Clonidine

Clonidine, sold under the brand name Catapres among others, is an α2-adrenergic agonist medication used to treat high blood pressure, ADHD, drug withdrawal (alcohol, opioids, or nicotine), menopausal flushing, diarrhea, spasticity, and certain pain conditions. The drug is often prescribed off-label for tics. It is used orally (by mouth), by injection, or as a transdermal skin patch. Onset of action is typically within an hour with the effects on blood pressure lasting for up to eight hours.

Clonidine
Clinical data
Pronunciation/ˈklɒnədn/
Trade namesCatapres, Kapvay, Nexiclon, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa682243
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: B3
Routes of
administration
Oral, epidural, intravenous (IV), transdermal, topical
Drug classCentrally acting α2A-agonist hypotensive agent
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability70–80% (oral), 60–70% (transdermal)
Protein binding20–40%
MetabolismLiver to inactive metabolites, 2/3 CYP2D6
Onset of actionIR: 30–60 minutes after an oral dose
Elimination half-lifeIR: 12–16 hours; 41 hours in kidney failure, 48 hours for repeated dosing
ExcretionUrine (72%)
Identifiers
  • N-(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)-4,5--1H-imidazol-2-amine
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.021.928
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC9H9Cl2N3
Molar mass230.09 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • Clc1cccc(Cl)c1N/C2=N/CCN2
  • InChI=1S/C9H9Cl2N3/c10-6-2-1-3-7(11)8(6)14-9-12-4-5-13-9/h1-3H,4-5H2,(H2,12,13,14) Y
  • Key:GJSURZIOUXUGAL-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
  (verify)

Common side effect include dry mouth, dizziness, headaches, hypotension, and sleepiness. Severe side effects may include hallucinations, heart arrhythmias, and confusion. If rapidly stopped, withdrawal effects may occur. Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding is not recommended. Clonidine lowers blood pressure by stimulating α2 receptors in the brain, which results in relaxation of many arteries.

Clonidine was patented in 1961 and came into medical use in 1966. It is available as a generic medication. In 2021, it was the 80th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 8 million prescriptions.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.