Effectiveness of Lisinopril & It’s Dosage, Side Effects

Avoid using lisinopril when you are pregnant. Lisinopril may harm the unborn child. In case you become pregnant, stop using lisinopril and inform your doctor instantly. When you have a history of angioedema, avoid using lisinopril or if you take medicine which consists of sacubatril like Entresto.

Lisinopril is an ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor. Lisinopril is effectively used for treating hypertension- high blood pressure in children and adults above 6 years.

Lisinopril is also effectively used for treating congestive heart failure in adults and for improving the survival rate after a heart attack. Congestive heart failure is the condition where the heart muscle does not pump blood efficiently as it should.

Do not use lisinopril along with any medicine containing aliskiren like Amturnide, Tekamlo and Tekturna if you have diabetes

Do not use lisinopril if you have an allergy to lisinopril or if:

• you also take medicine containing sacubatril like Entresto; or
• you have a hereditary angioedema;
• In case you have any other ACE inhibitor allergies like moexipril, lisinopril, benazepril, fosinopril, quinapril, captopril, , perindopril, trandolapril or ramipril;

Do not use lisinopril along with any other medicine containing aliskiren like Tekamlo or Tekturna when you have diabetes. Also avoid intake of lisinopril along with aliskiren when you have kidney disease. It is not advisable to use this medicine when you have a history of angioedema.

In order to ensure that lisinopril is safe to use, inform your doctor if you have any of the following:

• Liver disease;
• Diabetes;
• If you are on dialysis or if you have kidney disease;
• High amount of potassium in your blood.

Avoid using lisinopril when you are pregnant. Stop taking lisinopril and inform your doctor immediately if you become pregnant. The medication can cause any kind of injury and even death to the unborn child if you intake it during your third or second trimester. When taking lisinopril, it is advisable to use effective birth control.

It is unknown if lisinopril can harm a nursing baby via breast milk. Breast-feeding has to be avoided if you use when using lisinopril.

Initial lisinopril dosage: 10 milligrams one time a day orally; 5 milligrams one time per day orally

Maintenance lisinopril dosage: 20 to 40 milligrams one time per day orally

Maximum dosage: 80 milligrams one time per day orally

• The initial lisinopril dosage is 5 milligrams per day orally in patients getting a diuretic.
• The 80 milligrams lisinopril dosage is used but does not give better effect.
• When lisinopril alone is not able to control blood pressure, a minimal dosage of diuretic might be included (for e.g., hydrochlorothiazide, 12.5 milligrams). There is a possibility of reducing lisinopril dosage after the addition of a diuretic.

Initial lisinopril dosage: 2.5 to 5 milligrams one time a day orally

Maintenance lisinopril dosage: Dosage must be augmented as tolerated

Maximum lisinopril dosage: 40 milligrams one time a day orally.

There might be a need to reduce the dosage of diuretic in order to minimize hypovolemia which might lead to hypotension. The appearance of hypotension after the lisinopril first dosage does not prevent consequent careful dosage titration with the drug.

Initial lisinopril dosage: 5 milligrams within 24 hours of the onset of acute myocardial infarction orally

Consequent lisinopril dosages: 5 milligrams after 24 hours orally then 10 milligrams after 48 hours.

Maintenance lisinopril dosage: 10 milligrams one time a day orally. Dosing should continue for atleast 6 weeks.

Therapy must begin at 2.5milligrams in patients having low systolic blood pressure which is less than or equal to 120 mm Hg and greater than 100 mmHg in the first three days after the infarct. In case of occurrence of extended hypotension say when the systolic blood pressure is less than 90 mmHg for more than 1 hour, therapy has to be withdrawn.

Mortality reduction in acute myocardial infarction

Initial lisinopril dosage: 10 to 20 milligrams one time per day orally

Maintenance lisinopril dosage: 20 to 40 milligrams once a day orally

Upward titration of dosage every 3 days.

Initial lisinopril dosage: 2.5 to 5 milligrams one time a day orally

Maintenance lisinopril dosage: Dosages have to be increased at 2.5 milligrams to 5 milligrams per day in a week interval of 1 to 2 weeks.

Maximum dosage: 40 milligrams per day orally

Pediatric patients above or equal to the age of 6 years:

Initial lisinopril dosage: 0.07 milligrams/kg once a day orally. Maximum initial dosage is 5 milligrams per day

Maintenance lisinopril dosage: Dosage has to be adjusted according to the response of blood pressure response at an interval of 1 to 2 weeks.

Maximum lisinopril dosage: Dosages greater than 0.61 milligrams/kg or above 40 milligrams have not been studied in pediatric patients

Recommendation of lisinopril is prohibited in pediatric patients who are below the age of six or in patients with glomerular filtration rate below 30 mL/min.

In case you have any of the following signs of an allergic reaction to lisinopril, get emergency medical help immediately: breathing difficulty, severe stomach pain, inflammation on lips, tongue, throat or face.

Contact your doctor instantly if you have the below mentioned severe side effects of lisinopril:

• A light-headedness like you may pass out;
• Sore throat, fever;
• No or little urination;
• High potassium – unusual or slow heart rate, nausea, loss of movement, weakness;
• Difficult or painful urination, no or little urinating, inflammation in your ankles or feet, feeling tired or short of breath
• Problems in liver- pain in upper stomach, nausea, tiredness, nausea, dark urine, appetite loss, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin).

Common side effects of lisinopril may include:

• Dizziness, headache
• Chest pain is a side effect of lisinopril
• Cough.