Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Diuretics?Is Lisinopril a Diuretic?How It WorksSide EffectsWhen to See a DoctorFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Diuretics?
Is Lisinopril a Diuretic?
How It Works
Side Effects
When to See a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions
Lisinopril is a medication that is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and to preserve kidney function in some patients who have chronic kidney disease.
Lisinopril is not a diuretic, but it can be prescribed in a combination pill with the diuretic Microzide (hydrochlorothiazide). This combination has been shown to be more effective at reducing blood pressure than either medication administered alone.
Read on to learn more about lisinopril and diuretics, including how they work together.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Diuretics are primarily used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), although they can also be used to prevent, treat, or improve symptoms in people who have heart failure, liver failure, tissue swelling (edema), and certain kidney disorders, such as kidney stones.
Diuretics act on a complicated set of processes in the body. There are three different types of diuretics. Basically, they work in the following ways:
Sometimes, a combination of different types of diuretics is used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease.
How Diuretics Lower Blood Pressure
Diuretics are very effective at lowering blood pressure. When the amount of salt and water in the body is reduced, the pressure on the walls of the arteries is diminished. This results in lower blood pressure.
Thiazides are particularly effective for lowering blood pressure because they also dilate blood vessels, which reduces the pressure that the vessels are under. A 2019 study found that thiazide diuretics alone are more effective than ACE inhibitors alone at treating high blood pressure.
Lisinopril is not a diuretic when it is prescribed alone. However, lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide is a medication that combines the ACE inhibitor lisinopril with the thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide to treat high blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure and your doctor prescribes lisinopril, you should clarify whether it is being prescribed with the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. Lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide is sold under the brand names Prinzide and Zestoretic.These medications include a diuretic.
How Does Lisinopril/Hydrochlorothiazide Work?
The combination drug lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide lowers blood pressure through multiple mechanisms, including:
Researchers are continuing to study the nuanced ways that ACE inhibitors and diuretics work independently and together to lower blood pressure.
Your healthcare provider might recommend starting with just lisinopril or just hydrochlorothiazide; in other cases, you might start with the combination pill.
If you have questions about your course of treatment, be sure to ask your healthcare provider to explain why they chose a particular treatment. You deserve to understand your treatment options, so don’t put off asking questions.
Lisinopril-Hydrochlorothiazide Side Effects
Since lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide combines two medications, you might experience side effects from either drug. It’s common for people to feel light-headed after their first dose of lisinopril, so your healthcare provider might recommend taking the first dose at night. To reduce the risk of light-headedness and dizziness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.
Besides dizziness, other common side effects of lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide are:
Diuretics can cause a loss of electrolytes, which can lead to severe side effects like cramping and fatigue. If you experience any of these serious side effects, you should contact your healthcare provider or call 911 immediately:
Summary
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that is commonly prescribed to treat high blood pressure as well as heart failure and some cases of kidney disease. It is not a diuretic and does not have diuretic effects. However, it is commonly prescribed with a diuretic, sometimes in a combination pill.
A Word From Verywell
Both ACE inhibitors, like lisinopril, and thiazide diuretics, like hydrochlorothiazide, can effectively treat high blood pressure. Lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide, sold under the brand names Prinzide and Zestoretic, is a medication that combines both of these drugs, and is thought to be more effective than either of them administered alone.
While lisinopril itself is not a diuretic, it is often prescribed with one. If you are on lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide, you should be aware of theside effects of diuretics, including weakness and fatigue. If you ever have questions about your course of treatment for high blood pressure, don’t hesitate to ask your healthcare provider.
Some research has shown that ACE inhibitors and diuretics are more effective at reducing blood pressure when used together than either type of drug is when used alone. If you have any questions about your specific circumstance for being prescribed an ACE inhibitor with a diuretic, speak with your healthcare provider.
7 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.MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.Sukalo A, Deljo D, Krupalija A, et al.Treatment of hypertension with combination of lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide.Med Arch. 2016;70(4):299-302. doi:10.5455/medarh.2016.70.299-302Kaiser Permanente.Learning about diuretics.The Texas Heart Institute.Diuretics.Suchard MA, Schuemie MJ, Krumholz HM, et al.Comprehensive comparative effectiveness and safety of first-line antihypertensive drug classes: a systematic, multinational, large-scale analysis.Lancet. 2019;394(10211):1816-1826. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32317-7MedlinePlus.Lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide.Burnier M, Bakris G, Williams B.Redefining diuretics use in hypertension: why select a thiazide-like diuretic?J Hypertens. 2019 Aug;37(8):1574-1586. doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000002088
7 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.MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.Sukalo A, Deljo D, Krupalija A, et al.Treatment of hypertension with combination of lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide.Med Arch. 2016;70(4):299-302. doi:10.5455/medarh.2016.70.299-302Kaiser Permanente.Learning about diuretics.The Texas Heart Institute.Diuretics.Suchard MA, Schuemie MJ, Krumholz HM, et al.Comprehensive comparative effectiveness and safety of first-line antihypertensive drug classes: a systematic, multinational, large-scale analysis.Lancet. 2019;394(10211):1816-1826. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32317-7MedlinePlus.Lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide.Burnier M, Bakris G, Williams B.Redefining diuretics use in hypertension: why select a thiazide-like diuretic?J Hypertens. 2019 Aug;37(8):1574-1586. doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000002088
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.
MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.Sukalo A, Deljo D, Krupalija A, et al.Treatment of hypertension with combination of lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide.Med Arch. 2016;70(4):299-302. doi:10.5455/medarh.2016.70.299-302Kaiser Permanente.Learning about diuretics.The Texas Heart Institute.Diuretics.Suchard MA, Schuemie MJ, Krumholz HM, et al.Comprehensive comparative effectiveness and safety of first-line antihypertensive drug classes: a systematic, multinational, large-scale analysis.Lancet. 2019;394(10211):1816-1826. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32317-7MedlinePlus.Lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide.Burnier M, Bakris G, Williams B.Redefining diuretics use in hypertension: why select a thiazide-like diuretic?J Hypertens. 2019 Aug;37(8):1574-1586. doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000002088
MedlinePlus.Lisinopril.
Sukalo A, Deljo D, Krupalija A, et al.Treatment of hypertension with combination of lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide.Med Arch. 2016;70(4):299-302. doi:10.5455/medarh.2016.70.299-302
Kaiser Permanente.Learning about diuretics.
The Texas Heart Institute.Diuretics.
Suchard MA, Schuemie MJ, Krumholz HM, et al.Comprehensive comparative effectiveness and safety of first-line antihypertensive drug classes: a systematic, multinational, large-scale analysis.Lancet. 2019;394(10211):1816-1826. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32317-7
MedlinePlus.Lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide.
Burnier M, Bakris G, Williams B.Redefining diuretics use in hypertension: why select a thiazide-like diuretic?J Hypertens. 2019 Aug;37(8):1574-1586. doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000002088
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