catapres

How long does Clonidine Hydrochloride stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of clonidine hydrochloride is about 12 to 16 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. The half-life gets much longer when the kidneys are not working well — up to about 41 hours in people with severe kidney impairment.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: Clonidine Hydrochloride Tablets, USP (DailyMed).

Frequently asked questions

What does Catapres treat?

Catapres (Clonidine Hydrochloride) may be used to treat attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, tourette syndrome, glaucoma, hypertension, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How does Catapres work?

Catapres is a central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. These drugs activate alpha-2 receptors in the brainstem, which tells the nervous system to send out less norepinephrine and reduce sympathetic (fight-or-flight) signaling to the body. With less of this stimulation, blood vessels relax and heart rate slows, lowering blood pressure.

How is Catapres rated?

pharmaranks gives Catapres a composite score of 3.6 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Catapres cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $1.05 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Catapres?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Catapres. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Catapres?

Catapres is marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim. You can see Boehringer Ingelheim's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Catapres a brand-name or generic drug?

Catapres is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Clonidine Hydrochloride. Lower-cost generic equivalents containing Clonidine Hydrochloride are available — ask your pharmacist.

Is Catapres available over the counter?

No. Catapres is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Catapres come in?

Catapres is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

What class of drug is Catapres?

Catapres is classified as central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.

Is Catapres FDA-registered?

Catapres is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA017407. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Catapres been recalled by the FDA?

Catapres has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Catapres safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Catapres a recall-safety score of 72/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.