Pepcid Dosing for a 7-Year-Old Child Weighing 89 Pounds
For a 7-year-old child weighing 89 pounds (40.4 kg), the appropriate dose of Pepcid (famotidine) is 40 mg per day, divided into two doses of 20 mg twice daily. 1
Weight-Based Dosing Calculation
- The standard pediatric dosing for famotidine is 1 mg/kg/day divided into 2 doses 1
- For an 89-pound child (40.4 kg): 1 mg/kg/day × 40.4 kg = 40.4 mg/day 1
- This translates to approximately 20 mg twice daily (morning and evening) 1
FDA-Approved Age Range
- Famotidine is FDA-approved for children aged 1 to 16 years 1
- Your 7-year-old patient falls well within this approved age range 1
- The medication is available as a cherry-banana-mint flavored oral suspension, which is appropriate for pediatric use 1
Clinical Context and Duration of Action
- Famotidine begins working within 1 hour of administration and reaches maximum effect in 1-3 hours 2
- The antisecretory effect lasts approximately 10-12 hours, supporting twice-daily dosing 2
- In pediatric studies, a single dose maintained gastric pH above 4.0 for approximately 9 hours on average 3, 4
Important Considerations
- Tachyphylaxis warning: H2-receptor antagonists like famotidine can develop reduced effectiveness within 6 weeks of continuous use 1
- If symptoms persist beyond 6 weeks or the medication becomes less effective, consider switching to a proton pump inhibitor rather than increasing the famotidine dose 1
- Monitor for potential side effects, though famotidine is generally well-tolerated in children with minimal adverse effects reported 5
- The medication should be given with or without food, though administration with food may reduce gastrointestinal side effects if they occur 1