Mestinon Dosage
Generic name: pyridostigmine bromide
Dosage form: syrup, tablets
This dosage information does not include all the information needed to use Mestinon safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for Mestinon.
The information at Drugs.com is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Mestinon is available in three dosage forms:
Syrup
raspberry-flavored, containing 60 mg pyridostigmine bromide per teaspoonful (5 mL). This form permits accurate dosage adjustment for children and "brittle" myasthenic patients who require fractions of 60 mg doses. It is more easily swallowed, especially in the morning, by patients with bulbar involvement.
Timespan Tablets
each containing 180 mg pyridostigmine bromide. This form provides uniformly slow release, hence prolonged duration of drug action; it facilitates control of myasthenic symptoms with fewer individual doses daily. The immediate effect of a 180 mg Timespan Tablet is about equal to that of a 60 mg Conventional Tablet; however, its duration of effectiveness, although varying in individual patients, averages 2½ times that of a 60 mg dose.
Dosage
The size and frequency of the dosage must be adjusted to the needs of the individual patient.
Syrup and Conventional Tablets
The average dose is ten 60 mg tablets or ten 5 mL teaspoonfuls daily, spaced to provide maximum relief when maximum strength is needed. In severe cases as many as 25 tablets or teaspoonfuls a day may be required, while in mild cases one to six tablets or teaspoonfuls a day may suffice.
Timespan Tablets
One to three 180 mg tablets, once or twice daily, will usually be sufficient to control symptoms; however, the needs of certain individuals may vary markedly from this average. The interval between doses should be at least 6 hours. For optimum control, it may be necessary to use the more rapidly acting regular tablets or syrup in conjunction with Timespan therapy.
Note: For information on a diagnostic test for myasthenia gravis, and for the evaluation and stabilization of therapy, please see product literature on Tensilon® (edrophonium chloride).
