Exforge Dosage/Direction for Use

Dosage regimen: General target population: A patient whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled on monotherapy may be switched to combination therapy with Exforge. The recommended dose is one tablet per day (the 5 strengths are listed in Description). When clinically appropriate direct change from monotherapy to the fixed-dose combination may be considered.
For convenience, patients receiving valsartan and amlodipine from separate tablets may be switched to Exforge containing the same component doses.
Exforge may be used as initial therapy in patients who are likely to need multiple drugs to achieve blood pressure goals. The choice of Exforge as initial therapy for hypertension should be based on an assessment of potential benefits and risks.
For initial therapy, the usual starting dose is Exforge 5/80 mg once daily. The dosage can be increased after 1 to 2 weeks of therapy to a maximum of one 10/320 mg tablet once daily as needed to control blood pressure. Exforge is not recommended as initial therapy in patients with intravascular volume depletion (see Precautions).
The maximum dose is 10/320 mg.
Both amlodipine and valsartan monotherapy can be taken with or without food. It is recommended to take Exforge with some water.
Special populations: Renal impairment: No dose adjustment is required for patients with mild to moderate renal impairment.
Hepatic impairment: Due to amlodipine and valsartan, caution should be exercised when administering Exforge to patients with hepatic impairment or biliary obstructive disorders. Starting with the lowest available dose of amlodipine should be considered (see Precautions and also Pharmacology under Actions).
Pediatric patients (below 18 years): Exforge is not recommended for use in patients aged below 18 years due to a lack of data on safety and efficacy.
Geriatric patients (aged 65 years or above): Since both components of the combination are equally well tolerated when used at similar doses in elderly (aged 65 years or above) or younger patients, no dose adjustment of the starting dose is required. Starting with the lowest available dose of amlodipine should be considered. The lowest strength of Exforge contains 5 mg of amlodipine. (See Pharmacology under Actions.)