Key points

• Clonidine treats conditions including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), tic disorders, anxiety, and sometimes high blood pressure. It can also help calm people before medical procedures, wean them off strong pain medicine and treat nausea, migraine headaches, muscle spasms (dystonia), sleep problems and pain.
• Store clonidine out of children’s reach and always keep medicine in the packaging it came in.
• Follow the medicine label carefully to avoid making dosage mistakes.
• Be careful never to give more than the recommended amount of clonidine and do not give a double dose to make up for a missed dose, as this may make your child too drowsy and affect their blood pressure.
• Call an ambulance (000) immediately if your child is very tired or hard to wake, shows any signs of an allergic reaction or has difficulty breathing.

What is clonidine?

Clonidine (klon-ih-deen) is a medicine used to treat conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), tic disorders, anxiety, and sometimes high blood pressure. It can also help calm people before medical procedures, wean them off strong pain medicine and treat nausea, migraine headaches, sleep problems and pain. The medicine works in certain parts of the brain and spinal cord to reduce the amount of noradrenaline – a chemical messenger – in the body.

Different companies make clonidine tablets, and each brand has its own medicine names, such as Catapres or APO-Clonidine.

How is clonidine used in hospitals?

If your child is in hospital, their care team may give them clonidine for a few reasons, such as to:

• calm nerves before a procedure or surgery
• soothe distress
• treat pain
• help numbing medicines (local anaesthesia) in nerve blocks
• help wean from strong pain medicine.

A doctor or nurse may give your child clonidine as a tablet or oral liquid, through an intravenous line (IV) or in a patch.

Clonidine patches

Clonidine patches deliver clonidine to the body through the skin. You can only get them from hospital pharmacies.

Each clonidine patch pack comes with two items:

1. Medicine patch which delivers clonidine through the skin to the blood stream.
2. Adhesive cover to stick on top of the medicine patch.

It is important to put the clonidine patch on clean, dry skin before sticking the adhesive cover on top to keep it in place. Always remove old patches before applying new ones.

To discard used patches, fold them in half with the sticky sides together and put them in the bin, out of reach of children and pets.

Figure one: Photograph of Clonidine patch and adhesive cover.

Giving your child clonidine

Your child’s doctor will work out how much clonidine your child needs. This amount (dose) will be printed on the medicine label.

Always check you are giving the correct dose of clonidine. Too much clonidine can be dangerous because it can make your child very sleepy and may affect their breathing. It is important to store clonidine out of children’s reach. If more than one person gives your child their medicine, write down the time each clonidine dose is given to avoid dosage mistakes.

When should I give clonidine to my child?

• For sleep disorders: Clonidine is best given about an hour before bedtime.
• For ADHD and tic disorders: Your doctor will tell you the best time of day to give your child clonidine based on their needs.
• For pain relief or when weaning off strong pain medicine: Your doctor, pharmacist, or hospital pain team will tell you the best time to give your child clonidine based on their needs.

Possible side effects of clonidine

Medicines sometimes have side effects. Some side effects will fade with time or come back if the dose changes. Speak to your child’s doctor if you are worried about any of the following possible side effects of clonidine:

• Tiredness
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Dry mouth
• Constipation.

When taking clonidine, your child should be extra careful with activities like bike riding or climbing. Teenagers should be careful when driving or operating heavy machinery.

You should call an ambulance immediately if your child:

• is very sleepy or hard to wake after taking clonidine
• shows any signs of an allergic reaction after taking clonidine, such as swelling of the lips, mouth or throat, difficulty breathing such as shortness of breath or puffing when speaking.

There may be other side effects not listed in this fact sheet. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything unusual or are worried about your child.

What if my child misses a dose of clonidine?

• If your child misses a dose of clonidine, skip the missed dose and give the next dose at the usual time.
• Never give a double dose to make up for a missed dose, as this may make your child too drowsy or affect their blood pressure.
• You do not need to wake a sleeping child to give a missed dose.

What if I want to stop giving clonidine to my child?

In some cases, clonidine doses need to be reduced slowly. This is because children who have taken clonidine every day for a long time may get side effects from stopping suddenly, like high blood pressure or agitation. If your child takes clonidine every day, talk with their doctor for advice before stopping.

What if my child has had too much clonidine?

If you think you may have given your child too much clonidine, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 as soon as possible – even if your child shows no symptoms.

In the case of an emergency, call an ambulance (000) or take your child to the nearest hospital emergency department. Take the medicine container or packaging with you, even if it is empty, as this information is helpful.

General medicine advice