A 47-year-old man with coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension is currently taking clonidine. He is found to have a blood pressure of 170/90 mmHg after forgetting to take his medication for 48 hours.
What is the best strategy to control his blood pressure?
A. Restart clonidineRestart clonidine. Rebound hypertension is a known complication of clonidine. Immediate treatment of clonidine withdrawal involves reinstitution of therapy with a slow taper. The mechanism of action is thought to be an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity.