Catapres-TTS-3

Generic Name: clonidine
Other Brand Names: Catapres-TTS-1, Catapres-TTS-2

What is clonidine transdermal?

Clonidine lowers blood pressure by decreasing the levels of certain chemicals in your blood. This allows your blood vessels to relax and your heart to beat more slowly and easily.

Clonidine transdermal is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). It is sometimes used together with other blood pressure medications.

Clonidine transdermal may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Uses Side Effects Precautions Interactions Overdose
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking clonidine transdermal?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to clonidine.

Before using clonidine transdermal, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

  • heart disease;

  • a history of heart attack or stroke;

  • liver disease; or

  • kidney disease.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use clonidine transdermal, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Clonidine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give this medication to a child younger than 12 years old.

Older adults may be more likely to have side effects from this medication.

How should I take clonidine transdermal?

Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the instructions on your prescription label.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Before applying a skin patch, wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly. Also wash and dry the skin area where you plan to apply the patch. Rinse and wipe dry with a clean tissue.

Apply the skin patch to a flat, hairless area of the chest, back, side, or outer side of your upper arm. To remove any hair from these areas, clip the hair short but do not shave it. Press the patch firmly with the palm making sure it sticks firmly, especially around the edges.

You will wear the patch for 7 days and then remove it and put on a new one. Apply the new patch to a different skin area on your arm or torso. Do not apply patches to the same skin area 2 weeks in a row. Do not wear more than 1 patch at a time unless your doctor has told you to.

If a patch becomes loose or falls off, apply the round adhesive cover to the patch to keep it on your skin for the entire 7-day wearing time. The adhesive cover contains no medicine and should be used only to secure a skin patch that has become too loose to stick by itself.

After removing a skin patch fold it in half, sticky side in, and throw it away where children and pets cannot get to it.

The clonidine transdermal patch may burn your skin if you wear the patch during an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Remove the clonidine patch before undergoing such a test.

Tell any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you that you are using clonidine transdermal. If you need emergency heart resuscitation, your family or caregivers should tell emergency medical personnel if you are wearing a clonidine skin patch. The patch should be removed before any electrical equipment (such as a defribrillator) is used on you.

Do not stop using this medication suddenly without first talking to your doctor. Stopping this medication suddenly can cause nervousness, anxiety, severe high blood pressure, or life-threatening symptoms. You will need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep each skin patch in the foil pouch until you are ready to use it.

What happens if I miss a dose of clonidine transdermal?

Apply a skin patch as soon as you remember. If it is almost time to apply your next patch, skip the missed dose and apply a patch at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra patches to make up the missed dose.

Where can I get more information about clonidine transdermal?
Your pharmacist has information about clonidine transdermal written for health professionals that you may read.
What are the possible side effects of clonidine transdermal?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

  • a very slow heart rate (fewer than 60 beats per minute);

  • severe skin irritation, redness, swelling, burning, or blistering where the patch is worn; or

  • feeling light-headed, fainting.

Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:

  • feeling dizzy, drowsy, tired, or nervous;

  • headache;

  • constipation;

  • nausea, unusual taste in your mouth;

  • sleep problems (insomnia);

  • decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm;

  • skin rash or irritation where the patch is worn; or

  • dry mouth or throat.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What is the most important information I should know about clonidine transdermal?

Do not stop using this medication suddenly without first talking to your doctor. Stopping this medication suddenly can cause nervousness, anxiety, severe high blood pressure, or life-threatening symptoms. You will need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

Avoid using lotions, oils, or other skin products on the area where you will apply the skin patch. The patch may not stick properly to the skin.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of clonidine transdermal.

Avoid using other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold medicine, pain medication, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by clonidine.

Clonidine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

The clonidine transdermal patch may burn your skin if you wear the patch during an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Remove the clonidine patch before undergoing such a test.

Tell any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you that you are using clonidine transdermal. If you need emergency heart resuscitation, your family or caregivers should tell emergency medical personnel if you are wearing a clonidine skin patch. The patch should be removed before any electrical equipment (such as a defribrillator) is used on you.

What should I avoid while taking clonidine transdermal?

Avoid using lotions, oils, or other skin products on the area where you will apply the skin patch. The patch may not stick properly to the skin.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of clonidine.

Avoid using other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold medicine, pain medication, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by clonidine.

Clonidine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

What other drugs will affect clonidine transdermal?

Before using clonidine, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

  • oral clonidine (tablets);

  • digitalis (digoxin, Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps);

  • a beta-blocker such as acebutolol (Sectral), atenolol (Tenormin), betaxolol (Kerlone), bisoprolol (Zebeta), carteolol (Cartrol), carvedilol (Coreg), esmolol (Brevibloc), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), nadolol (Corgard), penbutolol (Levatol), pindolol (Visken), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), or timolol (Blocadren);

  • a calcium channel blocker such as amlodipine (Norvasc), diltiazem (Tiazac, Cartia, Cardizem), felodipine (Plendil), nicardipine (Cardene), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or

  • antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), amoxapine (Ascendin), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), protriptyline (Vivactil), or trimipramine (Surmontil).

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use clonidine transdermal, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect clonidine transdermal. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

What happens if I have an overdose of clonidine transdermal?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Symptoms of a clonidine transdermal overdose may include drowsiness, slow or uneven heart rate, shallow breathing, weakness, fainting, seizure (convulsions), and coma.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Content provided by Multum - Last Updated 2/11/2008