Zestril Tablet is an oral tablet predominantly used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure in adults. It contains an active medicine called lisinopril, which is an enzyme inhibitor. That dilates blood vessels, increasing the blood flow to a person’s heart.
This helps lower high blood pressure levels and boosts an individual’s chances of surviving a heart attack. This drug can also be prescribed with other drugs as part of combination therapy.
If you’re taking this medicine, keep reading to learn about its uses, dosage, and possible side effects. Also, immediately consult with your medical practitioner if you notice any complications after its use.
What Are Zestril Tablets?
Zestril Tablet belongs to a class of drugs named angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. It is the first choice medication prescribed to lower high blood pressure levels and heart failure.
In addition, its use is also being studied in preventing or treating side effects caused by anticancer drugs.
After a heart attack, patients are suggested to take this drug for up to 6 weeks. Then doctors usually decide whether to prescribe this medication for longer periods or not.
However, patients suffering from problems like hypertension, diabetes, or high blood pressure typically require long-term use of this medicine, even for the rest of their lives.
Zestril Uses
Zestril Tablet can be used to treat the following conditions:
- High blood pressure.
- Congestive heart failure.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Kidney problems caused due to Type 2 diabetes.
Zestril works by dilating the blood vessels. This ultimately reduces stress on a person’s heart, proving really effective in controlling high blood pressure levels. But you should always take this medication as prescribed by your doctor.
What Are the Side Effects of Zestril Tablet?
Like any other medication, Zestril Tablet can also exert some side effects, ranging from moderate to severe. If, after the intake of these tablets, you experience problems like swelling around your lips, face, or throat, severe stomach pain, or hives, seek immediate medical help.
Zestril may cause other serious side effects as well:
- A light-headed feeling.
- Nausea, chest pain, irregular heart rate, weakness, or loss of movement.
- Reduced white blood cell counts.
- Kidney problems.
- Liver problems.
- Loss of appetite, stomachache, dark-colored urine, and jaundice.
Common Zestril side effects may include:
- Headache, dizziness.
- Low blood pressure, cough.
- Chest pain.
What Are the Risk Factors for Zestril Tablet?
Always consult with your medical practitioner before taking these tablets, and to make sure Zestril Tablet is the right choice for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- Any type of heart disease.
- Low blood pressure.
- Low white blood cell count.
- Stomach pain.
- If you are on a low-salt diet.
- Diabetes.
- Liver disease.
- Kidney disease.
Also, don’t use the Zestril Tablet if you are pregnant, as it could endanger the unborn baby. You should also avoid this tablet if you have ever had angioedema or kidney disease.Â
Moreover, if you are suffering from diabetes, avoid the use of Zestril with any medication that contains Aliskiren (a blood pressure medicine).
What Should You Know While Using Zestril?
- Remind the medical professional you visit that you are taking Zestril medicine.
- Get your blood pressure checked regularly.
- Call your doctor straight away if you experience any severe complications after the use of this drug.
- Ensure you drink an adequate amount of water when taking Zestril.
- Visit your physician for a regular check-up.
Things you should not do:
- Don’t take Zestril to treat any other conditions unless your doctor recommends you to.
- Don’t suggest Zestril to anyone else, even if they have the exact problem as you.
How To Take Zestril
Try to take Zestril tablets at the same time every day. Moreover, Zestril Tablet is usually recommended for long-term use, so don’t change the medicine unless your doctor suggests you. Doctors differently prescribe the dosage of this tablet for each patient, depending on factors like:
- Patient’s age.
- The condition that is being treated.
- How severe the condition is.
- Other medical conditions an individual has.
Zestril a Prescription Medication Used to Treat High Blood Pressure
Key Takeaway
Zestril tablets are considered a first-choice medication to treat hypertension and certain heart conditions. They’re a long-term treatment option.
With their intake, patients need to make sure to follow the instructions of their doctor regarding this medicine. If you feel allergic to this drug, consult your medical professional right away.
FAQs:
Is Zestril a Blood Thinner?
Zestril is a medicine used to dilate the blood vessels and boost the flow of blood to the heart, but it is not a blood thinner. It has the action of inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzymes to manage hypertension, hence proving beneficial for cardiovascular issues.
Is Zestril Safe for Older People to Use?
A study has demonstrated that elderly people who used Zestril Tablet for a while experienced no significant ECG alterations and no major side effects. Therefore, it’s concluded that Zestril with a dosage of 5 mg is safe for elderly patients.
However, elderly people are more likely to have kidney problems. Therefore, they should be more cautious with the intake of this medicine and may require more adjustments in the dose.
When Should I Take Zestril?
Doctors usually suggest patients take their first dose of Zestril before bedtime as it can make a person dizzy. However, after the very first dose, you can have this medicine at any time of the day.
But ensure to take it at the same time every day. And keep using it for as long as your doctor advises you to because it is a long-term treatment.
