Vasotec vs. Lotensin

• Are Vasotec and Lotensin the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Vasotec?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Lotensin?
• What Is Vasotec?
• What Is Lotensin?
• What Drugs Interact with Vasotec?
• What Drugs Interact with Lotensin?
• How Should Vasotec Be Taken?
• How Should Lotensin Be Taken?

Vasotec (enalapril maleate) and Lotensin (benazepril hydrochloride) are ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

Vasotec is also used to treat congestive heart failure, kidney problems caused by diabetes, and to improve survival after a heart attack.

Side effects of Vasotec and Lotensin that are similar include dizziness and lightheadedness.

Side effects of Vasotec that are different from Lotensin include weakness as your body adjusts to the medication.

Side effects of Lotensin that are different from Vasotec include cough, headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, drowsiness, tired feeling, anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia), flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling), itching, or skin rash.

Both Vasotec and Lotensin may interact with alcohol, gold injections to treat arthritis, lithium, potassium supplements, salt substitutes that contain potassium, or diuretics (water pills).

Vasotec may also interact with aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Lotensin may also interact with other blood pressure medications and insulin or oral diabetes medications.

Common side effects of Vasotec include:

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

Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Vasotec including:

• dry cough,
• loss of taste sensation,
• loss of appetite,
• drowsiness,
• headache,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• dry mouth,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea, or
• skin itching or rash.
• fainting,
• symptoms of a high potassium blood level (such as muscle weakness, slow/irregular heartbeat, weak pulse, tingly feeling),
• signs of infection (such as fever, chills, persistent sore throat, body aches, flu symptoms),
• changes in the amount of urine,
• swelling, rapid weight gain,
• confusion, increased thirst, loss of appetite, vomiting, pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest,
• pale skin, easy bruising or bleeding,
• fast or uneven heartbeats,
• chest pain, or
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).

Common side effects of Lotensin include:

• dizziness,
• cough,
• headache,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• constipation,
• drowsiness,
• dizziness,
• lightheadedness,
• tired feeling,
• anxiety,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling),
• itching, or
• skin rash.

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

• fainting,
• changes in urine output,
• blistering red skin rash,
• unusual tiredness,
• easy bruising or bleeding,
• serious flu-like symptoms,
• swelling or rapid weight gain,
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms,
• pale or yellowed skin,
• dark colored urine,
• confusion or weakness,
• purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin,
• yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice),
• high potassium (slow heart rate, weak pulse, muscle weakness, tingly feeling), or
• severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads [especially in the face or upper body] and causes blistering and peeling).

Vasotec (enalapril maleate) is an ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), congestive heart failure, kidney problems caused by diabetes, and to improve survival after a heart attack.

Lotensin (benazepril hydrochloride) is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used to treat patients with high blood pressure (hypertension).

Vasotec may interact with gold injections to treat arthritis, lithium, potassium supplements, salt substitutes that contain potassium, aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), or diuretics (water pills). Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Vasotec is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm a fetus. This medication passes into breast milk but is unlikely to harm a nursing infant. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Lotensin may interact with salt substitutes or potassium supplements, other blood pressure medications, gold injections, insulin or oral diabetes medications, lithium, or diuretics (water pills). Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Lotensin should not be used in pregnant females as it may damage the fetus. The drug has been found in breast milk so use in breastfeeding women must be weighed against the possible harm to the infant. Lotensin is not recommended for children under 6 years old. However, doses of Lotensin between 0.1 and 0.6 mg/kg once daily have been studied, and doses greater than 0.1 mg/kg were shown to reduce blood pressure. Consequently, the recommended starting dose of Lotensin in children 6 years and older is 0.2 mg/kg once per day as monotherapy. Doses above 0.6 mg/kg have not been studied in children 6 years and older.

Dose of Vasotec varies depending on the condition being treated.

Lotensin is supplied as tablets containing strengths of 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg of benazepril hydrochloride for oral administration. The usual starting dose is 10 mg per day.