Disclaimer: The listed dosages are only for disorders related to the drug class. (i.e.

antidepressant dosing is only for depression and antipsychotic dosing is only for schizophrenia.)

Antidepressants (SSRI)
 Prozac (fluoxetine), 20mg/day start in the morning, couple weeks later increase up to
80mg/day
 Zoloft (sertraline), 50mg/day start, increase once a week by 50mg/day to max
200mg/day
 Lexapro (escitalopram), start 10mg/ day up to 20mg/day if needed
 Celexa (citalopram), start 20mg/day, increase by 20mg/day after couple weeks to max
40mg/day
 Paxil (paroxetine), start 20mg/day, may increase once every week by 10mg/day to max
50mg/day

Antidepressants (SNRI)
 Effexor (venlafaxine), start 37.5mg/day for a week or more, then increase 75mg every 4
days to max 375mg/day
 Cymbalta (duloxetine), start 40mg/day in 2 doses, then increase to 60mg/day then to
120mg/day max

Antidepressants (Other)
 Wellbutrin (buproprion),Norepi dopamine reuptake inhibitor, for the immediate release
version should be 75mg BID to 100mg BID then to 100mg TID with a maximum dose of
450mg per day. For SR version, 100mg BID then 3 days later to 150mg BID then 3-4
weeks later to max of 400mg per day
 Remeron (mirtazapine), increases serotonin, norepi, start 15mg/day in the evening,
every 1-2eeks increase to max of 45mg/day
 Buspar (buspirone), partial agonist at serotonin autoreceptors, increase serotononin,
15mg BID, increase by 5mg/day every 2-3days to max 60mg/day

Atypical Antipsychotics
 Abilify (aripiprazole), partial D2 receptor agonist, initial 10-15mg/day to 30mg/day
 Clozaril (clozapine), blocks d2 and serotonin 2a receptors, 25mg at night increase by 25-
50mg/day every 48-72 hours. Trough level collected once at 200mg at bedtime.
Threshold for response is 350ng/ml no more than 700
 Geodon (ziprasidone), blocks d2 and serotonin 2a receptors, 20mg BID start to 100mg
BID max.
 Latuda (lurasidone), “ “, start 40-80mg/day up to 160mg/day if needed
 Risperdal (risperidone), “ “, start 1mg/day divided into two .5 doses. Increase by
1mg/day orally until desired efficacy is reached. Max 16mg/day
 Seroquel (quetiapine), “ “, per manufacturer for quetiapine initial 25mg/day BID
increase by 25-50mg BID each day until desired efficacy is reached, max 800. In reality,
 can start adults 100mg/day on day 1, up to 400mg/day on day 4 and so on to max of
800mg
 Zyprexa (olanzapine), “ “, 5-10mg once daily, increase by 5mg/day once a week until
desired efficacy is reached. Max 20mg/day

Typical Antipsychotics
 Haldol (haloperidol), blocks d2 receptors, start 1-15mg/day up to 100mg/day
 Thorazine (chlorpromazine), combination of d2, h1, cholingergic m1 bockade, start 200
up to 800mg/day after 2 weeks, reduce to lowest effective dose after acute symptoms
are reduced

Mood Stabilizers
 Lithium, alters sodium transport across cell membranes, alters metabolism for NTs, start
300mg 2-3 times/day and adjust as needed based on lithium levels, recommended 1-1.5
 Depakote (divalproex), blocks voltage sensitive sodium channels, increase GABA,
15mg/kg in 2 divided doses,
 Lamictal (lamotrigine), blockage of voltage gated sodium channels, 25mg/day for first
two weeks, then week 3 increase to 50mg/day then at week 5 increase to 100, week 6
to 200, max is 200mg/day
 Tegretol (carbamazepine), “ “, initial 200mg BID, increase by 200mg/day each week,
up to 1000mg/day max.
 Trileptal (oxcarbazepine), “ “, initial 600mg/day in 2 doses, increase every 3 days by
300mg/day, max dose 2400/day

Benzodiazepines (GABA modulators)

 Xanax (alprazolam), binds GABA-A receptors, anxiety: .75-1.5mg/day divided into 3
daoses and increase by .5-1mg/day every 3-4 days until max of 4mg/day, panic:
1.5mg/day following same titration up to a max of 10mg/day
 Ativan (lorazepam), “ “, initial 2-3mg/day in 2-3 doses max 10mg/day
 Klonopin (clonazepam), “ “, start .25mg divided into 2 doses, max 4mg.day
 Valium (diazepam), 2-10mg 2-4 times a day, so max 40mg /day
 Librium (clordiazepoxide), “ “, 15-40mg/day in 3-4 doses
Miscellaneous PRNs
 Cogentin (benztropine): anticholinergic, reduces excess acetylcholine caused by
antipsychotics, for EPS disorders 1-4mg once or twice daily, for parkinsonism initial .5mg
once daily and increase by .5mg every 5-6 days until reached efficacy
 Benadryl (diphenhydramine) 50mg/day for EPS
 Atarax (hydroxyzine), h1 receptor blockade, 50-100mg 4 times a day
 Neurontin (gabapentin), 900-1800 mg/day in 3 doses
 Inderal (propranolol), b2 antagonist, 40-400mg/day depends on indication
 Desyrel (trazodone), blocks serotonin 2a receptors, 50-150 mg/night for insomnia