Drug Detail:Catapres (Clonidine (oral) [ kloe-ni-deen ])
Generic Name: clonidine hydrochloride 0.100mg
Dosage Form: tablet
Drug Class: Antiadrenergic agents, centrally acting
Adults
The dose of Catapres® (clonidine hydrochloride, USP) tablets must be adjusted according to the patient's individual blood pressure response. The following is a general guide to its administration.
Initial Dose
0.1 mg tablet twice daily (morning and bedtime). Elderly patients may benefit from a lower initial dose.
Maintenance Dose
Further increments of 0.1 mg per day may be made at weekly intervals if necessary until the desired response is achieved. Taking the larger portion of the oral daily dose at bedtime may minimize transient adjustment effects of dry mouth and drowsiness. The therapeutic doses most commonly employed have ranged from 0.2 mg to 0.6 mg per day given in divided doses. Studies have indicated that 2.4 mg is the maximum effective daily dose, but doses as high as this have rarely been employed.