Lisinopril-Hydrochlorothiazide

Lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide is a prescription medication that is licensed for the treatment of high blood pressure in adults. The medicine consists of a diuretic and ACE inhibitor. These two medicines work together to reduce blood pressure levels by relaxing blood vessels and causing a decrease in blood volume. A few examples of side effects associated with lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide include headache, fatigue, cough, and dizziness.

 

What Is Lisinopril-Hydrochlorothiazide?

Lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide (available as a generic or under the brand names Prinzide® or Zestoretic®) is a prescription medicine used for controlling high blood pressure in adults. The drug is not a cure for high blood pressure.
 
Lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide has not been approved for use in children.
 
 

Who Makes Lisinopril-Hydrochlorothiazide?

Prinzide is manufactured by Merck & Co. Zestoretic is made by AstraZeneca. Several companies manufacture generic lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide.
 

How Does Lisinopril-Hydrochlorothiazide Work?

Lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide is a combination of two medicines -- lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide.
 Lisinopril (Prinivil® or Zestril®) is part of a class of drugs called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors for short. Lisinopril helps to block the angiotensin-converting enzyme, which is normally part of a reaction in the body that causes the blood vessels to narrow (constrict). By blocking this enzyme, lisinopril causes blood vessels to relax.
 
Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic (a medicine commonly referred to as a "water pill"). It works by increasing the amount of salt and water that the kidneys remove from the blood. This extra salt and water is passed out through the urine. By increasing the amount of water removed from the blood, hydrochlorothiazide causes a decrease in blood volume.
 
Because of the effect of both lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide can lower blood pressure. As a result of its combined effects, lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide causes a greater drop in blood pressure than when either medicine is used alone.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;