Drug General Information (ID: DDIJG56M8K)
Drug Name			Clonidine		Drug Info		Digitoxin		Drug Info
Drug Type		Small molecule				Small molecule
Therapeutic Class		Antihypertensive Agents				Antiarrhythmic Agents
Structure

Mechanism of Clonidine-Digitoxin Interaction (Severity Level: Moderate)
Increased risk of atrioventricular block Click to Show/Hide Mechanism Graph
Drug Name		Clonidine				Digitoxin
Mechanism		Delay atrioventricular conduction				Delay atrioventricular conduction
Key Mechanism Factor 1
		Factor Name		Atrioventricular block
		Factor Description		Atrioventricular block is a type of cardiac conduction block that occurs when the electrical signal from the atria to the ventricles is impaired. In an Atrioventricular block, this electrical signal is either delayed or completely blocked. When the signal is completely blocked, the ventricles produce their own electrical signal to control the heart rate. The heart rate produced by the ventricles is much slower than that produced by the sinus node.
Mechanism Description		Increased risk of atrioventricular block by the combination of Clonidine and Digitoxin

Recommended Action
Management		Heart rate and blood pressure should be closely monitored in patients receiving clonidine in combination with agents known to affect sinus node function of AV nodal conduction such as digitalis and certain calcium channel blockers.

References
1	Product Information. Cardizem (diltiazem). Hoechst Marion-Roussel Inc, Kansas City, MO.
2	Product Information. Catapres (clonidine). Boehringer-Ingelheim, Ridgefield, CT.
3	Jaffe R, Livshits T, Bursztyn M "Adverse interaction between clonidine and verapamil." Ann Pharmacother 28 (1994): 881-3