benazepril vs lisinopril
Side-by-side comparison of benazepril and lisinopril Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Lotensin
Prinivil, Zestril
Benazepril (Lotensin) is a medicine that lowers your blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps to prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide is a drug that lowers blood pressure. It contains two medicines that work together to help your heart.
Benazepril is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). Lowering your blood pressure reduces your risk of heart attack and stroke. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines.
This medicine treats high blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks. You should also manage cholesterol, diabetes, and quit smoking to improve your heart health.
Benazepril is an ACE inhibitor. It works by relaxing your blood vessels. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.
Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor that widens blood vessels. Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic that helps your body get rid of extra salt and water. Together, they lower blood pressure more effectively.
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Feeling sleepy
- • Dizziness when standing up
- • Dizziness
- • Headache
- • Cough
- • Feeling tired
- • Diarrhea
- Feeling sick to your stomach 439
- Feeling tired 408
- Medicine not working 398
- Feeling lightheaded 382
- Difficulty breathing 380
- Feeling tired 19,347
- Feeling sick to your stomach 17,995
- The medicine is not working 17,182
- Loose stools 16,772
- Difficulty breathing 13,649
If you become pregnant, stop taking benazepril right away and tell your doctor. This medicine can harm or kill your unborn baby.
This drug can harm your unborn baby, even causing death. Stop taking this medicine as soon as you know you are pregnant.
Benazepril can cause serious harm to your unborn baby, including death. Stop taking it as soon as you know you are pregnant. Talk to your doctor about other blood pressure medicines if you are planning to become pregnant.
Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant. It can cause serious harm or death to your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about safe alternatives if you are breastfeeding.
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How to Read This benazepril vs lisinopril Comparison
benazepril is classified in the ACE Inhibitor drug class, while lisinopril sits within the ACE Inhibitor class. Because both drugs share the same classification, they are often considered interchangeable in theory — but clinical outcomes rarely track that cleanly. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, benazepril has 2,007 submissions while lisinopril has 84,945. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume — not per-patient risk — so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. No direct interaction between these two drugs is listed in our FDA-derived dataset, though co-prescription still warrants pharmacist review. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between benazepril and lisinopril — always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.