Enalapril Dosage

The usual enalapril dosage is 10 mg to 40 mg daily for people with high blood pressure and 2.5 mg to 20 mg twice a day for those taking it for congestive heart failure. For those people with left ventricular dysfunction, the starting daily dose of enalapril is generally 2.5 mg. The enalapril dose recommended by your healthcare provider will generally be based on factors such as other illnesses you may have and other medicines you may already be taking.

 

Enalapril Dosage: An Introduction

The dose of enalapril (marketed as Vasotec® and generic Enalapril Maleate) your healthcare provider prescribes will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • The medical condition you are being treated for
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may be currently taking.
     
As is always the case, do not adjust your enalapril dosage unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Enalapril Dosing for High Blood Pressure

The recommended starting dosage of enalapril for adults with
 high blood pressure (hypertension) is enalapril 5 mg once a day. Based on the blood pressure response and/or enalapril side effects, the dosage may be increased or decreased. For most people, the normal daily dosage is enalapril 10 mg to 40 mg daily, taken either as a single dose or two divided doses (enalapril 5 mg to 10 mg twice a day).
 
If you have hypertension and are already taking a diuretic, your healthcare provider will most likely instruct you to stop the diuretic two to three days before starting enalapril. If you cannot stop the diuretic because of other medical reasons, your healthcare provider may choose to start you on a lower dose of enalapril, such as enalapril 2.5 mg, under close medical supervision.
 
If you have kidney disease, kidney failure, liver disease, or liver failure, your healthcare provider may start you on a lower enalapril dose, depending on the severity of your kidney or liver disease.
 
(Enalapril Dosage Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;