Zestril

Zestril belongs to a class of drugs, known as ACE inhibitors and it is the abbreviation of angiotensin converting enzyme. The medication is used to control high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, and it improves the conditions after heart attack. You can use the medication for some other purposes that are not listed above.

If you have allergic reactions to zestril or to any other ACE inhibitor like benazopril, captopril, fosinopril, enalapril, moexipril, perindopril, quinapril, ramipril or trandolapril, then you should not take the medication. Inform your doctor if you have allergic reactions to any other drugs or if you are victim of kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, connective tissue disease like Marfan syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, scleroderma, or rheumatoid arthritis. You should tell your doctor in the above conditions before taking the medication, because in these conditions, you cannot take the medication or you need dosage adjustment or you require special monitoring during the treatment.

The medication belongs to FDA pregnancy category D which means that it can cause birth defects in the baby, if you take the medication during pregnancy. So if you are pregnant or planning to be pregnant, then tell your doctor and keep using an effective form of birth control. It is not known whether the medication appear in the milk of nursing mother or not, so if you are breast-feeding a baby then tell your doctor because the it can be harmful to a nursing baby.



Take the medication exactly as prescribed to you by your doctor and avoid the medication in larger amount. You should follow the instruction of your doctor. Take each dose of the medication with water, and you can take it with or without food. If you go through vomiting, diarrhea or heavy sweating during the treatment that can cause you dehydrated, then it can result in low blood pressure, electrolyte disorders, or kidney failure. You should drink more and more water to avoid the condition of dehydration. To monitor the progress and side effects of the medication you need to check your blood pressure and carry out tests of the function of your kidney or liver. If you are taking any type of surgery then you tell your doctor that you are using the medication and your doctor may advice to stop the medication.

If you miss a dose then take it as soon as you remember and if the time is near to take the next scheduled dose then skip the missed dose and follow your regular scheduled dose and avoid taking double doses at the same time. If you suspect overdose then get emergency medical help. The symptoms of overdose include feeling extremely dizzy or light-headed, or fainting.

If you experience any signs of allergic reactions like hives, severe stomach pain, difficulty in breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat, then you should get emergency medical help from your doctor. The other serious side effects include feeling light-headed, fainting, and urinating more than usual, fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, tired feeling, muscle weakness, irregular heartbeats, chest pain, swelling, and rapid weight gain.