QUINAPRIL

Please see Precautions section.

Common side effects:

• dizziness,
• lightheadedness, or tiredness
• dry cough,
• nausea, or vomiting

Tell your doctor right away if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur:

• fainting,
• symptoms of a high potassium blood level (such as muscle weakness, slow/irregular heartbeat),
• signs of infection (such as fever, chills, persistent sore throat),
• change in the amount of urine.

This drug may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) liver problems. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any of the following rare but serious side effects: yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, severe stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

Precautions:

• Allergy: Before taking quinapril, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or to other ACE inhibitors (such as benazepril); or if you have any other allergies.
• Medical History: Before using this medication, tell your doctor or if you had: history of an allergic reaction which included swelling of the face/lips/tongue/throat (angioedema), blood filtering procedures (such as LDL apheresis, dialysis), high level of potassium in the blood, collagen vascular disease (such as lupus, scleroderma).
• Dehydration: Too much sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting may cause loss of too much body water (dehydration) and increase your risk of lightheadedness.
• Before having surgery, tell your doctor or dentist about all the products you use (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbal products).
• Increased potassium: This product may increase your potassium levels. Before using potassium supplements or salt substitutes that contain potassium, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Pregnancy Risk: Category D.  This medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm an unborn baby.

Breastfeeding: This medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

Interactions:

• 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).
• This product contains magnesium which can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb certain drugs, especially if you take them around the same time. These drugs include quinolone antibiotics (such as ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin), tetracycline antibiotics (such as doxycycline, minocycline), thyroid medications (such as levothyroxine), and drugs for osteoporosis (bisphosphonates such as alendronate). This is not a complete list. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long to wait between doses and when you should take your medications.
• A very serious reaction may occur if you are getting injections for bee/wasp sting allergy (desensitization) and are also taking quinapril. Make sure all your doctors know which medicines you are using.

Overdose:

If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately.

Notes

Do not share this medication with others.

Lifestyle changes such as stress reduction programs, exercise and dietary changes may increase the effectiveness of this medicine. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about lifestyle changes that might benefit you.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (such as kidney function, potassium levels) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

Check your blood pressure regularly while taking this medication. Learn how to monitor your own blood pressure at home, and share the results with your doctor.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

Storage

Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Brands:

Available Brands:

• Accupril [ Pfizer ]