enalapril vs methyldopa
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.
Recommendation: This combination is generally safe, though your healthcare provider should continue to track your blood pressure regularly.
Vasotec
Aldomet
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 is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure. It helps to lower your blood pressure.
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 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.
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 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.
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Fatigue
- • Cough
- • Sedation
- • Headache
- • Weakness
- Diarrhea 2,806
- Difficulty breathing 2,659
- Feeling sick to your stomach 2,571
- Tiredness 2,374
- Medicine interfering with another medicine 2,337
- Baby exposed to drug during pregnancy 1,261
- Baby born too early 888
- Mother exposed to drug during pregnancy 794
- Exposure to drug during pregnancy 654
- Delivery before term 561
This drug can harm your unborn baby. Stop taking enalapril as soon as you know you are pregnant.
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.
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.
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.
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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 12,747 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 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 enalapril and methyldopa - 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.