Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Benazepril

Serious warnings and precautions box

What BENAZEPRIL is used for:

the treatment of high blood pressure in adults. It can be used alone or together with other medicines for high blood pressure known as thiazide diuretics.

How BENAZEPRIL works:

BENAZEPRIL belongs to a group of medicines known as “angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors”. These work to help widen blood vessels that make it easier for the heart to pump blood.

The ingredients in BENAZEPRIL are:

Medicinal ingredients: Benazepril hydrochloride.

Non-medicinal ingredients: Colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, red iron oxide (20 mg only), titanium dioxide, yellow iron oxide (5 mg and 10 mg only), and zinc stearate.

BENAZEPRIL comes in the following dosage forms:

Tablets: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg of benazepril hydrochloride.

If you are pregnant, BENAZEPRIL poses a risk to your unborn baby. This can affect your baby’s growth or even cause death. If you think you are pregnant while taking BENAZEPRIL, stop your treatment right away and tell your healthcare professional.
BENAZEPRIL can also cause severe hypotension (low blood pressure). This is more likely to happen if you have certain heart or kidney problems. Tell your healthcare professional if you have any heart or kidney problems before you start your treatment.

Do not use BENAZEPRIL if:

you are allergic to benazepril hydrochloride or to any other ingredients in BENAZEPRIL.
you previously had an allergic reaction that caused angioedema (i.e., swelling of the hands, feet, or ankles, face, lips, tongue, or throat).
you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Taking BENAZEPRIL during pregnancy can cause injury and even death to your baby.
you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. BENAZEPRIL passes into breast milk.
you have diabetes or kidney problems, and you are taking medicines containing aliskiren
(used to treat high blood pressure).
you are taking other medicines used to treat high blood pressure called “neprilysin inhibitors” (e.g., sacubitril, or sacubitril and valsartan). Do not take BENAZEPRIL and neprilysin inhibitors within 36 hours of each other.

To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take BENAZEPRIL. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:

have had an allergic reaction causing swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat
(angioedema).
have recently received or are planning to get allergy (desensitization) shots for bee or wasp stings. Your healthcare professional will tell you to temporarily stop taking BENAZEPRIL at least 24 hours before you get your allergy shots. This will help prevent you from having a serious allergic reaction. You should also tell the healthcare professional who is giving you the shot that you are taking BENAZEPRIL.
have heart or blood vessel problems.
have liver problems.
have kidney problems.
have diabetes.
are dehydrated or suffer from excessive vomiting, diarrhea, or sweating.
are on dialysis or planning to start dialysis.
have low sodium levels or are on a low-salt (low sodium) diet.
have an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the collagen in your tissues known as a “collagen vascular diseases”. This happens when the body reacts against its own tissues, often causing joint pain and inflammation (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma).
are having a surgery or planning to have a surgery, especially if you will be given an anesthetic.
are on a treatment to lower cholesterol in the blood, such as low-density lipoproteins
(LDL) apheresis.

Other warnings you should know about:

Exposure to sunlight: You may become sensitive to the sun while taking BENAZEPRIL. Exposure to sunlight should be minimized until you know how you respond.

Driving and using machines: BENAZEPRIL can cause lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting, especially at the start of your treatment. Before you perform tasks which may require special attention, wait until you know how you respond to BENAZEPRIL.

Check-ups and testing: Your healthcare professional will assess your health before, during, and after your treatment with BENAZEPRIL. This will depend on your health condition and may include certain tests to assess the following:

your blood pressure;
your heart, kidneys, and liver; and/or
the make-up of your blood (e.g., levels of glucose, potassium, and white blood cells in your blood).

Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.

Serious drug interactions:

Serious drug interactions with BENAZEPRIL include:

neprilysin inhibitors (e.g., sacubitril alone, or sacubitril with valsartan), used to treat chronic heart failure.
medicines that contain aliskiren, used to treat high blood pressure, especially if you also have diabetes or certain kidney problems.

The following may also interact with BENAZEPRIL:

anticoagulants, used to thin the blood or prevent blood clots (e.g., heparin, warfarin, and nicoumalone).
anti-diabetics, used to treat diabetes (e.g., insulin).
cyclosporine, used to help prevent organ rejection.
diuretics, also known as the “water pill”, used to increase the amount of water released in the urine (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, and furosemide).
erythropoietin, used to regulate the production of red blood cells.
injectable gold (sodium aurothiomalate), used to treat a disease that affects your joints known as rheumatoid arthritis.
lithium, used to treat some types of depression.
medicines that affect the sympathetic nervous system (e.g., ganglionic blocking agents and adrenergic neuron blocking agents).
medicines that can affect white blood cells or the immune system (e.g., mTOR inhibitors such as temsirolimus, sirolimus, and everolimus).
medicines that can increase the level of potassium in the blood (e.g., salt substitutes containing potassium, potassium supplements, and potassium-sparing diuretics such as spironolactone, triamterene, and amiloride).
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), used to treat pain, fever and inflammation (e.g., indomethacin, naproxen, and acetylsalicylic acid).
other medicines used to treat high blood pressure (e.g., angiotensin receptor blockers
(ARBs), beta blockers such as propranolol and atenolol, and calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine and nifedipine).
probenecid, used to treat gout.

If you are unsure, ask your healthcare professional.

How to take BENAZEPRIL:

Take BENAZEPRIL exactly as directed by your healthcare professional. If you are unsure, check with your healthcare professional.
It is recommended to take your dose at about the same time every day.
Swallow your tablet with a glass of water.
Never change the dose unless told to do so.

Usual dose:

Your healthcare professional will determine the right dose of BENAZEPRIL for you. This will depend on your health, if you take other medicines, and how you respond to BENAZEPRIL. Do not change your dose unless told by your healthcare professional.

The usual initial dose is 10 mg per day, which may be increased by your healthcare professional up to a maximum of 40 mg per day.

Overdose:

If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much BENAZEPRIL, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, regional poison control centre or Health Canada’s toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) immediately, even if there are no signs or symptoms.

Missed dose:

If you miss or forgot to take a dose of this medicine, take the missed dose as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and then take the next one at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.

Possible side effects from using BENAZEPRIL:

These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking BENAZEPRIL. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.

Side effects of BENAZEPRIL may include:

drowsiness;
cough (dry, non-productive, mainly at night, continuing);
sore throat and throat irritation;
headache;
flushing;
numbness or tingling in the hands, feet or lips;
ringing in the ears;
loss or change of taste;
loss or change of taste;
erectile dysfunction (difficulty getting or keeping an erection);
decreased sex drive;
musculoskeletal pain (e.g., back pain, stiff muscles joint swelling or pain, muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness);
vertigo;
common cold;
runny nose;
passing more gas than usual;
feeling nervous;
urinary tract infection (pain or burning sensation while urinating, frequent urination, blood in urine, pain in the pelvis, strong smelling urine, or cloudy urine);
face pain;
stuffy or runny nose;
sweating;
hair loss

BENAZEPRIL can cause abnormal blood test results. Your healthcare professional will decide when to perform blood tests and will interpret the results.

Serious side effects and what to do about them

Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom	Talk to your healthcare				Stop taking
	professional				this drug and
	Only if		In all		get immediate
	severe		cases		medical help
Uncommon
Angioedema (swelling of tissue under the skin): difficulty breathing, or swollen face, hands, feet, lip, tongue, throat, or swelling of the digestive tract causing diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.				X
Blood disorders (irregular white blood cell, platelet levels, and/or red blood cell levels): fever, weakness,		X

Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom		Talk to your healthcare			Stop taking
		professional			this drug and
		Only if		In all	get immediate
		severe		cases	medical help
fatigue, flu-like symptoms, pale skin, shortness of breath, wheezing, infections, easy bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, abdominal pain, rash, weight loss, rapid heartbeat, or yellowing of skin or eyes.
Depression (sad mood that won’t go away): difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much, changes in appetite or weight, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, regret, helplessness or hopelessness, withdrawal from social situations, family, gatherings and activities with friends, reduced sex drive, or thoughts of death or suicide.	X
Gastrointestinal (GI) tract problems: black stools, weakness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, or diarrhea.			X
Heart problems: discomfort in the shoulder, arm, back, throat, jaw or teeth, pain or pressure in the chest, jaw, left arm or upper abdomen, fast-beating, fluttering pounding heart, skipping beats, beating too fast, pounding, heart attack, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, light-headedness, clammy skin, sweating, indigestion, anxiety, feeling faint, or abnormal heart rhythms.			X
Hypotension (low blood pressure): dizziness, fainting, light-headedness, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting, or fatigue (may occur when you go from lying or sitting to standing up).			X
Kidney problems: increased urine amount or frequency, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, swelling, cramps, dry skin, itchy skin, loss of appetite, fever, or feeling thirsty.			X
Liver problems: abdominal pain, fatigue, fever, itchiness, light-coloured stool, trouble thinking clearly, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.			X
Nervous system disorders: increase in muscle tone, hard to stay asleep, burning, or prickling sensation, or loss of coordination.	X
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): upper abdominal pain, fever, rapid heart beat, nausea, vomiting, or tenderness when touching the			X

Frequency/Side Effect/Symptom		Talk to your healthcare				Stop taking
		professional				this drug and
		Only if		In all		get immediate
		severe		cases		medical help
abdomen.
Severe skin reactions (including Stevens-Johnson syndrome): increased sensitivity to light, blisters, redness, peeling of the skin and/or inside of the lips, eyes, mouth, nasal passages or genitals, fever, chills, headache, cough, body aches, or swollen glands.					X
Stroke (bleeding or blood clot in the brain): sudden numbness or weakness of your arm, leg or face, especially if only on one side of the body; sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding others; sudden difficulty in walking or loss of balance or coordination; or suddenly feeling dizzy or sudden severe headache without a known cause.					X
Unknown
Allergic reactions: difficulty swallowing or breathing, wheezing, drop in blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, hives, rash, itching, swelling or irritating skin, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.					X
Eye problems: blurred vision, shape of objects appears distorted, blind spot that obstructs part of your vision, and temporary vision loss.	X
Hyperkalemia (high amounts of potassium in the blood): palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, or irregular heartbeat.			X
Small bowel angioedema (swelling inside the small intestine): stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, or feeling full quickly.			X

If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.

Reporting Side Effects

You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:

Visiting the Web page on Adverse Reaction Reporting (canada.ca/drug-device-reporting) for information on how to report online, by mail or by fax; or
Calling toll-free at 1-866-234-2345.

NOTE: Contact your healthcare professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice.

Storage:

Store BENAZEPRIL in the original package at room temperature (15°C to 30°C). It should be placed somewhere dry and out of direct light.
The expiry date of this medicine is printed on the package label. Do not use the medicine after this date. If your healthcare professional tells you to stop taking BENAZEPRIL or you find that they have passed their expiry date, please return any left over medicine to your pharmacist.
Keep out of reach and sight of children.

If you want more information about BENAZEPRIL:

Talk to your healthcare professional.
Find the full Product Monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes the Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada Drug Product Database website (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html); the manufacturer’s website (https://www.aapharma.ca/en/), or by calling 1-877-998-9097.

Date of Authorization: 2025-06-24

Benazepril: Uses, Side Effects and Dosage