An Introduction to Dosing With Asenapine
The dosage of
asenapine (
Saphris®) your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
- The medical condition being treated (schizophrenia or bipolar disorder)
- How you respond to asenapine
- Other medications you may be taking
- Other medical conditions you may have.
As is always the case, do not adjust this amount unless your healthcare provider specifically tells you to do so.
Asenapine Dosage for Schizophrenia
The recommended dose of asenapine for the acute treatment of schizophrenia is 5 mg twice daily. In studies, higher amounts increased the risk of
side effects of asenapine, but did not provide any additional relief of schizophrenia symptoms, compared to the standard dosage of 5 mg twice daily.
Although asenapine is not approved for long-term treatment of schizophrenia, your healthcare provider will probably recommend that you stay on this medication as long as significant benefit is seen.
Asenapine Dosage for Bipolar Disorder
The recommended dosage for the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes of
bipolar disorder is 10 mg twice daily. If necessary, your healthcare provider may decrease the amount to 5 mg twice daily if bothersome side effects occur.
As with schizophrenia, asenapine is not approved for long-term
bipolar disorder treatment; however, your healthcare provider will likely recommend that you stay on this medication as long as significant benefit is seen.
