Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Clonidine

Preeti Patel, Abdolreza Saadabadi  1
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Clonidine

Preeti Patel et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Clonidine is a central alpha-2 adrenergic and imidazoline receptor agonist that lowers blood pressure and heart rate by decreasing sympathetic outflow, leading to vasodilation and improved myocardial perfusion. Clonidine holds Food and Drug Administration–approved indications beyond antihypertensive therapy, including treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children, management of tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and adjunctive therapy for severe cancer-related pain. This activity reviews the mechanism of action, indications, adverse event profile, toxicity, dosing, drug interactions, and monitoring of clonidine, providing a comprehensive understanding of its pharmacology. Mastery of these aspects enables healthcare professionals to individualize treatment plans, optimize therapeutic outcomes, and minimize adverse events, ensuring safe and effective use of clonidine in diverse patient populations.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Preeti Patel declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Abdolreza Saadabadi declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Tian Z, Vollmer Barbosa C, Lang H, Bauersachs J, Melk A, Schmidt BMW. Efficacy of pharmacological and interventional treatment for resistant hypertension: a network meta-analysis. Cardiovasc Res. 2024 Feb 27;120(1):108-119. - PubMed
    1. Groom MJ, Cortese S. Current Pharmacological Treatments for ADHD. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2022;57:19-50. - PubMed
    1. Ommi D, Teymourian H, Zali A, Ashrafi F, Jabbary Moghaddam M, Mirkheshti A. Effects of Clonidine Premedication on Intraoperative Blood Loss in Patients With and Without Opium Addiction During Elective Femoral Fracture Surgeries. Anesth Pain Med. 2015 Aug;5(4):e23626. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, Chan E, Davison D, Earls M, Evans SW, Flinn SK, Froehlich T, Frost J, Holbrook JR, Lehmann CU, Lessin HR, Okechukwu K, Pierce KL, Winner JD, Zurhellen W, SUBCOMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVE DISORDER Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics. 2019 Oct;144(4) - PMC - PubMed
    1. Joo SW, Kim HW. Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and/or Tourette's Disorder with Clonidine Extended Release. Psychiatry Investig. 2018 Jan;15(1):90-93. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources