- Do NOT substitute between clonidine products on a mg-per-mg basis.
Hypertension
- PO (Adults ): Immediate release: 0.1 mg twice daily; ↑ by 0.1–0.2 mg/day every 2–4 days until BP is controlled; usual maintenance dose is 0.2–0.6 mg/day in 2–3 divided doses (up to 2.4 mg/day). Extended release: 0.17 mg once daily; ↑ by 0.09 mg/day at weekly intervals until BP is controlled; usual maintenance dose is 0.17–0.52 mg/day. Urgent treatment of hypertension (immediate release): 0.2 mg loading dose; then 0.1 mg every hr until BP is controlled or 0.8 mg total has been administered; follow with maintenance dosing;
- PO Geriatric Patients ): Immediate release: 0.1 mg at bedtime initially; ↑ as needed.
- Transdermal (Adults ): 0.1 mg/24 hr patch applied once every 7 days; ↑ by 0.1 mg every 1–2 wk (usual dose range: 0.1 to 0.3 mg/24-hr patch applied once every 7 days).
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- PO (Children ≥6 yr and >45 kg): Immediate release: 0.1 mg at bedtime; then ↑ every 2–3 days to 0.1 mg twice daily; then 0.1 mg 3 times daily; then 0.1 mg 4 times daily (max dose = 0.4 mg/day).
- PO (Children ≥6 yr and 40.6–45 kg): Immediate release: 0.05 mg at bedtime; then ↑ every 2–3 days to 0.05 mg twice daily; then 0.05 mg 3 times daily; then 0.05 mg 4 times daily (max dose = 0.3 mg/day).
- PO (Children ≥6 yr and 27–40.5 kg): Immediate release: 0.05 mg at bedtime; then ↑ every 2–3 days to 0.05 mg twice daily; then 0.05 mg 3 times daily; then 0.05 mg 4 times daily (max dose = 0.2 mg/day).
- PO (Children ≥6 yr): Extended release (generic): 0.1 mg at bedtime; after 1 wk, ↑ dose to 0.1 mg in am and at bedtime; after 1 wk, ↑ dose to 0.1 mg in am and 0.2 mg at bedtime; after 1 wk, ↑ dose to 0.2 mg in am and at bedtime (max dose = 0.4 mg/day). Extended release (Onyda XR): 0.1 mg at bedtime; titrate dose by 0.1 mg/day at weekly intervals (max dose = 0.4 mg/day).
Cancer Pain
- Epidural (Adults ): 30 mcg/hr initially; titrated according to need.
- Epidural (Children ): 0.5 mcg/kg/hr initially; titrated according to need up to 2 mcg/kg/hr.
Opioid Withdrawal
- PO (Adults ): Immediate release: 0.3–1.2 mg/day; may ↓ by 50% per day for 3 days; then discontinued or ↓ by 0.1–0.2 mg/day.
