Does Clonidine Interact With Insulin Glargine?
Drugs That May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of BASAGLAR Drugs: Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts.
Severity: Moderate
Severity basis: drug interactions section (keywords: may increase). Combining Clonidine (Central alpha-2 agonist) and Insulin Glargine (Long-acting insulin) is classified as a moderate interaction.
What to Do
Use this combination with caution. Your prescriber may monitor you more closely or adjust doses.
How This Interaction Works
Interactions like this one can happen when two medicines have overlapping effects, or when one changes how the other is absorbed, broken down, or cleared from the body. Clonidine is a central alpha-2 agonist and Insulin Glargine is a long-acting insulin; together they are documented as a moderate interaction. How much this matters depends on your dose, your other medications, and your overall health.
If You Take Both Medications
If you have been prescribed both Clonidine and Insulin Glargine, do not start, stop, or change either medication on your own — some medicines are unsafe to stop suddenly. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist that you take both so they can decide whether the combination is right for you, adjust the dose, monitor you more closely, or suggest an alternative.
From the FDA Label
Drugs That May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of BASAGLAR Drugs: Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts.
Source: FDA structured product labeling (set_id 0ad21db3-2b1c-4ed9-a687-bdd6a74d0aae).
Insulin Glargine
Long-acting insulin
Brands: Lantus, Basaglar, Toujeo
View Insulin Glargine safety profileCheck these against your full medication list in our free Interaction Checker
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you take Clonidine and Insulin Glargine together?
Clonidine and Insulin Glargine have a documented moderate interaction. Use this combination with caution. Your prescriber may monitor you more closely or adjust doses.
How serious is the Clonidine and Insulin Glargine interaction?
It is classified as a moderate interaction, based on the FDA label's drug interactions section (keywords: may increase). A moderate interaction can be clinically meaningful and usually calls for monitoring or a dose adjustment.
What should I do if I'm taking both Clonidine and Insulin Glargine?
If you have been prescribed both Clonidine and Insulin Glargine, do not start, stop, or change either medication on your own — some medicines are unsafe to stop suddenly. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist that you take both so they can decide whether the combination is right for you, adjust the dose, monitor you more closely, or suggest an alternative.
This information is educational — not medical advice.
This page is provided for general educational purposes and summarizes publicly available data from sources such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It is not a substitute for the judgment of a licensed clinician and should not be used to start, stop, or change any medication. It may be incomplete or out of date, and individual circumstances vary. Always talk with your prescriber or pharmacist about your specific medications and health conditions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
Other Clonidine Interactions
- Clonidine + Carvedilol(moderate)
- Clonidine + Insulin Aspart(moderate)
- Clonidine + Amiodarone(minor)
- Clonidine + Amitriptyline(minor)
- Clonidine + Atenolol(minor)
- Clonidine + Diltiazem(minor)
- Clonidine + Glimepiride(minor)
- Clonidine + Metoprolol(minor)
- Clonidine + Propranolol(minor)
- Clonidine + Verapamil(minor)