What is the most important information I should know about benazepril?

Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Benazepril could cause birth defects in the baby if you take the medication during pregnancy. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can further lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of benazepril.

Do not use salt substitutes or potassium supplements while taking benazepril, unless your doctor has told you to.

Vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy sweating can cause you to become dehydrated. This can lead to very low blood pressure, electrolyte disorders, or kidney failure while you are taking benazepril. Drink plenty of water each day while you are taking this medication.

What is benazepril?

Benazepril is in a group of drugs called ACE inhibitors. ACE stands for angiotensin converting enzyme.

Benazepril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Benazepril may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking benazepril?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to benazepril or to any other ACE inhibitor, such as captopril (Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), or trandolapril (Mavik).

If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use this medication. Before you take benazpril, tell your doctor if you have:

• kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
• liver disease;
• heart disease or congestive heart failure;
• diabetes; or
• a connective tissue disease such as Marfan syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, scleroderma, or rheumatoid arthritis.

FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Benazepril could cause birth defects in the baby if you take the medication during pregnancy. Use an effective form of birth control. Stop using this medication and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment.

Benazepril can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give this medication to a child younger than 6 years old.

How should I take benazepril?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication.

Take each dose with a full glass of water.

Benazepril can be taken with or without food.

Vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy sweating can cause you to become dehydrated. This can lead to very low blood pressure, electrolyte disorders, or kidney failure while you are taking benazepril. Drink plenty of water each day while you are taking this medication.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon ahead of time that you are taking benazepril. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

If you are being treated for high blood pressure, keep using this medication even if you feel fine. High blood pressure often has no symptoms.

Store benazepril at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Symptoms of a benazepril overdose may include feeling extremely dizzy or light-headed, or fainting.

What should I avoid while taking benazepril?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can further lower your blood pressure and may increase some of the side effects of benazepril.

Do not use salt substitutes or potassium supplements while taking benazepril, unless your doctor has told you to.

What are the possible side effects of benazepril?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; severe stomach pain; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• feeling light-headed, fainting;
• urinating more or less than usual, or not at all;
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding;
• severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• tired feeling, muscle weakness, and pounding or uneven heartbeats;
• chest pain;
• swelling, rapid weight gain; or
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:

• cough;
• dizziness, drowsiness, headache;
• nausea, constipation; or
• mild skin itching or rash.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect benazepril?

Before taking benazepril, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following drugs:

• lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith);
• insulin or diabetes medications you take by mouth;
• a potassium supplement such as K-Dur, Klor-Con;
• salt substitutes that contain potassium; or
• a diuretic (water pill).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with benazepril. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist has information about benazepril written for health professionals that you may read.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others and use this medication only for the condition prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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