Lisinopril is a drug to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. With controlled blood pressure, complications such as congestive heart failure or stroke can be reduced.
In addition to lowering blood pressure, lisinopril can also be used in the treatment of heart failure or after a heart attack. Lisinopril works by widening blood vessels, so blood can flow more smoothly and lighten the workload of the heart in pumping blood.
Keep in mind that lisinopril only helps control hypertension and prevent complications due to hypertension, but not to cure hypertension.
lisinopril trademark: Inhitril, Lisinopril Dihydrate, Lipril, Noperten, Nopril
What is Lisinopril
| group | Prescription drugs |
| Category | ACE inhibitor |
| Benefit | Lowering high blood pressure in hypertension and treating heart failure |
| Consumed by | Adults and children >6 years old |
| Lisinopril for pregnant and lactating women | Category D: There is positive evidence of risks to the human fetus, but the benefits may outweigh the risks, for example in dealing with life-threatening situations. Lisinopril is not known whether it can be absorbed into breast milk or not. If you are breastfeeding, do not use this medicine without consulting your doctor first. |
| Drug form | Tablet |
Precautions Before Taking Lisinopril
Lisinopril should only be used as prescribed by a doctor. Some things to consider before taking lisinopril are:
- Do not take lisinopril if you are allergic to this drug or any type of drug ACE inhibitor others, such as enalapril, captopril, ramipril, or trandolapril.
- Tell your doctor if you are taking certain medications, supplements, or herbal products. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are recently taking medications for heart disease, such as sacubitril or are taking potassium supplements.
- Tell your doctor if you have diabetes and are taking aliskiren. Lisinopril should not be given to patients with these conditions.
- Tell your doctor if you have or are currently suffering from angioedema, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, lupus, or high levels of potassium in the blood.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy.
- Tell your doctor that you are taking lisinopril before undergoing certain medical procedures or surgery.
- See your doctor right away if you have an allergic drug reaction, serious side effect, or overdose after taking lisinopril.
Dosage and Instructions for Use Lisinopril
The dose of lisinopril given by the doctor depends on the health condition and age of the patient. Here is the explanation:
Condition: Hypertension
- Mature: The initial dose is 10 mg once daily. The maintenance dose is 20 mg once daily, may be increased to a maximum of 80 mg per day. For patients with renovascular hypertension and severe hypertension, the dose can be started with 2.5–5 mg once daily.
- Children aged 6–16 years: The initial dose for children weighing 20–50 kg is 2.5 mg, once daily. The maximum dose is 20 mg per day. The initial dose for children weighing 50 kg is 5 mg once daily. The maximum dose is 40 mg per day.
Condition: Diabetic nephropathy
- Mature: 10 mg once a day. The dose may be increased to 20 mg once daily, until a diastolic pressure < 90 mmHg.
Condition: Heart failure
- Mature: The initial dose is 2.5 mg once daily. The dose can be increased up to 20–40 mg, 4 weeks apart based on the patient's response.
Condition: Post heart attack
- Mature: The initial dose is 5 mg once daily, within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. The maintenance dose is 10 mg once daily for 6 weeks.
How to Take Lisinopril Correctly
Follow the doctor's advice and read the instructions on the label of lisinopril before starting to take it. Do not change the dose without consulting your doctor first.
Lisinopril can be taken with or without food. Drink a glass of water to swallow lisinopril. Take lisinopril according to the prescribed dose. Do not increase or decrease the dose without consulting your doctor first.
Take lisinopril at the same time every day for maximum results. If you forget to take lisinopril, take the drug immediately if the interval with the next dose is not too close. Ignore and do not double the dose if it is close to the next dosing schedule.
Do not stop taking lisinopril without consulting your doctor first, even if your condition feels better
To control blood pressure, you are also advised to adopt a low-salt and low-fat diet, exercise regularly, not smoke, and limit the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Perform regular blood pressure checks while taking lisinopril to monitor the development of body condition.
Store lisinopril at room temperature and in a closed container to avoid direct sunlight, and keep out of reach of children.
Lisinopril Interactions with Other Drugs
There are several interactions that can occur if lisinopril is taken with certain drugs, including:
- Increased risk of angioedema when used with sirolimus, alteplase, sacubitrile, or racecadotril
- Increased risk of hypotension, hyperkalemia and renal failure when used with aliskiren
- Increased risk of anaphylactic reactions when used with dextran
- Increased blood-lowering effect of lisinopril when used with diuretics or other antihypertensive drugs
- Increased risk of developing hypoglycemia when used with insulin or antidiabetic drugs
- Increased levels and toxic effects of lithium in the blood
- Increased risk of kidney damage and decreased antihypertensive effect of lisinopril when used with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Increased risk of developing hyperkalemia when used with potassium supplements or potassium-sparing diuretics
Lisinopril Side Effects and Dangers
Lisinopril can cause a drop in blood pressure resulting in hypotension. In addition, there are some side effects that can occur after taking lisinopril, including:
- Dizzy
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- dry cough
- Unusual tired
- Stuffy nose or runny nose
- Decreased sexual desire
Check with a doctor if the complaints mentioned above do not go away or get worse. Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to your medication or experience more serious side effects, such as:
- Faint
- Very heavy weakness
- Irregular heartbeat or palpitations
- Very severe nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Severe stomach pain
- Jaundice
- Swelling in the legs or arms