• Dosage of Depamine in details
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Dosage of Depamine in details

Depamine Dosage

Generic name: Depamine 250mg

Dosage form: tablet

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In all patients receiving Depamine, it is important that Depamine be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before meals or two hours after meals, and at least one hour apart from any other drug, food, or milk. Because Depamine increases the requirement for pyridoxine, patients may require a daily supplement of pyridoxine.

Wilson’s Disease - Optimal dosage can be determined by measurement of urinary copper excretion and the determination of free copper in the serum. The urine must be collected in copper-free glassware, and should be quantitatively analyzed for copper before and soon after initiation of therapy with Depamine.

Determination of 24-hour urinary copper excretions is of greatest value in the first week of therapy with Depamine. In the absence of any drug reaction, a dose between 0.75 and 1.5 g that results in an initial 24-hour cupriuresis of over 2 mg should be continued for about three months, by which time the most reliable method of monitoring maintenance treatment is the determination of free copper in the serum. This equals the difference between quantitatively determined total copper and ceruloplasmin-copper. Adequately treated patients will usually have less than 10 mcg free copper/dL of serum. It is seldom necessary to exceed a dosage of 2 g/day. If the patient is intolerant to therapy with Depamine, alternative treatment is trientine hydrochloride.

In patients who cannot tolerate as much as 1 g/day initially, initiating dosage with 250 mg/day, and increasing gradually to the requisite amount, gives closer control of the effects of the drug and may help to reduce the incidence of adverse reactions.

Cystinuria - It is recommended that Depamine be used along with conventional therapy. By reducing urinary cystine, it decreases crystalluria and stone formation. In some instances, it has been reported to decrease the size of, and even to dissolve, stones already formed.

The usual dosage of Depamine in the treatment of cystinuria is 2 g/day for adults, with a range of 1 to 4 g/day. For pediatric patients, dosage can be based on 30 mg/kg/day. The total daily amount should be divided into four doses. If four equal doses are not feasible, give the larger portion at bedtime. If adverse reactions necessitate a reduction in dosage, it is important to retain the bedtime dose.

Initiating dosage with 250 mg/day, and increasing gradually to the requisite amount, gives closer control of the effects of the drug and may help to reduce the incidence of adverse reactions.

In addition to taking Depamine, patients should drink copiously. It is especially important to drink about a pint of fluid at bedtime and another pint once during the night when urine is more concentrated and more acid than during the day. The greater the fluid intake, the lower the required dosage of Depamine.

Dosage must be individualized to an amount that limits cystine excretion to 100-200 mg/day in those with no history of stones, and below 100 mg/day in those who have had stone formation and/or pain. Thus, in deter-mining dosage, the inherent tubular defect, the patient’s size, age, and rate of growth, and his diet and water intake all must be taken into consideration.

The standard nitroprusside cyanide test has been reported useful as a qualitative measure of the effective dose*:

* Lotz, M., Potts, J.T. and Bartter, F.C.: BritMed J 2: 521, August 28, 1965 (in Medical Memoranda).

Add 2 mL of freshly prepared 5 percent sodium cyanide to 5 mL of a 24-hour aliquot of protein-free urine and let stand ten minutes. Add 5 drops of freshly prepared 5 percent sodium nitroprusside and mix. Cystine will turn the mixture magenta. If the result is negative, it can be assumed that cystine excretion is less than 100 mg/g creatinine.

Although Depamine is rarely excreted unchanged, it also will turn the mixture magenta. If there is any question as to which substance is causing the reaction, a ferric chloride test can be done to eliminate doubt: Add 3 percent ferric chloride dropwise to the urine. Depamine will turn the urine an immediate and quickly fading blue. Cystine will not produce any change in appearance.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - The principal rule of treatment with Depamine in rheumatoid arthritis is patience. The onset of therapeutic response is typically delayed. Two or three months may be required before the first evidence of a clinical response is noted.

When treatment with Depamine has been interrupted because of adverse reactions or other reasons, the drug should be reintroduced cautiously by starting with a lower dosage and increasing slowly.

