A nurse is making a home visit to a patient just discharged from the hospital. The patient states, "I've just started taking clonidine (Catapres), but it's making me so drowsy
" Select the nurse's most appropriate response to the patient regarding this concern. a. "Discontinue the medication, and contact your prescriber."
b. "Are you taking this medication for pain or high blood pressure?"
c. "Drowsiness is very common early in therapy, but the effects will lessen with time."
d. "Are you having any blurred vision?"
C
Central nervous system depression, evidenced in this patient by drowsiness, is common in about 35% of the population. These responses become less intense with continued drug use.
The patient should not discontinue the medication abruptly because of the potential for rebound hypertension. The patient should contact the prescriber prior to stopping the medication.
The nurse should be aware of the reason the patient is taking the medication; also, this response disregards the patient's concern about drowsiness.
Blurred vision is not a side effect of clonidine and therefore not relevant.
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