What Are the Side Effects of Lotril?

Lotril or Lortrel is a prescription medication that contains a combination of amlodipine besylate and benazepril hydrochloride. Despite its effectiveness at treating hypertension, Lotrel poses a risk for side effects in some patients.

Types of Side Effects

• The most common side effects of Lotrel include coughing, headaches, dizziness and swelling of your lower extremities. These effects occur in between one and three percent of all users, according to FDA trials published on RxList.

Significance

• During the FDA trials, approximately 4 percent of users discontinued treatment with Lotrel due to its side effects. The most common reason for discontinuation was swelling.

Drug Interactions

• Because Lotrel often increases blood potassium levels, it should not be taken with potassium supplements or medications that contain potassium. Additionally, Lotrel increases the risk of harmful side effects from the psychiatric drug lithium.

Risks

• Some patients develop dangerous allergic reactions to Lotrel, causing swelling of the throat and intestines or anaphlactic shock. Lotrel also poses a slight risk for heart attacks, angina and dangerous decreases in white blood cells levels that make your body susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, according to RxList.

Considerations

• Lotrel has the potential to cause miscarriages and sudden death in newborns and is not prescribed during pregnancy. If you have a history of bee sting allergy, kidney dialysis, dehydration, diabetes, lupus or heart, liver or kidney disease, it may not be safe for you to take Lotrel due to its potential side effects, cautions the Mayo Clinic.