On this page
Last updated: February 2024
Therapeutic action
- Sedating H1 antihistamine
Indications
- Moderate anxiety
- Insomnia
Forms and strengths
- 25 mg tablet
Dosage
Moderate anxiety
- Adult: 25 to 50 mg 2 times daily (max. 100 mg daily)
Reduce the dose by half in older patients.
Insomnia
- Adult: 25 mg once daily at bedtime
Duration
- Moderate anxiety: as short as possible (max. 2 weeks)
- Insomnia: 7 to 10 days
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with closed-angle glaucoma, prostate disorders, dementia, history of QT interval prolongation.
- Do not combine with drugs that prolong the QT interval (amiodarone, co-artemether, erythromycin, fluconazole, haloperidol, mefloquine, pentamidine, quinine, etc.).
- Administer with caution (max. 50 mg daily) and monitor use in older patients or patients with hepatic impairment or severe renal impairment.
- May cause:
- drowsiness (caution when driving/operating machinery), headache, dizziness;
- anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, constipation, blurred vision, tachycardia, disorders of micturition);
- rarely: seizures, QT interval prolongation, allergic reactions.
- Administer with caution and monitor combination with:
- central nervous system depressants (opioid analgesics, sedatives, etc.);
- anticholinergic drugs (atropine, amitriptyline, chlorpromazine, promethazine, etc.).
- Avoid alcohol during treatment (increased risk of adverse effects).
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: avoid
Storage
–
– Below 25 °C