Benazepril

Benazepril is a prescription medicine used with other medications to treat high blood pressure. Benazepril belongs to a group of medications called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Benazepril works by blocking the ACE enzyme, which helps blood vessels to relax and lowers blood pressure.

Benazepril is a prescription medication used alone or with other medications to control high blood pressure (hypertension). 

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Benazepril may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Lotensin

The most common benazepril side effects are:

• headache
• dizziness
• tiredness
• drowsiness
• nausea
• cough

Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away.

Less common, but more serious benazepril side effects are:

• swelling of the face, legs, feet, ankles, arms, lips, tongue, and throat 
• swelling of the intestines (intestinal angioedema)
• serious allergic reactions
• rash
• decreased kidney function
• pancreatitis
• asthma
• difficulty breathing
• increased levels of potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia)
• anemia
• increased risk of infections
• liver failure

This is not a complete list of benazepril side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Tell your doctor if you develop any side effects.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamin, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• diuretics 
• potassium-sparing diuretics
• potassium supplements
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• NSAIDs
• injectable gold (sodium aurothiomalate)

This is not a complete list of benazepril drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Do not take benazepril if you are allergic to any of the ingredients. Each manufacturer may use different inactive ingredients. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a complete list. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any other ACE inhibitors.

Do not take benazepril if you have ever had angioedema, with or without prior ACE inhibitor treatment.

Benazepril, if taken while pregnant, can harm or cause death to the unborn baby. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking this medication.

ACE inhibitors, including benazepril, have caused liver failure. While this is rare, be sure to tell your doctor right away if you show symptoms of liver damage including nausea, lack of appetite, tiredness, diarrhea, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), stomach pain, flu-like symptoms, and bleeding easily.

Benazepril may cause extreme low blood pressure. The symptoms are lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting. Until you know how benazepril affects you, do not drive or operate heavy machinery. Extreme low blood pressure is more likely to happen if you:

• are taking a diuretic
• are on dialysis
• have diarrhea
• are vomiting
• are not drinking enough liquids
• are sweating a lot

Talk to your doctor if you are on a low-salt diet and you are using salt substitutes. Some of these products contain potassium and when taken with benazepril may lead to a serious condition in which there is too much potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia).

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to benazepril or any other ACE inhibitors.

Tell your doctor if you have:

• diabetes
• heart disease including congestive heart failure
• kidney disease
• lupus
• scleroderma
• a history of angioedema

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, let your doctor know if you are on dialysis or will be undergoing surgery or anesthesia.

Tell your doctor about all the medications you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Benazepril may cause harm to your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking benazepril, tell your doctor right away.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Small amounts of benazepril may be excreted in human breast milk. The effects are unknown.

Benazepril comes as a tablet to be taken by mouth, usually once or twice a day, with water. It can be taken with or without food. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose. Do not take two doses at one time. To help you remember to take your dose, and to maintain even blood levels of benazepril, take it at the same time every day.

Take benazepril exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you based on your age, other medical conditions you have, and other medications you take.

To treat high blood pressure in adults, the recommended starting dose of benazepril is 10 mg. The normal daily dose is 20 mg to 40 mg. The dose can be divided. This means that if your daily dose is 20 mg, it can be taken as 10 mg twice daily (to reach 20 mg daily). 

The dose of benazepril for children is based on weight. The recommended starting dose of benazepril for children six years of age and older is 0.2 mg/kg taken once a day.

If you take too much benazepril, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Store benazepril tablets at room temperature, away from excess light and moisture.

Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children.

WARNING: FETAL TOXICITY

When pregnancy is detected, discontinue benazepril hydrochloride as soon as possible.

Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus.