DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
Carefully consider the potential benefits and risks of ARTHROTEC and other treatment options before deciding to use ARTHROTEC. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration consistent with individual patient treatment goals (see
WARNINGS).
After observing the response to initial therapy with ARTHROTEC, the dose and frequency should be adjusted to suit an individual patient's needs.
For the relief of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis the recommended dose is given below.
ARTHROTEC is administered as ARTHROTEC 50 (50 mg diclofenac sodium/200 mcg misoprostol) or as ARTHROTEC 75 (75 mg diclofenac sodium/200 mcg misoprostol).
Note: See
SPECIAL DOSING CONSIDERATIONS
section, below.
Osteoarthritis
The recommended dosage for maximal GI mucosal protection is ARTHROTEC 50 tid. For patients who experience intolerance, ARTHROTEC 75 bid or ARTHROTEC 50 bid can be used, but are less effective in preventing ulcers. This fixed combination product, ARTHROTEC, is not appropriate for patients who would not receive the appropriate dose of both ingredients. Doses of the components delivered with these regimens are as follows:
|
OA regimen |
Diclofenac sodium (mg/day) |
Misoprostol (mcg/day) |
ARTHROTEC 50 |
tid |
150 |
600 |
| bid |
100 |
400 |
ARTHROTEC 75 |
bid |
150 |
400 |
Rheumatoid Arthritis
The recommended dosage is ARTHROTEC 50 tid or qid. For patients who experience intolerance, ARTHROTEC 75 bid or ARTHROTEC 50 bid can be used, but are less effective in preventing ulcers. This fixed combination product, ARTHROTEC, is not appropriate for patients who would not receive the appropriate dose of both ingredients. Doses of the components delivered with these regimens are as follows:
|
RA regimen |
Diclofenac sodium (mg/day) |
Misoprostol (mcg/day) |
ARTHROTEC 50 |
qid |
200 |
800 |
| tid |
150 |
600 |
| bid |
100 |
400 |
ARTHROTEC 75 |
bid |
150 |
400 |
SPECIAL DOSING CONSIDERATIONS
ARTHROTEC contains misoprostol, which provides protection against gastric and duodenal ulcers (see
CLINICAL STUDIES). For gastric ulcer prevention, the 200 mcg qid and tid regimens are therapeutically equivalent, but more protective than the bid regimen. For duodenal ulcer prevention, the qid regimen is more protective than the tid or bid regimens. However, the qid regimen is less well tolerated than the tid regimen because of usually self-limited diarrhea related to the misoprostol dose (see
ADVERSE REACTIONS—Gastrointestinal), and the bid regimen may be better tolerated than tid in some patients.
Dosages may be individualized using the separate products (misoprostol and diclofenac), after which the patient may be changed to the appropriate dose of ARTHROTEC. If clinically indicated, misoprostol co-therapy with ARTHROTEC, or use of the individual components to optimize the misoprostol dose and/or frequency of administration, may be appropriate. The total dose of misoprostol should not exceed 800 mcg/day, and no more than 200 mcg of misoprostol should be administered at any one time. Doses of diclofenac higher than 150 mg/day in osteoarthritis or higher than 225 mg/day in rheumatoid arthritis are not recommended.
For additional information, it may be helpful to refer to the package inserts for Cytotec® tablets and Voltaren® tablets.
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