Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Fast It WorksHow Well It WorksHow It WorksSide EffectsConsiderations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Fast It Works
How Well It Works
How It Works
Side Effects
Considerations
Higher doses may deliver greater decreases in blood pressure, but they can also increase the risk of side effects. Once lisinopril treatment is started, it can take two to four weeks before your blood pressure reading is normal.
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How Quickly Does Lisinopril Lower Blood Pressure?
Lisinopril is well-tolerated because it reduces blood pressure smoothly and gradually. This effect starts within one hour of a dose and reaches its peak effectiveness within six hours. Even so, you need to take the drug regularly to maintain this effect.
Lisinopril has ahalf-lifeof roughly 12 hours. This is the time it takes for a drug to reduce to half of its initial concentration in the bloodstream. To prevent lisinopril from dropping to where it’s less effective, you need to take it at least once daily to maintain this “steady state” effect.
In most people, the steady state can be reached within two to three days of starting treatment.
Although lisinopril acts quickly, it can take two to four weeks for your blood pressure to drop into the target range.
This is why it’s important to take lisinopril as prescribed even if it doesn’t make you feel any different. (And chances are you won’t given that hypertension usually doesn’t cause noteworthysymptoms).
How Much Does Lisinopril Lower Blood Pressure?
Even so, lisinopril remains an effective tool for lowering good pressure either on its own or with medications likediuretics(“water pills”). Depending on the severity of your condition and other factors, the dosage can vary.
For adults with uncomplicated hypertension, a starting dose of 10 milligrams (mg) per day is generally recommended. (Some healthcare providers start at low as 2.5 mg.) The dose can then be gradually increased to 20 mg or 40 mg as needed until the target range is achieved.
The maximum allowable dose is 80 mg per day.
While higher doses may translate to steeper declines in blood pressure, you don’t want to overdo it. Ultimately, the goal is to achieve and stay within the target range at the lowest possible dose and the lowest risk of side effects.
There is no evidence that taking more than 80 mg per day will improve outcomes.
Once-Daily vs. Twice-Daily Dosing
In 2017, researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine concluded that, based on a review of patient medical records from 2011 to 2014, people on a once-daily dose of lisinopril had a mean systolic reduction of 6.2 mm Hg and a mean diastolic reduction of 1.5 mm Hg.
When lisinopril was taken in a twice-daily split dose, the decreases were even greater, with a mean systolic reduction of 16.5 mm Hg and a mean diastolic reduction of 5.9 mm Hg. However, this retrospective observational study had many limitations and further research is needed to support these findings.
What Does Lisinopril Do?
By countering these effects, blood flow can be increased, excess fluids can be excreted, and the pressure within blood vessels can be reduced.
Lisinopril primarily treats high blood pressure but can also be used for:
Lisinopril is available as a tablet or liquid. The first dose can cause dizziness, so most healthcare providers recommend taking it at bedtime. After that, you can take lisinopril with or without food at any time (but ideally at the same time every day).
Is Lisinopril a Diuretic? The Facts You Need to Know
Common Lisinopril Side Effects
It’s common for the first dose of lisinopril to cause dizziness.If that happens once, don’t be concerned. However, if it happens consistently, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Generally, lisinopril is well tolerated. In clinical trials, less than 6% of people discontinued the medication due to side effects.
Common side effects of lisinopril include:
It’s important to note that an ACE inhibitor–induced dry cough can happen within hours of the first dose to months after you start the therapy. The cough will not be alleviated with over-the-counter (OTC) cough suppressants, but it may stop after a while. Let your healthcare provider know about the dry cough.
There are also rare but serious side effects. If you experience any of the following, you should call your healthcare provider or 911 immediately:
Who Can Take Lisinopril?
As you decide whether lisinopril is right for you, be sure to tell your healthcare provider about the following:
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tsai T, Kroehl ME Smith SM Thompson AM Dai IY, Trinkley KE.Efficacy and safety of twice- vs once-daily dosing of lisinopril for hypertension.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2017 Sep;19(9):868-73. doi:10.1111/jch.13011National Health Service.Lisinopril.AstraZeneca.Zestril (lisinopril) tablets.American Heart Association.Monitoring your blood pressure at home.MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.Chen RJ Suchard MA Krumholz HM, et al.Comparative first-line effectiveness and safety of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers: a multinational cohort study,Hypertension. 2021;78:591–603. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16667
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tsai T, Kroehl ME Smith SM Thompson AM Dai IY, Trinkley KE.Efficacy and safety of twice- vs once-daily dosing of lisinopril for hypertension.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2017 Sep;19(9):868-73. doi:10.1111/jch.13011National Health Service.Lisinopril.AstraZeneca.Zestril (lisinopril) tablets.American Heart Association.Monitoring your blood pressure at home.MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.Chen RJ Suchard MA Krumholz HM, et al.Comparative first-line effectiveness and safety of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers: a multinational cohort study,Hypertension. 2021;78:591–603. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16667
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Tsai T, Kroehl ME Smith SM Thompson AM Dai IY, Trinkley KE.Efficacy and safety of twice- vs once-daily dosing of lisinopril for hypertension.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2017 Sep;19(9):868-73. doi:10.1111/jch.13011National Health Service.Lisinopril.AstraZeneca.Zestril (lisinopril) tablets.American Heart Association.Monitoring your blood pressure at home.MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.Chen RJ Suchard MA Krumholz HM, et al.Comparative first-line effectiveness and safety of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers: a multinational cohort study,Hypertension. 2021;78:591–603. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16667
Tsai T, Kroehl ME Smith SM Thompson AM Dai IY, Trinkley KE.Efficacy and safety of twice- vs once-daily dosing of lisinopril for hypertension.J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2017 Sep;19(9):868-73. doi:10.1111/jch.13011
National Health Service.Lisinopril.
AstraZeneca.Zestril (lisinopril) tablets.
American Heart Association.Monitoring your blood pressure at home.
MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.
Chen RJ Suchard MA Krumholz HM, et al.Comparative first-line effectiveness and safety of ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers: a multinational cohort study,Hypertension. 2021;78:591–603. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16667
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