enalapril vs methyldopa

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

minor Known Drug Interaction

Other Cardiovascular Agents Enalapril maleate has been used concomitantly with beta adrenergic-blocking agents, methyldopa, nitrates, calcium-blocking agents, hydralazine, prazosin and digoxin without evidence of clinically significant adverse interactions.

Drug Class
enalapril ACE Inhibitor
methyldopa Central Alpha-2 Agonist
Type
enalapril Prescription
methyldopa Prescription
Summary
enalapril

Enalapril (Vasotec) is a medicine that lowers blood pressure and helps treat heart failure. It belongs to a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors.

methyldopa

Methyldopa is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure. It helps to lower your blood pressure.

What It Treats
enalapril

Enalapril is used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with other blood pressure medicines, like water pills. Enalapril also treats symptomatic congestive heart failure, usually with other medicines. It can also help clinically stable patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

methyldopa

Methyldopa is used to treat hypertension, which is also known as high blood pressure. High blood pressure can strain the heart and blood vessels. Lowering blood pressure can reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.

How It Works
enalapril

Enalapril blocks a substance in your body that tightens blood vessels. This helps your blood vessels relax and widens them. As a result, blood pressure is lowered, and blood can flow more easily.

methyldopa

Methyldopa lowers blood pressure by affecting certain chemicals in your brain. These chemicals help to relax blood vessels, which allows blood to flow more easily. This results in lower blood pressure.

Common Side Effects
enalapril
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Cough
methyldopa
  • Sedation
  • Headache
  • Weakness
FAERS Reports
enalapril
  • Diarrhoea 2,807
  • Dyspnoea 2,659
  • Nausea 2,574
  • Fatigue 2,377
  • Drug Interaction 2,336
methyldopa
  • Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy 1,261
  • Premature Baby 888
  • Maternal Exposure During Pregnancy 794
  • Exposure During Pregnancy 654
  • Premature Delivery 561
Serious Warnings
enalapril

This drug can harm your unborn baby. Stop taking enalapril as soon as you know you are pregnant.

methyldopa

You should not take methyldopa if you have active liver disease like hepatitis or cirrhosis. Also, do not take it if you have had liver problems caused by methyldopa in the past. Do not take it if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in methyldopa. You should not take this medicine if you are taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor.

Pregnancy
enalapril

Do not take enalapril if you are pregnant because it can cause harm or death to the developing fetus. Talk to your doctor about safe alternatives if you are breastfeeding.

methyldopa

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Methyldopa can pass into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This enalapril vs methyldopa Comparison

enalapril is classified in the ACE Inhibitor drug class, while methyldopa sits within the Central Alpha-2 Agonist class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. 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, enalapril has 12,753 submissions while methyldopa has 4,158. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to these medications work in different ways to lower blood pressure and have been used together without causing significant safety issues.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for enalapril or methyldopa.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.