Clonidine High Blood Pressure Medicine
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Clonidine (Catapres) is an antihypertensive drug that works centrally. That is, it works in a control center for the sympathetic nervous system in the brain. This high blood pressure medicine is referred to as a central alpha agonist because it stimulates alpha-receptors in the brain. The result of this central stimulation, however, is to decrease the sympathetic nervous system outflow and to decrease the stiffness of the peripheral arteries. Clonidine lowers the blood pressure, therefore, by relaxing the peripheral arteries throughout the body. This high blood pressure medicine is useful as a second or third line high blood pressure medicine choice for lowering blood pressure when other high blood pressure medicines have failed. It also may be useful on an as-needed basis to control or smooth out fluctuations in the blood pressure. This drug tends to cause dryness of the mouth and fatigue so that some patients do not tolerate it. Clonidine comes in an oral form or as a sustained release skin patch.
Tags: Clonidine, High Blood Pressure Medicine, Medicine
Tags: Clonidine, High Blood Pressure Medicine, Medicine