Highlights for amlodipine-benazepril

  1. Amlodipine/benazepril oral capsule is available as a brand-name drug and a generic drug. Brand name: Lotrel.
  2. Amlodipine/benazepril comes only as a capsule you take by mouth.
  3. Amlodipine/benazepril oral capsule is used to treat high blood pressure. It’s given when other drugs by themselves haven’t worked to lower your 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. It can harm or even end your pregnancy. If you become pregnant, you should stop taking this drug right away.

Other warnings

  • Allergic reaction warning: This drug can cause a serious allergic reaction. This can be fatal. Allergic reactions usually happen after one of your first doses, but they sometimes don’t occur until you’ve been taking this drug for months. These allergic reactions are rare, but happen more often in African Americans.
  • Low blood pressure warning: This drug may cause low blood pressure. Your risk may be higher if you:
    • take water pills
    • eat a low-salt diet
    • are on dialysis
    • have heart problems
    • get sick with vomiting or diarrhea
  • Heart attack warning: Rarely, this drug can increase your risk of severe chest pain that happens often and lasts for a long time. This may raise your risk of having a heart attack. Your risk may be higher if you have severe heart disease.

Amlodipine/benazepril is a prescription drug. It comes as an oral capsule.

Amlodipine/benazepril is available as the brand-name drug Lotrel. 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.

This drug is a combination of two drugs in a single form: amlodipine and benazepril. It’s important to know about all the drugs in the combination because each drug may affect you in a different way.

This drug may be used as part of a combination therapy. That means you need to take it with other drugs.

Why it’s used

This medication contains two drugs in a single form that work together to lower your blood pressure. This drug is given only after other drugs haven’t worked.

How it works

Amlodipine belongs to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers (CCBs). Benazepril belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions.

Blood pressure is the force of blood in your blood vessels. High blood pressure occurs when the force is too high. This drug can help your blood vessels relax. This lowers your blood pressure.

This drug doesn’t cause drowsiness, but it can cause other side effects.

More common side effects

The more common side effects that occur with amlodipine/benazepril include:

  • cough
  • dizziness
  • headache
  • swelling of your feet, ankles, and hands

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 reaction. Symptoms can include:
    • swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat
    • trouble swallowing
    • wheezing or other breathing problems
  • Low blood pressure (hypotension). Symptoms can include:
    • feeling faint or dizzy, especially when you stand up
    • tiredness
    • lightheadedness
  • Liver problems. Symptoms can include:
    • nausea
    • tiredness
    • weakness
    • itching
    • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
    • pain in your upper right abdomen
    • flu-like symptoms, such as:
      • fever
      • cough
      • sore throat
      • runny or stuffy nose
      • body aches
      • chills
  • Kidney problems. Symptoms can include:
    • tiredness
    • swelling, especially of your hands, feet, or ankles
    • shortness of breath
  • Chest pain and heart attack

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot 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.

Amlodipine/benazepril oral capsule 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 amlodipine/benazepril are listed below.

Sacubitril

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

Potassium supplements and potassium-sparing diuretics

Taking these drugs with amlodipine/benazepril can increase the amount of potassium in your body. Examples of these drugs include:

  • spironolactone
  • eplerenone
  • amiloride
  • triamterene

Mood stabilizers

Taking these drugs with amlodipine/benazepril can increase the levels of these medications in your body. This means that you may have more side effects. Examples of these drugs include:

  • lithium

Cholesterol medications

Taking these drugs with amlodipine/benazepril can increase the levels of these medications in your body. This means that you may have more side effects. Examples of these drugs include:

  • simvastatin

Diabetes medications

Taking certain diabetes medications with amlodipine/benazepril may result in low blood sugar levels. Examples of these drugs include:

  • insulin
  • metformin
  • glimepiride
  • pioglitazone
  • sitagliptin

Gold

Taking amlodipine/benazepril with injectable gold may result in flushing, nausea, vomiting, and low blood pressure.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors

Taking mTOR inhibitors with amlodipine/benazepril may result in a serious reaction that causes swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat. Examples of these drugs include:

  • temsirolimus
  • sirolimus
  • everolimus

Pain medications

Taking certain pain medications with amlodipine/benazepril can decrease your kidney function. Examples of these drugs include:

  • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as:
    • ibuprofen
    • naproxen
    • indomethacin
  • COX-2 inhibitors, such as:
    • celecoxib

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot 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

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. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).

Warnings for people with certain health conditions

For people with liver problems: This drug is broken down by your liver. If you have liver problems, more of this drug may stay in your body. This puts you at risk for more side effects. If you have severe liver problems, you may need a lower dosage or a different dosing schedule.

