INN monograph
Methyldopa
Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class) · POM
Verified · Updated 01 Aug 2026 · Source: Local active-ingredient clinical extract; RxNorm (NLM RxNav); PubChem; Professional class pharmacology (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class))
Kenya market
Wholesale / list prices where loaded
Risk first
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to the active substance or excipients.
- Additional absolute contraindications are indication- and product-specific — consult SmPC.
Precautions
- Obtain allergy and medication history.
- Adjust for renal/hepatic impairment, pregnancy, lactation, extremes of age and interacting drugs.
- Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest appropriate duration.
- Monitor for expected class adverse effects.
Point of care
Dosing
Adult
Starting dose: 250mg BD or TID x 2/7 adjust until the desired effect is achieved. Max. 3g daily. Children 10mg/kg daily in 2-4 doses [max. 65mg/kg or 3g daily whichever is less]. To minimize sedation, start dosage increases in the evening. When methyldopa tablets are added to a thiazide, the dosage of thiazide need not be changed. When methyldopa is given with other antihypertensives apart from thiazides for initial therapy the dosage of methyldopa should not exceed 500mg daily. After withdrawal of methyldopa, hypertension returns after 48 hours.
Paediatric
See label paediatric section if present; otherwise use paediatric formulary — do not extrapolate adult doses.
Renal
Review renal impairment dosing; many agents need CrCl/eGFR adjustment.
- CrCl 0–120: Confirm renal dosing in product SmPC / primary label.
Hepatic
Review hepatic impairment dosing; monitor LFTs if agent is hepatically cleared or hepatotoxic.
Safety
Drug interactions
- Professional use: confirm indication, dose, duration, monitoring and patient counselling points against current Kenya STG / EML and the product SmPC.
- Document allergy status and key interactions.
Safety
Adverse effects
- Peripheral oedema
- drug fever
- mental depression
- nightmares
- unusually vivid dreams
- hepatic disorders
- auto-immune haemolytic anaemia
- reversible leukopaenia
- reversible granulocytopenia
- myocarditis
- pancreatitis
- systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE]-like syndrome
- thrombocytopenia
- drowsiness
Use
Indications
- Therapeutic use is agent- and indication-specific within the class (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class)).
- Use according to culture results, national guidelines (Kenya STG/EML where applicable) and the current product SmPC.
- Hypertension
Pharmacology
Mode of action
Centrally acting antihypertensive.
Full mechanism text
Centrally acting antihypertensive. The major antihypertensive effect appears to be due to its conversion to alpha-methyl-norepinephrine, which is a potent alpha-2 adrenergic agonist. Stimulation of alpha-2 adrenergic receptors results in a decrease in sympathetic outflow and decreased blood pressure.
ADME
Pharmacokinetics & PD
| Onset | Product-specific |
|---|---|
| Duration | Product-specific |
| Route | See product SmPC |
| Elimination | are product-specific. Consider food effects, protein binding, hepatic CYP/UGT |
| Half-life | when adjusting for organ impairment, age and drug interactions. Verify parameters in the current SmPC. |
Full PK/PD text
Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion are product-specific. Consider food effects, protein binding, hepatic CYP/UGT metabolism, renal clearance and half-life when adjusting for organ impairment, age and drug interactions. Verify parameters in the current SmPC.
Kenya
Brands & prices
| Brand | Company | Pack | KES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldomet | Aspen Pharmacare | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Biodopa | Biodeal Laboratories Ltd. | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Dawadopa | Dawa Limited | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Dopamac | Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd. | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Hydopa | Laboratory & Allied Ltd. | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| M Dopa | Prism Life Sciences | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Medopasel | Distributed by Medisel (K) Limited | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Medopress | Cosmos Limited. | Standard Commercial Pack | — |
| Methyldopa | Global Napi Pharmaceuticals | Standard Commercial Pack | 600.00 |
Special populations
Pregnancy & lactation
Pregnancy
Use only if potential benefit justifies potential risk; prefer agents with better reproductive data when alternatives exist.
Lactation
Assess infant risk vs benefit of maternal therapy; prefer agents with lactation data.
Diet
Food & alcohol
- Food
- Food
Trust
Sources & disclaimer
Source: Local active-ingredient clinical extract; RxNorm (NLM RxNav); PubChem; Professional class pharmacology (Therapeutic agent (verify pharmacological class))
Last reviewed: 01 Aug 2026
Decision support only — not a substitute for clinical judgment, product SmPC, or Kenya STG/EML.