Lotensin (Benazepril) for High Blood Pressure

Lotensin (benazepril) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hypertension (high blood pressure) in adults and children ages 6 and older.

How Lotensin Works and How It’s Taken

Lotensin is a type of medication called an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It works by blocking an enzyme that helps the body make angiotensin II, a substance that tightens blood vessels. Lotensin also lowers the release of aldosterone, a hormone that helps control salt and water balance.

These effects help lower blood pressure.

Doctors prescribe Lotensin when a person has high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

Lotensin comes as a tablet taken by mouth.

Typical Dosing for High Blood Pressure

Adults

The recommended doses for adults include:

Starting dose without a diuretic (water pill) — 10 milligrams once daily.
Starting dose with a diuretic — 5 milligrams once daily.
Maintenance dose — 20 to 40 milligrams per day, taken once daily or in two equally divided doses.

A doctor may adjust the dose based on how well Lotensin controls blood pressure.

Children Ages 6 and Older

The recommended doses for children include:

Starting dose — 0.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight once daily.
Dose increases — A doctor may increase the dose as needed, up to 0.6 milligrams per kilogram once daily.

Doses above 0.6 milligrams per kilogram or 40 milligrams daily have not been studied in children. Lotensin is not recommended for children younger than 6 or for children with severely reduced kidney function.

Adults With Severe Kidney Problems

For adults with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) below 30 milliliters per minute per 1.73 square meters, the recommended starting dose is 5 milligrams once daily. GFR measures how well the kidneys filter blood.

A doctor may increase the dose based on blood pressure response, up to a maximum of 40 milligrams daily.

This information is based on prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Lotensin Side Effects

In clinical studies of Lotensin, the most common side effects occurred in about 2 percent to 6 percent of people. These included:

Headache
Dizziness
Somnolence (sleepiness or unusual drowsiness)
Postural dizziness (dizziness when standing up)

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Lotensin can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Fetal harm — Lotensin can injure or cause death to a developing fetus if taken during pregnancy.
Angioedema — Sudden swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, or airway can make it hard to breathe.
Anaphylactoid reactions — These severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening.
Kidney problems — Kidney function can worsen.
Hyperkalemia (high potassium levels) — High potassium can affect heart rhythm.
Hepatic toxicity (liver problems) — This may cause serious liver damage, including liver failure.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

If you experience serious side effects, you can report them to the FDA online or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088. You can also contact the drug's manufacturer.

What To Know Before Taking Lotensin

Before taking Lotensin, tell your doctor if you have ever had an allergic reaction to benazepril or any other ACE inhibitor.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Be sure to mention medicines you take for blood pressure, diabetes, or pain.

Do not take Lotensin if you:

Are allergic to benazepril or any other ACE inhibitor.
Have ever had angioedema, a condition that causes sudden swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Are taking a neprilysin inhibitor, such as sacubitril. Do not take Lotensin within 36 hours of switching to or from sacubitril/valsartan.
Have diabetes and are taking aliskiren, a medicine used to lower blood pressure.

Lotensin can seriously harm or cause death to a developing fetus. If you become pregnant while taking Lotensin, tell your doctor right away. Lotensin should be stopped as soon as pregnancy is detected.

If you are breastfeeding, talk with your doctor. Small amounts of benazepril and its active form, benazeprilat, can pass into breast milk.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Lotensin for high blood pressure?

In studies of adults with high blood pressure, Lotensin started lowering blood pressure within one hour after a dose. The greatest drop occurred between two and four hours after taking the medication.

In studies of people taking Lotensin once daily at doses of 20 to 80 milligrams, blood pressure measured 24 hours after a dose was lowered by about:

6 to 12 millimeters of mercury for systolic blood pressure (the top number)
4 to 7 millimeters of mercury for diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number)

Lowering blood pressure helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Results can vary from person to person, and some people may need more than one medication to control their blood pressure.

How long does Lotensin take to work for high blood pressure?

Lotensin starts lowering blood pressure within one hour after a dose. The greatest reduction occurs between two and four hours after taking the medication. The blood-pressure-lowering effect of a single dose lasts for 24 hours.

Does Lotensin interact with other medicines?

Yes. Lotensin can interact with certain medicines, including:

Diuretics (water pills) — These may cause blood pressure to drop too low. Some diuretics can also increase potassium levels in the blood.
Diabetes medicines — Insulin and certain diabetes pills may increase the risk of low blood sugar when taken with Lotensin.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — Pain relievers such as ibuprofen and naproxen may reduce how well Lotensin lowers blood pressure and increase the risk of kidney problems.
Other blood pressure medicines — Certain medicines that affect the same body system as Lotensin may increase the risk of low blood pressure, high potassium levels, and kidney problems.
Lithium — Lotensin may increase the risk of lithium toxicity, which means harmful levels of lithium in the body.
Neprilysin inhibitors — Medicines containing sacubitril may increase the risk of angioedema, a serious condition that causes swelling.

Lotensin may also interact with certain medicines that affect the immune system and injectable gold treatments.

Do not take Lotensin with aliskiren if you have diabetes. Lotensin must not be taken with a neprilysin inhibitor, such as sacubitril. Do not take Lotensin within 36 hours of switching to or from sacubitril/valsartan.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take before starting Lotensin, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines.