What Factors Affect Altace® Dosage?

Ramipril is a drug that lowers blood pressure, and is often found in its brand name form, known as Altace®. Several medical conditions can be treated with Altace&reg, such as hypertension, or high blood pressure. It is sometimes used to lower the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other conditions affected by the cardiovascular system. Generally, the reason for use determines the Altace® dosage that most people take. Factors such as other medications taken, or other medical conditions affecting the kidneys, may influence the appropriate dose, as well.

High blood pressure is a fairly common medical condition in adults that is sometimes treated with this drug. Normally, a starting Altace® dosage of 2.5 milligrams (mg) is taken, and the person's response to this dose can determine the maintenance dose. Depending on the initial response to this drug, individuals may take between 2.5 mg and 20 mg of Altace® each day. A complete dose may be taken once a day, but some people find it advantageous to split the dose into two halves, and then take each half separately throughout the day.

The risk of cardiovascular problems such as strokes and heart attacks may sometimes be lowered by taking this medication as a preventative measure. For this purpose, adults generally take a starting dose of Altace® dosage of 2.5 mg once every day. After a week, this dose may be increased to 5 mg one time per day, and after another three weeks, a daily dose of 10 mg is used, if the person tolerates the medication well.

People with kidney damage often take a lower dose of this compound than individuals without this condition. Altace® may not clear out from the body as quickly when the kidneys do not work properly, so normal doses may build up and potentially cause dangerous side effects. Therefore, the starting Altace® dosage to treat high blood pressure is decreased to 1.25 one time per day. Over time, a maintenance dose of 5 mg every day is used if no side effects are seen.

Taking certain medications while using this drug may also change the appropriate Altace® dosage. Diuretics may influence the way that this drug is processed and removed from the body, for example. Many times, people that are currently taking diuretics, or that have taken them recently, use a reduced Altace® dose of 1.25 mg a day at the beginning of treatment. This amount is sometimes increased depending on individual response.