Exforge vs. Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril

• Are Exforge and Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Exforge?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril?
• What Is Exforge?
• What Is Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril?
• What Drugs Interact with Exforge?
• What Drugs Interact with Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril?
• How Should Exforge Be Taken?
• How Should Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril Be Taken?

Exforge (amlodipine and valsartan) and Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril (lisinopril) are used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Exforge is usually given after other drugs have been tried without successful treatment of hypertension.

Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril are also used to treat heart failure and as supportive treatment in patients that suffer a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Exforge is a combination of a calcium channel blocker and an angiotensin II receptor antagonist and Prinivil and Zestril are angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

Side effects of Exforge and Prinivil and Zestril that are similar include dizziness.

Side effects of Exforge that are different from Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril include spinning sensation, lightheadedness, flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling), and cold symptoms (such as runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and sore throat).

Side effects of Prinivil and Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril that are different from Exforge include cough, headache, depressed mood, drowsiness, nausea, upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and mild itching or skin rash.

Both Exforge and Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril may interact with alcohol, potassium supplements or salt substitutes, other blood pressure medications, lithium, diuretics (water pills), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Exforge may also interact with heart medications, vitamin or mineral supplements that contain potassium "statins" or other cholesterol medications, cyclosporine, ritonavir, antibiotics, and antifungals.

Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril may also interact with gold injections and oral insulin or diabetes medications.

Common side effects of Exforge include:

• dizziness,
• spinning sensation, or lightheadedness as your body adjusts to the medication.

Other side effects of Exforge include flushing, and cold symptoms such as runny/stuffy nose, sneezing, and sore throat.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Exforge including:

• swelling hands/ankles/feet,
• fainting,
• fast heartbeat,
• unusual change in the amount of urine,
• symptoms of a high potassium blood level (such as muscle weakness, slow/irregular heartbeat), or
• signs of infection (such as fever, chills, persistent sore throat).

Common side effects of Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril include:

• Cough,
• Headache,
• Dizziness,
• Depressed mood,
• Drowsiness,
• Nausea,
• Upset stomach,
• Vomiting,
• Diarrhea, and
• Mild itching or skin rash.

Exforge (amlodipine and valsartan) is a combination of a calcium channel blocker and an angiotensin II receptor antagonist used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Exforge is usually given after other drugs have been tried without successful treatment of hypertension.

Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril (lisinopril) long-acting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used to treat hypertension, heart failure, and supportive treatment in patients that suffer a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Exforge may interact with heart medication, potassium supplements or salt substitutes, diuretics (water pills), or other medications that lower blood pressure. Tell your doctor all medications you are taking. Exforge is not recommended for use during pregnancy due to the risk for harm to a fetus. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril may interact with other blood pressure medications.

These medications may also interact with gold injections, lithium, potassium supplements, salt substitutes that contain potassium, oral insulin or diabetes medications, aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), or diuretics (water pills).

Exforge (ziprasidone HCl) is available as capsules and Exforge (ziprasidone mesylate) is available as an injection for intramuscular use.

Exforge Capsules should be administered at an initial daily dose of 20 mg twice daily with food. For intramuscular dosing, the recommended dose of Exforge is 10 mg to 20 mg administered as required up to a maximum dose of 40 mg per day.

Prinivil, Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril are available in doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg tablets for oral use. Hypertensive patients usually start with 10 mg once a day and are often increased to 20 mg. Patients with renal failure or are on diuretics start at lower doses such as 2.5 to 5 mg.

Heart attack and heart failure patients also start out with low doses of 5 mg one per day.

Prinivil Qbrelis, Zestoretic, and Zestril are not recommended for use in children <6 years old or those that have a glomerular filtration rate <30 mL per min; pediatric doses are determined by weight.