Guanfacine oral tablets dosage: A detailed guide

This article describes guanfacine immediate-release (IR)* and guanfacine extended-release (ER)* oral tablets’ dosages and strengths. It gives details on how to take the medications. You’ll also find information on cost savings and coupon options for guanfacine. If you want to know more about guanfacine, see this overview article. It covers details about the drugs’ uses and side effects, ways to save on cost, and more.

Guanfacine oral tablet is a generic medication. It’s not available in a brand-name version. Guanfacine ER oral tablet is a generic version of the brand-name drug Intuniv.

* IR medications release the drug right away in the body. ER medications slowly release the drug over time in the body.

Forms and strengths of guanfacine

Guanfacine comes in the following forms and strengths, given in milligrams (mg).

Dosage of guanfacine

This article describes the recommended dosages for guanfacine oral tablet and guanfacine extended-release (ER) oral tablet. The drugmaker provides these dosages.

If your doctor prescribes this medication, you should follow the dosage they prescribe. Your doctor will determine the dosage that best meets your needs. Do not change your dosage of guanfacine without your doctor’s recommendation.

Usual recommended dosages of guanfacine in adults

Usually, doctors start by prescribing a low dosage of guanfacine oral tablet. Then, they’ll adjust it over time until the right dosage is reached. Ultimately, your doctor will prescribe the smallest dosage of the medication that gives the desired outcome.

Note: Guanfacine ER oral tablet is not approved for use in adults.

Dosage for high blood pressure

Guanfacine oral tablet is used to treat high blood pressure in adults. The medication may be taken alone or with another high blood pressure medication such as hydrochlorothiazide.

The typical starting dose of guanfacine, when used alone or with another medication, is 1 milligram (mg) once per day. If this dose doesn’t manage your blood pressure after 3–4 weeks, your doctor may increase your dose. This would be up to 2 mg once per day.

Dosages of guanfacine for ADHD in children

Guanfacine ER oral tablet is approved to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children ages 6–17 years.

The starting dose for this use is 1 mg once per day in the morning or evening. Then your child’s doctor may slowly increase their dose based on body weight in kilograms (kg). (1 kg equals about 2.2 pounds [lb].) The recommended dosage range is 0.05–0.12 mg per kg of body weight per day.

Your child’s doctor will increase the dose slowly by up to 1 mg per week. Your child’s total daily dosage range will typicallybe between 1 mg and 7 mg per day based on their body weight.The table below provides example dosages by weight:

It’s important to note that there is no information about the safety of higher dosages of guanfacine in certain children. These include doses:

• greater than 4 mg per day in children ages 6–12 years
• greater than 7 mg per day in children ages 13–17 years

If you have questions about guanfacine ER oral tablet, talk with your child’s doctor.

Dosage adjustments for guanfacine

Your doctor will prescribe a dosage of guanfacine based on several factors. These include:

• the specific condition being treated and how severe it is
• your age
• your weight depending on your age
• how you respond to guanfacine treatment
• other health conditions you may have
• other medications you may be taking

Missed dose of guanfacine

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist right away if you realize you forgot to take your dose of guanfacine. They may advise you to take the missed dose. Or they may advise you to skip it and take your next dose as scheduled.

It’s important to note that if you miss two or more doses of guanfacine ER oral tablet, you may need a dosage adjustment. In this case, be sure to talk with your doctor about your options.

For tips on how to plan your doses of guanfacine and avoid missing a dose, read this article. You could also try:

• downloading a reminder app on your phone
• setting an alarm
• putting a note where you’ll see it, such as on your calendar, bathroom mirror, or bedside table

Frequently asked questions

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about guanfacine and its dosage.

Can guanfacine be used for anxiety or autism spectrum disorder? If so, what is the dosage?

Possibly. Guanfacine is not approved for anxiety or autism spectrum disorder. However, doctors may prescribe the medication off-label for these uses. Off-label use is when a medication is prescribed for a use other than its approved uses.

Guanfacine oral tablet is approved to treat high blood pressure. Guanfacine extended-release oral tablet is approved to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

To learn more about off-label uses of guanfacine and their dosages, talk with your doctor.

Is guanfacine taken long term?

Possibly. Your doctor will let you know how long you’ll take guanfacine. This depends on:

• whether you’ll take the oral tablet or extended-release (ER) oral tablet form
• the condition the medication is being used to treat and its severity
• other medications you may be taking

If you have questions about how long you’ll take guanfacine oral tablet or guanfacine ER oral tablet, talk with your doctor.

Note: Keep in mind there’s a low chance for rebound high blood pressure after stopping guanfacine oral tablets. (With rebound high blood pressure, your blood pressure goes up when you stop taking a certain drug.) This effect may occur about 2–4 days after stopping guanfacine. So it’s important to take the medication exactly as prescribed. If you’d like to stop taking guanfacine, be sure to talk with your doctor first. They’ll likely lower your dosage slowly before stopping treatment completely.

How guanfacine is taken

Guanfacine oral tablets and guanfacine extended-release (ER) oral tablet are taken by mouth. You’ll take it once per day as prescribed by your doctor. If you’re prescribed guanfacine oral tablet, your doctor will likely suggest you take guanfacine oral tablet at bedtime to avoid daytime sleepiness. This is a common side effect of the medication. Guanfacine ER oral tablet can be taken in the morning or evening.

You can take guanfacine with or without food. Taking the drug with food doesn’t affect how the medication works. However, you should not take guanfacine ER tablet with a high fat meal. This can affect how the drug works. Also, do not crush, cut, or chew guanfacine ER tablets. Swallow the tablet whole.

Your doctor may advise that you take this medication around the same time each day. This helps keep a consistent amount of the drug in your body. And that can help the drug work more effectively.

If it’s difficult for you to swallow tablets, view this article. It provides suggestions on how to swallow medications that come in pill form.

Be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re having difficulty taking your medication. They can offer recommendations about taking it.

Guanfacine coupon

Visit these pages to access Optum Perks coupons and get price estimates for guanfacine when you use the coupons:

• oral tablet
• extended-release oral tablet

These coupons can provide significant savings on your prescription costs. 

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

Overdose of guanfacine

It’s important that you do not take more guanfacine than your doctor prescribes. Doing so can lead to harmful effects.

Symptoms of guanfacine overdose

Symptoms of an overdose can include:

• slow heart rate
• low blood pressure
• drowsiness

What to do if you take too much guanfacine

If you think you’ve taken too much guanfacine, call your doctor or pharmacist right away. Or you could call 800-222-1222 to speak with someone at America’s Poison Centers. You can also use its online resource. If you have severe symptoms, call 911 or a local emergency number immediately. You can also go to the closest emergency room.

What to ask your doctor

This article describes the usual recommended dosages for guanfacine oral tablet and guanfacine extended-release (ER) oral tablet. If your doctor prescribes guanfacine, they’ll determine the dosage that’s best for you.

Do not change your dosage of guanfacine without your doctor’s recommendation. You should take the medication exactly as your doctor prescribes it. Let your doctor know if you have concerns or questions about your treatment plan.

Here’s a list of some possible questions you may want to ask your doctor:

• Does my dosage for guanfacine oral tablet depend on my body weight?
• Will you switch me from the guanfacine immediate-release tablet to the guanfacine ER tablet?
• Will you need to prescribe a dosage adjustment if I’m taking other medications for my condition with guanfacine?

Disclaimer: Optum Perks has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.