Benazepril and Hydrochlorothiazide

Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure.

This medication is a single product containing 2 medications: benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide. Benazepril belongs to a group of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Benazepril works by blocking the ACE enzyme, which helps blood vessels to relax and lowers blood pressure. Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a group of drugs called thiazide diuretics, which work by stopping reabsorption of salt into your body. This prevents fluid from building up in the body.

This medication comes in tablet form. It is taken once daily, with or without food.

Common side effects include dizziness, tiredness (fatigue), and headache. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide affects you. 

Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Benazepril and Hydrochlorothiazide may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Lotensin HCT

Serious side effects have been reported with benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide. See the "Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide Precautions" section. 

Common side effects of benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide include the following:

• dizziness
• tiredness (fatigue)
• headache
• cough
• an abnormal increase in muscle tension and a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch (hypertonia)
• feeling like your surroundings are spinning or moving (vertigo)
• nausea
• difficulty in getting or maintaing an erection (impotence)
• sleepiness (somnolence)

This is not a complete list of benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. 

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you are taking:

• other medicines that lower blood pressure such as guanethidine (Ismelin), methyldopa (Aldomet), beta-blockers like bisoprolol (Zebeta) , vasodilators like hydralazine (Apresoline), calcium channel blockers like amlodipine (Novasc), angiotensin-­converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors like enalapril (Vasotec, Vaseretic), angiotensin receptor II blockers (ARBs) like valsartan (Diovan) and direct renin inhibitors (DRIs) like aliskiren (Tekturna)

This is not a complete list of benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Serious side effects have been reported with benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide or its ingredients including the following:

• Allergic reactions. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • swelling of the face, limbs, lips, tongue, throat
  • difficulty breathing
  • stomach (abdominal) pain (intestinal angioedema) with or without nausea or vomiting
• Low blood pressure.
• Lowered white blood cell count (neutropenia/agranulocytosis) increasing the risk of infections
• Harm to an unborn baby (fetal toxicity). Do not take benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide if you are pregnant or will become pregnant.
• Liver damage
• An autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue (systemic lupus erythematosus)
• A condition in which close objects appear clearly, but far ones don't (myopia) or a buildup of pressure in the eye that can cause blindness (glaucoma). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience ​visual changes or eye pain.
• Imbalances in the levels of salts and fluids in your body (electrolyte and fluid imbalance). Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms:
  • dry mouth
  • thirst
  • weakness
  • drowsiness
  • restlessness
  • muscle pains or cramps
  • low blood pressure
  • low output of urine
  • fast heart rate
  • nausea
  • vomiting

Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide can cause drowsiness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how this medication affects you.

Do not take benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide if you:

• are allergic to benazepril, to any other ACE inhibitor, to hydrochlorothiazide, or to other sulfonamide-derived drugs
• kidneys are unable to produce urine (anuric)
• history of a type of swelling that affects deeper layers in your skin, often around your eyes and lips (angioedema)
• are diabetic and also using aliskiren (Tekturna)

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide, salt substitutes containing potassium should be avoided.

Before taking benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if:

• are allergic to benazepril, to any other ACE inhibitor, to hydrochlorothiazide, or to other sulfonamide-derived drugs
• kidneys are unable to produce urine (anuric)
• history of a type of swelling that affects deeper layers in your skin, often around your eyes and lips (angioedema)
• you have diabetes or low blood sugar, especially if you are also using aliskiren (Tekturna)
• you are about to have major surgery
• you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell you doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide falls into category D. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide as soon as possible. Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the unborn baby.

Tell your doctor is you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. 

Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide have both been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered. 

• Take benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide exactly as prescribed. 
• Benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide comes in a tablet form and is taken by mouth once daily with or without food. 

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• your blood pressure
• previous medications used and the doses tried
• how you respond to this medication

The usual recommended starting dose of benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide to treat high blood pressure is 10/12.5 mg once daily.The maximum recommended dose is 20mg/25mg.

If you take too much benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away. 

• Do not store above 30ºC (86ºF). 
• Protect from moisture and light. 
• Dispense in tight, light-resistant container.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children. 

WARNING: FETAL TOXICITY

When pregnancy is detected, discontinue benazepril and hydrochlorothiazide as soon as possible.

Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus. See Warnings: Fetal Toxicity