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Professional Information — Terazosin

Full FDA prescribing details for healthcare professionals.

Last updated · May 12, 2026Source: DailyMed ↗
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Indications and Usage

Terazosin capsules are indicated for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There is a rapid response, with approximately 70% of patients experiencing an increase in urinary flow and improvement in symptoms of BPH when treated with terazosin capsules. The long-term effects of terazosin on the incidence of surgery, acute urinary obstruction or other complications of BPH are yet to be determined.

Terazosin capsules are also indicated for the treatment of hypertension. It can be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents such as diuretics or beta-adrenergic blocking agents.

Dosage and Administration

If terazosin capsules administration is discontinued for several days, therapy should be reinstituted using the initial dosing regimen.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Initial Dose

1 mg at bedtime is the starting dose for all patients, and this dose should not be exceeded as an initial dose. Patients should be closely followed during initial administration in order to minimize the risk of severe hypotensive response.

Subsequent Doses

The dose should be increased in a stepwise fashion to 2 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg once daily to achieve the desired improvement of symptoms and/or flow rates. Doses of 10 mg once daily are generally required for the clinical response. Therefore, treatment with 10 mg for a minimum of 4 weeks to 6 weeks may be required to assess whether a beneficial response has been achieved. Some patients may not achieve a clinical response despite appropriate titration. Although some additional patients responded at a 20 mg daily dose, there was an insufficient number of patients studied to draw definitive conclusions about this dose. There are insufficient data to support the use of higher doses for those patients who show inadequate or no response to 20 mg daily. If terazosin administration is discontinued for several days or longer, therapy should be reinstituted using the initial dosing regimen.

Use with Other Drugs

Caution should be observed when terazosin capsules are administered concomitantly with other antihypertensive agents, especially the calcium channel blocker verapamil, to avoid the possibility of developing significant hypotension. When using terazosin and other antihypertensive agents concomitantly, dosage reduction and retitration of either agent may be necessary (see PRECAUTIONS ).

Hypotension has been reported when terazosin capsules have been used with phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors.

Hypertension

The dose of terazosin capsules and the dose interval (12 hours or 24 hours) should be adjusted according to the patient's individual blood pressure response. The following is a guide to its administration:

Initial Dose

1 mg at bedtime is the starting dose for all patients, and this dose should not be exceeded. This initial dosing regimen should be strictly observed to minimize the potential for severe hypotensive effects.

Subsequent Doses

The dose may be slowly increased to achieve the desired blood pressure response. The usual recommended dose range is 1 mg to 5 mg administered once a day; however, some patients may benefit from doses as high as 20 mg per day. Doses over 20 mg do not appear to provide further blood pressure effect and doses over 40 mg have not been studied. Blood pressure should be monitored at the end of the dosing interval to be sure control is maintained throughout the interval. It may also be helpful to measure blood pressure 2 hours to 3 hours after dosing to see if the maximum and minimum responses are similar, and to evaluate symptoms such as dizziness or palpitations which can result from excessive hypotensive response. If response is substantially diminished at 24 hours an increased dose or use of a twice daily regimen can be considered. If terazosin administration is discontinued for several days or longer, therapy should be reinstituted using the initial dosing regimen.

In clinical trials, except for the initial dose, the dose was given in the morning.

Use with other drugs : (see above)

Contraindications

Terazosin capsules are contraindicated in patients known to be hypersensitive to terazosin hydrochloride.

Adverse Reactions

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events has been ascertained from clinical trials conducted worldwide. All adverse events reported during these trials were recorded as adverse reactions. The incidence rates presented below are based on combined data from six placebo-controlled trials involving once-a-day administration of terazosin at doses ranging from 1 mg to 20 mg. Table 1 summarizes those adverse events reported for patients in these trials when the incidence rate in the terazosin group was at least 1% and was greater than that for the placebo group, or where the reaction is of clinical interest. Asthenia, postural hypotension, dizziness, somnolence, nasal congestion/rhinitis, and impotence were the only events that were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) more common in patients receiving terazosin than in patients receiving placebo. The incidence of urinary tract infection was significantly lower in the patients receiving terazosin than in patients receiving placebo. An analysis of the incidence rate of hypotensive adverse events (see PRECAUTIONS ) adjusted for the length of drug treatment has shown that the risk of the events is greatest during the initial seven days of treatment, but continues at all time intervals.

