Clonidine Transdermal: How Should I Use Clonidine Transdermal

Content provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.

How should I use clonidine transdermal?

Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not use the medication in larger amounts, or use it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the instructions on your prescription label.

This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use. Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Before applying a skin patch, wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly. Also wash and dry the skin area where you plan to apply the patch. Rinse and wipe dry with a clean tissue.

Apply the skin patch to a flat, hairless area of the chest, back, side, or outer side of your upper arm. To remove any hair from these areas, clip the hair short but do not shave it. Press the patch firmly with the palm making sure it sticks firmly, especially around the edges.

You will wear the patch for 7 days and then remove it and put on a new one. Apply the new patch to a different skin area on your arm or torso. Do not apply patches to the same skin area 2 weeks in a row. Do not wear more than 1 patch at a time unless your doctor has told you to.

If a patch becomes loose or falls off, apply the round adhesive cover to the patch to keep it on your skin for the entire 7-day wearing time. The adhesive cover contains no medicine and should be used only to secure a skin patch that has become too loose to stick by itself.

After removing a skin patch fold it in half, sticky side in, and throw it away where children and pets cannot get to it.

The clonidine transdermal patch may burn your skin if you wear the patch during an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Remove the clonidine patch before undergoing such a test.

Tell any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you that you are using clonidine transdermal. If you need emergency heart resuscitation, your family or caregivers should tell emergency medical personnel if you are wearing a clonidine skin patch. The patch should be removed before any electrical equipment (such as a defribrillator) is used on you.

Do not stop using this medication suddenly without first talking to your doctor. Stopping this medication suddenly can cause nervousness, anxiety, severe high blood pressure, or life-threatening symptoms. You will need to use less and less before you stop the medication completely.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep each skin patch in the foil pouch until you are ready to use it.

Last updated:	June 18, 2008