Enzyme inhibitors, as the name suggests, prevent certain enzymes in your body from producing their normal effects. The most commonly known enzyme inhibitor works to reduce your blood pressure. Angiotensin-converting enzyme or ACE inhibitors prevent the angiotensin-converting enzyme from constricting your blood vessels. This allows your blood vessels to relax and open to let blood pass through more easily. This reduces blood pressure. ACE inhibitors include such prescription medicines as lisinopril, benazepril, quinapril and moexipril. Any such enzyme inhibitor can produce side effects.
Vision Problems
Enzyme inhibitors such as lisinopril can cause serious side effects that affect your vision. The way you see depends largely upon the amount of fluid and its pressure in your eyes. If you take an enzyme inhibitor such as lisinopril, the increased flow of blood in your body can adversely effect your vision. This may manifest as blurry vision, MayoClinic.com states. If you experience vision blurring when you take lisinopril, MayoClinic.com recommends consulting with your physician.
Flu-Like Symptoms
Some enzyme inhibitor medications such as moexipril can make you think you have caught a cold or the flu because of its serious side effects. Drugs.com recommends contacting your practitioner immediately if you suddenly develop the chills and a fever when taking this medicine. Seek medical help immediately if you get a runny nose, nasal or chest congestion bodily aches or a sore throat. These side effects may indicate a serious reaction to the enzyme inhibitor.
Dizziness and Headaches
Benazepril and other enzyme inhibitors may produce non-serious side effects that typically go away after a short time, MedlinePlus indicates. For example, you may feel dizzy when you move or rise from a sitting position. With your blood vessels relaxed from the effects of the medicine, your body needs time to adjust itself. The easier flow of blood may make it temporarily difficult for your body to maintain constant blood pressure throughout your body, including your head. A sudden drop in blood pressure from movement can make you feel dizzy. The change in blood pressure also may cause temporary and mild headaches to occur. Both of these types of side effects should cease a few days after you start treatment with an enzyme inhibitor.
Arrhythmia
Doctors call any fluctuation in your normal heart rate an arrhythmia. Because angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors affect your blood vessels and thus your heart, you can develop arrhythmias as side effects of medicines such as quinapril. For example, your heart may start to beat irregularly. You may experience an acceleration of your heart rate known as tachycardia and your heart may feel as though it pounds. It's possible to experience angina or chest pain when using this kind of enzyme inhibitor. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends seeking counsel from your doctor immediately if you notice any changes in your heartbeat.
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