What is the most important information I should know about lofexidine?
Lofexidine can cause serious side effects on your heart or blood vessels. Call your doctor at once if you have slow heartbeats, severe dizziness, or if you feel faint. Do not take another dose of lofexidine until you have talked to your doctor.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated, or you could have very low blood pressure. Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy.
You should not stop using lofexidine suddenly. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.
What is lofexidine?
Lofexidine works by blocking the release of norepinephrine, a hormone similar to adrenaline that contributes to opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Lofexidine is used to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking an opioid suddenly.
Lofexidine will not treat opioid addiction.
Lofexidine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking lofexidine?
You should not use lofexidine if you are allergic to it.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- slow heartbeats;
- low blood pressure;
- heart problems;
- a heart attack or stroke;
- an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood);
- long QT syndrome (in you or a family member);
- kidney disease; or
- liver disease.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
It may not be safe to breast-feed while using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risk.
Lofexidine is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
How should I take lofexidine?
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
You may take lofexidine with or without food.
You may need to take lofexidine for up to 14 days. Your doctor will change your dose or stop this treatment based on your opioid withdrawal symptoms. Follow all dosing instructions very carefully.
Lofexidine may not completely prevent all symptoms of opioid withdrawal, which may include yawning, pounding heartbeats, watery eyes, feeling cold, stomach pain, feeling sick, body aches, muscle tightness, or trouble sleeping.
You may need additional forms of counseling, support, and/or monitoring as you go through opioid withdrawal.
Lofexidine can cause serious side effects on your heart or blood vessels. Call your doctor at once if you have slow heartbeats, severe dizziness, or a light-headed feeling (like you might pass out). If you have these side effects, do not take your next lofexidine dose until you talk with your doctor.
You should not stop using lofexidine suddenly, or you could have a rapid increase in blood pressure and unpleasant symptoms. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the tablets in their original container, along with the packet or canister of moisture- absorbing preservative.
If you start using opioid medication after a long period of not using it, you will be more sensitive to opioid effects. This could increase your risk of overdose and death.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Use the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not use two doses at one time.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking lofexidine?
Avoid getting up too fast from a sitting or lying position, or you may feel dizzy. Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Dizziness or drowsiness can cause falls, accidents, or severe injuries.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated, or you could have very low blood pressure.
What are the possible side effects of lofexidine?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- slow heartbeats;
- severe dizziness or drowsiness; or
- a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out.
Common side effects may include:
- low blood pressure;
- dizziness (especially when standing up);
- drowsiness; or
- dry mouth.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect lofexidine?
Lofexidine can cause a serious heart problem. Your risk may be higher if you also use certain other medicines for infections, asthma, heart problems, high blood pressure, depression, mental illness, cancer, malaria, or HIV.
Using lofexidine with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using a sedative (such as Valium or Xanax), a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures.
Other drugs may affect lofexidine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about lofexidine.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2020 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.01. Revision date: 7/16/2018.
