Table 4. Recommended Dosing and Administration Guide for Oral Antiepileptic Agents
Drug | Initiating Dose | Titrating Schedule/Usual dose | Max Dose |
---|---|---|---|
Felbamate (divide dose TID or QID) | Adults:
1.2 gm/day Children: 15 mg/kg/day |
Adults: Increase by 600 mg/day at 2W intervals
to 2.4 g/day Children: Increase by 15 mg/kg/day at 1 W intervals |
Adults: 3.6 gm/day Children: 45 mg/kg/day |
Gabapentin | Adults: 300 mg HS
x 1, then 300 mg TID
|
Adults: 900-2,400
mg/day divided TID Children: (3-12 years): 35-65 mg/kg/day divided TID |
Adults: Children: |
Lamotrigine (Dose must be titrated over 8 to 12W to decrease incidence of rash) | Adults: Children:
| Adults: |
Adults:
Children: 400mg/day1 |
Tiagabine | Adults: 4 mg QD x 1W Children (12 to 18 years): 4 mg QD x 1W |
Adults:
Increase by 4-8 mg at 1W intervals to a maintenance dose of 32-56 mg/day
divided BID-QID Children: Increase to 8 mg daily in 2 divided doses for 1W; then increase by 4-8 mg weekly to response |
Adults:
56 mg/day Children: 32 mg/day |
Topiramate | Adults:
25-50 mg/day divided BID x 1W Children: 1-3 mg/kg/day |
Adults:
Increase daily dose by 25-50 mg at 1W intervals to a maintenance dose of
200-400 mg/day divided BID Children: 5-9 mg/kg/day divided BID |
Adults: 800 mg/day Children: 9 mg/kg/day |
Oxcarbazepine | Adults:
300 mg BID Children: 8-10 mg/kg/day divided BID |
Adults: 1,200 mg/day
as add-on therapy and 2,400 mg/day as monotherapy divided BID |
Adults: 2,400 mg/day Children: 600 mg/day |
Levetiracetam | Adults: 1,000 mg/day divided BID | Adults: Increase by 1,000 mg/day every 2W | Adults: 3,000 mg/day |
Zonisamide | Adults: 100 mg QD x 2W | Adults: Increase dose
to 200 mg daily or divided
BID x 2W and further inreases
by 100 mg daily in 2W intervals | Adults: 800 mg/day |
QID = Four times a day;
TID = Three times a day; BID = Two times a day; QD = Once a day; QOD = Every
other day; HS = At bedtime; W = Week(s) 1 = with hepatic enzyme-inducing AEDs
(no VPA); 2 = with VPA
**Note: Must consider patient-specific factors (e.g., weight, concomitant
medications, hepatic function, renal function) when dosing oral antiepileptic
agents.
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