Raltegravir Dosing: An Introduction
There is only one standard dose of
raltegravir (
Isentress™). As always, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
Raltegravir Dosing for Adults
The recommended dose of raltegravir for treating adults with
HIV or
AIDS is raltegravir 400 mg twice daily. For people taking rifampin (Rifadin
®), the recommended dosage for raltegravir is 800 mg twice daily since rifampin decreases the level of raltegravir in the blood.
The regular tablets (not the chewable tablets) should be used for adults. Notably, the regular tablets and the chewable tablets are not bioequivalent. This means that four 100-mg chewable tablets will not provide the same dosage as one 400-mg regular tablet due to differences in absorption. As a result, the two forms are not interchangeable.
Raltegravir Dosing for Children and Teens
The recommended dose of raltegravir for treating adolescents age 12 and older with HIV or AIDS is 400 mg twice daily, using the regular tablets.
For children 6 to 12 years of age, the recommended dosage is either 400 mg (regular tablets) twice daily or weight-based dosing using the chewable tablets (up to a maximum of 300 mg twice daily). Kids in this age range who weigh less than 55 pounds will need to take the chewable tablets, as the regular tablets are too high of a dose. For weight-based dosing using the chewable tablets, the child's healthcare provider will calculate an appropriate dosage based on the child's current weight.
For children age two to six years, weight-based dosing using the chewable tablets is recommended.