Captopril Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 28, 2024.

Applies to captopril: oral tablet.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using this medicine, tell your doctor right away.

You should not use this medicine together with sacubitril. Do not use this medicine and sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto®) within 36 hours of each other.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat while you are using this medicine.

Call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain (with or without nausea or vomiting). This could be a symptom of a condition called intestinal angioedema.

Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting may also occur, especially when you get up suddenly from a lying or sitting position or if you have been taking a diuretic (water pill). Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you or your child know how this medicine affects you. If you feel dizzy, lie down so you do not faint. Then sit for a few moments before standing to prevent the dizziness from returning.

Check with your doctor right away if you become sick while taking this medicine, especially with severe or continuing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These conditions may cause you to lose too much water or salt and may lead to low blood pressure. You can also lose water by sweating, so drink plenty of water during exercise or in hot weather.

Check with your doctor if you have a fever, chills, or sore throat. These could be symptoms of an infection resulting from low white blood cells.

Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.

Check with your doctor right away if you have bloody urine, a decrease in frequency or amount of urine, an increase in blood pressure, increased thirst, loss of appetite, lower back or side pain, nausea, swelling of the face, fingers, or lower legs, troubled breathing, unusual tiredness or weakness, vomiting, or weight gain. These could be symptoms of a serious kidney problem.

Hyperkalemia (high potassium in the blood) may occur while you are using this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you have the following symptoms: abdominal or stomach pain, confusion, difficulty with breathing, irregular heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, nervousness, numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or lips, shortness of breath, or weakness or heaviness of the legs. Do not use supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium without first checking with your doctor.

Make sure any doctor or dentist who treats you knows that you are using this medicine. You may need to stop using this medicine several days before having surgery or medical tests.

This medicine may be less effective in black patients. Black patients also have an increased risk of angioedema (swelling of the hands, arms, face, mouth, or throat).

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hay fever, or sinus problems, and herbal or vitamin supplements, since they may tend to increase your blood pressure.

Serious side effects of captopril

Along with its needed effects, captopril may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking captopril:

Other side effects of captopril

Some side effects of captopril may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to captopril: compounding powder, oral tablet.

General adverse events

The most common side effect is rash.^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Very common (10% or more): Rash (up to 13.1%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Pruritus, alopecia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Angioedema
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Urticaria, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, photosensitivity, erythroderma, pemphigoid reactions, exfoliative dermatitis^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Common (1% to 10%): Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dry mouth, diarrhea, constipation, gastric irritation
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Stomatitis/aphthous ulceration, mouth ulcers, intestinal angioedema
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Glossitis, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Common (1% to 10%): Dizziness, taste impairment, loss of taste
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Paresthesia, headache, drowsiness
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Cerebrovascular incidents
• Frequency not reported: Syncope, ataxia, somnolence^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Common (1% to 10%): Cough, dyspnea
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Bronchospasm
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Rhinitis, allergic alveolitis/eosinophilic pneumonia^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Hypotension
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Tachycardia or tachyarrhythmia, angina pectoris, palpitations, Raynaud's syndrome, flushing, pallor, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock
• Frequency not reported: Rhythm disturbances, orthostatic hypotension^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Common (1% to 10%): Proteinuria
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Polyuria, oliguria, urinary frequency
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Impotence^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Common (1% to 10%): Sleep disorder
• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Loss of libido
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Confusion, depression
• Frequency not reported: Nervousness^[Ref]

Other

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Chest pain, fatigue, malaise
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Gynecomastia, fever
• Frequency not reported: Asthenia, alkaline phosphatase elevated^[Ref]

Renal

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Renal insufficiency, acute renal failure, nephrotic syndrome
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): BUN elevated, serum creatinine elevated
• Frequency not reported: Glomerulopathy^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Anorexia, weight loss, loss of appetite
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Hyperkalemia, hypoglycemia, serum potassium increased, serum sodium decreased
• Frequency not reported: Hyponatremia^[Ref]

Ocular

• Rare (0.01% to 0.1%): Disturbed vision, dry eye, itchy eye
• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Blurred vision^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Neutropenia/agranulocytosis, pancytopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, hemoglobin decreased, hematocrit decreased, leukocytes decreased, thrombocytes decreased, erythrocyte sedimentation rate elevated^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Liver enzymes elevated, bilirubin elevated, impaired hepatic function, cholestasis, hepatitis
• Frequency not reported: Jaundice^[Ref]

Immunologic

• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Autoimmune disease, positive antinuclear antibody titer
• Frequency not reported: Serum sickness-like syndrome, anaphylactoid reactions^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Very rare (less than 0.01%): Myalgia, arthralgia
• Frequency not reported: Myasthenia^[Ref]

See also:

Frequently asked questions

• Do ACE inhibitors make COVID-19 worse?

Further information

Captopril side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

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