TABLE 1: ADVERSE REACTIONS DURING PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIALS BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

BODY SYSTEM

TERAZOSIN

(N = 636)

PLACEBO

(N = 360)

BODY AS A WHOLE

  †Asthenia

  7.4% *

3.3%

  Flu Syndrome

2.4%

1.7%

  Headache

4.9%

5.8%

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

  Hypotension

0.6%

0.6%

  Palpitations

0.9%

1.1%

  Postural Hypotension

   3.9% *

0.8%

  Syncope

0.6%

0.0%

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

  Nausea

1.7%

1.1%

METABOLIC AND NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS

  Peripheral Edema

0.9%

0.3%

  Weight Gain

0.5%

0.0%

NERVOUS SYSTEM

  Dizziness

  9.1% *

4.2%

  Somnolence

  3.6% *

1.9%

  Vertigo

1.4%

0.3%

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

  Dyspnea

1.7%

0.8%

  Nasal Congestion/Rhinitis

 1.9% *

0.0%

SPECIAL SENSES

  Blurred Vision/Amblyopia

1.3%

0.6%

UROGENITAL SYSTEM

  Impotence

 1.6% *

0.6%

  Urinary Tract Infection

1.3%

3.9% *

† Includes weakness, tiredness, lassitude and fatigue.

* p ≤ 0.05 comparison between groups.

Additional adverse events have been reported, but these are, in general, not distinguishable from symptoms that might have occurred in the absence of exposure to terazosin. The safety profile of patients treated in the long-term open-label study was similar to that observed in the controlled studies.

The adverse events were usually transient and mild or moderate in intensity, but sometimes were serious enough to interrupt treatment. In the placebo-controlled clinical trials, the rates of premature termination due to adverse events were not statistically different between the placebo and terazosin groups. The adverse events that were bothersome, as judged by their being reported as reasons for discontinuation of therapy by at least 0.5% of the terazosin group and being reported more often than in the placebo group, are shown in Table 2.

TABLE 2: DISCONTINUATION DURING PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIALS BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA

BODY SYSTEM

TERAZOSIN
(N = 636)

PLACEBO
(N = 360)

BODY AS A WHOLE

  Fever

 0.5%

0.0%

  Headache

1.1%

0.8%

CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM

  Postural Hypotension

0.5%

0.0%

  Syncope

0.5%

0.0%

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

  Nausea

0.5%

0.3%

NERVOUS SYSTEM

  Dizziness

2.0%

1.1%

  Vertigo

0.5%

0.0%

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

  Dyspnea

0.5%

0.3%

SPECIAL SENSES

  Blurred Vision/Amblyopia

0.6%

0.0%

UROGENITAL SYSTEM

  Urinary Tract Infection

0.5%

0.3%

Hypertension

The prevalence of adverse reactions has been ascertained from clinical trials conducted primarily in the United States. All adverse experiences (events) reported during these trials were recorded as adverse reactions. The prevalence rates presented below are based on combined data from fourteen placebo-controlled trials involving once-a-day administration of terazosin, as monotherapy or in combination with other antihypertensive agents, at doses ranging from 1 mg to 40 mg. Table 3 summarizes those adverse experiences reported for patients in these trials where the prevalence rate in the terazosin group was at least 5%, where the prevalence rate for the terazosin group was at least 2% and was greater than the prevalence rate for the placebo group, or where the reaction is of particular interest. Asthenia, blurred vision, dizziness, nasal congestion, nausea, peripheral edema, palpitations and somnolence were the only symptoms that were significantly (p < 0.05) more common in patients receiving terazosin than in patients receiving placebo. Similar adverse reaction rates were observed in placebo-controlled monotherapy trials.

TABLE 3: ADVERSE REACTIONS DURING PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIALS HYPERTENSION

Body System Terazosin
(N = 859)
Placebo
(N = 506)
BODY AS A WHOLE
†Asthenia 11.3%* 4.3%
Back Pain 2.4% 1.2%
Headache 16.2% 15.8%
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
Palpitations 4.3%* 1.2%
Postural Hypotension 1.3% 0.4%
Tachycardia 1.9% 1.2%
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Nausea 4.4%* 1.4%
METABOLIC AND NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS
Edema 0.9% 0.6%
Peripheral Edema 5.5%* 2.4%
Weight Gain 0.5% 0.2%
MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM
Pain-Extremities 3.5% 3.0%
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Depression 0.3% 0.2%
Dizziness 19.3%* 7.5%
Libido Decreased 0.6% 0.2%
Nervousness 2.3% 1.8%
Paresthesia 2.9% 1.4%
Somnolence 5.4%* 2.6%
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Dyspnea 3.1% 2.4%
Nasal Congestion 5.9%* 3.4%
Sinusitis 2.6% 1.4%
SPECIAL SENSES
Blurred Vision 1.6%* 0.0%
UROGENITAL SYSTEM
Impotence 1.2% 1.4%

* Includes weakness, tiredness, lassitude, and fatigue.

† Statistically significant at p = 0.05 level.

Additional adverse reactions have been reported, but these are, in general, not distinguishable from symptoms that might have occurred in the absence of exposure to terazosin. The following additional adverse reactions were reported by at least 1% of 1,987 patients who received terazosin in controlled or open, short- or long-term clinical trials or have been reported during marketing experience:

Body as a Whole:chest pain, facial edema, fever, abdominal pain, neck pain, shoulder pain.

Cardiovascular System:arrhythmia, vasodilation.

Digestive System:constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth, dyspepsia, flatulence, vomiting.

Metabolic/Nutritional Disorders:gout.

Musculoskeletal System:arthralgia, arthritis, joint disorder, myalgia.

Nervous System:anxiety, insomnia.

Respiratory System:bronchitis, cold symptoms, epistaxis, flu symptoms, increased cough, pharyngitis, rhinitis.

Skin and Appendages:pruritus, rash, sweating.

Special Senses:abnormal vision, conjunctivitis, tinnitus.

Urogenital System:urinary frequency, urinary incontinence primarily reported in postmenopausal women, urinary tract infection.

The adverse reactions were usually mild or moderate in intensity but sometimes were serious enough to interrupt treatment. The adverse reactions that were most bothersome, as judged by their being reported as reasons for discontinuation of therapy by at least 0.5% of the terazosin group and being reported more often than in the placebo group, are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4: DISCONTINUATIONS DURING PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIALS HYPERTENSION

Body System  Terazosin
(N = 859)
 Placebo
(N = 506)
BODY AS A WHOLE
    Asthenia  1.6%  0.0%
    Headache  1.3% 1.0%
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
    Palpitations  1.4% 0.2%
    Postural Hypotension 0.5%  0.0%
    Syncope  0.5%  0.2%
   Tachycardia 0.6%  0.0%
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
    Nausea  0.8%  0.0%
METABOLIC AND NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS
   Peripheral Edema 0.6%  0.0%
NERVOUS SYSTEM
   Dizziness  3.1%  0.4%
   Paresthesia 0.8%  0.2%
   Somnolence  0.6%  0.2%
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
   Dyspnea 0.9%  0.6%
   Nasal Congestion  0.6%  0.0%
SPECIAL SENSES
   Blurred Vision  0.6%  0.0%

Post-marketing Experience

Post-marketing experience indicates that in rare instances patients may develop allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, following administration of terazosin hydrochloride. There have been reports of priapism and thrombocytopenia during post-marketing surveillance. Atrial fibrillation has been reported.

During cataract surgery, a variant of small pupil syndrome known as Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS) has been reported in association with alpha-1 blocker therapy (see PRECAUTIONS ).

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Chartwell RX, LLC. at 1-845-232-1683 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Drug Interactions

In controlled trials, terazosin has been added to diuretics, and several beta-adrenergic blockers; no unexpected interactions were observed. Terazosin has also been used in patients on a variety of concomitant therapies; while these were not formal interaction studies, no interactions were observed. Terazosin has been used concomitantly in at least 50 patients on the following drugs or drug classes:

1) analgesic/anti-inflammatory (e.g., acetaminophen, aspirin, codeine, ibuprofen, indomethacin).

2) antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin, trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole).

3) anticholinergic/sympathomimetics (e.g., phenylephrine hydrochloride, phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride).

4) antigout (e.g., allopurinol).

5) antihistamines (e.g., chlorpheniramine).

6) cardiovascular agents (e.g., atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide, methyclothiazide, propranolol).

7) corticosteroids.

8) gastrointestinal agents (e.g., antacids).

9) hypoglycemics.

10) sedatives and tranquilizers (e.g., diazepam).

Use with Other Drugs

In a study (n = 24) where terazosin and verapamil were administered concomitantly, terazosin's mean AUC 0-24increased 11% after the first verapamil dose and after 3 weeks of verapamil treatment it increased by 24% with associated increases in C max(25%) and C min(32%) means. Terazosin mean T maxdecreased from 1.3 hours to 0.8 hours after 3 weeks of verapamil treatment.

Statistically significant differences were not found in the verapamil level with and without terazosin. In a study (n = 6) where terazosin and captopril were administered concomitantly, plasma disposition of captopril was not influenced by concomitant administration of terazosin and terazosin maximum plasma concentrations increased linearly with dose at steady-state after administration of terazosin plus captopril (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ).

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Terazosin was devoid of mutagenic potential when evaluated in vivoand in vitro(the Ames test, in vivo cytogenetics, the dominant lethal test in mice, in vivoChinese hamster chromosome aberration test and V79 forward mutation assay).

Terazosin, administered in the feed to rats at doses of 8 mg/kg/day, 40 mg/kg/day, and 250 mg/kg/day (70 mg/m 2/day, 350 mg/m 2/day, and 2,100 mg/m 2/day), for two years, was associated with a statistically significant increase in benign adrenal medullary tumors of male rats exposed to the 250 mg/kg dose. This dose is 175 times the maximum recommended human dose of 20 mg (12 mg/m 2). Female rats were unaffected. Terazosin was not oncogenic in mice when administered in feed for 2 years at a maximum tolerated dose of 32 mg/kg/day (110 mg/m 2; 9 times the maximum recommended human dose). The absence of mutagenicity in a battery of tests, of tumorigenicity of any cell type in the mouse carcinogenicity assay, of increased total tumor incidence in either species, and of proliferative adrenal lesions in female rats, suggests a male rat species-specific event. Numerous other diverse pharmaceutical and chemical compounds have also been associated with benign adrenal medullary tumors in male rats without supporting evidence for carcinogenicity in man.

The effect of terazosin on fertility was assessed in a standard fertility/reproductive performance study in which male and female rats were administered oral doses of 8 mg/kg/day, 30 mg/kg/day and 120 mg/kg/day. Four of 20 male rats given 30 mg/kg (240 mg/m 2; 20 times the maximum recommended human dose) and five of 19 male rats given 120 mg/kg (960 mg/m 2; 80 times the maximum recommended human dose) failed to sire a litter. Testicular weights and morphology were unaffected by treatment. Vaginal smears at 30 mg/kg/day and 120 mg/kg/day, however, appeared to contain less sperm than smears from control matings and good correlation was reported between sperm count and subsequent pregnancy.

Oral administration of terazosin for one or two years elicited a statistically significant increase in the incidence of testicular atrophy in rats exposed to 40 mg/kg/day and 250 mg/kg/day (29 times and 175 times the maximum recommended human dose), but not in rats exposed to 8 mg/kg/day (> 6 times the maximum recommended human dose). Testicular atrophy was also observed in dogs dosed with 300 mg/kg/day (> 500 times the maximum recommended human dose) for three months but not after one year when dosed with 20 mg/kg/day (38 times the maximum recommended human dose). This lesion has also been seen with prazosin hydrochloride, another (marketed) selective-alpha-1 blocking agent.

Overdosage

Should overdosage of terazosin lead to hypotension, support of the cardiovascular system is of first importance. Restoration of blood pressure and normalization of heart rate may be accomplished by keeping the patient in the supine position. If this measure is inadequate, shock should first be treated with volume expanders. If necessary, vasopressors should then be used and renal function should be monitored and supported as needed. Laboratory data indicate that terazosin is 90% to 94% protein bound; therefore, dialysis may not be of benefit.

Description

Terazosin hydrochloride, USP an alpha-1-selective adrenoceptor blocking agent, is a quinazoline derivative represented by the following chemical name and structural formula: (RS)-Piperazine,1-(4-amino-6,7-dimethoxy-2-quinazolinyl)-4-[(tetra-hydro-2-furanyl)carbonyl]-, monohydrochloride, dihydrate.

Terazosin hydrochloride, USP is a white to pale yellow crystalline powder, slightly soluble in water pH 1.3 (HCl), water pH 12.6 (NaOH), ethanol 95% and chloroform, sparingly soluble in water pH 6, soluble in methanol, and practically insoluble in n-hexane. Its molecular formula is C 19H 25N 5O 4•HCl•2H 2O and has a molecular weight of 459.93 g/mole.

Each capsule, for oral administration, contains terazosin hydrochloride, USP equivalent to 1 mg, 2 mg, 5 mg, or 10 mg of terazosin. In addition, each capsule contains the following inactive ingredients: Colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, and pregelatinized starch. The capsule shell contains D&C yellow no. 10 (2 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg), D&C red no. 28 (5 mg), FD& C green no. 3 (10 mg), FD&C red no. 40 (5 mg), gelatin, iron oxide black (1 mg), sodium lauryl sulfate, and titanium dioxide. The capsules are printed with black ink composed of ammonia solution, black iron oxide, potassium hydroxide, propylene glycol, and shellac.

FDA approved dissolution test specifications differ from USP.

image description

Clinical Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamics

A. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

The symptoms associated with BPH are related to bladder outlet obstruction, which is comprised of two underlying components: a static component and a dynamic component. The static component is a consequence of an increase in prostate size. Over time, the prostate will continue to enlarge. However, clinical studies have demonstrated that the size of the prostate does not correlate with the severity of BPH symptoms or the degree of urinary obstruction. The dynamic component is a function of an increase in smooth muscle tone in the prostate and bladder neck, leading to constriction of the bladder outlet. Smooth muscle tone is mediated by sympathetic nervous stimulation of alpha-1 adrenoceptors, which are abundant in the prostate, prostatic capsule and bladder neck. The reduction in symptoms and improvement in urine flow rates following administration of terazosin is related to relaxation of smooth muscle produced by blockade of alpha-1 adrenoceptors in the bladder neck and prostate. Because there are relatively few alpha-1 adrenoceptors in the bladder body, terazosin is able to reduce the bladder outlet obstruction without affecting bladder contractility.

Terazosin has been studied in 1,222 men with symptomatic BPH. In three placebo-controlled studies, symptom evaluation and uroflowmetric measurements were performed approximately 24 hours following dosing. Symptoms were quantified using the Boyarsky Index. The questionnaire evaluated both obstructive (hesitancy, intermittency, terminal dribbling, impairment of size and force of stream, sensation of incomplete bladder emptying) and irritative (nocturia, daytime frequency, urgency, dysuria) symptoms by rating each of the 9 symptoms from 0 to 3, for a total score of 27 points. Results from these studies indicated that terazosin statistically significantly improved symptoms and peak urine flow rates over placebo as follows:

Symptom Score
(Range 0 to 27)

Peak Flow Rate
(mL/sec)

N

Mean

Baseline

Change

Mean

 (%)

N

Mean

Baseline

Change

Mean

 (%)

Study 1 (10 mg) a

Titration to fixed dose (12 wks)

Placebo

Terazosin

55

54

9.7

10.1

-2.3

-4.5

 (24)

 (45) *

54

52

10.1

8.8

+1.0

+3.0

 (10)

 (34) *

Study 2 (2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg) b

Titration to response (24 wks)

Placebo

Terazosin

89

85

12.5

12.2

-3.8

-5.3

 (30)

 (43) *

88

84

8.8

8.4

+1.4

+2.9

(16)

 (35) *

Study 3 (1 mg, 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg) c

Titration to response (24 wk s)

Placebo

Terazosin

74

73

10.4

10.9

-1.1

-4.6

 (11)

 (42) *

74

73

8.8

8.6

+1.2

+2.6

 (14)

 (30) *

aHighest dose 10 mg shown.

b23% of patients on 10 mg, 41% of patients on 20 mg.

c67% of patients on 10 mg.

*Significantly (p ≤ 0.05) more improvement than placebo.

In all three studies, both symptom scores and peak urine flow rates showed statistically significant improvement from baseline in patients treated with terazosin from week 2 (or the first clinic visit) and throughout the study duration.

Analysis of the effect of terazosin on individual urinary symptoms demonstrated that compared to placebo, terazosin significantly improved the symptoms of hesitancy, intermittency, impairment in size and force of urinary stream, sensation of incomplete emptying, terminal dribbling, daytime frequency and nocturia.

