Catapres-TTS Dosage: An Introduction
The dose of
Catapres-TTS® (
clonidine hydrochloride) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
- The severity of your high blood pressure
- How you respond to the medication
- Other medications you are taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust your dosage unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
For most people, the starting
Catapres-TTS dosage for
high blood pressure treatment is one Catapres-TTS-1 patch applied once a week. If necessary, your healthcare provider may slowly increase your dose.
If you are switching from Catapres tablets to Catapres-TTS, your healthcare provider should take into consideration that it takes a few days for the Catapres-TTS patches to start working. This is very important, since it is dangerous to suddenly stop or decrease taking Catapres (this is most important with the oral tablets). If you completely stop the tablets before the patches have a chance to start working, serious problems could result. It is usually recommended to slowly decrease the dose of Catapres tablets for the first few days of starting the patch.
General Information on Dosing With Catapres-TTS
Some considerations for people taking Catapres-TTS include the following:
- Catapres-TTS comes as a skin patch that is applied every seven days.
- You should replace the patch at the same time and on the same day every single week.
- Apply the patch to a hairless area such as the upper, outer arm or the chest. The area should be clean, dry, and free of any irritation or scars. Do not shave the area before applying the patch. Do not apply a patch to the same area twice in a row.
- If the patch begins to separate from the skin, apply the white patch cover (which does not contain any medication) over the patch to help it stay in place. If the patch comes off or significantly loosens, you must apply a new patch altogether.
- You may swim, bathe, and shower while wearing the patch.
- Remove the old patch when you apply a new one. Fold it in half and dispose of it out of the reach of children and pets.
- For the medication to work properly, it must be used as prescribed. Catapres-TTS will not work if you stop using it.
- If you are unsure about anything related to Catapres-TTS dosing in general (or your particular dose of the drug), please talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
