Your physician may prescribe enalapril maleate (brand name Vasotec) for heart conditions such as high blood pressure. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor prevents the chemical angiotensin in the blood from retaining salt and water in order to treat vascular disease which can lead to congestive heart failure and stroke. Enalapril maleate prevents rather than cures heart and circulatory maladies; it can also have some side effects.
Headache and Dizziness
In clinical trials, some hypertensive patients who took enalapril maleate suffered headaches and dizziness. The RxList.com website reports that 5.2 percent of clinical trial patients reported headaches from taking the medication while another 4.3 percent of the patients complained of dizziness.
Swelling
Patients taking enalapril maleate may experience facial swelling or swelling of the extremities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states swelling of the lips, tongue and throat are also problems and may occur any time during treatment. When such swelling (angioedema) results, the NIH website warns the treatment should be stopped and your doctor should closely monitor the situation to see how best to proceed.
Hypotension
Taking enalapril maleate may cause a significant drop in your blood pressure. The Drugs.com website warns the drop in blood pressure may cause fainting, fatigue, nausea and general weakness. The lowered blood pressure can cause renal maladies. You may be more at risk of problems related to low blood pressure if you have kidney disease or a salt or potassium imbalance.
Cough
If you take enalapril maleate you may have a persistent cough with no production of mucous. The NIH website states enalapril maleate as well as other ACE inhibitors tend to spur a dry cough which stops when the treatment ends. Any differential diagnosis of the underlying cause of a patient's cough should include the use of enalapril maleate.
Member Comments