Prescription medication · Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blocker
doxazosin
Also sold as Cardura. Doxazosin is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 27,049
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 2
- InteractionsFew interactions
- 2
- Recall records
What the data shows
doxazosin (Cardura) is a prescription Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blocker, reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (27,049 FDA reports), with 2 documented drug interactions.
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
doxazosin (Cardura) is a prescription Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blocker. Doxazosin is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
Doxazosin is a medicine that can help lower high blood pressure and improve symptoms of an enlarged prostate in men.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.07/unit
Generic Available
Yes (10 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Doxazosin is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
Common side effects
Dizziness, Feeling tired, Low blood pressure
Key warnings
Doxazosin can cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly when you stand up, leading to dizziness or fainting.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from doxazosin's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Doxazosin belongs to a class of drugs called alpha-1 adrenergic blockers. It works by relaxing the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, making it easier to urinate. It also relaxes blood vessels, which helps to lower blood pressure.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 27,049 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for doxazosin, by number of reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
1,479 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
1,295 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
1,276 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
1,237 reports
- Acute Kidney Injury
Acute Kidney Injury
1,135 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
1,131 reports
- Hypotension
Hypotension
988 reports
- Asthenia
Asthenia
950 reports
- Headache
Headache
941 reports
- Hypertension
Hypertension
853 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for doxazosin each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where doxazosin sits
doxazosin has more FDA adverse-event reports than 61% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is doxazosin; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 27,049 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2003–2025.
Total Reports
27,049
Reports Mentioning Death
2,269
8.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
11,467
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DYSPNOEA | 1,479 |
| 2 | DIZZINESS | 1,295 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 1,276 |
| 5 | DIARRHOEA | 1,237 |
| 6 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,135 |
| 7 | NAUSEA | 1,131 |
| 8 | HYPOTENSION | 988 |
| 9 | ASTHENIA | 950 |
| 10 | HEADACHE | 941 |
| 11 | HYPERTENSION | 853 |
| 12 | DRUG INTERACTION | 851 |
| 13 | VOMITING | 835 |
| 15 | RENAL FAILURE | 773 |
| 16 | MALAISE | 765 |
| 17 | FALL | 742 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Doxazosin can cause your blood pressure to drop suddenly when you stand up, leading to dizziness or fainting. This is more likely when you first start taking it or when the dose is increased. If you are having cataract surgery, tell your doctor you are taking this medicine. Doxazosin has been linked to priapism (a painful erection lasting for hours). If this happens, seek medical attention right away.
Known Drug Interactions
Postural hypotension has been reported in patients taking both beta-blockers and terazosin or doxazosin.
Mechanism: Both drugs lower blood pressure, which can cause a sudden drop in pressure when you stand up. This can make you feel dizzy or faint.
Clinical pharmacology studies have been conducted with coadministration of tadalafil with doxazosin, tamsulosin or alfuzosin.
Mechanism: Both of these medications can lower your blood pressure, and taking them together might cause your blood pressure to drop too low.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking doxazosin?
How long does it take for doxazosin to start working?
Can I stop taking doxazosin suddenly?
Does doxazosin affect my ability to drive or operate machinery?
Will doxazosin cure my enlarged prostate?
Can women take doxazosin?
What should I do if I feel dizzy after taking doxazosin?
Can I take doxazosin with other medications?
Will doxazosin affect my sexual function?
How often should I see my doctor while taking doxazosin?
What are the common side effects of doxazosin?
Does doxazosin interact with other medications?
What drug class is doxazosin?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for doxazosin?
Has doxazosin been recalled?
Active Recalls
Tablets/Capsules Imprinted with Wrong ID
Unichem Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.
cGMP Deviations for the manufacturing Firm (Accord Healthcare) after their inspection.
Preferred Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Related Medications in Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blocker
Other drugs grouped near doxazosin - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acebutolol
Sectral
Acebutolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and control irregular heartbeats.
Compare with doxazosin →
aliskiren
Tekturna
Tekturna is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure.
Compare with doxazosin →
amiloride
Midamor
Amiloride is a water pill that helps your body hold onto potassium.
Compare with doxazosin →
amlodipine
Norvasc
Amlodipine (Norvasc) is a drug that lowers blood pressure and treats chest pain.
Compare with doxazosin →
amlodipine/benazepril
Lotrel
Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril.
Compare with doxazosin →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for doxazosin: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 27,049.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 8.39%.
- lamotrigine Δ 0.01 pts · 127,196 reports · Anticonvulsant 8.40%death share
- glimepiride Δ 0.01 pts · 37,936 reports · Sulfonylurea 8.40%death share
- pramipexole Δ 0.01 pts · 14,399 reports · Dopamine Agonist 8.38%death share
- albuterol Δ 0.04 pts · 113,967 reports · Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist 8.43%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on doxazosin
Compare prices and find discounts at pharmacies near you. Free coupons can save up to 80% on prescriptions.
Disclosure: This link may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. See our terms.
What the FDA Data Shows for doxazosin
The FDA label for doxazosin (sold under brand names such as Cardura) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Alpha-1 Adrenergic Blocker class. Doxazosin is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Dizziness, Feeling tired, Low blood pressure.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 27,049 voluntary reports. The database also lists 2 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.07.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 2 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: March 31, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages