Cardura

Drug Name

Cardura (Doxazosin)

Drug Uses

Cardura is used for the control of elevated blood pressure (hypertension) and for benign prostatic hyperplasia (noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland).

How Taken

Cardura should be taken at doses, specifically directed by your physician. This medication can be taken with or without food. Cardura should be taken at the same time each day to maintain proper blood levels. Do not take Cardura within two hours of taking an antacid. If stopped, you must taper the dose.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Cardura is an inhibitor of alpha 1 adrenergic nervous system. It is in a class of drugs, referred to as alpha blockers that includes alfusosin (Uroxatral), terazosin (Hytrin), tamsulosin (Flomax), and prazosin (Minipress). Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) is lowered as the action of these nerves, which promote constriction of blood vessels, is blocked.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. If you are taking 1 dose daily and do not remember until the next day, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store in a dry place at 30 degrees C (86 F).

Warnings/Precautions

Do not take this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to it, or are allergic to any ingredient in this product, or to any similar medicine. Before you hve any medical or dental treatments, energency care, or sergery (especially cataract surgery), tell the doctor or dentist that you are using this medicine.

This medicine may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or lightheadedness. Take the first dose at bedtime. If you get up during the night, sit up and stand up slowly. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this medicine. Using this medicine alone with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks.

This medicine can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. Alcohol, hot weather, exercise, and fever can increase these effects. To prevent them, sit up or stand slowly, especially in the morning. Also, sit or lie down at the first sign of dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness.

For women: if you plan on becoming pregnant, discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of using this medicine during pregnancy. It is unknown if this medicine is excreted in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you are using this medicine, check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Possible Side Effects

Side effects that may occur while taking this medicine include

• dizziness,
• headache,
• nausea,
• drowsiness,
• lack of energy,
• dry mouth, or nasal congestion.

If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor. Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you experience pounding heartbeat, puffiness in hands or feet, blurred vision, bloody urine, or if you are unable to control your urination.

Contact your doctor immediately if you experience difficulty breathing; tightness of chest; swelling of eyelids, face or lips; or if you develop a rash or hives, tell your doctor immediately.

If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

More Information

Do not share the medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Do not use this medicine for other health conditions. Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. If using this medicine for an extendedperiod of time, obtain refills before your supply runs out.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.