Reserpine Dosage

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension

Initial dose: 0.5 mg orally once a day for 1 to 2 weeks.
Maintenance dose: 0.1 to 0.25 mg orally once a day.

Usual Adult Dose for Schizophrenia

Initial dose: 0.5 mg orally once a day, but may range from 0.1 to 1 mg.
Maintenance dose: Adjust dose upward or downward according to patient response.

Usual Adult Dose for Hyperthyroidism

The value of orally administered reserpine during thyrotoxic crisis is not known.

Limited data in which seven patients with thyrotoxic crisis received reserpine 1 to 5 mg intramuscularly, then 0.07 to 0.3 mg per kg in the first 24 hours reveal significant, dose-related improvement in symptoms within four to eight hours of drug administration.

Renal Dose Adjustments

The elimination half-life of reserpine may be significantly increased in patients with renal insufficiency, therefore reserpine is not recommended in patients with renal dysfunction.

Liver Dose Adjustments

Data not available

Dose Adjustments

Full antihypertensive effects may take as long as 3 weeks to occur.

Precautions

Use higher doses cautiously because occurrence of serious mental depression and other side effects may increase considerably.

Dialysis

Reserpine is not dialyzable.