Cardura Xl

Drug name: Cardura XL

Other names used:

• Cardura-1®
• Cardura-2®
• Cardura-4®
• Doxadura®
• Doxadura XL®

Active Ingredients: Doxazosin mesilate

Therapeutic actions: Cardura XL modified release tablets contain the active ingredient doxazosin, which is a type of medicine called an alpha-blocker. (NB. Doxazosin is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.) Doxazosin has two quite different uses. It works by blocking alpha receptors in certain areas of the body.

Alpha receptors are found on the muscle in the walls of blood vessels. When doxazosin blocks these receptors it causes the muscle in the blood vessel to relax and the blood vessel to widen. This lets the blood pass more easily through the blood vessels and hence reduces the pressure in the blood vessels. Doxazosin can therefore be used to treat high blood pressure.

Alpha receptors are also found on the muscle in the prostate gland. This gland is found only in men and lies at the top of the tube connecting the bladder to the outside (urethra). The prostate gland often enlarges with advancing age (benign prostatic hyperplasia), pressing on the urethra and obstructing the flow of urine from the bladder. This can cause various urinary symptoms such as difficulty passing urine. By blocking the alpha receptors, doxazosin causes the muscle in the prostate gland to relax. This allows urine to flow freely past the prostate and relieves the urinary symptoms of this condition.

Cardura XL tablets are modified release tablets. They are designed to release the doxazosin slowly, thus producing a steady blood level of the medicine throughout the day. The tablets must be swallowed whole with a drink and not broken, crushed or chewed, as this would damage the modified release action.

Indications:

• Enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
• (High blood pressure (hypertension)

Contraindications and cautions:

• This medicine can occasionally cause your blood pressure to drop when you move from a lying down or sitting position to sitting or standing, especially when you first start taking the medicine. This may make you feel dizzy or unsteady and may rarely cause fainting. To avoid this, take care when moving from lying down to sitting or standing - try getting up slowly. If you do feel dizzy, sit or lie down until the symptoms pass.
• This medicine may cause fatigue and dizziness. You should take care when performing potentially hazardous activites, such as driving or operating machinery, until you know how this medicine affects you and are sure you can perform such activities safely.
• Alcohol may enhance the blood pressure lowering effect of this medicine, and this may cause dizziness in some people.
• Cardura XL tablets are designed to release the medicine from the tablet slowly throughout the day. To achieve this the tablet has a specially designed shell that is not absorbed by the body and is excreted in the faeces. You may sometimes notice the tablet shell in your stools. This is normal and nothing to worry about.

Use with caution in

• Elderly people
• Decreased liver function
• Heart failure.

Not to be used in

• Allergy to related medicines (quinazolines), eg prazosin, terazosin
• Breastfeeding
• People with a history of obstruction of the foodpipe (oesophagus), stomach or intestines, or any narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract.
• This medicine is not recommended for people who have ever fainted after passing urine (micturition syncope), or who suffer from drops in blood pressure that cause dizziness when moving from lying or sitting to standing (postural hypotension).
• The safety and efficacy of this medicine for use in children have not been established. It is not recommended for children.

This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.

Adverse effects: The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.

• Dizziness
• A drop in blood pressure that occurs when going from lying down to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension)
• Fainting
• Feeling weak or fatigued
• Excessive fluid retention in the body tissues, resulting in swelling (oedema)
• Headache
• Inflammation of the lining of the nose (rhinitis) causing a blocked or runny nose
• Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain
• Awareness of your heart beat (palpitations)
• Increased heart rate
• Dry mouth
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• Agitation or tremor
• Increased need to pass urine
• Impotence
• Persistent painful erection of the penis (priapism)
• Skin reactions such as rash and itch
• Disturbance in the levels of blood cells in the blood
• Liver disorders

The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.

Interactions: Tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine.

If doxazosin is taken with other medicines that reduce blood pressure, either as a treatment for high blood pressure (antihypertensives), or as a side effect, there may be an enhanced blood pressure lowering effect. This might make some people feel dizzy, particularly when you first start taking the doxazosin. If you do feel dizzy, you should lie down until the symptoms pass. If any dizziness persists you should let your doctor know, as your medicine doses may need adjusting. Other medicines that can reduce blood pressure include the following:

• ACE inhibitors, eg enalapril, captopril
• other alpha blockers, eg tamsulosin, terazosin
• angiotensin II receptor antagonists, eg losartan
• antipsychotic medicines
• baclofen
• benzodiazepines, eg temazepam
• beta-blockers, eg propranolol
• calcium channel blockers, eg diltiazem, verapamil, nifedipine
• diuretics, eg furosemide, bendroflumethiazide
• levodopa
• MAOI antidepressants, eg phenelzine
• nitrates, eg glyceryl trinitrate, isosorbide mononitrate
• phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for impotence, eg sildenafil, vardenafil, tadalafil.

Additional Information: DO NOT SHARE THIS MEDICINE with others. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE for other health conditions. KEEP THIS PRODUCT, as well as syringes and needles, if needed during treatment, out of the reach of children. Do not reuse needles, syringes, or other materials.