Initial Therapy - The currently recommended dosage regimen in rheumatoid arthritis begins with a single daily dose of 125 mg or 250 mg which is thereafter increased at one to three month intervals, by 125 mg or 250 mg/day, as patient response and tolerance indicate. If a satisfactory remission of symptoms is achieved, the dose associated with the remission should be continued. If there is no improvement and there are no signs of potentially serious toxicity after two to three months of treatment with doses of 500-750 mg/day, increases of 250 mg/day at two to three month intervals may be continued until a satisfactory remission occurs or signs of toxicity develop. If there is no discernible improvement after three to four months of treatment with 1000 to 1500 mg of Depamine/day, it may be assumed the patient will not respond and Depamine should be discontinued.

Maintenance Therapy - The maintenance dosage of Depamine must be individualized, and may require adjustment during the course of treatment. Many patients respond satisfactorily to a dosage within the 500-750 mg/day range. Some need less.

Changes in maintenance dosage levels may not be reflected clinically or in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate for two to three months after each dosage adjustment.

Some patients will subsequently require an increase in the maintenance dosage to achieve maximal disease suppression. In those patients who do respond, but who evidence incomplete suppression of their disease after the first six to nine months of treatment, the daily dosage of Depamine may be increased by 125 mg or 250 mg/day at three-month intervals. It is unusual in current practice to employ a dosage in excess of 1 g/day, but up to 1.5 g/day has sometimes been required.

Management of Exacerbations - During the course of treatment some patients may experience an exacerbation of disease activity following an initial good response. These may be self-limited and can subside within twelve weeks. They are usually controlled by the addition of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and only if the patient has demonstrated a true “escape” phenomenon (as evidenced by failure of the flare to subside within this time period) should an increase in the maintenance dose ordinarily be considered.

In the rheumatoid patient, migratory polyarthralgia due to Depamine is extremely difficult to differentiate from an exacerbation of the rheumatoid arthritis. Discontinuance or a substantial reduction in the dosage of Depamine for up to several weeks will usually determine which of these processes is responsible for the arthralgia.

Duration of Therapy - The optimum duration of Depamine therapy in rheumatoid arthritis has not been determined. If the patient has been in remission for six months or more, a gradual, stepwise dosage reduction in decrements of 125 mg or 250 mg/day at approximately three month intervals may be attempted.

Concomitant Drug Therapy - Depamine should not be used in patients who are receiving gold therapy, anti-malarial or cytotoxic drugs, oxyphenbutazone, or phenylbutazone. Other measures, such as salicylates, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or systemic corticosteroids may be continued when Depamine is initiated. After improvement commences, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs may be slowly discontinued as symptoms permit. Steroid withdrawal must be done gradually, and many months of Depamine treatment may be required before steroids can be completely eliminated.

Dosage Frequency - Based on clinical experience, dosages up to 500 mg/day can be given as a single daily dose. Dosages in excess of 500 mg/day should be administered in divided doses.

More about Depamine (Depamine)

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Consumer resources

• Depamine
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Professional resources

• Depamine (FDA)
• Depamine (AHFS Monograph)

Other formulations

• Depamine Titratabs

Related treatment guides

• Cystinuria
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Wilson's Disease

What other drugs will affect Depamine?

Do not take Depamine if you are taking any of the following medicines:

• a gold-therapy product such as auranofin (Ridaura), aurothioglucose (Solganal), or gold sodium thiomalate (Myochrysine, Aurolate);

• an antimalarial medicine such as quinine (Quinamm), mefloquine (Lariam), chloroquine (Aralen), hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), primaquine, or pyrimethamine (Daraprim);

• a cancer chemotherapy medicine; or

• phenylbutazone.

Like Depamine, the medications listed above can affect the blood and the kidneys. Combined with Depamine, any of these medicines can be very dangerous.

Before taking Depamine, tell your doctor if you are taking digoxin (Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps). Depamine may decrease the effects of digoxin, and your doctor may want to adjust your dosage or monitor your therapy.

Many other drugs, especially antacids and vitamin and mineral supplements, can decrease the effects of Depamine. Do not take any medicines or over-the-counter drugs or supplements within 1 hour of a Depamine dose.

Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with Depamine. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.

Depamine interactions

Digoxin: Depamine may decrease the serum concentration of Digoxin. Monitor therapy

Gold Sodium Thiomalate: May enhance the adverse/toxic effect of Depamine. Specifically, this combination may increase the risk for serious hematologic and/or renal adverse reactions. Avoid combination

Polyvalent Cation Containing Products: May decrease the serum concentration of Depamine. Management: Separate the administration of Depamine and oral polyvalent cation containing products by at least 1 hour. Consider therapy modification

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Information checked by Dr. Sachin Kumar, MD Pharmacology