Table 2.

Doses of most commonly used agents used for treatment of a BP of 140–159/90–105 mmHg (reproduced with permission from Magee et al. SOGC 2008) [5]

Agent	Dosage	Comments
Methyldopa	250–500 mg orally two to four times daily (max 2 g day–1)	There is no evidence to support a loading dose of methyldopa.
Labetalol	100–400 mg orally two to four times daily (max 1200 mg day–1)	Some experts recommend a starting dose of 200 mg orally twice daily.
Nifedipine	PA tablets (10–20 mg orally two to three times daily, max 180 mg day–1) or XL preparation (20–60 mg orally once daily, max 120 mg day–1)	Caution should be exercised in ensuring that the correct form of nifedipine has been prescribed.

BP, blood pressure.