What is clonidine used for?

Clonidine is an oral medication that is primarily used to treat people with high blood pressure. The medication helps relax the blood vessels to make it easier for blood to pass throughout them, lowering a patient's blood pressure. Doctors will sometimes combine this drug with another.

Clonidine is sold under the brand names Catapres, Nexiclon XR and Kapvay in the United States, and it is available in tablet and suspension forms. In addition to treating high blood pressure, the medication is sometimes also used to treat severe menstrual cramps, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome and substance withdrawal. It may also be prescribed for people who need help to stop smoking.