hydralazine vs minoxidil
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 hydralazine and minoxidil. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
Apresoline
Loniten
Hydralazine is a drug that lowers blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. It can be used alone or with other medications.
Minoxidil (Loniten) is a medicine that helps regrow hair. It works by widening blood vessels in the scalp.
Hydralazine is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It can be used by itself or with other blood pressure medicines. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.
This medicine is used to help regrow hair on the top of your head. It only works on the vertex, which is the top of the scalp. Remember to look at the pictures on the side of the box to see if this product is right for you.
Hydralazine works by relaxing the muscles in your blood vessels. This allows blood to flow more easily. As a result, your blood pressure goes down.
Minoxidil is a vasodilator. This means it widens blood vessels in your scalp. This may help more blood flow to the hair follicles, which can help hair grow.
- • Headache
- • Loss of appetite
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Itching
- • Rash
- • Dizziness
- Chronic Kidney Disease 2,819
- Acute Kidney Injury 2,616
- Renal Failure 2,097
- End Stage Renal Disease 1,585
- Fatigue 1,542
- Adverse Drug Reaction 8,511
- Alopecia 3,740
- Application Site Pruritus 2,903
- Overdose 1,429
- Application Site Irritation 1,399
Taking high doses of hydralazine can cause a drug-induced lupus erythematosus (L.E.) cell syndrome. Your doctor will monitor your dose to avoid this.
Hair regrowth has not been shown to last longer than 48 weeks when using minoxidil topical solution 5% continuously.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if hydralazine will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking hydralazine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The safety of this medicine during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not well-studied. Talk to your doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
How to Read This hydralazine vs minoxidil Comparison
hydralazine is classified in the Vasodilator drug class, while minoxidil sits within the Vasodilator 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, hydralazine has 10,659 submissions while minoxidil has 17,982. 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 hydralazine or minoxidil.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.