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Common and Rare Reactions to Benazepril

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Click on an icon to view.Common Side Effects of Benazepril
Benazepril has been studied extensively in clinical trials, with thousands of people worldwide having been evaluated. In these studies, side effects are always documented and compared to side effects that occur in a similar group of people not taking the medicine. This way, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine.
Based on these studies, the most common benazepril side effects include:
- Headache -- up to 6 percent
- Dizziness -- up to 3.6 percent
- Fatigue -- up to 2.4 percent.
Other side effects of benazepril occurring in more than 1 percent of people include, but are not limited to:
- Excessive tiredness
- Nausea
- Cough (see Lotensin Cough).
Rare Side Effects of Benazepril
There are other possible benazepril side effects that can occur. These rare side effects occur in less than 1 percent of people. Given how rarely they occur, it can be difficult to tell whether these side effects are caused by the medication or something else.Some of these rare side effects of benazepril include, but are not limited to:
- Increased levels of potassium in the blood
- Decrease in blood pressure
- Chest pain (angina)
- Unexplained rash
- Flushing
- Pancreatitis
- Constipation
- Anemia
- Anxiety
- Decreased sex drive (libido) -- see Lotensin Sexual Side Effects
- Insomnia
- Asthma
- Hair loss -- see Lotensin and Hair Loss
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Erectile dysfunction (also known as ED or impotence).
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD