EL contains Enalapril which belongs to the group of medicines called Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors. It is used for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. It can also be used to prevent the signs and symptoms of heart failure (such as difficulty in breathing, swollen ankles and feet or extreme tiredness even after a mild physical activity). Hypertension is defined as persistently increased blood pressure, that can show symptoms like headache, sweating, fast heartbeat, or throbbing sensation.
Enalapril lowers your blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels. It also makes it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout your body. Your doctor may want to check your response to EL by monitoring your blood pressure and through some blood tests.
Avoid consumption of alcohol while taking EL, as it may decrease your blood pressure further and make you feel dizzier. Before taking EL, inform your doctor if you have any liver, kidney, or heart disease (other than high blood pressure or heart failure), a blood disorder, diabetes, you are on a salt-restricted diet or if you are about to undergo any surgery.
EL is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, therefore consult your doctor before taking it. There is a limited information for use in children, consult your doctor for advice. The most common side effects of taking EL are blurred vision, dizziness, cough, nausea, and weakness. Consult your doctor if any of these symptoms gets worse.
EL effectively reduces blood pressure and signs of heart failure. It acts by relaxing the blood vessels supplying the heart and other organs, which makes it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout your body.
Take EL as advised by your physician. Swallow the medicine with a glass of water. Do not crush or chew the medicine. Your doctor will decide the correct dose and duration for you depending upon your age, body weight and disease condition. Do not stop taking EL unless your doctor advises you to stop.
Stop taking EL and contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following side effects:
Dizziness:
When you start taking EL, you may feel faint or dizzy. If this happens, resting or lying down for some time can help. This is caused by your blood pressure decreasing. Talk to you physician in case of any concerns.
Nausea:
Take EL with, or immediately followed by meals. Have light meals and eat them slowly and in a frequent manner. Avoid oily and sweet foods. Consult your doctor if the symptom does not improve.
Vomiting:
Get adequate rest. Drink sufficient amount of fluids. Have small sips if you feel sick. Eat when you feel hungry. Do not take any medicine other than EL without asking your doctor.
Diarrhoea:
Drink lots of fluids, such as water or fruit juice to keep yourself hydrated. Do not consume any medicine other than EL without consulting your doctor.
Stomach pain:
Try to rest and relax. Eat and drink slowly or try to consume smaller and frequent meals. Keep a heat pad on your stomach. If the symptom does not improve, contact your doctor.
EL is not recommended in early pregnancy and must not be taken when more than 3 months pregnant as it may be seriously harmful for your baby. Consult your doctor before taking it.
EL is not recommended in breast-feeding women. Consult your doctor before taking it.
EL may make you feel tired or dizzy. In such case, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
Avoid consumption of alcohol while taking EL as it may decrease your blood pressure too much and you may feel dizzy, light-headed, or faint.
EL is not recommended for use in patients with severe kidney impairment (including dialysis). EL should be used with caution among patients with other kidney problems including kidney transplantation. Consult your doctor before taking it.
EL should be used with caution in patients with liver problem. Consult your doctor before taking it.
Do not take EL if you are allergic to Enalapril, or if any member of your family had an allergic reaction to this medicine, or you ever had swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat that caused trouble in swallowing or breathing when the reason was not known, or it was inherited.
EL is to be used cautiously if you have low blood pressure or a heart problem. Consult your doctor before taking it.
EL is not recommended for use if you:
Before taking EL, inform your doctor if you:
Use in paediatrics:
EL is not recommended for use in very young infants (first few weeks after birth), and in children with kidney problems. There is very limited experience in use of EL in children with high blood pressure, so consult your doctor before taking it.
Use in geriatrics:
EL should be used with caution in elderly patients. Proper dose adjustment and careful monitoring is required, so consult your doctor before taking it.
A. Drug-Drug interactions:
Before taking EL, inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicine:
Overdosage:
If you or anyone else accidentally take too much of EL, contact your doctor immediately or visit the nearby hospital. Symptoms of EL overdose are drop in blood pressure, stupor (a state of almost complete lack of consciousness), dizziness or light-headedness, fast heartbeat, anxiety, cough, kidney failure, and fast breathing.
Drug | : | Enalapril |
Pharmacological Category | : | ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitors |
Therapeutic Indication | : | Hypertension, Heart failure |
Dosage Forms | : | Tablet |
Can EL be used during pregnancy?
EL is not recommended for use in early pregnancy and must not be taken when more than 3 months pregnant, as it may cause serious harm to your baby if used past the third month of pregnancy. Consult your doctor before taking EL.
Can EL be crushed?
No. Do not crush EL. Take EL as advised by your physician. Swallow the medicine with a glass of water. Do not crush or chew the medicine. Your doctor will decide the correct dose and duration for you depending upon your age, body weight and disease condition.
Can EL cause erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction is an uncommon side effect of EL that might occur in men. Consult your doctor if you have trouble getting an erection or related symptoms.
Can EL cause hyperkalemia?
Yes. Hyperkalemia (increase in potassium levels) is a common side effect of EL. It is usually detected by blood test. If you experience any symptoms such as nausea, stomach pain, irregular heartbeat, or muscle pain, consult your doctor.
How fast will EL work?
EL usually starts to act within an hour, and its effect lasts upto 24 hours. Some people may require several weeks of treatment until the optimum effect on their blood pressure is observed.
What EL is used for?
EL is used to treat high blood pressure, also used to treat and prevent signs of heart failure such as shortness of breath, tiredness after light physical activities like walking.
What are the common side effects of EL?
The most common side effects of taking EL are blurred vision, dizziness, cough, nausea, weakness, headache, depression, fainting, fast heartbeat, and chest pain. Consult your doctor if any of these symptoms gets worse.
What kind of foods should be avoided while taking EL?
EL has the capacity to increase blood potassium level which can lead to irregular heartbeat. To prevent any such occurrence, it is advisable to avoid potassium rich foods such as bananas, oranges, green leafy vegetables, and potassium containing salt while taking EL.
Can alcohol be taken with EL?
Avoid consumption of alcohol while taking EL since it might lower blood pressure and make you feel dizzy, light-headed, or faint. Consult your doctor before taking EL.
What happens if you stop taking EL?
If you stop taking EL, your blood pressure may increase and affects the functioning of your heart and kidneys. Hence, it is advised not to stop the medicine on your own and instead seek advice from your consulting doctor.
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2. Arjumand Faruqi, Ashish Jain.Enalapril. StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. July 2021. [Accessed on 7th April 2022] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557708/
3. H Gavras. A multicenter trial of enalapril in the treatment of essential hypertension. NIH National Library of Medicine, National center for biotechnology information. Pubmed.gov. 1986. [Accessed on 7th April 2022] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3028633/
4. Dexcel Pharma. Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC). [Revised in October 2021] [Accessed on 7th April 2022] https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.2671.pdf
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