What is the best time of day to take clonidine? (2023)

What is the best time of day to take clonidine?

Clonidine is usually taken in the morning and at bedtime. If you take different doses of this medicine at each dosing time, it may be best to take the larger dose at bedtime. Clonidine may be taken with or without food. Swallow the extended-release tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

For sleep disorders, clonidine is usually taken once daily, 1-2 hours before bedtime. It may be taken with or without food. Usually, you will start with a low dose and slowly increase this dose over several weeks, based on how you tolerate it.

Low-dose clonidine significantly increased the amount of REM sleep and decreased the amount of non-REM (NREM) sleep during the second one-third of the drug nights compared to the corresponding hours of baseline night recordings.

How long does it take Clonidine (Generic Catapres®) to work? Clonidine's blood pressure and anxiety lowering effects begin to occur about 30-60 minutes after the first dose and have their maximum effect after about 2-4 hours. For ADHD, it may take 2-3 weeks to see the benefits of the medication.

Take clonidine in the morning and at bedtime: The total daily dose is split into 2 doses. Each dose is usually the same, but sometimes a higher dose is needed. If you have a higher dose, take it at bedtime. Don't crush, chew, or cut this medication.

You should avoid over-the-counter [OTC] medicines for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hay fever, or sinus problems, since they may tend to increase your blood pressure. Clonidine will add to the effects of alcohol and other central nervous system (CNS) depressants.

talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using clonidine if you are 65 years of age or older. Older adults should not usually use clonidine because it is not as safe as other medications that can be used to treat the same condition.

Clonidine may cause some people to become drowsy or less alert than they are normally. This is more likely to happen when you begin to take it or when you increase the amount of medicine you are taking.

Clonidine helps lower blood pressure by triggering the brain to relax blood vessels, which helps to increase blood flow. This process can also help relax other areas of the brain that may be causing stress, leading many doctors to prescribe clonidine as a sleep aid or anti-anxiety medication.

Clonidine is primarily used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It's also used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, it's not FDA-approved for insomnia. Still, one of the side effects of clonidine is sedation, or sleepiness.

What is the most common side effect of clonidine?

The most frequent (which appear to be dose-related) are dry mouth, occurring in about 40 of 100 patients; drowsiness, about 33 in 100; dizziness, about 16 in 100; constipation and sedation, each about 10 in 100.

The blood pressure-lowering effect of clonidine happens quickly, within 30 to 60 minutes after an oral dose, and the maximal effect on blood pressure occurs within two to four hours. May be used in addition to other medications for ADHD.

I take it about an hour-2 hours before bed because it does take a minute to kick in, and as soon as I feel it I am met with tranquility. Might make you get a full 8-9 hours of sleep though so don't take it if it's only a nap.”

The effects of clonidine IR oral tablets last for about 12 to 16 hours. This is the half-life of the drug (how long it takes for half the dose to be removed from your system).

Common side effects of clonidine include:

General feelings of weakness, fatigue, dry mouth, nervousness, and headache. Nausea, vomiting, and/or constipation. Symptoms similar to having a cold, such as headache, runny nose, sore throat, congestion, etc.

A second cup of coffee (with the same amount of caffeine as the first) was consumed 120 min after the first cup. The results showed that clonidine reduced alertness, impaired many aspects of performance and slowed saccadic eye movements; caffeine removed many of these impairments.

Adults—0.1 milligram (mg) two times a day, taken in the morning and at bedtime. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. The usual dose is 0.2 mg to 0.6 mg per day, divided and given two times a day. Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

The main effect of clonidine was a decrease of anxiety attacks and "psychic" symptoms. Somatic symptoms were least affected. The complexity of the results may be explained through the postsynaptic effects of clonidine, which in part neutralize its presynaptic noradrenergic effects.

What foods interact with clonidine?

Clonidine Interactions with Food and Herbs

Interaction of clonidine with ginseng may affect the action of the drug as ginseng can increase the blood pressure. Other Herbs: Saw palmetto, hawthorn, goldenseal, ma huang, licorice and yohimbe may increase the blood pressure and interfere with the effect of clonidine.

Does Clonidine cause weight gain? Clonidine is a synthetic medication that, in some persons, causes an increase in appetite. Weight gain is a possible adverse effect that might occur after around 6-weeks of Clonidine therapy, but it is not frequent.

Clonidine may cause some people to become drowsy or less alert than they are normally. This is more likely to happen when you begin to take it or when you increase the amount of medicine you are taking.

The effects of clonidine IR oral tablets last for about 12 to 16 hours. This is the half-life of the drug (how long it takes for half the dose to be removed from your system).

The blood pressure-lowering effect of clonidine happens quickly, within 30 to 60 minutes after an oral dose, and the maximal effect on blood pressure occurs within two to four hours. May be used in addition to other medications for ADHD.