Enalapril

Drug

Enalapril

Pronounced

"en-AL-a-pril"

Drug Interactions

See also Precautions section.

Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects. This document does not contain all possible drug interactions. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription/nonprescription drugs and herbal products) and share it with your doctor and pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicines without your doctor's approval.

Some products that may interact with this drug include: aliskiren, certain drugs that weaken the immune system/increase the risk of infection (such as everolimus, sirolimus), lithium, drugs that may increase the level of potassium in the blood (such as ARBs including losartan/valsartan, birth control pills containing drospirenone), sacubitril.

Some products have ingredients that could raise your blood pressure or worsen your heart failure. Tell your pharmacist what products you are using, and ask how to use them safely (especially cough-and-cold products, diet aids, or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen/naproxen).

A very serious reaction may occur if you are getting injections for bee/wasp sting allergy (desensitization) and are also taking enalapril. Make sure all your doctors know you use this drug.

  • Negative Interactions

    2
    • Enalapril

      Potassium

      Potential Negative Interaction

      An uncommon yet potentially serious side effect of taking ACE inhibitors is increased blood potassium levels. This problem is more likely to occur in people with advanced kidney disease. Taking potassium supplements, potassium-containing salt substitutes (No Salt, Morton Salt Substitute, and others), or large amounts of high-potassium foods at the same time as ACE inhibitors could cause life-threatening problems. Therefore, people should consult their healthcare practitioner before supplementing additional potassium and should have their blood levels of potassium checked periodically while taking ACE inhibitors.

      Potassium
      Enalapril
      ×
      1. Good CB, McDermott L, McCloskey B. Diet and serum potassium in patients on ACE inhibitors. JAMA 1995;274:538.
      2. Rush JE, Merrill DD. The Safety and tolerability of lisinopril in clinical trials. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1987;9(Suppl 3):S99-107.
      3. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians' Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1965-8.
      4. Burnakis TG, Mioduch HJ. Combined therapy with captopril and potassium supplementation. A potential for hyperkalemia. Arch Intern Med 1984;144:2371-2.
      5. Burnakis TG. Captopril and increased serum potassium levels. JAMA 1984;252:1682-3 [letter].
      6. Ray K, Dorman S, Watson R. Severe hyperkalemia due to the concomitant use of salt substitutes and ACE inhibitors in hypertension: a potentially life threatening interaction. J Hum Hypertens 1999;13:717-20.
      7. Stoltz ML. Severe hyperkalemia during very-low-calorie diets and angiotensin converting enzyme use. JAMA 1990;264:2737-8 [letter].
    • Enalapril

      Salt Substitutes

      Potential Negative Interaction

      An uncommon yet potentially serious side effect of taking ACE inhibitors is increased blood potassium levels. This problem is more likely to occur in people with advanced kidney disease. Taking potassium supplements, potassium-containing salt substitutes (No Salt, Morton Salt Substitute, and others), or large amounts of high-potassium foods (such as bananas and other fruit) at the same time as taking ACE inhibitors could cause life-threatening problems. Therefore, people should consult their healthcare practitioner before supplementing additional potassium and should have their blood levels of potassium checked periodically while taking ACE inhibitors.

      Salt Substitutes
      Enalapril
      ×
      1. Good CB, McDermott L, McCloskey B. Diet and serum potassium in patients on ACE inhibitors. JAMA 1995;274:538.
      2. Rush JE, Merrill DD. The Safety and tolerability of lisinopril in clinical trials. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1987;9(Suppl 3):S99-107.
      3. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians' Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1965-8.
      4. Burnakis TG, Mioduch HJ. Combined therapy with captopril and potassium supplementation. A potential for hyperkalemia. Arch Intern Med 1984;144:2371-2.
      5. Burnakis TG. Captopril and increased serum potassium levels. JAMA 1984;252:1682-3 [letter].
      6. Ray K, Dorman S, Watson R. Severe hyperkalemia due to the concomitant use of salt substitutes and ACE inhibitors in hypertension: a potentially life threatening interaction. J Hum Hypertens 1999;13:717-20.
      7. Stoltz ML. Severe hyperkalemia during very-low-calorie diets and angiotensin converting enzyme use. JAMA 1990;264:2737-8 [letter].
  • Supportive Interactions

    2
    • Enalapril

      Zinc

      Replenish Depleted Nutrients

      In a study of 34 people with hypertension, six months of captopril or enalapril treatment led to decreased zinc levels in certain white blood cells.

      It makes sense for people taking enalapril long term to consider, as a precaution, taking a zinc supplement or a multimineral tablet containing zinc. (Such multiminerals usually contain no more than 99 mg of potassium, probably not enough to trigger the above-mentioned interaction.) Supplements containing zinc should also contain copper, to protect against a zinc-induced copper deficiency.

      Zinc
      Enalapril
      ×
      1. Golik A, Zaidenstein R, Dishi V, et al. Effects of captopril and enalapril on zinc metabolism in hypertensive patients. J Am Coll Nutr 1998;17:75-8.
    • Enalapril

      Iron

      Reduce Side Effects

      In a double-blind study of patients who had developed a cough attributed to an ACE inhibitor, supplementation with iron (in the form of 256 mg of ferrous sulfate per day) for four weeks reduced the severity of the cough by a statistically significant 45%, compared with a nonsignificant 8% improvement in the placebo group.

      Iron
      Enalapril
      ×
      1. Lee SC, Park SW, Kim DK, et al. Iron supplementation inhibits cough associated with ACE inhibitors. Hypertension 2001;38:166-70.

Copyright © 2024 TraceGains, Inc. All rights reserved.

RxAnswers™ is a copyrighted combined product from TraceGains and First DataBank, Inc.

Drug information is selected from data included with permission and copyrighted by First DataBank, Inc. This is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product. For complete information about this product or your specific health needs, ask your healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your healthcare professional if you have any questions about this product or your medical condition. This information is not intended as individual medical advice and does not substitute for the knowledge and judgment of your healthcare professional. This information does not contain any assurances that this product is safe, effective or appropriate for you.

This information is intended only for residents of the United States. Products sold under the same brand names in other countries may contain different ingredients.

Learn more about First DataBank

There are some limitations on the information provided in “Nutrient Interactions.” Do NOT rely solely on the information in this article. Please read the disclaimer

Learn more about TraceGains, the company.

TraceGains and/or its suppliers make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy or completeness of this content herein or that of any organization referred or linked to within this content and will not be liable for any damages arising out of your access to or use of any information found herein or that of any organization referred to within this content.

Information expires December 2024.

Log In

You need to log into the site to use this feature

Create A Free Account To Use Medicine Chest

This feature requires registration. Sign up or log in to your free WellRx account to gain access to this and other tools to help make managing your medications and wellness easier.

Benefits Include:

Store & manage your medication list
Medication pricing updates
Import medication from your pharmacy
Medication information
Pill & refill reminders
Medication journal & mood log

Sign up to use Medicine Chest

Create A Free Account To Use this feature

This feature requires registration. Sign up or log in to your free WellRx account to gain access to this and other tools to help make managing your medications and wellness easier.

Benefits Include:

Store & manage your medication list
Medication pricing updates
Import medication from your pharmacy
Medication information
Pill & refill reminders
Medication journal & mood log

Sign up to use this feature

You will be redirected to your program in 5 seconds.

Hi there.

Our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy have recently been updated.

Learn More


I Accept

By declining you will be logged out of your account

;