Highlights for hydrochlorothiazide-lisinopril

  1. Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide oral tablet is available as a brand-name drug and a generic drug. Brand name: Zestoretic.
  2. Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide only comes as a tablet you take by mouth.
  3. Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide oral tablet is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).

FDA warning: Use during pregnancy

  • This drug has a black box warning. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A black box warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
  • You shouldn’t take this drug during pregnancy. This drug can harm or end your pregnancy. If you become pregnant, call your doctor and stop taking this drug right away.
Was this helpful?

Other warnings

  • Allergic reaction warning: This drug can cause allergic reactions. Some of these reactions can be severe. These include head and neck swelling, trouble breathing, and severe stomach pain.
  • Low blood pressure warning: This drug can cause very low blood pressure. Tell your doctor if you have signs of low blood pressure, such as dizziness or feeling like you might faint.
  • Liver failure warning: This drug can rarely cause a syndrome that starts as jaundice (yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes) and progresses to severe liver damage. If you develop jaundice or have tests that show that your liver enzymes have increased, your doctor will tell you to stop taking this drug.

Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription drug. It comes as an oral tablet.

Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide is available as the brand-name drug Zestoretic. It’s also available as a generic drug. Generic drugs usually cost less than the brand-name version. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name drug.

Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide is a combination of two drugs in a single form. It’s important to know about all the drugs in the combination because each drug may affect you in a different way.

Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide may be taken in combination with beta-blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics to treat high blood pressure. It’s usually given when one medication isn’t enough to control your blood pressure.

How it works

Lisinopril belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Hydrochlorothiazide belongs to a class of drugs called diuretics (water pills). A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.

It’s thought that hydrochlorothiazide works to remove excess salt and water from your body. This keeps your heart from working as hard to pump blood. This lowers your blood pressure.

Lisinopril relaxes the blood vessels in your body. This reduces stress on your heart and lowers your blood pressure.

Hydrochlorothiazide-lisinopril oral tablet doesn’t cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.

More common side effects

The more common side effects that can occur with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide include:

  • dizziness
  • headache
  • persistent cough
  • fatigue
  • low blood pressure, especially when you stand up after sitting or lying down

If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

  • Serious allergic reactions. Symptoms can include:
    • swelling of your head, neck, or lips
    • stomach pain
  • Low blood pressure. Symptoms can include:
    • dizziness
    • fainting
  • Liver failure. Symptoms can include:
    • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
    • increased liver enzymes (shown in a test your doctor will do)
    • fatigue
    • stomach pain
    • nausea and vomiting

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history.

Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.

To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs you’re taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else you’re taking, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide are listed below.

Barbiturates and narcotics

Taking certain barbiturates and narcotics with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide may increase your risk of low blood pressure when standing up after sitting or lying down. Examples of these drugs include:

  • phenobarbital
  • morphine
  • fentanyl
  • hydrocodone

Blood pressure drugs

Taking other drugs that reduce blood pressure with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide may cause your blood pressure to drop too low. This can cause dizziness, headache, or fatigue. Examples of these drugs include:

  • angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), such as:
    • losartan
    • valsartan
    • olmesartan
    • candesartan
  • angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, such as:
    • benazepril
    • captopril
    • enalapril
    • lisinopril
  • direct renin inhibitors, such as:
    • aliskiren. Don’t take aliskiren with this drug if you have diabetes or kidney problems.

In addition, lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide interacts with other blood pressure drugs that increase your potassium levels. Your doctor may check your potassium level with blood tests. Examples of these drugs include:

  • potassium-sparing diuretics, such as:
  • spironolactone
  • amiloride
  • triamterene

Cholesterol drugs

Taking lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide with certain drugs used to lower cholesterol levels can reduce the amount of lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide that your body absorbs. This means that it may not work as well to treat your blood pressure.

Examples of these drugs include:

  • cholestyramine
  • colestipol

Corticosteroids and adrenocorticotropic hormones

Taking these drugs with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide may cause low levels of electrolytes.

Diabetes drugs

Taking certain diabetes drugs with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide may affect your blood sugar levels. If you take lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide with one of these drugs, your doctor may change the dosage of that diabetes drug.

Examples of these drugs include:

  • metformin
  • glyburide
  • glipizide
  • insulin

Injectable gold

Taking lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide with injectable gold may cause flushing (reddening and warming of your face), stomach problems, low blood pressure, dizziness, and a fast heart rate.

Lithium

Taking lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide with lithium can cause lithium toxicity. This may cause confusion, increased urination, thirst, or an irregular heart rate.

Pain drugs

Taking certain pain drugs with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide may decrease your kidney function. This can cause swelling in your legs or problems with urination. Examples of these drugs include:

Sacubitril

You should not use lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide within 36 hours of using sacubitril. Sacubitril is used with valsartan to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Taking sacubitril with lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide raises your risk of angioedema (serious swelling).

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we can not guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking.

This drug comes with several warnings.

Allergy warning

This drug can cause a severe allergic reaction. Symptoms include:

  • trouble breathing
  • swelling of your throat or tongue
  • hives
  • severe stomach pain

If you develop these symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Don’t take this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it or any angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, or sulfonamide drugs. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).

Alcohol interaction warning

The use of drinks that contain alcohol can increase your risk of a side effect from lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide. This side effect is low blood pressure when you stand up after sitting or lying down, which can cause dizziness. If you drink alcohol, talk to your doctor.

Warnings for people with certain health conditions

For people with diabetes: This drug can affect your blood sugar levels. Your doctor may need to change your dosage of your diabetes medications.

For people with certain heart problems: This drug may lower your blood pressure too much if you have aortic stenosis or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

For people with poor kidney function: This drug can further reduce your kidney function. Talk to your doctor about whether this drug is safe for you.

For people with high potassium levels: This drug may increase your potassium levels more. This is often temporary, but may lead to serious heart rate problems.

For people with a cough: This drug may cause a persistent cough or make your cough worse. This cough usually goes away when you stop taking this drug.

Warnings for other groups

For pregnant women: During the first trimester, this drug is a category C pregnancy drug. That means two things:

  1. Research in humans has shown adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.
  2. This drug should only be used during pregnancy in serious cases where it’s needed to treat a dangerous condition in the mother.

Talk to your doctor if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Ask your doctor to tell you about the specific harm that may be done to your pregnancy. This drug should only be used if the potential risk is acceptable given the drug’s potential benefit.

If you become pregnant while taking this drug, call your doctor right away.

For women who are breastfeeding: This drug may pass into breast milk and may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. Talk to your doctor if you breastfeed your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.

For seniors: Older adults may process drugs more slowly. A typical adult dosage may cause levels of this drug to be higher than normal in your body. If you’re a senior, you may need a lower dosage or a different dosing schedule.

For children: This drug hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in children under the age of 18 years.

All possible dosages and forms may not be included here. Your dose, form, and how often you take it will depend on:

  • your age
  • the condition being treated
  • how severe your condition is
  • other medical conditions you have
  • how you react to the first dose

Drug forms and strengths

Generic: Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide

  • Form: oral tablet
  • Strengths:
    • 10 mg lisinopril/12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide
    • 20 mg lisinopril/12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide
    • 20 mg lisinopril/25 mg hydrochlorothiazide

Brand: Zestoretic

  • Form: oral tablet
  • Strengths:
    • 10 mg lisinopril/12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide
    • 20 mg lisinopril/12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide
    • 20 mg lisinopril/25 mg hydrochlorothiazide

Dosage for hypertension (high blood pressure)

Adult dosage (ages 18–64 years)

  • Typical starting dosage: 10–20 mg lisinopril/12.5 mg hydrochlorothiazide taken once per day.
  • Dosage increases: Your doctor will increase your dosage as needed. They may increase your dosage after 2–3 weeks of treatment.

Child dosage (ages 0–17 years)

This drug hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in children under the age of 18 years.

Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)

  • There are no specific recommendations for senior dosing. Older adults may process drugs more slowly. A typical adult dosage may cause levels of this drug to be higher than normal in your body. If you’re a senior, you may need a lower dosage or a different dosing schedule.
  • Your doctor may increase your dosage after 2–3 weeks of treatment.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you.

Hydrochlorothiazide-lisinopril oral tablet is used for long-term treatment. This drug comes with serious risks if you don’t take it as prescribed.

If you don’t take it at all: Your blood pressure may increase. This can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

If you stop taking it suddenly: Your blood pressure may increase.

If you don’t take it on schedule: You may still have high blood pressure. Or you may have more side effects because a consistent level of the drug isn’t in your body. This drug may stop working for you and you may need to use another blood pressure medication.

What to do if you miss a dose: If you forget to take your dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s just a few hours until the time for your next dose, then wait and only take one dose at that time.

Never try to catch up by taking two doses at once. This could result in dangerous side effects.

If you take too much: You may have some of the side effects of this drug. These include:

  • low blood pressure
  • dizziness
  • fainting

If you think you’ve taken too much of this drug, call your doctor or local poison control center. If your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

How to tell if the drug is working: Your doctor will check your blood pressure to tell if this drug is working for you. Your doctor may also ask you to check your blood pressure at home.

Keep these considerations in mind if your doctor prescribes hydrochlorothiazide-lisinopril for you.

General

  • This drug can be taken with or without food.
  • Take this drug at the same time each day.
  • Don’t crush or cut the tablet.

Storage

  • Store this drug at a temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C).
  • Keep this drug away from light.
  • Don’t store this medication in moist or damp areas, such as bathrooms.

Refills

A prescription for this medication is refillable. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.

Travel

When traveling with your medication:

  • Always carry your medication with you, such as in your carry-on bag.
  • Don’t worry about airport X-ray machines. They can’t harm your medication.
  • You may need to show airport staff the pharmacy label for your medication. Always carry the original prescription-labeled container with you.
  • Don’t put this medication in your car’s glove compartment or leave it in the car. Be sure to avoid doing this when the weather is very hot or very cold.

Self-management

You may need to check your blood pressure at home. You should keep a log with the date, time of day, and your blood pressure readings. Bring this diary with you to your doctor appointments.

To check your blood pressure, you may need to buy a blood pressure monitor. These are available at most pharmacies.

Clinical monitoring

While you’re being treated with this drug, your doctor may check your:

  • blood pressure
  • kidney function
  • electrolyte levels

Your diet

Your diet may affect how well your high blood pressure is controlled. Ask your doctor if you should make changes to your diet.

There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Some may be better suited for you than others. Talk to your doctor about other drug options that may work for you.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained here in is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.