Adult Dosing

Hypertension

• Usual dose: 0.1-0.25 mg PO qd
• For patient not receiving other antihypertensive agents: start with 0.5 mg PO qd x 1-2 wks then reduce to 0.1-0.25 mg PO qd

Psychiatric Disorders

• Dose range: 0.1-1 mg PO qd
• Initial dose: 0.5 mg PO qd [Max: 1 mg/day] ; adjust dosage according to the patient’s response

Pediatric Dosing

• Safety and efficacy in pediatric patients have not been established
• In case the drug is to be used, initial dose: 20 mcg/kg/day [Max: 0.25 mg/day]

• Mild essential hypertension
• Schizophrenia (in patients who are unable to tolerate other antipsychotic agents or who also require antihypertensive therapy)

• Hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients of the product
• Mental depression or History of mental depression
• Active peptic ulcer
• Ulcerative colitis
• Patients on electroconvulsive therapy

• N/A

Renal Dose Adjustment

• Renal impairment: Caution advised but specific dose adjustments not defined

Hepatic Dose Adjustment

• Hepatic impairment: Dose adjustments not defined

See Supplemental Patient Information

• Extreme caution should be exercised in treating patients with a history of mental depression
• Discontinue the drug at first signs of depression like despondency, early morning insomnia, loss of appetite, impotence or self-deprecation
• After drug withdrawal, drug-induced depression may last for several months and may be severe enough to result in suicide
• In operative cases, anesthesiologist should be informed about the patient’s drug intake, so he can consider this in the overall management, as hypotension has occurred in patients receiving reserpine preparations
• Concomitant use of reserpine with other antihypertensive agents necessitates careful titration of dosage

Cautions: Use cautiously in

• Renal impairment
• History of peptic ulcer disease, ulcerative colitis, or gallstones
• Cardiac diseases
• Arrhythmia
• Seizure disorder
• Geriatric patients
• Use of MAO inhibitors
• Concurrent use with tricyclic antidepressants
• Concurrent use with digitalis and quinidine

Supplemental Patient Information

• Patients should be advised to take the medication regularly and continuously as directed and should be informed about the possible side effects of the drug

Pregnancy Category:C

Breastfeeding: Safety Unknown; alternate agents are preferred over reserpine during nursing. Reserpine is said to cause nasal stuffiness and increased tracheobronchial secretions in breastfed infants. This information is based upon LactMed database (available at http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT last accessed 22 Nov 2010). Manufacturer advise either to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

• GI: Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, dryness of mouth, hypersecretion
• CV: Arrhythmias (particularly when used concurrently with digitalis or quinidine), syncope, angina-like symptoms, bradycardia, edema
• RESP: Dyspnea, epistaxis, nasal congestion
• CNS: Rare parkinsonian syndrome and other extrapyramidal tract symptoms, dizziness, headache, paradoxical anxiety, depression, nervousness, nightmares, dull sensorium, drowsiness
• Musculoskeletal: Muscular aches
• GU: Pseudolactation, impotence, dysuria, gynecomastia, decreased libido, breast engorgement
• METABOLIC: Weight gain
• EENT: Deafness, optic atrophy, glaucoma, uveitis, conjunctival infection
• HYPERSENSITIVITY: Purpura, rash, pruritus

• Antihypertensive and antipsychotic agent; depletes catecholamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine stores in the brain and adrenal medulla; depresses sympathetic nerve function
• Metabolized by liver ; CYP450: unknown
• Renally excreted: 1% (unchanged); feces: primarily
• Initial Half-life: 5 hrs; Terminal Half-life: 200 hrs

US Trade Name(s)

• Serpalan

US Availability

reserpine (generic)

• TABS: 0.1, 0.25 mg

Serpalan

• TABS: 0.1, 0.25 mg

Canadian Trade Name(s)

• N/A

Canadian Availability

• N/A

UK Trade Name(s)

• N/A

UK Availability

• N/A

Australian Trade Name(s)

• N/A

Australian Availability

• N/A

Cardiovascular

Antiadrenergic Agents

Peripherally Acting

Drug Name: Reserpine 0.1 MG Oral Tablet

Pill Image:

[
See full size image]

Ingredient(s): Reserpine

Imprint: E32

Color(s): White

Shape: Round

Size (mm): 6.00

Score: 2

Inactive Ingredient(s): acacia / corn starch / lactose monohydrate / maganesium stearate

Drug Label Author:
Sandoz Inc.

DEA Schedule:
Non-Scheduled

Drug Name: Reserpine 0.25 MG Oral Tablet

Ingredient(s): Reserpine

Imprint: E134

Color(s): White

Shape: Round

Size (mm): 19.00

Score: 2

Inactive Ingredient(s): acacia / contectioner's sugar / corn starch / lactose monohydrate / maganesium stearate

Drug Label Author:
Sandoz Inc.

DEA Schedule:
Non-Scheduled