat high blood pressure.
Clonidine (Catapres) is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$5.80/unit
Generic Available
Yes (20 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Clonidine is used to treat high blood pressure.
Common side effects
Dry mouth (occurs in about 40 out of 100 people), Drowsiness (occurs in about 33 out of 100 people), Dizziness (occurs in about 16 out of 100 people)
Key warnings
If you suddenly stop taking clonidine, your blood pressure may increase.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from clonidine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Clonidine works in the brain to lower blood pressure. It tells your blood vessels to relax and widen. This makes it easier for blood to flow through your body, which lowers blood pressure.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 49,370 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for clonidine, by number of reports
- Pain
Pain
3,038 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
2,925 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
2,920 reports
- Headache
Headache
2,798 reports
- Hypertension
Hypertension
2,595 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
2,296 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
2,201 reports
- Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Kidney Disease
2,113 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
2,031 reports
- Renal Failure
Renal Failure
1,916 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for clonidine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where clonidine sits
clonidine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 73% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is clonidine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 49,370 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
49,370
Reports Mentioning Death
5,854
11.9% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
17,724
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | PAIN | 3,038 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 2,925 |
| 4 | NAUSEA | 2,920 |
| 6 | HEADACHE | 2,798 |
| 7 | HYPERTENSION | 2,595 |
| 8 | DYSPNOEA | 2,296 |
| 9 | DIARRHOEA | 2,201 |
| 10 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 2,113 |
| 11 | VOMITING | 2,031 |
| 12 | RENAL FAILURE | 1,916 |
| 13 | DIZZINESS | 1,876 |
| 14 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,818 |
| 15 | BLOOD PRESSURE INCREASED | 1,691 |
| 16 | ANXIETY | 1,598 |
| 17 | HYPOTENSION | 1,542 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
If you suddenly stop taking clonidine, your blood pressure may increase. This can cause serious problems. Talk to your doctor before stopping this medicine.
Known Drug Interactions
( 7.1 , 7.5 ) Hypotensive agents (e.g., reserpine, MAO inhibitors, clonidine) may increase the risk of hypotension and/or severe bradycardia. Concomitant administration of clonidine with a β-blocker may cause hypotension and bradycardia. When concomitant treatment with a β-blocker and clonidine is to be terminated, the β-blocker should be discontinued first.
Mechanism: Both drugs lower blood pressure and slow down the heart rate. Taking them together can make these effects too strong, causing a dangerously slow heart or very low blood pressure.
( 7.3 ) Concomitant use of glycosides, clonidine, and diltiazem and verapamil with beta-blockers can increase the risk of bradycardia. ( 7.4 ) Beta-blockers including metoprolol, may exacerbate the rebound hypertension that can follow the withdrawal of clonidine. 7.4 Negative Chronotropes Digitalis glycosides, clonidine, diltiazem and verapamil slow atrioventricular conduction and decrease heart rate.
Mechanism: Both drugs work to slow down your heart rate, which can cause your heart to beat too slowly when taken together. Additionally, stopping one of these drugs suddenly can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure.
Examples: beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine Clopidogrel : Avoid concomitant use; if used concomitantly initiate at 0.5 mg before each meal and limit total daily dose to 4 mg (7) Cyclosporine : Limit daily dose of repaglinide to 6 mg and increase frequency of glucose monitoring when co-administered (7) CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 Inhibitors and Drugs That May Increase the Risk of Hypoglycemia : Co-administration may require repaglinide dose reductions and increased frequency of glucose monitoring (7) CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 Inducers and Drugs That May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering...
Mechanism: Clonidine can hide the warning signs of low blood sugar and may also cause blood sugar to drop further when taken with repaglinide.
7.6 Clonidine Concomitant use with sotalol increases the risk of bradycardia and AV block. Because beta-blockers may potentiate the rebound hypertension sometimes observed after clonidine discontinuation, withdraw sotalol several days before the gradual withdrawal of clonidine to reduce the risk of rebound hypertension.
Mechanism: Both of these medicines slow down your heart rate, which can cause your heart to beat too slowly. Additionally, taking them together can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure if the clonidine is stopped suddenly.
Amitriptyline in combination with clonidine enhances the manifestation of corneal lesions in rats (see Toxicology ). In combination with amitriptyline, clonidine hydrochloride administration led to the development of corneal lesions in rats within 5 days.
Mechanism: These drugs may work together to cause damage to the clear front part of the eye.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking clonidine?
Will clonidine make me sleepy?
How long does it take for clonidine to start working?
Can I drive while taking clonidine?
What should I do if I feel dizzy while taking clonidine?
Can I take clonidine with other medicines?
What if I have kidney problems?
Can clonidine cause dry eyes?
Is it okay to stop taking this medication if I feel better?
What number can I call if I have questions about this medication?
What are the common side effects of clonidine?
Does clonidine interact with other medications?
What drug class is clonidine?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for clonidine?
Has clonidine been recalled?
Active Recalls
CGMP Deviations: use of an unapproved raw material
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc
CGMP Deviations: use of an unapproved raw material
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc
CGMP Deviations: use of an unapproved raw material
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc
Related Medications in Central Alpha-2 Agonist
Other drugs grouped near clonidine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acebutolol
Sectral
Acebutolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and control irregular heartbeats.
Compare with clonidine →
aliskiren
Tekturna
Tekturna is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
Compare with clonidine →
amiloride
Midamor
Amiloride is a water pill that helps your body hold onto potassium.
Compare with clonidine →
amlodipine
Norvasc
Amlodipine (Norvasc) is a drug that lowers blood pressure and treats chest pain.
Compare with clonidine →
amlodipine/benazepril
Lotrel
Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril.
Compare with clonidine →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for clonidine: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 49,370.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 11.86%.
- tobramycin Δ 0.01 pts · 23,287 reports · Aminoglycoside Antibiotic 11.87%death share
- exemestane Δ 0.02 pts · 20,856 reports · Aromatase Inhibitor (Steroidal) 11.88%death share
- zolpidem Δ 0.06 pts · 131,653 reports · Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotic (Z-Drug) 11.92%death share
- cefuroxime Δ 0.08 pts · 11,087 reports · Second-Generation Cephalosporin 11.94%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
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What the FDA Data Shows for clonidine
The FDA label for clonidine (sold under brand names such as Catapres) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Central Alpha-2 Agonist class. Clonidine is used to treat high blood pressure. Official labeling lists 5 commonly reported side effects, including Dry mouth (occurs in about 40 out of 100 people), Drowsiness (occurs in about 33 out of 100 people), Dizziness (occurs in about 16 out of 100 people).
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 49,370 voluntary reports. The database also lists 29 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $5.80.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 3 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: May 22, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages