Doxazosin Drug Information

• For the treatment of BPH: Initiate therapy at 1 mg once daily. Dose may be titrated at 1 to 2 week intervals, up to 8 mg once daily.( 2.2 )
• For the treatment hypertension: Initiate therapy at 1 mg once daily. Dose may be titrated as needed, up to 16 mg once daily. ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Dosing Information Following the initial dose and with each dose increase of doxazosin tablets, monitor blood pressure for at least 6 hours following administration. If doxazosin tablets administration is discontinued for several days, therapy should be restarted using the initial dosing regimen. 2.2 Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia The recommended initial dosage of doxazosin tablets is 1 mg given once daily either in the morning or evening. Depending on the individual patient’s urodynamics and BPH symptomatology, the dose may be titrated at 1 to 2 week intervals to 2 mg, and thereafter to 4 mg and 8 mg once daily. The maximum recommended dose for BPH is 8 mg once daily. Routinely monitor blood pressure in these patients. 2.3 Hypertension The initial dosage of doxazosin tablets is 1 mg given once daily. Daily dosage may be doubled up 16 mg once daily, as needed, to achieve the desired reduction in blood pressure.

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) The incidence of adverse events has been ascertained from worldwide clinical trials in 965 BPH patients. The incidence rates presented below (Table 2) are based on combined data from seven placebo-controlled trials involving once-daily administration of doxazosin tablets in doses of 1 to 16 mg in hypertensives and 0.5 to 8 mg in normotensives.

Adverse reactions occurring more than 1% more frequently in BPH patients treated with doxazosin tablets vs placebo are summarized in Table 1. Table 1. Adverse Reactions Occurring more than 1% More Frequently in BPH Patients Treated with Doxazosin Tablets Versus Placebo BODY SYSTEM Doxazosin Tablets N=665 Placebo N=300 NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDERS Dizziness † 15.6% 9% Somnolence 3% 1% CARDIAC DISORDERS Hypotension 1.7% 0% RESPIRATORY, THORACIC AND MEDIASTINAL DISORDERS Dyspnoea 2.6% 0.3% GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS Dry Mouth 1.4% 0.3% GENERAL DISORDERS AND ADMINISTRATION SITE CONDITIONS Fatigue 8% 1.7% Oedema 2.7% 0.7% †Includes vertigo Other adverse reactions occurring less than 1% more frequently in BPH patients treated with doxazosin tablets vs placebo but plausibly related to doxazosin tablets include: palpitations. Hypertension Doxazosin tablets has been administered to approximately 4,000 hypertensive patients in clinical trials, of whom 1,679 were included in the hypertension clinical development program. In placebo-controlled studies, adverse events occurred in 49% and 40% of patients in the doxazosin and placebo groups, respectively, and led to discontinuation in 2% of patients in each group.

Adverse reactions occurring more than 1% more frequently in hypertensive patients treated with doxazosin tablets vs placebo are summarized in Table 1. Postural effects and edema appeared to be dose-related. The prevalence rates presented below are based on combined data from placebo-controlled studies involving once-daily administration of doxazosin at doses ranging from 1 to 16 mg. Table 2. Adverse Reactions Occurring more than 1% More Frequently in Hypertensive Patients Treated with Doxazosin Tablets versus Placebo BODY SYSTEM Doxazosin Tablets N=339 Placebo N=336 NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDERS Dizziness 19% 9% Somnolence 5% 1% RESPIRATORY, THORACIC AND MEDIASTINAL DISORDERS Rhinitis 3% 1% RENAL AND URINARY DISORDERS Polyuria 2% 0% REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM AND BREAST DISORDERS GENERAL DISORDERS AND ADMINISTRATION SITE CONDITIONS Fatigue / Malaise 12% 6% Other adverse reactions occurring less than 1% more frequently in hypertensive patients treated with doxazosin tablets vs placebo but plausibly related to doxazosin tablets use include vertigo, hypotension, hot flushes, epistaxis and oedema.

Doxazosin tablets has been associated with decreases in white blood cell counts Laboratory changes observed in clinical studies Leukopenia/Neutropenia: Decreases in mean white blood cell (WBC) and mean neutrophil count were observed in controlled clinical trials of hypertensive patients receiving doxazosin tablets. In cases where follow-up was available, WBC and neutrophil counts returned to normal after discontinuation of doxazosin tablets. No patients became symptomatic as a result of the low WBC or neutrophil counts.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of doxazosin tablets. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. In post-marketing experience, the following additional adverse reactions have been reported: Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia; Immune System Disorders: allergic reaction; Nervous System Disorders: hypoesthesia; Eye Disorders: Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome ; Cardiac Disorders: bradycardia; Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders: bronchospasm aggravated; Gastrointestinal Disorders: vomiting; Hepatobiliary Disorders: cholestasis, hepatitis cholestatic; Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: urticaria; Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: muscle cramps, muscle weakness; Renal and Urinary Disorders: hematuria, micturition disorder, micturition frequency, nocturia; Reproductive System and Breast Disorders: gynecomastia, priapism.

• Strong cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A inhibitors may increase exposure to doxazosin and increased risk of hypotension. ( 7.1 )
• Concomitant administration of doxazosin tablets with a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor can result in additive blood pressure lowering effects and symptomatic hypotension. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 CYP 3A Inhibitors In vitro studies suggest that doxazosin is a substrate of CYP 3A4. Strong CYP3A inhibitors may increase exposure to doxazosin. Monitor blood pressure and for symptoms of hypotension when doxazosin tablets are used concomitantly with strong CYP3A inhibitors [ see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) ]. 7.2 Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) Inhibitors Concomitant administration of doxazosin tablets with a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor can result in additive blood pressure lowering effects and symptomatic hypotension. Monitor blood pressure and for symptoms of hypotension [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ].

• The use of doxazosin tablets is contraindicated in patients with a hypersensitivity to doxazosin, other quinazolines (e.g., prazosin, terazosin), or any of its components.
• Hypersensitivity to doxazosin, other quinazolines, or any other ingredient in doxazosin tablets. ( 4 )

Experience with doxazosin overdosage is limited. Two adolescents, who each intentionally ingested 40 mg doxazosin tablets with diclofenac or acetaminophen, were treated with gastric lavage with activated charcoal and made full recoveries. A two-year-old child who accidently ingested 4 mg doxazosin tablets were treated with gastric lavage and remained normotensive during the five-hour emergency room observation period.

A six-month-old child accidentally received a crushed 1 mg tablet of doxazosin and was reported to have been drowsy. A 32-year-old female with chronic renal failure, epilepsy, and depression intentionally ingested 60 mg doxazosin (blood level = 0.9 mcg/mL; normal values in hypertensives = 0.02 mcg/mL); death was attributed to a grand mal seizure resulting from hypotension. A 39-year-old female who ingested 70 mg doxazosin tablets, alcohol, and Dalmane ® (flurazepam) developed hypotension which responded to fluid therapy.

The oral LD 50 of doxazosin is greater than 1,000 mg/kg in mice and rats. The most likely manifestation of overdosage would be hypotension, for which the usual treatment would be intravenous infusion of fluid. As doxazosin is highly protein bound, dialysis would not be indicated.