Doxazosin side effects

[ultramarine]

Hi All,

 

I tried doxazosin for the first time on Sunday for BPH symptoms.  I took it just before bedtime.  Within an hour, I was feeling dizzy and quite weird.  Sleep was interrupted and not restful.  I woke up with a massive headache.  I know that most of these side effects are fairly common but they were bad enough that I didn't take it last night.   Especially since it can take up to 2 weeks to see any benefit from the medication.  It's not a good trade-off at the moment.

 

Can members who are taking this drug relate their experiences with early side effects?  Supposedly they fade away over time but I can't imagine taking this drug again.  I took the prolonged release 4 mg and cut the tablet into four pieces so 1 mg as directed to start.  It was manufactured by Pfizer in Puerto Rico and packed in Germany with the brand name Cardura XL. 

 

I know that doxazosin and its generic equivalents are more common in Thailand but I wonder what my options are at this point.

 

Thanks.

 

[stoner]

maybe durodart or cialis is a better fit for you. consult your doctor again. 

[Foxx]

The first time I took doxazosin my blood pressure dropped dramatically (diastolic to around 40).  I couldn't stand up and, to be honest, thought I might die.  The symptoms passed in a couple of hours.  When I took it the next day I had no side effects whatsoever.  I guess the body adapts pretty quickly.

 

Incidentally, you should never cut prolonged or extended release tablets.  They are coated so that the drug is released slowly.  By cutting the tablet you break the coating, so the drug comes out rapidly.

You can save a lot of money by buying a local version (albeit not extended release).  For example, Pencor 2 mg works out as 2.5 baht/tablet.

[Sheryl]

@ultramarine

 

As other poster said, the Extended Release tablets cannot safely be cut!!!

 

Locally made Pencor comes in 1mg tablets.

 

Are you on any  other medications (especially for BP or heart)? As this makes a difference. It is sometimes necessary to reduce BP and/or cardiac med dosages when taking doxazosin and similar meds.

 

Also note interactions with ED meds.

[ultramarine]

4 hours ago, Sheryl said:

@ultramarine

 

As other poster said, the Extended Release tablets cannot safely be cut!!!

 

Locally made Pencor comes in 1mg tablets.

 

Are you on any  other medications (especially for BP or heart)? As this makes a difference. It is sometimes necessary to reduce BP and/or cardiac med dosages when taking doxazosin and similar meds.

 

Also note interactions with ED meds.

Thanks for the info.  No I'm not on any other medication.  My BP is pretty normal. 

 

I realize that cutting timed release tablets could be an issue.  But when I cut into them, I noticed two layers -- a larger white layer (the medication) and a thinner red layer (the binding agent I assume).   This was distributed equally in all four pieces.  So I gave it a shot.  Of course, I admit it could be one reason for my negative experience. 

 

I may look for some Pencor in 1 mg and see how that goes. 

 

 

[ultramarine]

8 hours ago, Foxx said:

The first time I took doxazosin my blood pressure dropped dramatically (diastolic to around 40).  I couldn't stand up and, to be honest, thought I might die.  The symptoms passed in a couple of hours.  When I took it the next day I had no side effects whatsoever.  I guess the body adapts pretty quickly.

 

Incidentally, you should never cut prolonged or extended release tablets.  They are coated so that the drug is released slowly.  By cutting the tablet you break the coating, so the drug comes out rapidly.

You can save a lot of money by buying a local version (albeit not extended release).  For example, Pencor 2 mg works out as 2.5 baht/tablet.

Thanks for sharing.  Wow, that sounds worse than me! 

 

Is the Pencor calibrated to be the same as Doxazosin then -- so a standard daily dosage is 2 or 4 mg?

[Lacessit]

Doxazosin does lower blood pressure quite significantly, it depends on individual sensitivity.

I was prescribed finasteride and doxazosin by a Thai doctor. My Australian GP took me off that, substituting Duodart, a combination of dutasteride and tamsulosin.

I have normal BP with tamsulosin, although it may cause orthostatic hypotension.

The OP should seek medical advice as to whether he needs both meds. Duodart is quite expensive in Thailand, 1800 baht for a month's supply.

Taking doxazosin with Viagra/Sidegra is a pretty good recipe for lowering blood pressure, I once hit 78/38 with that combination.

[KannikaP]

I have been on 2mg Caraxasin (Doxadosin) for a few years, together with 10mg Amlodepine and Finasteride 5mg. No noticeable side effects after this long, BP is averaging 125/75, and I am peeing as normal even though I know my prostate is enlarged. Libido is a bit reduced.

I do realise that I could be overdoing it, but it seems to be working for me. 

Edited December 26, 2023 by KannikaP

[Tropicalevo]

I was on doxazosin for a very short time.

My ankles and feet bloated up so the doc took me off it.

