Dolutegravir Oral: Dosing, Interactions, and Precautions
Dolutegravir guidance for HIV treatment across infant, child, adolescent, and adult weights, with interaction-based dose adjustments.
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Source reviewed
October 2024
Guide category
Oral drugs
Safety boundary
Prescription medicine information for clinician-guided use.
Kenza Health Hub presents this medicine page as structured health education. Check dose, route, interactions, pregnancy or breast-feeding considerations, and local protocol with a qualified clinician or pharmacist. Read our medical editorial policy.
Therapeutic action
Antiretroviral, inhibitor of HIV integrase.
Indications
HIV infection, in combination with other antiretrovirals.
Forms and strengths
- 10 mg dispersible tablet.
- 50 mg tablet.
Dose
The daily dose is administered once daily.
| Weight | Daily dose | Tablets |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to < 6 kg | 5 mg | ½ disp tab 10 mg |
| 6 to < 10 kg | 15 mg | 1 ½ disp tab 10 mg |
| 10 to < 14 kg | 20 mg | 2 disp tab 10 mg |
| 14 to < 20 kg | 25 mg | 2 ½ disp tab 10 mg |
| ≥ 20 kg | 30 mg or 50 mg | 3 disp tab 10 mg or 1 tab 50 mg |
Child 1 month and over and adult
- 3 to < 6 kg: 5 mg daily, 1/2 dispersible 10 mg tablet.
- 6 to < 10 kg: 15 mg daily, 1 1/2 dispersible 10 mg tablets.
- 10 to < 14 kg: 20 mg daily, 2 dispersible 10 mg tablets.
- 14 to < 20 kg: 25 mg daily, 2 1/2 dispersible 10 mg tablets.
- >= 20 kg: 30 mg daily or 50 mg daily, using 3 dispersible 10 mg tablets or 1 tablet of 50 mg.
Duration
Depending on the efficacy and tolerance of dolutegravir.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Administer with caution to patients with severe hepatic impairment or coinfection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus.
- May cause insomnia, depression, anxiety, dizziness, headache, skin rash, gastrointestinal disturbances, and rarely hepatotoxicity or hypersensitivity reactions.
- Do not administer simultaneously with antacids, ferrous salts, calcium, or zinc salts. Take these drugs at least 6 hours before or 2 hours after dolutegravir.
- In patients taking metformin, monitor blood glucose and renal function closely and do not exceed 1 g of metformin daily.
- In patients taking enzyme-inducing drugs such as rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, efavirenz, or nevirapine, double the daily dose of dolutegravir and maintain the doubled dose for 2 weeks after completion of the inducer.
- In adolescents and women of childbearing age, offer hormonal contraception or an intrauterine device.
- Pregnancy: there is a small increased risk of neural tube defects but benefits outweigh risks. Folic acid during the first trimester may reduce this risk.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page combines source-derived medicine reference sections with Kenza editorial context, while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections from the source batch.
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