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Alpha Blocker Terazosin: Side Effects and Dosage

Terazosin is a nonselective α₁-blocker with long elimination half-life. Please see section general pharmacology of alpha blocker. Review Literatur: (Chapple, 2004).

**Structural formula of terazosin**

Indications for Terazosin

Treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Treatment of arterial hypertension
Off-label treatment of female LUTS due to neurogenic bladder neck obstruction.
Off-label treatment: improve the spontaneous passage of distal ureteral stones.

Pharmacokinetics of Terazosin

Bioavailability 90%
Elimination half-life 10–18 h

Side Effects of Terazosin

Increased side effect profile since terazosin is a nonselective α1 blocker.

Hypotension, orthostatic syncope, reflex tachycardia
Stuffy nose
Retrograde ejaculation
Tachyphylaxis in the treatment of hypertension due to volume retention and peripheral edema.
Dizziness, weakness
Overall rate of side effects is between 10–30%

Contraindications of Terazosin

Urological Contraindications:

Conservative treatment of BPH with terazosin is not indicated, if surgical treatment is imperative: chronic urinary retention with renal failure, recurrent hematuria due to prostatic enlargement, recurrent infections and bladder stones.

Cardiac Contraindications:

Hypotension, mechanical heart failure (valvular, pulmonary embolism, pericarditis), congestive heart failure.

Other contraindications:

Terazosin should be paused perioperatively for cataract surgery to prevent an intraoperative floppy iris syndrome.

Dosage of Terazosin

2–10~mg orally once daily, titrate dosage after effect and side-effects, first week 1 mg, second week 2 mg, third week 5 mg, if necessary and possible fourth week 10 mg. Terazosin should be given before bedtime in the evening to reduce side effects.

Alpha blocker

Index

Doxazosin

Index: 1–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

References

Chapple 2004 CHAPPLE, C. R.: Pharmacological therapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms: an overview for the practising clinician.
In: BJU Int
94 (2004), Nr. 5, S. 738–44

Deutsche Version: Terazosin