What Is Clonidine Used For?

Clonidine Uses: An Overview

Clonidine hydrochloride (Catapres^®, Catapres-TTS^®, Duraclon^®) is a prescription medication that comes in three different forms. Clonidine tablets (Catapres) and patches (Catapres-TTS) are approved for treating high blood pressure. Clonidine epidural infusion (Duraclon) is approved for treating severe cancer pain.

 

By lowering blood pressure, blood pressure medications (like clonidine) are thought to decrease the risks that occur with long-term high blood pressure (see Effects of High Blood Pressure). Clonidine does not, however, cure high blood pressure. It can be used alone or in combination with other blood pressure medications.

 

Clonidine can be given by an epidural for treating severe cancer pain. It should be used together with opiate medications (such as morphine) and only in people who do not respond adequately to opiates alone. In general, clonidine is more effective for nerve pain, compared to other types of pain. Because of the significant risks of epidural clonidine, this treatment is generally not recommended for other types of pain (such as obstetrical or post-surgery pain).

 

How Does Clonidine Work?

Clonidine belongs to a group of medications known as alpha-2 adrenergic agonists. It works by stimulating alpha-2 receptors in the brain stem. This causes a decrease in both blood pressure and heart rate. There is also some evidence that clonidine may decrease certain substances (such as renin or aldosterone) in the body, an action that might also contribute to decreased blood pressure.

 

When used in an epidural to treat pain, clonidine works by blocking pain signals from reaching the brain.