Guanfacine is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is sometimes given with other blood pressure medications.

The Intuniv brand of guanfacine is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Guanfacine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Use only as directed. Tell your doctor if you use other medicines or have other medical conditions or allergies.

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Avoid taking guanfacine with high-fat foods, or your body could absorb the medicine too quickly.

Take Intuniv with a full glass of water, milk, or other liquid.

Take Guanfacine at bedtime to ease drowsiness.

Swallow the Intuniv tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

If a child is using this medicine, tell your doctor if the child has any changes in weight. Intuniv doses are based on weight in children, and any changes may affect your child's dose.

You should not stop using guanfacine suddenly. Stopping suddenly can raise your blood pressure and cause unpleasant symptoms.

Call your doctor if you are sick with vomiting and cannot take your medicine as usual.

Your dose needs may change if you switch to a different brand, strength, or form of this medicine. Avoid medication errors by using only the form and strength your doctor prescribes.

Your doctor will need to check your progress on a regular basis. Your blood pressure and heart rate may also need to be checked.

If you have high blood pressure, keep using guanfacine even if you feel well. High blood pressure often has no symptoms. You may need to use blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:

Initial dose: 1 mg orally once a day at bedtime; may increase to 2 mg once a day if satisfactory result not achieved after 3 to 4 weeks.

Comments: Adverse reactions increase significantly with doses above 3 mg/day.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Attention Deficit Disorder:

6 YEARS TO LESS THAN 18 YEARS:
Initial dose: 1 mg orally once a day, either in the morning or evening, at approximately the same time each day; may adjust in increments of no more than 1 mg/week.

Recommended target dose: 0.05 to 0.12 mg/kg/day (total daily dose between 1 and 7 mg) once a day, depending on clinical response and tolerability

Maximum dose: 6 to 12 years: Doses above 4 mg/day have not been evaluated; 13 to 17 years: Doses above 7 mg/day have not been evaluated.

Comments: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may require treatment for an extended period of time; healthcare providers should periodically reevaluate treatment and adjust dose as needed.

Use: Treatment of ADHD as monotherapy and as adjunctive therapy to stimulant medications.

Usual Pediatric Dose for Hypertension:

12 YEARS OR OLDER:
Initial dose: 1 mg orally once a day at bedtime; may increase to 2 mg once a day if satisfactory result not achieved after 3 to 4 weeks.

Comments: Adverse reactions increase significantly with doses above 3 mg/day.

You should not use guanfacine if you are allergic to it.

Intuniv is not approved for use by anyone younger than 6 years old. Guanfacine is not approved for use by anyone younger than 12 years old.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• heart problems, coronary artery disease (clogged arteries);

• a heart rhythm disorder;

• a heart attack or stroke;

• high or low blood pressure;

• liver disease; or

• kidney disease.

It is not known whether guanfacine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It may not be safe to breastfeed a baby while you are using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risks.

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss more than 2 doses in a row.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include severe drowsiness, slow heart rate, and feeling like you might pass out.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication.

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how guanfacine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Drinking alcohol can increase certain side effects of guanfacine.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Guanfacine may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

• anxiety, nervousness;

• hallucinations (especially in children);

• severe drowsiness;

• slow heartbeats; or

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

If you stop taking guanfacine, tell your doctor if you have headaches, confusion, rapid heartbeats, tremors, increased blood pressure, or if you feel nervous or agitated. If left untreated, these symptoms could lead to very high blood pressure, vision problems, or seizures.

Common side effects of guanfacine may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness;

• low blood pressure, slow heartbeats;

• feeling tired or irritable;

• trouble sleeping;

• dry mouth; or

• stomach pain, nausea, constipation.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medications at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you take, which may increase side effects or make the medications less effective.

Using guanfacine with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines. Some may affect guanfacine, especially:

• ketoconazole;

• a barbiturate, such as phenobarbital;

• blood pressure medications;

• medicine to treat mental illness; or

• a sedative, such as Valium or Xanax.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect guanfacine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Keep all appointments with your doctor. Your blood pressure and heart rate should be checked regularly to determine your response to guanfacine.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.