Terazosin Hydrochloride (Page 3 of 6)

Priapism

Rarely, (probably less than once in every several thousand patients), terazosin and other α ₁ -antagonists have been associated with priapism (painful penile erection, sustained for hours and unrelieved by sexual intercourse or masturbation). Two or three dozen cases have been reported. Because this condition can lead to permanent impotence if not promptly treated, patients must be advised about the seriousness of the condition (see PRECAUTIONS: Information for Patients).

PRECAUTIONS

General

Prostatic Cancer

Carcinoma of the prostate and BPH cause many of the same symptoms. These two diseases frequently co-exist. Therefore, patients thought to have BPH should be examined prior to starting terazosin capsule therapy to rule out the presence of carcinoma of the prostate.

Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS)

Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS) has been observed during cataract surgery in some patients on/or previously treated with alpha-1 blockers. This variant of small pupil syndrome is characterized by the combination of a flaccid iris that billows in response to intraoperative irrigation currents, progressive intraoperative miosis despite preoperative dilation with standard mydriatic drugs, and potential prolapse of the iris toward the phacoemulsification incisions. The patient’s ophthalmologist should be prepared for possible modifications to their surgical technique, such as the utilization of iris hooks, iris dilator rings, or viscoelastic substances. There does not appear to be a benefit of stopping alpha-1 blocker therapy prior to cataract surgery.

Orthostatic Hypotension

While syncope is the most severe orthostatic effect of terazosin capsules (see WARNINGS), other symptoms of lowered blood pressure, such as dizziness, lightheadedness and palpitations, were more common and occurred in some 28% of patients in clinical trials of hypertension. In BPH clinical trials, 21% of the patients experienced one or more of the following: dizziness, hypotension, postural hypotension, syncope, and vertigo. Patients with occupations in which such events represent potential problems should be treated with particular caution.

Information for Patients

(See PATIENT INFORMATION.)

Patients should be made aware of the possibility of syncopal and orthostatic symptoms, especially at the initiation of therapy, and to avoid driving or hazardous tasks for 12 hours after the first dose, after a dosage increase, and after interruption of therapy when treatment is resumed. They should be cautioned to avoid situations where injury could result should syncope occur during initiation of terazosin capsule therapy. They should also be advised of the need to sit or lie down when symptoms of lowered blood pressure occur, although these symptoms are not always orthostatic, and to be careful when rising from a sitting or lying position. If dizziness, lightheadedness, or palpitations are bothersome they should be reported to the physician, so that dose adjustment can be considered.

Patients should also be told that drowsiness or somnolence can occur with terazosin capsules, requiring caution in people who must drive or operate heavy machinery.

Patients should be advised about the possibility of priapism as a result of treatment with terazosin capsules and other similar medications. Patients should know that this reaction to terazosin capsules is extremely rare, but that if it is not brought to immediate medical attention, it can lead to permanent erectile dysfunction (impotence).

Laboratory Tests

Small but statistically significant decreases in hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, total protein and albumin were observed in controlled clinical trials. These laboratory findings suggested the possibility of hemodilution. Treatment with terazosin capsules for up to 24 months had no significant effect on prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Drug Interactions

In controlled trials, terazosin capsules have been added to diuretics, and several beta-adrenergic blockers; no unexpected interactions were observed. Terazosin capsules have also been used in patients on a variety of concomitant therapies; while these were not formal interaction studies, no interactions were observed. Terazosin capsules have 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 _0-24 increased 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 _max decreased 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 capsules were devoid of mutagenic potential when evaluated in vivo and in vitro (the Ames test, in vivo cytogenetics, the dominant lethal test in mice, in vivo Chinese hamster chromosome aberration test and V79 forward mutation assay).

Terazosin capsules, administered in the feed to rats at doses of 8, 40, and 250 mg/kg/day (70, 350, and 2100 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 capsules were 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 capsules on fertility was assessed in a standard fertility/reproductive performance study in which male and female rats were administered oral doses of 8, 30 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 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 capsules for one or two years elicited a statistically significant increase in the incidence of testicular atrophy in rats exposed to 40 and 250 mg/kg/day (29 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.