Side Effects of Enalapril

If you suffer from high blood pressure, you may find yourself on something called Vasotec, which is the brand name of the generic drug Enalapril. It is an ACE inhibitor used to treat people with such a condition. While most people will only experience the advantages of the medication, some may come into contact with one or more of its common side effects. Though the majority of these derivatives are rare, they should be noted and discussed with your doctor if you suffer from any of them.

Function

• Enalapril is a prescription drug often used to treat hypertension, otherwise know as high blood pressure. It is an ACE inhibitor, or an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, that essentially relaxes the blood vessels in the body. When this relaxation takes place, the blood vessels widen, allowing the patient's blood pressure to lower. While its main purpose is to lower a person's blood pressure, Enalapril also helps to preclude heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems in people suffering from hypertension. In some cases, it may also be given to individuals with congestive heart failure.

Features

• Enalapril, the generic name for the prescription drug Vasotec, is usually taken by mouth in a 40 milligram dose once a day, but may be less or more depending on your specific condition. For the best results, it is typically recommended to be taken regularly at the same time each day, be it in the morning, the afternoon or the evening, whichever works best for the individual. Though it should go without saying, you should always follow your doctor's direction in this course of treatment, no matter the prescription.

Effects

• While the benefits of taking Enalapril will usually outweigh any of the risks, there is the potential that a person on this medication could experience certain side effects, including dizziness, slight fatigue, nausea or upset stomach, cough and a change in his vision. If you were to encounter any of these signs or symptoms, you should contact your doctor, especially when any of these derivatives worsen or persist, but still maintain their use, as they are a prescription medication.

Warning

• Besides the more common side effects, a number of individuals have also experienced more severe derivatives from Enalapril. While rare, some people have complained of fevers, chills, fainting, a change in libido, abdominal pain and both persistent fatigue and nausea. Others have also suffered a fairly serious side effect involving the liver, which would most often be noted in a change in urine color from normal to dark. If any of these symptoms become evident, you should contact your primary physician immediately.

Considerations

• While not an actual side effect, some people do have an allergic reaction to Enalapril. Of course, this is a potential that lies in almost any drug prescribed to treat almost any condition. If you were to experience such a reaction, you would normally be subjected to a swelling of the face or tongue, tightness in the throat, trouble breathing, a rash or an overwhelming sensation of dizziness.