Patient leaflet - Doxazosin Teva 4 mg prolonged-release tablets
1. What Doxazosin Teva is and what it is used for
The name of your medicine is Doxazosin Teva 4 mg prolonged-release tablets. It belongs to a class of medicines called “alpha blockers.” It can be used to treat high blood pressure or a condition called “Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia” (enlargement of the prostate).
If you suffer from high blood pressure, this can increase your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke. Doxazosin Teva lowers your blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels which makes it easier for your heart to pump blood through them.
If you suffer from “Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia” (enlargement of the prostate) you may experience problems passing urine. In men the prostate gland is just below the bladder. If enlarged, it can make it more difficult for urine to flow out of your bladder. Doxazosin Teva works by relaxing muscles around the bladder and prostate gland making it easier to pass urine.
2. What you need to know before you take Doxazosin Teva
Do not take Doxazosin Teva if you:
are allergic to doxazosin or other similar medicines
which are in the same chemical class (e.g. prazosin, terazosin) or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
have a orthostatic hypotension (a form of low blood
pressure that causes you to feel dizzy or light-headed when you stand up from sitting or lying down)
suffer from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and have:
- low blood pressure
an obstruction to your upper urinary tract
(tubes running between your kidneys and your bladder).
- chronic urinary tract infection
- bladder stones
have or have had a narrowing or blockage in your
oesophagus (tube leading from your mouth to your stomach) or intestine or elsewhere in the digestive tract
Doxazosin Teva should not be your only medicine in
the treatment of
overflow incontinence (leakage of urine even
when you feel no urge to urinate)
if you have kidney problems or you produce little
or no urine
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking
Doxazosin Teva
If you have previously had surgery to remove a
section of your intestine (gut)
Your medicine may make you feel dizzy and light
headed, especially at the start of treatment or if you start treatment again after a break. Rarely this can result in loss of consciousness. If affected you should not drive, operate machinery or participate in any other dangerous activity that requires your full attention.
If you have heart problems (e.g. heart failure) or if
the valves in your heart do not work properly
If you have liver problems (and especially if you
are taking other medicines which are known to be broken down by the liver (e.g. cimetidine)). Check with your doctor or pharmacist if unsure.
Doxazosin Teva may also affect the results of some
blood and urine tests. If you are due to have a blood or urine test make sure that you tell your doctor that you are taking Doxazosin Teva
If you are taking certain medicines used to treat
erectile dysfunction (male erection problems) such as sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil
If you are undergoing eye surgery because of
cataract (cloudiness of the lens) please inform your eye specialist before the operation that you are using or have previously used Doxazosin Teva. This is because Doxazosin Teva may cause complications during the surgery which can be managed if your specialist is prepared in advance.
It is normal if occasionally you see remains in your
stool that look like a tablet
Before starting treatment with Doxazosin Teva
your doctor may perform tests to rule out other conditions such as prostate cancer that may cause the same symptoms as benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Children and adolescents
Doxazosin Teva is not recommended for use in children or adolescents below 18 years as safety and efficasy have not yet been established.
Other medicines and Doxazosin Teva
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines
- Other medicines used to treat high blood pressure.
Medicines to treat bacterial or fungal infections,
e.g. clarithromycin, itraconazole, ketoconazole, telithromycin, voriconazole.
Medicines used in the treatment of HIV e.g.
indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir.
Nefazodone, a medicine used to treat depression.
- Some patients who take alpha-blocker therapy for the treatment of high blood pressure or
- prostate enlargement may experience dizziness or light-headedness, which may be caused by
- low blood pressure upon sitting or standing up quickly. Certain patients have experienced
- these symptoms when taking drugs for erectile dysfunction (impotence) such as sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil with alpha-blockers.
- In order to reduce the likelihood that these symptoms occur, you should be on a regular daily
- dose of your alpha-blocker before you start drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Doxazosin Teva with food and drink
Food does not affect the way that your medicine works. It can be taken with food or on an empty stomach.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant Doxazosin Teva should only be used if your doctor considers it to be absolutely necessary. The effects on your baby are not known.
Small amounts of doxazosin, the active substance of Doxazosin Teva, can get into your breast milk. You should not use Doxazosin Teva during breast-feeding unless your doctor advises you to do so.
Driving and using machines
Doxazosin Teva can make you feel light-headed and dizzy, especially at the start of treatment or if you restart your medicine after a break. It can also cause drowsiness. If affected you should not drive or operate machinery or participate in any other dangerous activity that requires your full attention.
Doxazosin Teva contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per prolonged-release tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to take Doxazosin Teva
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Your medicine may be used to treat high blood pressure or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlargement of the prostate). The dose for each condition is the same.
Tablets should be swallowed whole with a sufficient amount of fluid. They should not be chewed or crushed. They should be taken at the same time each day.
The recommended dose is Adults (including the older people)
The usual dose of Doxazosin Teva is one tablet daily although your doctor may increase your dose to the maximum of two tablets each day.
Use in children and adolescents
Doxazosin Teva is not recommended for use in children.
Patients with hepatic impairment
If you have liver problems your doctor will monitor you closely during treatment. Doxazosin Teva is not recommended for use in patients with severe liver problems.
