Alendronate Dosage

Usual Adult Dose for Osteoporosis

10 mg orally once a day.

-or-

70 mg orally once a week.

For glucocorticoid induced osteoporosis the initial dosage recommended is 5 mg orally once a day, except for postmenopausal women not receiving estrogen, for whom the recommended dosage is 10 mg orally once a day. Patients treated with glucocorticoids should receive adequate supplements of calcium and vitamin D.

Usual Adult Dose for Paget's Disease

40 mg orally once a day.

Therapy for Paget's disease should continue for 6 months and may need to be repeated for another 6 months if relapse occurs.

Usual Adult Dose for Prevention of Osteoporosis

For the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis:

5 mg orally once a day.

-or-

35 mg orally once a week.

Renal Dose Adjustments

No dosage adjustment is recommended for patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance 35 to 60 mL/min). Alendronate is not recommended for patients with a CrCl less than 35 mL/min.

Liver Dose Adjustments

Data not available

Dose Adjustments

No dosage adjustment is recommended for the elderly

Precautions

Alendronate is not recommended for patients with a CrCl less than 35 mL/min. Safety and effectiveness have not been established in pediatric patients (less than 18 years of age).

Dialysis

Data not available

Other Comments

Alendronate should be administered with 6 to 8 ounces of plain water at least 30 minutes before the first food, beverage, or medication of the day. Patients should remain upright for at least 30 minutes following administration of alendronate and until after their first food of the day.

Absorption of alendronate may be improved by waiting more than 30 minutes before eating or drinking other liquids.

See also...