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Terazosin

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Treatment & Uses
Side Effects
Treating Overdose
Safety Information
Before Using

Generic Name: terazosin (ter AY zo sin)
Brand Names: Hytrin

What is terazosin?

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Terazosin is in a group of drugs called alpha-adrenergic blockers. It causes the blood vessels (veins and arteries) to relax and expand, improving blood flow. Terazosin also relaxes muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate.

Terazosin is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate).

Terazosin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information about terazosin

Before taking terazosin, tell your doctor if you use any other blood pressure medications, especially verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan).

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to terazosin.

Terazosin lowers blood pressure and may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it, or when you start taking it again. To avoid falling, take the first dose of terazosin at bedtime. You may wish to continue taking this medication only at bedtime if it causes you to feel light-headed.

You may feel very dizzy when you first wake up. Be careful when standing or sitting up from a lying position.

If you stopped taking terazosin for any reason and have started taking it again, you may feel especially dizzy or light-headed after your first few doses.

Terazosin can affect the pupils of your eyes during cataract surgery. If you have cataract surgery during your treatment with this medicatiom, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you take terazosin. Do not stop using the medication before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

Before taking terazosin

Terazosin can affect the pupils of your eyes during cataract surgery. If you have cataract surgery during your treatment with this medication, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you take terazosin. Do not stop using the medication before surgery unless your surgeon tells you to.

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to terazosin.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether terazosin is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether terazosin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take terazosin?

Take terazosin exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take each dose with a full glass of water. Terazosin lowers blood pressure and may cause dizziness or fainting, especially when you first start taking it, or when you start taking it again. To avoid falling, take the first dose of terazosin at bedtime. You may wish to continue taking this medication only at bedtime if it causes you to feel light-headed.

You may feel very dizzy when you first wake up. Be careful when standing or sitting up from a lying position.

If you stopped taking terazosin for any reason and have started taking it again, you may feel especially dizzy or light-headed after your first few doses.

To be sure terazosin is helping your condition, your blood pressure or prostate will need to be checked on a regular basis. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Store this medicine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

If you miss doses for several days in a row, call your doctor before taking any additional doses. You may need to use a lower dose of terazosin for a short time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include dizziness, fainting, shallow breathing, a weak but rapid pulse, and cold, clammy skin.

What should I avoid while taking terazosin?

Terazosin can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Terazosin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to terazosin: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

fast or pounding heartbeats;
feeling light-headed, fainting;
swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet; or
penis erection that is painful or lasts 4 hours or longer.

Less serious terazosin side effects may include:

weakness;
headache;
numbness or tingly feeling;
stuffy nose; or
blurred vision.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Terazosin Dosing Information

Usual Adult Dose for Hypertension:

Initial dose: 1 mg orally once a day at bedtime
Maintenance dose: 1-5 mg orally once a day.
Maximum dose: 20 mg per day.

Usual Adult Dose for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:

Initial dose: 1 mg orally once a day at bedtime.
Maintenance dose: Increased in a stepwise fashion to 2 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg once a day to achieve desired improvement of symptoms.

What other drugs will affect terazosin?

The following drugs can interact with terazosin. Tell your doctor if you are using any of these:

sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio);
tadalafil (Cialis);
vardenafil (Levitra); or
other blood pressure medications, especially verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with terazosin. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about terazosin.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.