Doxadura (doxazosin)

- This medicine can occasionally cause your blood pressure to drop when you move from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, especially when you first start taking the medicine. This may make you feel dizzy or unsteady and may rarely cause fainting. To avoid this, take care when moving from lying down to sitting or standing - try getting up slowly. If you do feel dizzy, sit or lie down until the symptoms pass.
- This medicine may cause fatigue and dizziness. You should take care when performing potentially hazardous activites, such as driving or operating machinery, until you know how this medicine affects you and are sure you can perform such activities safely.
- Alcohol may enhance the blood pressure lowering effect of this medicine, and this may cause dizziness in some people.
- If you are scheduled to have eye surgery for cataracts it is important to let your eye specialist know if you are or have been taking this medicine. This is because this type of medicine may make your pupil dilate poorly and the iris (the coloured circular part of the eye) become floppy during the procedure. The specialist needs to know if you have been taking this medicine so they can take appropriate precautions with the medicines and techniques they use during the surgery. You may be asked to stop taking this medicine for a period of time before cataract surgery. Check with your doctor.

Use with caution in

- Elderly people.
- Decreased liver function.
- Heart failure.

Not to be used in

- Allergy to related medicines (quinazolines), eg prazosin, terazosin.
- Breastfeeding.
- This medicine is not recommended for people who have ever fainted after passing urine (micturition syncope), or who suffer from drops in blood pressure that cause dizziness when moving from lying or sitting to standing (postural hypotension).
- The safety and efficacy of this medicine for use in children have not been established. It is not recommended for children.

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy. If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.

- The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been established. It should therefore be used with caution during pregnancy, and only if the benefits to the mother outweigh any potential risks to the developing baby. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- This medicine passes into breast milk. It should not be used by women who are breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.

Side effects

Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

- Dizziness.
- A drop in blood pressure that occurs when going from lying down to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension).
- Fainting.
- Feeling weak or fatigued.
- Excessive fluid retention in the body tissues, resulting in swelling (oedema).
- Headache.
- Inflammation of the lining of the nose (rhinitis) causing a blocked or runny nose.
- Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
- Awareness of your heart beat (palpitations).
- Increased heart rate.
- Dry mouth.
- Blurred vision.
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia).
- Agitation or tremor.
- Increased need to pass urine.
- Impotence.
- Persistent painful erection of the penis (priapism).
- Skin reactions such as rash and itch.
- Disturbance in the levels of blood cells in the blood.
- Liver disorders.

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer. For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.

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