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Cardura Patient, Information, Instructions - Doxazosin Mesylate
Cardura Patient, Information, Instructions - Doxazosin Mesylate
PATIENT INFORMATION
PATIENT PACKAGE INSERT
Read This:
- Before you start taking doxazosin mesylate.
- Each time you get a
new prescription.
You and your doctor
should discuss this treatment
and your BPH symptoms before
you start taking doxazosin mesylate and at your regular
checkups. This leaflet does NOT take
the place of discussions with your doctor.
Doxazosin mesylate is used to treat both benign
prostatic hyperplasia
(BPH) and high blood pressure
(hypertension). This leaflet describes doxazosin mesylate as treatment
for BPH (although you may
be taking doxazosin mesylate for both your BPH
and high blood pressure).
What is BPH?
BPH is an enlargement
of the prostate gland.
This gland surrounds the
tube that drains the urine
from the bladder. The symptoms of BPH
can be caused by a tensing of the enlarged muscle
in the prostate gland
which blocks the passage of urine. This can lead
to such symptoms as:
- A weak or start-and-stop
stream when urinating.
- A feeling that the
bladder is not completely
emptied after urination.
- A delay or difficulty in the beginning of urination.
- A need to urinate
often during the day and especially at night.
- A feeling that you
must urinate immediately.
Treatment Options for BPH
The Four Main Treatment Options for BPH
Are:
- If you are not bothered by your symptoms, you and your doctor
may decide on a program
of “watchful waiting.” It is not an active treatment
like taking medication
or surgery but involves having regular
checkups to see if your condition
is getting worse or causing problems.
- Treatment with doxazosin mesylate or other similar drugs. Doxazosin
mesylate is the medication
your doctor has prescribed
for you. (See What Doxazosin Mesylate Does.)
- Treatment with the medication
class of 5-alpha reductase
inhibitors (e.g., Proscar). It can cause the prostate
to shrink. It may take
6 months or more for the full benefit of finasteride
to be seen.
- Various surgical
procedures. Your doctor
can describe these procedures to you. The best procedure
for you depends on your BPH
symptoms and medical
condition.
What Doxazosin Mesylate Does
Doxazosin mesylate works on a specific
type of muscle
found in the prostate, causing it to relax. This in turn decreases
the pressure within
the prostate, thus improving the wflow
of urine and your symptoms.
- Doxazosin mesylate helps relieve
the symptoms of BPH (weak
stream, start-and-stop stream, a feeling
that your bladder
is not completely empty, delay in beginning of urination, need
to urinate often during
the day and especially at night, and feeling
that you must urinate
immediately). It does not change the size of the prostate. The
prostate may continue
to grow; however, a larger prostate
is not necessarily related to more symptoms or to worse symptoms.
Doxazosin mesylate can decrease your symptoms and improve urinary
flow, without decreasing the size of the prostate.
- If doxazosin mesylate is helping you, you should notice an effect
within 1 to 2 weeks after you start your medication. Doxazosin
mesylate has been studied in over 900 patients for up to 2 years
and the drug has been
shown to continue to work
during long-term treatment. Even though you take doxazosin mesylate
and it may help you, doxazosin mesylate may not prevent the need
for surgery in the future.
- Doxazosin mesylate does not affect
PSA levels. PSA
is the abbreviation for Prostate Specific Antigen. Your doctor
may have done a blood test called PSA. You may want to ask your
doctor more about this
if you have had a PSA
test done.
Other Important Facts
- You should see an improvement of your symptoms within 1 to 2
weeks. In addition
to your other regular
checkups you will need
to continue seeing your doctor
regularly to check your
progress regarding
your BPH and to monitor
your blood pressure.
- Doxazosin mesylate is not a treatment
for prostate cancer.
Your doctor has prescribed
doxazosin mesylate for your BPH
and not for prostate cancer; however, a man
can have BPH and prostate
cancer at the same
time. Doctors usually recommend that men be checked for prostate
cancer once a year
when they turn 50 (or 40 if a family member
has had prostate
cancer). A higher incidence of prostate
cancer has been noted
in men of African-American descent. These checks should continue
even if you are taking doxazosin mesylate.
How To Take Doxazosin Mesylate and What You Should Know While
Taking Doxazosin Mesylate for BPH
Doxazosin mesylate can cause
a sudden drop in blood
pressure after the
VERY FIRST DOSE. You may feel dizzy, faint or “light-headed,”
especially after you stand up from a lying or sitting position.
This is more likely to occur after you've taken the first few doses
or if you increase your dose, but can occur at any time
while you are taking the drug. It can also occur if you stop taking
the drug and then restart
treatment. If you feel very dizzy, faint
or “light-headed” you should contact
your doctor. Your doctor
will discuss with you how
often you need to visit
and how often your blood
pressure should be
checked.
Your blood pressure
should be checked when you start taking doxazosin mesylate even
if you do not have high blood
pressure (hypertension).
Your doctor will discuss
with you the details of how blood
pressure is measured.
Blood Pressure Measurement: Whatever equipment is
used, it is usual for your blood
pressure to be measured
in the following way: measure your blood
pressure after lying
quietly on your back for
five minutes. Then, after standing for two minutes measure
your blood pressure
again. Your doctor will discuss with you what other times during
the day your blood pressure
should be taken, such as two to six hours after a dose, before bedtime
or after waking up in the morning. Note that moderate to high-intensity
exercise can, over a period
of time, lower your average
blood pressure.
You can take doxazosin
mesylate either in the morning or at bedtime and it will
be equally effective. If you take
doxazosin mesylate at bedtime but need
to get up from bed to go
to the bathroom, get up slowly and cautiously until you are sure
how the medication
affects you. It is important to get up slowly from a chair or bed
at any time until you learn
how you react to doxazosin
mesylate. You should not drive
or do any hazardous tasks until you are used to the effects of the
medication. If you begin to feel dizzy, sit or lie down
until you feel better.
- You will start with
a 1 mg dose
of doxazosin mesylate once daily. Then the once daily dose
will be increased as
your body gets used to the effects of the medication. Follow your
doctor's instructions about how to take
doxazosin mesylate. You must take
it every day at the dose
prescribed. Talk with your doctor
if you don't take it
for a few days for some reason; you may then need
to restart the medication
at a 1 mg dose, increase
your dose gradually and again be cautious about possible dizziness.
Do not share doxazosin mesylate with anyone else; it was prescribed
only for you.
- Other side effects
you could have while taking doxazosin mesylate, in addition
to lowering of the blood
pressure, include dizziness, fatigue (tiredness), swelling
of the feet and shortness
of breath. Most side effects are mild. However, you should discuss
any unexpected effects you notice with your doctor.
- WARNING: Extremely rarely, doxazosin mesylate
and similar medications have caused painful erection
of the penis, sustained for hours and unrelieved by sexual
intercourse or
masturbation. This condition is serious, and if untreated it can
be followed by permanent
inability to have an erection. If you have a prolonged abnormal
erection, call your doctor or go to an emergency room
as soon as possible.
- Keep doxazosin mesylate and all medicines out of the reach of
children.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DOXAZOSIN MESYLATE AND BPH
TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, NURSE, PHARMACIST OR
OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
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