Betac Dosage/Direction for Use

Betaxolol is administered once a day.
Therapy should be initiated with 10 mg betaxolol HCI daily (half a tablet). If necessary the dose may be increased up to 20 mg daily (one tablet) after 7 to 14 days of treatment. Doses more than 20 mg daily have been shown to produce no significant additional effect, although they are well tolerated.
Withdrawal of therapy must be performed gradually over a period of about 2 weeks. Patients should be carefully observed during that period.
Renal failure: Renal dysfunction results in a decrease in betaxolol clearance. Dose titration should begin at 5 mg once daily for those with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance less than 20 ml/min). In the case of chronic haemodialysis (blood or peritoneal), the initial recommended dose is 5 mg/day. If necessary, dosage may be increased in increments of 5mg daily, no more frequently than at 2-week intervals, up to a maximum of 20mg daily.
For a creatinine clearance over 20ml per minute, it is necessary to change the dosage. However, clinical monitoring is recommended at the start of the treatment until the equilibration of blood levels is reached (4 days on average).
Hepatic failure: No dose adjustment is necessary, but clinical supervision is recommended at therapy initiation.
Elderly patients: Geriatric patients are more susceptible to bradycardia, one of the adverse reactions of betaxolol, which appears to be dose related. Elderly patients should initiate betaxolol therapy at lower doses; the usual starting dose is 5 mg once daily.
Children: Safety and efficacy of the drug in children has not been established. Betaxolol is not recommended for pediatric use.