Patient leaflet - Clonidine Hydrochloride 150 micrograms/ml solution for injection
1. What Clonidine hydrochloride
Injection is and what it is used for
The name of your medicine is Clonidine hydrochloride 150 micrograms/ml Solution for Injection (called Clonidine hydrochloride Injection in this leaflet). Your medicine is a solution for injection.
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection contain a medicine called clonidine. This belongs to a group of medicines called antihypertensives.
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection is used to lower high blood pressure in cases of hypertensive crisis (a rapid rise in blood pressure that needs treating straight away).
2. What you need to know before you take Clonidine hydrochloride Injection
Do not take Clonidine hydrochloride Injection if:
You are pregnant, likely to get pregnant
or are breast-feeding
You are allergic (hypersensitive) to
clonidine or any of the other ingredients of Clonidine hydrochloride (see section 6: Further information)
You have a slow heart rate due to heart
problems
- You are under 18 years old
Do not take Clonidine hydrochloride Injection if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Clonidine hydrochloride Injection if you have
Raynaud’s disease (a problem with
circulation to the fingers and toes) or other blood circulation problems, including circulation to the brain. • If you have heart or kidney problems • You have or ever had depression • You have constipation
You have a nerve disorder that causes
your hands and feet to feel different (‘altered sensation’).
If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Clonidine hydrochloride Injection.
As you may get dry eyes whilst taking this medicine, this may be a problem if you wear contact lenses.
Other medicines and Clonidine hydrochloride Injection
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any othermedicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription and herbal medicines. This is because Clonidine hydrochloride Injection can affect the way some other medicines work, and some other medicines can affect the way Clonidine hydrochloride Injection work.
In particular, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines:
Other medicines that make you drowsy • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
(NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen
Medicines for depression such as
imipramine or mirtazapine
Medicines for severe mental illness such
as schizophrenia. These are also known as ‘antipsychotics’ and include
chlorpromazine and haloperidol
Please also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following medicines for high blood pressure or other heart problems:
- Beta blockers such as atenolol
Water tablets (’diuretics’) such as
frusemide
Alpha blockers such as prazosin or
doxazosin These can also be used for prostate problems in men.
Vasodilators such as diazoxide or sodium
nitroprusside
Calcium antagonists such as verapamil
or diltiazem hydrochloride
ACE inhibitors such as captopril or
lisinopril
- Digitalis glycosides such as digoxin
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before receiving Clonidine hydrochloride Injection.
Tests
If you are having any blood tests, tell the person giving the test that you are taking this medicine. This is because Clonidine hydrochloride Injection can affect results relating to your liver.
Operations
If you are going to have an operation, you will need to still receive Clonidine
hydrochloride Injection.
Having Clonidine hydrochloride Injection
with food and drink
You may feel drowsy while receiving Clonidine hydrochloride Injection. Drinking alcohol while receiving Clonidine hydrochloride Injection can make this worse.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
You should not be given Clonidine hydrochloride Injection if you are pregnant, likely to get pregnant or are breast-feeding.
Driving and using machines
You may feel drowsy, dizzy, or could have some disturbances of vision. If affected, you should not drive, operate machinery or take part in any activities where these may put you or others at Risk.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Clonidine hydrochloride Injection
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection contain less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per 1 ml ampoule, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to take Clonidine hydrochloride Injection
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection are usually given by a doctor or nurse. You will normally be given 1 to 2 Clonidine hydrochloride Injection but over 24 hours up to 5 ampoules may be given.
Your doctor will start you on a low dose but may increase the dose if you need more medicine to control your blood pressure.
Receiving the injection
- Clonidine hydrochloride Injection are slowly injected into a vein over 10-15 minutes
- Clonidine hydrochloride Injection may be diluted with other solutions if needed
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection are not recommended for children or adolescents under 18 years old.
If you have more Clonidine hydrochloride Injection than you should
It is unlikely that you will be given too much of this medicine. However, tell the doctor or nurse if you think that you have been given too much.
If you have any further questions on the use of Clonidine hydrochloride, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Clonidine hydrochloride Injection can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately if you experience any of the following:
The side effects described below have been experienced by people taking Clonidine hydrochloride. They are listed as either very common, common, uncommon, rare or not known.
Very common (affects more than 1 in 10 people)
- Dizziness, feeling tired and more relaxed than usual (sedation)
Feeling dizzy when you stand up
(because your blood pressure has fallen sharply)
- Dry mouth
Common (affects less than 1 in 10 people, more than 1 in 100 people)
- Depression, sleeping problems • Headache
- Constipation, feeling sick (nausea), pain below the ear (from the salivary gland), being sick (vomiting)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
Uncommon (affects less than 1 in 100 people, more than 1 in 1,000 people) • Problems with understanding what is happening around you, hallucinations, nightmares
Your hands and feet feeling different
(‘altered sensation’)
Regular unusually slow heart beat • Raynaud’s phenomenon (a problem with circulation to the fingers and toes) • Itching, rash, urticaria (nettle rash) • A feeling of discomfort and fatigue
(‘malaise’)
Rare (affects less than 1 in 1,000 people, more than 1 in 10,000 people)
- Breast growth (‘gynaecomastia’) in men • Dry eyes
- Irregular heartbeat
- Drying out of the lining of the nose • Pseudo-obstruction of the large bowel, which causes colicky pain, vomiting and constipation.
- Contact your doctor straight away if you have all these side effects.
- Hair loss
- Increase in your blood sugar
Not known
- Confusion, loss of libido
- Blurred vision
- Abnormally slow heart beat
Two cases of hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) have also been reported. This might
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side-effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Clonidine hydrochloride Injection
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection should not be used after the expiry date which is stated on the ampoule label and carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicinal product does not require any special storage condition. Keep the ampoule in the outer carton in order to protect from light.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Clonidine hydrochloride Injection contains:
The active substance is clonidine hydrochl oride.
Each 1 ml ampoule contains 150 micrograms of clonidine hydrochloride The other ingredients in the injection are: Sodium chloride, water for injections and hydrochloric acid (1N)
What Clonidine hydrochloride Injection look like and contents of the pack
Clonidine hydrochloride Injection are clear glass ampoules containing a clear, colourless solution. Clonidine hydrochloride Injection are supplied in cartons of 5 and 10 ampoules.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Orbit Pharma Limited
128 City Road, London
United Kingdom, EC1V 2NX
Manufacturer
SCIOM LIMITED
Unit 4, Martinfield Business Centre, Martinfield, Welwyn Garden City,
AL7 1HG, United Kingdom
This leaflet was last revised in July 2025.