Brand Names: Epaned, Vasotec
Generic Name: Enalapril
Vasotec is a medication taken by people to treat hypertension, as its use helps them prevent serious heart problems and kidney conditions.
This medication belongs to a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors, and it works by relaxing the blood vessels to let blood flow easier. Sometimes, Vasotec is used to protect kidneys from possible harm caused by diabetes.
This medicine should be taken orally, both with and without food, usually 1-2 times a day. The right dosage is always prescribed to patients according to their health condition and personal response.
When it comes to kids, their regular doses are measured in accordance with their body weight. Basically, most patients who have hypertension usually don’t feel sick, and it may take a few weeks for them to experience the benefits offered by Vasotec.
This medication may result in developing specific adverse effects, such as:
That’s because people’s body needs to adjust to the intake of Vasotec. The great news is that most of them don’t notice any negative symptoms when undergoing this treatment.
However, if you notice the following serious side effects, you need to call your doctor at once:
Before you start taking Vasotec, make sure that your doctors know everything about other medical problems that you have.
For example, they need to know whether you have possible allergic reactions, angioedema, collagen vascular disease, high potassium blood levels, special blood filtering procedures and so on.
The intake of Vasotec can make you feel dizzy, so it’s not recommended to drive or do other things that require your attention. Another important precaution is that you need to limit all kinds of alcoholic beverages.
If you want to decrease the risk of having lightheadedness and dizziness, ensure that you get up slowly from lying or sitting positions. Drink enough water to prevent unwanted dehydration when undergoing this treatment.
Vasotec is also responsible for increasing blood potassium levels, especially in older patients. This medication is forbidden for pregnant women, and nursing mothers should be very careful with its intake.
They all should be avoided because of possible health risks, including side effects and reduced effectiveness. Some of the most common pharmaceutical products that interact with Vasotec include certain birth control pills, lithium, pills that increase potassium blood levels, aliskiren and others.
You need to check the labels of any medicine before you start using it to ensure that it doesn’t contain any components that result in drug interactions and health complications.