Clonidine transdermal system: adverse event reports filed with FDA

873

reports as suspect product

0% of all reports · about 59 a year

86

reports, 12 months to June 2026

32 in the 12 months before

15%

marked serious by the reporter

75.5% across the class

2.9%

record death among outcomes, as reported

25 reports · not verified by FDA

Reports by month, five years

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Clonidine transdermal system reports recording the termmedian drug in central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist

1. Application site pruritusitching where the product was applied21.6%189
2. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected20.3%177
3. Product adhesion issue17.4%152
4. Application site erythemaredness where the product was applied17.3%151
5. Wrong technique in product usage processthe product was used in the wrong way10.7%93
6. Application site rash9.6%84
7. Blood pressure increaseda raised blood pressure reading9.2%80
8. Product quality issuea problem with the product itself8%70
9. Application site pain7.1%62
10. Application site irritation6.1%53
11. Hypertensionhigh blood pressure4.8%42
12. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label4.7%41
13. Application site vesicles4.1%36
14. Drug effect decreasedthe medicine had less effect3.1%27
15. Application site burn3%26
16. Headachehead pain2.9%25
17. Pruritusitching2.9%25
18. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness2.3%20
19. Product dose omission issuea dose was missed2.2%19
20. Application site swelling1.8%16
21. Fatiguetiredness1.8%16
22. Rashskin rash1.8%16
23. Application site discolouration1.5%13
24. Drug ineffective for unapproved indication1.5%13
25. Product use issuea problem in how the product was used1.5%13
26. Application site reactiona reaction where the product was applied1.4%12
27. Blood pressure decreaseda low blood pressure reading1.4%12
28. Incorrect dose administeredthe wrong dose was given1.4%12
29. Completed suicidedeath by suicide1.3%11
30. Therapeutic product effect decreased1.3%11

Top 30 of 126 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 13 drugs in the central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Outcomes recorded

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 31,745 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 100% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 873 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Other products listed in reports where Clonidine transdermal system is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.

In context

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Other drugs in the central alpha-2 adrenergic agonist class

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Clonidine transdermal system as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (33) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.