Aldomet

N/A

• The usual starting dose of methyldopa for adults is 250 mg two or three times a day in the first 48 hours.
• If needed, the dosage may be increased or decreased, preferably in intervals of no less than 48 hours (2 days).
• As methyldopa may cause sedation, evening administration is preferred.
• If methyldopa must be given with anti-hypertensive medications other than thiazides (diuretics), the starting dose of methyldopa should be limited to 500 mg per day in divided doses.
• The usual maintenance dose of methyldopa for blood pressure control is 500 to 2 grams in two to four divided doses. The maximum recommended daily dosage is 3 grams.

Oral tablets: 250 and 500 mg

Methyldopa should be stored at room temperature, between 15 C and 30 C 59 F and 86 F).

Hypertension.

Acute overdosage may produce acute hypotension with other responses attributable to brain and gastrointestinal malfunction (excessive sedation, weakness, bradycardia, dizziness, lightheadedness, constipation, distention, flatus, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting).

In the event of overdosage, symptomatic and supportive measures should be employed. When ingestion is recent, gastric lavage or emesis may reduce absorption. When ingestion has been earlier, infusions may be helpful to promote urinary excretion. Otherwise, management includes special attention to cardiac rate and output, blood volume, electrolyte balance, paralytic ileus, urinary function and cerebral activity.

Sympathomimetic drugs [e.g., levarterenol, epinephrine, ARAMINE* (Metaraminol Bitartrate)] may be indicated. Methyldopa is dialyzable.

The oral LD50 of methyldopa is greater than 1.5 g/kg in both the mouse and the rat.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

• ferrous gluconate, a type of iron (Ferate, Fergon);

• ferrous sulfate, a type of iron (Feosol, Fer-in-Sol, Feratab, and others);

• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); or

• any other blood pressure medications.

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with methyldopa. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

CrCl < 15 mL/min: The dosage interval should be every 12 to 24 hours.

CrCl 15-50 mL/min: The dosage interval should be every 8 to 12 hours.

Following intravenous administration, the antihypertensive effect has an onset of 4 to 6 hours and a duration of 10 to 16 hours. Due to the slow onset of action, alternative therapy maybe indicated in serious situations.

Limited data from four nursing women who were taking methyldopa 750 to 2,000 mg per day revealed milk concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.9 mcg per mL.

Methyldopa is excreted into human milk. Adverse effects in the nursing infant are unlikely. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering methyldopa to nursing women.

LactMed Record Number

179

Last Revision Date

20161207

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