Lotensin Side Effects

Serious Adverse Side Effects

Lotensin | Benazepril has many serious adverse side effects associated with it, such as:

Dermatological side effects such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a life-threatening skin disorder resulting from an allergic reaction
Gastrointestinal side effects such as intestinal swelling
Hematological side effects such as agranulocytosis and neutropenia, two conditions where there’s a lack of white blood cells
Hepatic side effects such as acute liver failure, increased liver enzymes and jaundice
Immunological side effects such as anaphylaxis, a deadly allergic reaction
Renal side effects such as kidney impairment
Other side effects such as swelling of the neck and head

Common Adverse Side Effects

More common and less severe adverse side effects associated with Lotensin | Benazepril are:

Neurological side effects such as dizziness and headache
Respiratory side effects such as cough
Other side effects such as fatigue

Warnings & Recalls for Lotensin

Black Box Warning

Lotensin | Benazepril has a “black box” warning associated with it whenever a female patient who has been prescribed the drug has become pregnant. Discontinue Lotensin | Benazepril as soon as possible whenever pregnancy is detected as this drug leads to possible injury or death to the fetus.

Contraindications

The following contraindications hinder a patient’s ability to take Lotensin | Benazepril:

Hypersensitivity to benazepril, other ACE inhibitors or any other component of the drug
History of angioedema

Who Should Not Take This Drug

African-American patients are at an increased risk of angioedema
Patients who have renal insufficiency
Pediatric patients
Patients who have just undergone surgery

Lotensin Treatment and Use

Lotensin | Benazepril is a drug that’s used either alone or in combination with other drugs to treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. The classification of this drug is that of an angiotensin-converting enzyme or ACE inhibitor. This drug is manufactured and marketed by the pharmaceutical company Novartis.

Lotensin | Benazepril has non-FDA labeled indications for treating diabetic neuropathy, congestive heart failure, kidney disease and left ventricular hypertrophy.

Look to the “warning and recalls” tab to get further information of Lotensin | Benazepril and its “black box” warning.

How This Drug Works

The mechanism of action for Lotensin | Benazepril is that it is cleaved to a form of the drug benazeprilat, a more potent non-sulfhydryl ACE inhibitor. Benazeprilat competes with angiotensin I for the binding of ACE inhibition, which in turn blocks the conversion of angiotensin I and II. This inhibition results in lowering blood pressure rates and causes the blood flow to flow more smoothly.

Dosage Information

Lotensin | Benazepril comes available as an oral tablet in dosages of 5, 10, 20 and 40mg.