One ankle/foot is still bloated after many years.

May be a coincidence or a side affect. I really have no idea.

Since then, I have been on a number of alternatives including duodart, finesteride and others - all to no effect.

[Sheryl]

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Doxazosin does lower blood pressure quite significantly, it depends on individual sensitivity.

I was prescribed finasteride and doxazosin by a Thai doctor. My Australian GP took me off that, substituting Duodart, a combination of dutasteride and tamsulosin.

I have normal BP with tamsulosin, although it may cause orthostatic hypotension.

The OP should seek medical advice as to whether he needs both meds. Duodart is quite expensive in Thailand, 1800 baht for a month's supply.

Taking doxazosin with Viagra/Sidegra is a pretty good recipe for lowering blood pressure, I once hit 78/38 with that combination.

 

Tamsulosin can also be taken alone, and is a definite alternative to doxazosin. May also be cheaper.

 

Severe drop in BP is less common (bt still occurs in some people) with tamsulosin than with doxazosin

[ultramarine]

12 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Tamsulosin can also be taken alone, and is a definite alternative to doxazosin. May also be cheaper.

 

Severe drop in BP is less common (bt still occurs in some people) with tamsulosin than with doxazosin

Are there readily available generic versions of Tamsulosin in Thailand?  I have read that doxazosin is a more common medication for treatment of BPH in Thailand, and maybe in Asia as a whole. 

 

 

[ultramarine]

Just posting an update on my doxazosin journey and an additional question.  After my false start with the Cardura XL (totally my fault to try to cut the tablets - bad move!), I began taking 1 mg of the standard immediate release version of Cardoxa.  No significant side effects and I noticed it was working after about a week.  I'm up to 2 mg a day and happy with the results.  I may try going to 4 mg just to see it if can get better still.

 

However, when I was running low on my initial supply of Cardoxa, I decided to buy Pencor as it was 10 baht cheaper per 10 tablets.  A couple of posters mentioned it positively, so I figured why not.  

 

But the first day I took the Pencor I felt dizzy and out of sorts for a few hours.  I also found that they were less effective i.e. my urination was more frequent and the flow not as strong.  

 

The next day I went out and bought more Cardoxa. Again, no side effects and my symptoms improved. 

 

My question is: has anyone else experienced this variation in generic drugs?  Both Pencor and Cardoxa are supposed to be the same drug (doxazosin) and yet I had different reactions to them.  

 

 

Edited January 26 by ultramarine

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, ultramarine said:

Just posting an update on my doxazosin journey and an additional question.  After my false start with the Cardura XL (totally my fault to try to cut the tablets - bad move!), I began taking 1 mg of the standard immediate release version of Cardoxa.  No significant side effects and I noticed it was working after about a week.  I'm up to 2 mg a day and happy with the results.  I may try going to 4 mg just to see it if can get better still.

 

However, when I was running low on my initial supply of Cardoxa, I decided to buy Pencor as it was 10 baht cheaper per 10 tablets.  A couple of posters mentioned it positively, so I figured why not.  

 

But the first day I took the Pencor I felt dizzy and out of sorts for a few hours.  I also found that they were less effective i.e. my urination was more frequent and the flow not as strong.  

 

The next day I went out and bought more Cardoxa. Again, no side effects and my symptoms improved. 

 

My question is: has anyone else experienced this variation in generic drugs?  Both Pencor and Cardoxa are supposed to be the same drug (doxazosin) and yet I had different reactions to them.  

 

 

Are you sure dosage was the same?

Cardoxa comeso nly in 2 and 4 mg but Pencor comes in 1, 2 and 4 mg

[ultramarine]

9 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Are you sure dosage was the same?

Cardoxa comeso nly in 2 and 4 mg but Pencor comes in 1, 2 and 4 mg

The dosage was the same.  I bought Pencor 2 mg and split the tablets in half for the 1 mg starter dosage.   The tablets actually have the same shape for all the manufacturers.  The 1 mg is circular.  The 2 mg is oblong, the 4 mg is square.  So you have an additional cue about what the dosage is.

 

While it could be some variability in the manufacturing process, it's also possible there were other factors involved.  Foods I ate that day, sleep, etc.  Still the problems disappeared when I went back on the Cardoxa.  Strange. 

 

Thanks again for all your advice, Sheryl. 

[BritManToo]

41 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

and split the tablets in half for the 1 mg starter dosage.   The tablets actually have the same shape for all the manufacturers.  The 1 mg is circular.  The 2 mg is oblong, the 4 mg is square.  So you have an additional cue about what the dosage is.

Why?

You weren't starting but changing manufacturer.

[ultramarine]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Why?

You weren't starting but changing manufacturer.

I changed manufacturer soon after starting.  I only bought 10 tablets initially just to see if it was helpful and tolerable.