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Heart Failure
Taking Medications; Photo of pills in pill box

Taking ACE Inhibitors

The name of my ACE inhibitor is:

______________________________

Your doctor has prescribed an ACE inhibitor. This medication opens up your blood vessels so that your blood flows more easily. This sheet gives you tips for taking your ACE inhibitor.

Take your medication at the same time each day
Take your medication at the same time each day.
Why Take Your ACE Inhibitor

  • It gives you more energy to do the things you enjoy.

  • It helps you stay out of the hospital.

  • It helps you live longer.

Tips to Help You

  • Follow the fact sheet that comes with your medication. It tells you when and how to take it. Ask for a sheet if you don’t get one.

  • Have a routine for taking your medication. Take it at the same time each day. A watch with an alarm can help.

  • Take your medication at least 1 hour before you eat or 2 hours after you eat.

  • Do not change the dose or stop taking your medication unless your doctor tells you to. It may take a few weeks for you to feel that the medication is working.

When to Call Your Doctor

  • You have diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or you are sweating. These can cause loss of water (dehydration) and low blood pressure.

  • You have a dry, hacking cough or a sore throat.

  • You feel dizzy or faint, or have a headache.

  • You have a fever or chills, trouble breathing or swallowing, or swelling in your face, mouth, arms, lower legs, ankles, or feet. These may be signs of an allergic reaction.

  • You have any other unusual symptoms.

Publication Source: Lee, TH; Simmon, HB, The Healthy Heart: Preventing and Treating Coronary Artery Disease (Harvard Special Health Reports), Medications for Coronary Artery Disease, 2007
Online Source: Heart Failure Society of America http://www.abouthf.org/module3/ace_inhibitor_side_effects.htm
Online Source: American Heart Association http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=118
Date Last Reviewed: 10/4/2005
Date Last Modified: 10/4/2005