In this study, hydration behaviour of prazosin hydrochloride polyhydrate was assessed using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and dynamic vapour sorption techniques. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis at faster heating rate (20 degrees C/min) showed single step water loss, attributed to both dihydrate and unbound water. In contrast, thermogravimetric analysis at slower heating rate (1 degrees C/min) showed unbound and dihydrate lattice water separately, with unbound water being lost initially, followed by loss of dihydrate water. Variable vacuum and variable humidity PXRD study revealed shift in diffraction peaks to higher values on removal of unbound water. Initial PXRD patterns were regained when kept again at ambient conditions. Dynamic vapour sorption depicted type I sorption isotherm with interstitial water, indicating that polyhydrate form show reversible behaviour with change in humidity. Correlation between thermal, sorption and crystallographic data established hydration behaviour to be characteristic of expanded channel type (non-stoichiometric) hydrate. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.