Enalapril Maleate Tablets

What are Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

Enalapril maleate belongs to the class of medicines called Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). It works by causing blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure and increasing the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart. Enalapril maleate Tablets are used:

• To treat high blood pressure (hypertension)
• To treat heart failure (weakening of heart function). It can lower the need to go to hospital and can help some patients live longer.
• To prevent signs of heart failure. The signs include shortness of breath, tiredness after light physical activity such as walking, or swelling of the ankles and feet.

 

This medicine works by widening your blood vessels. This lowers your blood pressure. The medicine usually starts to work within an hour, and the effect lasts for at least 24 hours. Some people will require several weeks of treatment until the best effect on your blood pressure is seen.

How do you take Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

Always take your medicine exactly as your doctor told you. If you are unsure about how to take your tablets, ask your doctor or pharmacist. It is very important to continue taking Enalapril maleate Tablets for as long your doctor prescribes it.

Do not take more tablets than prescribed. You should take your tablet at the same time each day unless your doctor tells you otherwise. If you are taking your medicine twice daily (2 tablets a day), take one tablet in the morning and one in the evening, unless your doctor has told you otherwise. The recommended dose to be swallowed with a glass of water.

Side effects of Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

You may feel dizzy when you start taking Enalapril maleate Tablets. If this happens, it will help to lie down. This is caused by your blood pressure lowering. It should improve as you continue to take the medicine. If you are worried, please talk to your doctor. You can more information in the Enalapril maleate Tablet patient information leaflet.

Other possible side effects include:

• Feeling dizzy, weak or sick
• Blurred vision
• Cough
• Diarrhoea or abdominal pain
• Headache, fainting (syncope)
• Low blood pressure, changes in heart rhythm, fast heartbeat, angina or chest pain
• Weakness or fatigue, depression
• Increased potassium level, increased levels of creatinine in your blood
• Change in sense of taste, shortness of breath

Interactions between Enalapril Maleate Tablets and food/alcohol?

Enalapril maleate tablets can be taken with or without food. Do not drink alcohol while taking Enalapril maleate tablets. It may cause your blood sugar levels to drop too much and you may experience dizziness, light-headedness or faintness.

Interactions between Enalapril Maleate Tablets and other drugs?

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines including medicines obtained without a prescription. This includes herbal medicines.

Some medicines can affect the way Enalapril maleate Tablets work. It is especially important to tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following:

• angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) or aliskiren
• Other medicines that lower blood pressure, such as beta-blockers, vasodilators or water tablets (diuretics)
• Potassium supplements and other medicines that can increase the amount of potassium in your blood
• Lithium
• Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline used for treating depression
• Medicines for mental problems called ‘antipsychotics’
• Certain cough and cold medicines and weight-reducing medicines which contain substances called ‘sympathomimetic agents’
• Certain pain or arthritis medicines including gold therapy.
• Antidiabetic drugs including oral agents to lower blood sugar and insulin
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including COX-2-inhibitors (medicines that reduce inflammation, and can be used to help relieve pain)
• Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)
• Medicines used to dissolve blood clots (thrombolytics)
• Medicines which are most often used to avoid rejection of transplanted organs
• A medicine containing a neprilysin inhibitor such as sacubitril

 

If you are not sure of any of the above apply to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Enalapril maleate Tablets.

Is there any reason I would not be able to take Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

You should not take Enalapril Maleate Tablets if:

• you are allergic (hypersensitive) to enalapril maleate, any of the other ingredients in these tablets or other ACE inhibitors
• you have ever had swelling of your face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which caused difficulty in swallowing or breathing
  (angioedema) when the reason why was not known or it was inherited.
• you are more than 3 months pregnant.
• you have diabetes or impaired kidney function and you are treated with a blood pressure-lowering medicine containing aliskiren.
• you have taken or are currently taking sacubitril/ valsartan, a medicine used to treat a type of long-term (chronic) heart failure in adults, as the risk of angioedema (rapid swelling under the skin in an area such as the throat) is increased.

 

Do not take Enalapril Maleate if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Enalapril maleate Tablets.

Why should I take Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

High blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, stroke and even death. Taking medication such as Enalapril Maleate Tablets is a great way to reduce high blood pressure. In combination with a healthy diet and exercise (where possible), you can reduce the effects of high blood pressure. It is also really easy to order Enalapril Maleate Tablets online and avoid the GP wait times and trips to the pharmacy. You can buy your Enalapril Maleate Tablets online from a trusted online pharmacy such as e-Surgery, simply answer a quick 2-minute questionnaire, and have your medications delivered to you.

What is high blood pressure?

Around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure, although many will not realize it. The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is to have your blood pressure checked. Adults over 40 are advised to get their blood pressure checked every 5 years.

If your blood pressure is high you are at risk of developing certain diseases and can be a sign of more serious issues like obesity. Medication such as Enalapril Maleate Tablets can help reduce your blood pressure.

What causes high blood pressure?

Common causes of high blood pressure include:

• age – the risk of developing high blood pressure increases as you get older
• a family history of high blood pressure
• being of African or Caribbean origin
• a high amount of salt in your food
• lack of exercise
• being overweight
• regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol
• smoking
• long-term sleep deprivation
• Long term health conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease and lupus

 

Making healthy lifestyle changes can help keep your blood pressure at a normal level. High blood pressure can also be triggered by certain medication. These include:

• the contraceptive pill
• steroids
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – such as ibuprofen and naproxen
• some pharmacy cough and cold remedies
• some herbal remedies – particularly those containing liquorice
• some recreational drugs – such as cocaine and amphetamines
• some selective serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI) antidepressants – such as venlafaxine

Symptoms of high blood pressure?

High blood pressure is often symptom-less, and you will not necessarily know you have it until you get tested. Although some symptoms can include:

• Headache
• Fatigue or confusion
• Vision problems
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Irregular heartbeat
• Blood in the urine
• Pounding in your chest, neck, or ears

 

If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor straight away.

How do I store Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

Store Enalapril Maleate Tablets in a cool, dry place away from children. Do not use Enalapril Maleate Tablets after the expiry date on the box. You can find all this information and more in the Enalapril maleate Tablet patient information leaflet.

Can I buy Enalapril Maleate Tablets online?

You can buy Enalapril Maleate Tablets online from registered online prescribers such as e-Surgery.

Whenever you are buying Enalapril Maleate Tablets or any other medication, make sure you check for the green GPhC and MHRA logo on the bottom of each page of the website you are using.

Where can I get more information about Enalapril Maleate Tablets?

You can find information and more in the Enalapril maleate Tablet patient information leaflet.

You can also use our completely free Ask-a-Pharmacist service to get health advice from a trained professional. We’re here to help!

How will my Enalapril Maleate Tablets be delivered?

e-Surgery uses Royal Mail delivery with choices starting from Royal Mail 48 tracked delivery, Royal Mail tracked 24 and Royal Mail 1pm special delivery (discover more about e-Surgery delivery). Your Enalapril Maleate Tablets will arrive in discreet, recyclable packaging at a delivery address of your choice. Find out to recycle packaging from e-Surgery.

How to dispose of Enalapril Maleate Tablets bought online?

Enalapril Maleate Tablets come in blister packs that are not currently recyclable, so once they have been used can be disposed of in a general waste bin. If the Enalapril Maleate Tablets are unfinished dispose of medication safely and drop them off at a local pharmacy. Cardboard packaging and paper patient information leaflets are recyclable. For any more information on the disposal of Enalapril Maleate Tablets, you can use our free Ask-a-Pharmacist service.