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benazepril vs moexipril

Side-by-side comparison of benazepril and moexipril Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

Drug Class
benazepril ACE Inhibitor
moexipril ACE Inhibitor
Type
benazepril Prescription
moexipril Prescription
Summary
benazepril

Benazepril (Lotensin) is a medicine that lowers your blood pressure. Lowering blood pressure helps to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

moexipril

Moexipril is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with a water pill.

What It Treats
benazepril

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.

moexipril

Moexipril is used to treat high blood pressure. High blood pressure can harm your heart, brain, and kidneys. Lowering your blood pressure can help prevent heart attacks and strokes. This medicine can be used by itself or with other medicines to lower blood pressure.

How It Works
benazepril

Benazepril is an ACE inhibitor. It works by relaxing your blood vessels. This makes it easier for your heart to pump blood.

moexipril

Moexipril belongs to a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. It works by blocking a substance in your body that tightens blood vessels. This helps your blood vessels relax and widens them, which lowers your blood pressure.

Common Side Effects
benazepril
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Dizziness when standing up
moexipril
  • Cough
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Fatigue
FAERS Reports
benazepril
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 439
  • Feeling tired 408
  • Medicine not working 398
  • Feeling lightheaded 382
  • Difficulty breathing 380
moexipril
  • Weakness 8
  • Shortness of breath 6
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 5
  • Low blood pressure 4
  • Stroke 4
Serious Warnings
benazepril

If you become pregnant, stop taking benazepril right away and tell your doctor. This medicine can harm or kill your unborn baby.

moexipril

This medicine can harm your unborn baby. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, tell your doctor right away. Stop taking moexipril as soon as you know you are pregnant.

Pregnancy
benazepril

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.

moexipril

Moexipril can cause injury or death to a developing fetus. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, stop taking it immediately and tell your doctor. It is not known if moexipril passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor before breastfeeding.

Also Compare — Nearby Drugs

How to Read This benazepril vs moexipril Comparison

benazepril is classified in the ACE Inhibitor drug class, while moexipril 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 moexipril has 27. 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 moexipril — 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.