Global assessments of overall urinary function and symptoms were also performed by investigators who were blinded to patient treatment assignment. In studies 1 and 3, patients treated with terazosin had a significantly (p ≤ 0.001) greater overall improvement compared to placebo treated patients.

In a short-term study (study 1), patients were randomized to either 2 mg, 5 mg or 10 mg of terazosin or placebo. Patients randomized to the 10 mg group achieved a statistically significant response in both symptoms and peak flow rate compared to placebo (Figure 1).

+ for baseline values see above table
* p ≤ 0.05, compared to placebo group

In a long-term, open-label, non-placebo controlled clinical trial, 181 men were followed for 2 years and 58 of these men were followed for 30 months. The effect of terazosin on urinary symptom scores and peak flow rates was maintained throughout the study duration (Figures 2 and 3):

* p ≤ 0.05 vs. baseline
mean baseline = 10.7

* p ≤ 0.05 vs. baseline
mean baseline = 9.9

In this long-term trial, both symptom scores and peak urinary flow rates showed statistically significant improvement suggesting a relaxation of smooth muscle cells.

Although blockade of alpha-1 adrenoceptors also lowers blood pressure in hypertensive patients with increased peripheral vascular resistance, terazosin treatment of normotensive men with BPH did not result in a clinically significant blood pressure lowering effect:

Mean Changes in Blood Pressure from Baseline to Final Visit in all Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Studies

Normotensive Patients DBP ≤ 90 mmHg

Hypertensive Patients DBP > 90 mmHg

Group

N

Mean Change

N

Mean Change

SBP
(mmHg)

Placebo
Terazosin

293
519

-0.1
-3.3 *

45
65

-5.8
-14.4 *

DBP
(mmHg)

Placebo
Terazosin

293

519

+0.4

-2.2 *

45

65

-7.1

-15.1 *

*p ≤ 0.05 vs. placebo

B. Hypertension

In animals, terazosin causes a decrease in blood pressure by decreasing total peripheral vascular resistance. The vasodilatory hypotensive action of terazosin appears to be produced mainly by blockade of alpha-1 adrenoceptors. Terazosin decreases blood pressure gradually within 15 minutes following oral administration.

Patients in clinical trials of terazosin were administered once daily (the great majority) and twice daily regimens with total doses usually in the range of 5 mg/day to 20 mg/day, and had mild (about 77%, diastolic pressure 95 mmHg to 105 mmHg) or moderate (23%, diastolic pressure 105 mmHg to 115 mmHg) hypertension. Because terazosin, like all alpha antagonists, can cause unusually large falls in blood pressure after the first dose or first few doses, the initial dose was 1 mg in virtually all trials, with subsequent titration to a specified fixed dose or titration to some specified blood pressure end point (usually a supine diastolic pressure of 90 mmHg).

Blood pressure responses were measured at the end of the dosing interval (usually 24 hours) and effects were shown to persist throughout the interval, with the usual supine responses 5 mmHg to 10 mmHg systolic and 3.5 mmHg to 8 mmHg diastolic greater than placebo. The responses in the standing position tended to be somewhat larger, by 1 mmHg  to 3 mmHg, although this was not true in all studies. The magnitude of the blood pressure responses was similar to prazosin and less than hydrochlorothiazide (in a single study of hypertensive patients). In measurements 24 hours after dosing, heart rate was unchanged.

Limited measurements of peak response (2 hours to 3 hours after dosing) during chronic terazosin administration indicate that it is greater than about twice the trough (24 hour) response, suggesting some attenuation of response at 24 hours, presumably due to a fall in blood terazosin concentrations at the end of the dose interval. This explanation is not established with certainty, however, and is not consistent with the similarity of blood pressure response to once daily and twice daily dosing and with the absence of an observed dose-response relationship over a range of 5 mg to 20 mg, i.e., if blood concentrations had fallen to the point of providing less than full effect at 24 hours, a shorter dosing interval or larger dose should have led to increased response.

Further dose response and dose duration studies are being carried out. Blood pressure should be measured at the end of the dose interval; if response is not satisfactory, patients may be tried on a larger dose or twice daily dosing regimen. The latter should also be considered if possibly blood pressure-related side effects, such as dizziness, palpitations, or orthostatic complaints, are seen within a few hours after dosing.

The greater blood pressure effect associated with peak plasma concentrations (first few hours after dosing) appears somewhat more position-dependent (greater in the erect position) than the effect of terazosin at 24 hours and in the erect position there is also a 6 beat to 10 beat per minute increase in heart rate in the first few hours after dosing. During the first 3 hours after dosing 12.5% of patients had a systolic pressure fall of 30 mmHg or more from supine to standing, or standing systolic pressure below 90 mmHg with a fall of at least 20 mmHg, compared to 4% of a placebo group.

There was a tendency for patients to gain weight during terazosin therapy. In placebo-controlled monotherapy trials, male and female patients receiving terazosin gained a mean of 1.7 pounds and 2.2 pounds respectively, compared to losses of 0.2 pound and 1.2 pounds respectively in the placebo group. Both differences were statistically significant.

During controlled clinical trials, patients receiving terazosin monotherapy had a small but statistically significant decrease (a 3% fall) compared to placebo in total cholesterol and the combined low-density and very-low-density lipoprotein fractions. No significant changes were observed in high-density lipoprotein fraction and triglycerides compared to placebo.

Analysis of clinical laboratory data following administration of terazosin suggested the possibility of hemodilution based on decreases in hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, total protein and albumin. Decreases in hematocrit and total protein have been observed with alpha-blockade and are attributed to hemodilution.

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Pharmacokinetics

Terazosin hydrochloride administered as terazosin capsules is essentially completely absorbed in man. Administration of capsules immediately after meals had a minimal effect on the extent of absorption. The time to reach peak plasma concentration however, was delayed by about 40 minutes. Terazosin has been shown to undergo minimal hepatic first-pass metabolism and nearly all of the circulating dose is in the form of parent drug. The plasma levels peak about one hour after dosing, and then decline with a half-life of approximately 12 hours. In a study that evaluated the effect of age on terazosin pharmacokinetics, the mean plasma half-lives were 14 hours and 11.4 hours for the age group ≥ 70 years and the age group of 20 years to 39 years, respectively. After oral administration the plasma clearance was decreased by 31.7% in patients 70 years of age or older compared to that in patients 20 years to 39 years of age.

The drug is 90% to 94% bound to plasma proteins and binding is constant over the clinically observed concentration range. Approximately 10% of an orally administered dose is excreted as parent drug in the urine and approximately 20% is excreted in the feces. The remainder is eliminated as metabolites. Impaired renal function had no significant effect on the elimination of terazosin, and dosage adjustment of terazosin to compensate for the drug removal during hemodialysis (approximately 10%) does not appear to be necessary. Overall, approximately 40% of the administered dose is excreted in the urine and approximately 60% in the feces. The disposition of the compound in animals is qualitatively similar to that in man.

How Supplied / Storage and Handling

Terazosin capsules, USP are available in four dosage strengths

1 mg gray capsules available as hard gelatin capsule with gray opaque cap and gray opaque body filled with white to off white powder blend. The capsule is printed with “ TE1” in black ink on the body, free from physical defects.

Bottles of 100....................................................( NDC 69452-330-20)

Bottles of 1000..................................................( NDC 69452-330-32)

2 mg yellow capsules available as hard gelatin capsule with ivory opaque cap and ivory opaque body filled with white to off white powder blend. The capsule is printed with “ TE2” in black ink on the body, free from physical defects.

Bottles of 100....................................................( NDC 69452-331-20)

Bottles of 1000..................................................( NDC 69452-331-32)

5 mg red capsules available as hard gelatin capsule with orange opaque cap and orange opaque body filled with white to off white powder blend. The capsule is printed with “ TE3” in black ink on the body, free from physical defects.

Bottles of 100....................................................( NDC 69452-332-20)

Bottles of 1000..................................................( NDC 69452-332-32)

10 mg blue capsules available as hard gelatin capsule with green opaque cap and green opaque body filled with white to off white powder blend. The capsule is printed with “ TE4” in black ink on the body, free from physical defects.

Bottles of 100....................................................( NDC 69452-333-20)

Bottles of 1000..................................................( NDC 69452-333-32)

Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Protect from light and moisture.

Dispense in tight, light-resistant container as defined in USP.

Distributed by:

Bionpharma Inc.

Princeton, NJ 08540

MADE IN INDIA

Revised: 05/24

FDA-03

Sources

RxCUI: 260376

NDC: 69452-330

Last fetched: May 12, 2026

Source: DailyMed ↗

⚠️ Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medicine. Read full medical disclaimer.