For people with kidney problems: If you have kidney disease, taking this drug may make your kidney problems worse. Benazepril can cause minor kidney damage. If you already have severe kidney damage, you shouldn’t take this drug.

For people with heart problems or chest pain: Rarely, this drug can cause you to have severe chest pain that happens more often or for a longer period of time. Your risk may be higher if you have severe heart disease. This drug may also increase your risk of having a heart attack. If you have heart failure, you may be at a higher risk of kidney failure if you take this medication.

Warnings for other groups

For pregnant women: This drug is a category D pregnancy drug. That means two things:

  1. Studies show a risk of adverse effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug.
  2. The benefits of taking the drug during pregnancy may outweigh the potential risks in certain cases.

Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you get pregnant while taking this drug, stop taking it right away and call your doctor. If it’s taken during pregnancy, this drug can harm or end your pregnancy. This drug should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.

For women who are breastfeeding: This drug passes 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 this drug more slowly. A normal adult dosage may cause levels of the drug to be higher than normal in your body. If you’re a senior, you may need a lower dosage or a different dosage schedule.

For children: This drug hasn’t been studied in children and shouldn’t be used in children younger than 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: Amlodipine/benazepril

  • Form: oral capsule
  • Strengths:
    • 2.5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril
    • 5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril
    • 5 mg amlodipine/20 mg benazepril
    • 5 mg amlodipine/40 mg benazepril
    • 10 mg amlodipine/20 mg benazepril
    • 10 mg amlodipine/40 mg benazepril

Brand: Lotrel

  • Form: oral capsule
  • Strengths:
    • 2.5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril
    • 5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril
    • 5 mg amlodipine/20 mg benazepril
    • 5 mg amlodipine/40 mg benazepril
    • 10 mg amlodipine/20 mg benazepril
    • 10 mg amlodipine/40 mg benazepril

Dosage for high blood pressure

Adult dosage (ages 18 to 64 years)

  • Typical dosage: This ranges from 2.5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril to 10 mg amlodipine/40 mg benazepril.
  • Dosage increases: Your doctor may change your dosage after 7 to 14 days based on your blood pressure goals.

Child dosage (ages 0 to 17 years)

This medication hasn’t been studied in children. It shouldn’t be used in children younger than 18 years.

Senior dosage (ages 65 years and older)

  • Typical starting dosage: 2.5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril.

Special dosage considerations

For people with liver problems: Amlodipine/benazepril is processed by your liver. If your liver isn’t working well, more of the drug may stay in your body longer, putting you at risk for side effects. If you have severe liver problems, your doctor will likely start you on 2.5 mg amlodipine/10 mg benazepril.

For people with kidney problems: Your dosage of amlodipine/benazepril doesn’t need to be adjusted if you have mild or moderate kidney disease. If you have severe kidney disease, you shouldn’t use this drug.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot 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.

Amlodipine/benazepril oral capsule is used for long-term treatment. It comes with serious risks if you don’t take it as prescribed.

What to do if you miss a dose: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s been more than 12 hours since you missed a dose, skip the missed dose and just take your next dose at the regular time.

If you skip or miss doses: If you skip or miss doses, your blood pressure may get worse. This could lead to serious problems, such as stroke or heart attack.

If you take too much: You have a higher risk of having side effects caused by this drug. You may also have the following symptoms:

  • trouble breathing
  • very low blood pressure
  • fast heartbeats

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: You’ll know whether this drug is working when you check your blood pressure at home. If your blood pressure is at or below the goal your doctor set for you, the medication is working.

Keep these considerations in mind if your doctor prescribes amlodipine/benazepril for you.

General

  • You can cut or crush the capsule.

Storage

  • Store this drug at room temperature between 59°F and 86°F (15°C and 30°C).
  • Don’t freeze this drug.
  • 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. When flying, never put it into a checked bag. Keep it 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.

Clinical monitoring

During your treatment with this drug, your doctor may check your:

  • blood pressure: You and your doctor should monitor your blood pressure to make sure this drug is working for you.

Your doctor may do these blood tests to decide if this drug is safe for you to start and if you need a lower dosage:

  • liver function test
  • kidney function and blood urea nitrogen tests to check how well your kidneys are working
  • blood potassium test

Availability

Not every pharmacy stocks this drug. When filling your prescription, be sure to call ahead to make sure your pharmacy carries it.

Prior authorization

Many insurance companies require a prior authorization for this drug. This means your doctor will need to get approval from your insurance company before your insurance company will pay for the prescription.

There are other drugs available to treat your condition. Some may be more suitable for you than others. Talk to your doctor about possible alternatives.

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 herein 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.