Alpha Blockers
TerazosinTerazosin Hydrochloride
Terazosin is a once-daily alpha blocker for the urinary symptoms of an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and for high blood pressure. Generic capsules are the form sold: the Hytrin brand has been discontinued, and Tezruly, an oral solution approved in 2024, is also listed as discontinued. Because the first dose can cause fainting, it starts at 1 mg at bedtime.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
Generic capsules in all four strengths come from a few manufacturers. The Hytrin brand has been discontinued, and the Tezruly oral solution is also listed as discontinued.
About Terazosin
Terazosin blocks alpha-1 receptors, relaxing smooth muscle in blood vessels and in the prostate and bladder neck, which lowers blood pressure and eases the flow of urine. It is labeled for the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia and for high blood pressure, alone or with other blood pressure medicines. Both uses start at 1 mg at bedtime; the 2, 5 and 10 mg capsules are not used to start treatment. For the prostate the dose is raised step by step to 2, 5 or 10 mg once a day; 10 mg is generally needed, and four to six weeks at that dose may be needed to judge the effect. For blood pressure the usual range is 1 to 5 mg once a day, and some people benefit from up to 20 mg. Safety and effectiveness in children have not been determined.
There is no boxed warning. Terazosin can lower blood pressure sharply, especially on standing, and cause fainting with the first dose, in the first few days, after a dose increase, or when it is restarted after a break; dizziness, lightheadedness and palpitations are more common than fainting. The label advises against driving or hazardous tasks for 12 hours after the first dose, a dose increase or a restart. Rarely it causes priapism, a prolonged, painful erection that needs prompt treatment to prevent permanent impotence. The only contraindication is allergy to terazosin. In prostate treatment the common side effects are dizziness, weakness, sleepiness, a stuffy nose, dizziness on standing and erectile dysfunction; in blood pressure treatment, dizziness, weakness, palpitations, nausea, swollen hands or feet, sleepiness, a stuffy nose and blurred vision.
If terazosin is stopped for several days or longer, it is restarted at the 1 mg starting dose, not the previous dose. An eye surgeon needs to know about it before cataract surgery, because alpha-1 blockers can cause intraoperative floppy iris syndrome, even in people who took one in the past. Because an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer cause many of the same symptoms and often occur together, the label calls for an examination to rule out cancer before treatment starts, and its patient leaflet says those checks continue during treatment. Tezruly, a 1 mg per mL oral solution approved in July 2024, is now listed as discontinued, so prescriptions are filled with generic capsules.
Taking Terazosin
- How to take it
- Once a day, with or without food. The first dose, and the first dose after a break of several days, is 1 mg at bedtime. Get up slowly from sitting or lying down, and sit or lie down if you feel dizzy.
- If you miss a dose
- Take it as soon as you remember, unless it is almost time for the next dose; then skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose. If you have missed several days, call the prescriber before restarting, because it is restarted at 1 mg.
- Storage
- At room temperature, tightly closed, protected from light and moisture, out of reach of children.
- Interactions to know about
- Adding a diuretic or another blood pressure medicine may call for a lower dose and a new titration. Verapamil raises terazosin levels, so doses may need adjusting. Low blood pressure has been reported when it is taken with sildenafil, tadalafil or other PDE-5 inhibitors.
This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.
Why the cash price for Terazosin differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
Generic terazosin capsules cost pharmacies little, but only a few companies make them, so they are not on every flat-price list, and a pharmacy that fills them rarely may order them in and price them as a slow-moving item.
Starting treatment means a run of small fills: the 1 mg starting capsules, then each higher strength as the dose is raised, each with its own dispensing fee. A settled dose written as several lower-strength capsules also raises the count for a pharmacy that prices per capsule.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Terazosin without insurance
- Ask whether terazosin is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list, and compare more than one pharmacy.
- While the dose is being raised, ask the prescriber for quantities that match each step.
- Once your dose is settled, ask for a ninety-day supply written as one capsule of the matching strength, for example one 10 mg capsule rather than two 5 mg capsules.
- If you take it for an enlarged prostate and it is quoted high, ask the prescriber whether tamsulosin or alfuzosin would suit you.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Terazosin
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Terazosin prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Terazosin
- 1.Should I take my first dose at bedtime, and what should I do if I feel faint?
- 2.What should I do if I miss several days in a row?
- 3.Is it safe with my blood pressure medicines, verapamil, or sildenafil or tadalafil?
- 4.What should I tell my eye surgeon before cataract surgery?
Related medications
Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.