Index
It belongs to a category of drugs called alpha 1 blockers, which relax the lenses of the arteries, the prostate, and the neck of the bladder.
Applications
Terazosin is used to treat the symptoms of urinary obstruction due to an enlarged prostate caused by benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) .
It is also used alone or in combination with another blood pressure medication to treat high blood pressure .
What are the side effects of terazosin?
The most reported side effects include:
- Postural hypotension.
- Dizziness
- Soft spot.
- Fatigue.
- Headaches.
- Swelling of the legs (edema).
- Palpitations
- Nasal congestion.
- Drowsiness.
- Decreased libido
- Impotence.
- Blurry vision.
By relaxing the legs and widening the arteries, terazosin can cause a marked drop in blood pressure , especially when the patient stands up (orthostatic or postural hypotension).
Postural hypotension can cause the patient to faint when standing up. Postural hypotension and fainting are generally associated with the first dose or the first days of treatment.
Hypotension and fainting can also occur when doses of the medicine are sharply increased or another blood pressure medicine is added. To decrease the likelihood of excessive hypotension and fainting, the low dose of terazosin is started.
Prostate cancer and prostate hypertrophy cause symptoms of blocked urine flow.
Prostate cancer and prostate hypertrophy can coexist. Therefore, patients treated for prostate hypertrophy should be evaluated to exclude the presence of prostate cancer.
What is the dosage?
Terazosin can be taken with or without food. The recommended starting dose for treating BPH is 1 mg per day. The dose should be increased in steps of up to 10 mg per day, which is the effective dose for most patients.
Some patients may experience further improvement with a 20 mg dose.
For high blood pressure, the recommended dose is 1 to 5 mg once a day. Some patients can benefit from a dose as high as 20 mg per day.
What medications or supplements interact with terazosin?
PDE-5 inhibitors are used primarily for erectile dysfunction (eg, vardenafil [Levitra, Staxyn], Adcirca, tadalafil [Cialis], sildenafil [Viagra, Revatio]) increase blood pressure lowering effects on pressure arterial and can lead to orthostatic or postural hypotension.
People taking terazosin should take a stable dose before a PDE-5 inhibitor is started, and the PDE-5 inhibitor should be started at the lowest dose.
If the patient is already taking a PDE-5 inhibitor, terazosin should start with the lowest dose.
Is it safe to use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
There are no adequate studies of terazosin in pregnancy. It is not recommended during pregnancy unless the benefits justify the potential but unknown risks to the fetus.
It is not known whether terazosin is excreted in human milk.
What Terazosin Preparations Are Available?
Tablets or capsules: 1, 2, 5 and 10 mg.
How should I store it?
Terazosin should be stored at room temperature below 86 F (30 C) in an airtight container.
How does terazosin work?
Terazosin is part of a class of alpha blockers. Alpha-blockers include doxazosin (Cardura), alfuzosin (Uroxatral), tamsulosin (Flomax), and prazosin (Minipress) that relax the rays in the arteries to lower blood pressure.
Its function is to decrease the results related to urinary obstruction caused by an enlarged prostate (prostatic hypertrophy).
Terazosin relaxes the lenses of the bladder neck and prostate and increases the flow of urine.
Summary
- Terazosin is a prescription drug for the treatment of urinary obstruction due to an enlarged prostate caused by BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy).
- This medication is also used alone or in combination with another blood pressure medication to treat high blood pressure.
- Side effects, drug interactions, warnings, and pregnancy safety information should be reviewed before taking this medication.
