Catapres 150 Tablets (Clonidine Hydrochloride)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Catapres 150 Tablets Used For?
Catapres 150 tablets contain clonidine hydrochloride, a medication specifically designed to help manage high blood pressure.
Primary Uses
Catapres is used to lower high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
How It Works
Catapres works by relaxing and widening blood vessels, which helps to lower your blood pressure.
Good to know: Catapres helps control your condition but does not cure it. It’s important to keep taking your medicine even if you feel well.
How to Take Catapres 150 Tablets
Your doctor will determine the right amount of Catapres for you based on your condition and other medications you may be taking.
Dosage Instructions
Swallow the tablets with a full glass of water. Take Catapres at about the same time each day. Continue taking it for as long as your doctor tells you. Follow the instructions provided and use Catapres until your doctor tells you to stop.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss your dose at the usual time, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you’re meant to. If you’re not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Important: Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed. If your doctor tells you to stop taking Catapres, you should reduce the dose gradually over a week or more to avoid a sudden increase in blood pressure.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- light-headedness when you stand up suddenly
- drowsiness
- dryness of the mouth
- nausea and vomiting
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- blurred vision
- confusion
- mental depression
- irrational or abnormal thoughts
- slow or irregular heart beat
- abnormal liver function tests and cases of hepatitis
Important Warnings
There are several important conditions and situations where Catapres should not be used or requires special caution.
Who Should Not Take Catapres 150 Tablets
Do not use Catapres if you are allergic to clonidine hydrochloride or any of the ingredients, if you have the rare hereditary condition of galactose intolerance, or if you have certain heart problems such as irregular or slow heartbeat.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Check with your doctor if you have or have had: heart failure or any heart or circulation problems, stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), mental depression, diabetes, nerve damage which may lead to weakness in arms and legs, constipation, phaeochromocytoma (a rare tumor of the adrenal gland), or any problems with your kidneys.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Do not take Catapres if you are pregnant as it may affect your developing baby. Do not breastfeed if you are taking this medicine as the active ingredient passes into breast milk and may affect your baby.
Children and Adolescents: Do not give Catapres to a child under 18 years. Serious side effects have been observed when clonidine is used with methylphenidate in children with ADHD.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with Catapres and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines you’re taking.
- other medicines for high blood pressure
- medicines for heart problems
- alcohol
- medicines used to control mood swings and some types of depression
- medicines used to relieve pain, swelling or other symptoms of inflammation
Alcohol & Driving
Catapres can affect your ability to drive and may interact with alcohol, so special precautions are needed.
Alcohol
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. Alcohol may affect how well your medicine works. You may need different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Catapres affects you. Catapres may cause dizziness or drowsiness in some people. If you feel light-headed, dizzy or faint, get up slowly when getting out of bed or standing up.
Storage
Keep your tablets in the blister strip until it’s time to take them as the blister strip protects the tablets. Store them in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C. Keep away from heat, dampness, moisture, and sunlight. Store in a locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground, away from children.
Overdose Information
If you think you have used too much Catapres, you may need urgent medical attention. Signs of overdose may include slow heartbeat, drowsiness, temporarily stopping breathing, coma, dizziness, weakness, lethargy, feeling cold, vomiting, looking pale, or having an irregular heartbeat. Immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre (Australia: 13 11 26, New Zealand: 0800 764 766), contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, even if there are no signs of discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
The source doesn’t specify exact timing, but Catapres works by relaxing and widening blood vessels to lower blood pressure. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure to ensure the medication is working effectively.
The instructions indicate to swallow the tablets with a full glass of water, but don’t specify whether to take with or without food. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for specific guidance.
Do not stop taking Catapres or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor. If your doctor tells you to stop, you should reduce the dose gradually over a week or more to avoid a sudden increase in blood pressure.
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. Alcohol may affect how well your medicine works, and you may need different amounts of your medicine or different medicines altogether.
The medication can cause dizziness or drowsiness, and you may feel light-headed when standing up. This is especially important for elderly patients who should get up slowly when getting out of bed or standing up.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you’re meant to. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.
Yes, drowsiness is one of the more frequently reported side effects of Catapres. Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how the medication affects you.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.