If you take more Doxazosin Teva than you should
If you (or someone else) swallow a lot of tablets all together, or if you think a child has swallowed any of the tablets, contact your nearest hospital casualty department or your doctor immediately. An overdose is likely to cause headache, dizziness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, palpitations (awareness of your own heart-beat), an abnormally fast heart-beat, heart rhythm disturbances, nausea and vomiting and may cause low levels of glucose and potassium in your blood. Please take this leaflet, any remaining tablets and the container with you to this hospital or doctor so that they know which tablets were consumed.
If you forget to take Doxazosin Teva
If you miss a dose you should take the missed tablet as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for your next dose then you should skip the missed dose and continue taking your tablets as per normal. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.
If you stop taking Doxazosin Teva
Keep taking your medicine according to your doctor’s instructions. You should not stop taking your medicine without discussing it with your doctor first.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Your medicine may make you feel dizzy and light headed, especially at the start of treatment or if you start treatment again after a break Rarely this can result in loss of consciousness.
Stop taking doxazosin and seek emergency medical attention or notify your doctor straight away if one of the following serious side effects occurs:
- Swelling of the face, hands, lips, feet, tongue or throat, difficulty swallowing or breathing (allergic drug reaction) (this side effect is uncommon)
- Chest pain and/or shortness of breath (symptoms of a heart attack or angina pectoris) (this side effect is uncommon)
- Stroke (e.g. weakness or numbness down one side of the body) (this side effect is uncommon)
- Difficulty breathing caused by sudden constriction of the bronchi (bronchospasm) (this side effect is very rare)
Obstruction to the normal flow of bile (cholestasis)
which may cause jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes), inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) (this side effect is very rare)
Persistent painful erection of the penis (priapism)
(this side effect is very rare).
The following side effects have been reported at the approximate frequencies shown:
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
Rapid heart-beat, feeling your heartbeat
(palpitations)
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Sleepiness
Feeling of spinning or rotation of surroundings
(vertigo)
Respiratory problems (stuffy nose, cough,
respiratory tract (throat, bronchi, lungs) infections)
- Stomach problems (sickness, stomach pain, dry mouth, upset stomach, indigestion) Urinary infections, urinary incontinence (inability to control passing urine)
- Itching
- Muscle pain, back pain
- Low blood pressure
- Postural hypotension (a form of low blood pressure that causes you to feel dizzy or light-headed when you stand up from sitting or lying down)
- Loss of strength
- Flu-like symptoms
- Swelling of the feet and ankles
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
- Increased appetite or loss of appetite, weight gain
- Decreased sense of touch
- Fainting
- Nose bleeds,
- Ringing in the ears,
- Tremor (shaking)
- Stomach problems (constipation, wind, inflammation of the stomach and intestines (gastroenteritis) which can cause diarrhoea and vomiting)
- Urinary problems (pain or discomfort on passing urine, needing to pass urine more often than usual, blood in urine)
- Skin rash
- Swelling of the face
- Painful joints
- Gout
Failure/inability to achieve penile erection
(impotence)
- Unusual results from liver function tests (blood tests completed by your doctor to monitor the health of your liver)
- Anxiety, depression, sleeplessness
- Pain
Rare: may affect up to 1 in 1, 000 people
- Blockage of the digestive tract
Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10, 000 people
- Disturbances of heart rhythm, slow heartbeat
- Redness of the face
- Changes to the blood including lower levels of white blood cells and platelets
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed when you stand up from sitting or lying down (dizziness postural)
- Sensation of tingling or numbness (paraesthesia)
- Blurred vision
- Disorder in passing urine, needing to pass urine at night, increased volume of urine passed, increase in the number of times of passing urine
- Loss of hair from the head or body
Purpura (the appearance of red or purple
discolorations on the skin that do not blanch on applying pressure)
Nettle rash which can cover a lot of your body, hives
(urticaria)
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle weakness
- Debility
- General feeling of being unwell
- Enlargement of the breasts in men
- Persistent painful erection of the penis. Seek urgent medical advice.
- Nervousness
- Agitation (excitement, restlessness)
Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data
- Certain complications during cataract (cloudiness of the eye lens) operation (Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, see also “Warnings and precautions”)
- Ejaculation problems.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard, or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Doxazosin Teva
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
The medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Doxazosin Teva contains
- The active substance is doxazosin. Each prolonged-release tablet contains 4 mg doxazosin (as doxazosin mesilate).
The other ingredients are: polyethylene
oxide, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, butylhydroxytoluene, α-tocopherol, colloidal anhydrous silica, sodium stearyl fumarate.
The other ingredients in the tablet coating are:
methacrylic acid – ethyl acrylate copolymer, colloidal hydrated silica, macrogol, titanium dioxide (E171).
What Doxazosin Teva looks like and contents of the pack:
Doxazosin Teva are white, round biconvex, film-coated, prolonged-release tablets with bossing “DL” on one side.
They are available in blister packs containing 14, 15, 28, 28 x 1, 30, 50 x 1, 60, 90, 100 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Teva UK Limited, Ridings Point, Whistler Drive, Castleford, WF10 5HX, United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Merckle GmbH, Ludwig- Merckle- Straße 3, 89143 Blaubauren, Germany
This leaflet was last revised in April 2026
PL 00289/1147
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