Captopril (By mouth)

How to Use This Medicine

Liquid, Tablet

• Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to use and how often. Your dose may need to be changed several times in order to find out what works best for you. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to.
• It is best to take this medicine on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before meals.
• Carefully follow your doctor's instructions about any special diet. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids if you exercise, sweat more than usual, or have diarrhea or vomiting. Check with your doctor right away if you continue to experience diarrhea or vomiting.

If a dose is missed:

• If you miss a dose or forget to use your medicine, use it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to use the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.

How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine

• Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
• Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or health caregiver about the best way to dispose of any outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
• Keep all medicine away from children and never share your medicine with anyone.

Introduction

Captopril (KAP-toe-pril)

Used alone or together with other medicines to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and congestive heart failure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks. This medicine is also used after a heart attack to increase survival rate in some patients. Also used to treat kidney problems caused by diabetes. This medicine is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

Brand Name(s)

Capoten

Possible Side Effects While Using This Medicine

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

• Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing
• Blistering, peeling, or red skin rash.
• Change in how much or how often you urinate, or cloudy urine.
• Chest pain (may be related to your disease and not a side effect).
• Confusion, weakness, shortness of breath, or numbness or tingling in hands, feet, or lips.
• Dry mouth, increased thirst, or muscle cramps.
• Fast, pounding, or uneven heartbeat.
• Fever, chills, cough, sore throat, and body aches.
• Lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting.
• Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or pain in your upper stomach.
• Problems urinating, pain in side or lower back.
• Sudden stomach pain.
• Swelling in your hands, ankles, or feet.
• Yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

• Change in sense of taste.
• Dry cough.
• Headache.
• Mild nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• Mild skin rash.
• Muscle or joint pain.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

• Make sure your doctor knows if you are using other medicine for high blood pressure (such as atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol, timolol, or Toprol®), nitrate medicines (such as nitroglycerin, Isordil®, or Sorbitrate®), or a diuretic or "water pill" (such as amiloride, chlorthalidone, spironolactone, triamterene, Aldactazide®, Aldactone®, Combipres®, Dyazide®, Dyrenium®, Maxzide®, Midamor®, or Tenoretic®).
• Tell your doctor if you are also using lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®) or pain or arthritis medicine (such as aspirin, celecoxib, ibuprofen, naproxen, rofecoxib, valdecoxib, Advil®, Aleve®, Bextra®, Celebrex®, Dolobid®, Feldene®, Indocin®, Motrin®, Orudis®, Relafen®, Vioxx®, or Voltaren®).
• Do not use medicines, supplements, or salt substitutes that contain potassium without checking first with your doctor.

Warnings While Using This Medicine

• Using this medicine while you are pregnant (especially in your second or third trimester) can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.
• Make sure your doctor knows if you are breastfeeding, or if you have kidney problems, liver disease, diabetes, heart disease, dehydration, or mineral imbalance (high or low potassium or sodium in the blood). Tell your doctor if you have a collagen-vascular disease such as lupus or scleroderma.
• This medicine will not cure your high blood pressure, but it does help control it. You must continue to take it as directed if you expect to lower your blood pressure and keep it down. You may have to take high blood pressure medicine for the rest of your life.
• This medicine may cause a serious type of allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Stop using this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have a rash; itching; hoarseness; trouble breathing; trouble swallowing; or any swelling of your hands, face, lips, tongue, or throat while you are using this medicine.
• This medicine can cause a serious reaction called angioedema. Stop using this medicine and tell your doctor right away if you start to have swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, or if you are having trouble with swallowing or breathing.
• Stop using this medicine and call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain. This could be a symptom of a condition called intestinal angioedema.
• Check with your doctor if you notice any signs of fever, chills, or sore throat. These could be symptoms of an infection resulting from low white blood cell counts.
• Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. Do not stop taking this medicine before surgery without your doctor's approval.
• This medicine may make you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or faint, especially when you get up from a lying or sitting position suddenly. Getting up slowly may help. These symptoms are more likely to occur when you begin taking this medicine, or when the dose is increased.
• Check with your doctor right away if you become sick while taking this medicine, especially with severe or continuing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These conditions may cause you to lose too much water or salt.
• Check with your doctor right away if you experience dizziness, fainting, confusion, muscle pain, weakness, and/or a fast heartbeat. Use extra care if you exercise or if the weather is hot. Heavy sweating can cause dehydration (loss of too much water) or electrolyte imbalances (loss of sodium in the body).
• Liver problems may occur while you are using this medicine. Stop using this medicine and check with your doctor right away if you are having more than one of these symptoms: abdominal or stomach pain or tenderness; clay-colored stools; dark urine; fever; headache; itching; loss of appetite; nausea and vomiting; skin rash; swelling of the feet or lower legs; unusual tiredness or weakness; or yellow eyes or skin.
• Blood pressure lowering effects of this medicine is less in black patients than in non-black patients. Also, the risk of a serious reaction called angioedema may be increased in black patients.
• Do not stop using this medicine suddenly without asking your doctor. You may need to slowly decrease your dose before stopping it completely.
• If you stop using this medicine, your blood pressure may go up. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. Even if you feel well, do not stop using the medicine without asking your doctor.
• Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. This medicine may affect the results of certain medical tests.
• Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using this medicine. Be sure to keep all appointments. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088

When This Medicine Should Not Be Used