fosinopril vs lisinopril

PlainMeds reviewed this comparison against our methodology in August 2026. It places FDA and CMS record fields side by side, without recommending either medication.

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

Drug Class
fosinopril ACE Inhibitor
lisinopril ACE Inhibitor
Type
fosinopril Prescription
lisinopril Prescription
Summary
fosinopril

Fosinopril is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. It can also help manage heart failure.

lisinopril

No summary available.

What It Treats
fosinopril

Fosinopril is used to treat high blood pressure. It can be used alone or with a water pill (diuretic). Fosinopril also helps manage heart failure when used with other medicines.

lisinopril

Information not available.

How It Works
fosinopril

Fosinopril 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 lowers your blood pressure.

lisinopril

Information not available.

Common Side Effects
fosinopril
  • Cough
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
lisinopril
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Cough
  • Feeling tired
  • Diarrhea
FAERS Reports
fosinopril
  • Fatigue 239
  • Diarrhoea 232
  • Dyspnoea 210
  • Nausea 204
  • Dizziness 179
lisinopril
  • Fatigue 19,346
  • Nausea 17,996
  • Diarrhoea 16,771
  • Dyspnoea 13,650
  • Pain 13,303
Serious Warnings
fosinopril

Fosinopril can harm your unborn baby, even causing death. Stop taking fosinopril as soon as you know you are pregnant.

lisinopril

No specific warnings noted.

Pregnancy
fosinopril

Do not take fosinopril if you are pregnant. It can cause serious harm or death to your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about other blood pressure medicines if you are breastfeeding.

lisinopril

No pregnancy information available.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This fosinopril vs lisinopril Comparison

fosinopril 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, fosinopril has 1,064 submissions while lisinopril has 81,066. 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 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 fosinopril or lisinopril.

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