Prescription medication · Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination

amlodipine/benazepril

Also sold as Lotrel. Lotrel is used to treat high blood pressure.

Data updated 2026-05-15

112,713
FDA reports
7
InteractionsFew interactions
$12.23
Brand price (NADAC)

What the data shows

amlodipine/benazepril (Lotrel) is a prescription Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination, with 112,713 FDA adverse-event reports on file, with 7 documented drug interactions.

Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.

amlodipine/benazepril (Lotrel) is a prescription Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination. Lotrel is used to treat high blood pressure.

Lotrel is a combination medicine that contains amlodipine and benazepril. It is used to treat high blood pressure.

Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →

Drug Pricing (NADAC)

Brand Price

$12.23/unit

Generic Available

No

Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →

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What it does

Lotrel is used to treat high blood pressure.

Common side effects

Cough, Headache, Dizziness

Key warnings

This medicine can harm your unborn baby or cause death.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from amlodipine/benazepril's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

Lotrel contains two medicines that work in different ways to lower blood pressure. Amlodipine relaxes and widens blood vessels so blood can flow more easily. Benazepril lowers blood pressure by preventing your body from making a substance that narrows blood vessels.

Side Effects (from patient reports)

Based on 112,713 FDA adverse event reports.

Most-reported reactions

Adverse reactions in FAERS for amlodipine/benazepril, by number of reports

reports

What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.

Source FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)

Serious Warnings

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

Known Drug Interactions

major amlodipine

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Potassium supplements/potassium-sparing diuretics: hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Lithium: Increased serum lithium levels; toxicity symptoms ( 7.1 ) • Injectable gold: facial flushing, nausea, vomiting, hypotension ( 7.1 ) • Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Risk of renal dysfunction, loss of antihypertensive effect ( 7.1 ) • Do not exceed doses greater than 20 mg daily of simvastatin ( 7.1 ) • mTOR inhibitors: increased risk of angioedema ( 7.1 ) • Dual inhibition of the RAS: Increased risk of renal impairment, hypotension, and hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Neprilysin...

Mechanism: This combination pill already contains amlodipine, so taking extra amlodipine separately can lead to an overdose and dangerously low blood pressure.

major simvastatin

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Potassium supplements/potassium-sparing diuretics: hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Lithium: Increased serum lithium levels; toxicity symptoms ( 7.1 ) • Injectable gold: facial flushing, nausea, vomiting, hypotension ( 7.1 ) • Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Risk of renal dysfunction, loss of antihypertensive effect ( 7.1 ) • Do not exceed doses greater than 20 mg daily of simvastatin ( 7.1 ) • mTOR inhibitors: increased risk of angioedema ( 7.1 ) • Dual inhibition of the RAS: Increased risk of renal impairment, hypotension, and hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Neprilysin...

Mechanism: The amlodipine in this combination pill increases the amount of simvastatin that stays in your bloodstream.

major lithium

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Potassium supplements/potassium-sparing diuretics: hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Lithium: Increased serum lithium levels; toxicity symptoms ( 7.1 ) • Injectable gold: facial flushing, nausea, vomiting, hypotension ( 7.1 ) • Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Risk of renal dysfunction, loss of antihypertensive effect ( 7.1 ) • Do not exceed doses greater than 20 mg daily of simvastatin ( 7.1 ) • mTOR inhibitors: increased risk of angioedema ( 7.1 ) • Dual inhibition of the RAS: Increased risk of renal impairment, hypotension, and hyperkalemia ( 7.1 ) • Neprilysin...

Mechanism: Benazepril can make it harder for the kidneys to remove lithium from the body, causing lithium levels to rise. This increase can lead to lithium poisoning or other serious side effects.

major aliskiren

Dual Blockade of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS): Dual blockade of the RAS with angiotensin receptor blockers, ACE inhibitors, or aliskiren is associated with increased risks of hypotension, hyperkalemia, and changes in renal function (including acute renal failure) compared to monotherapy. Do not coadminister aliskiren with Lotrel in patients with diabetes. Avoid use of aliskiren with Lotrel in patients with renal impairment [glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min].

Mechanism: Both of these drugs target the same system that controls blood pressure, which can cause your blood pressure to drop too low. This combination also increases the risk of kidney damage and high potassium levels.

moderate spironolactone

Potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone, amiloride, triamterene, and others) or potassium supplements can increase the risk of hyperkalemia. Potassium-sparing diuretics (spironolactone, amiloride, triamterene, and others) or potassium supplements can increase the risk of hyperkalemia.

Mechanism: Both of these medications can cause your body to hold onto potassium instead of flushing it out. This can lead to dangerously high levels of potassium in your blood.

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This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

What should I avoid while taking Lotrel?
Talk to your doctor before taking potassium supplements or salt substitutes containing potassium.
Can I take Lotrel if I have kidney problems?
Talk to your doctor. They may need to adjust your dose.
How long does it take for Lotrel to work?
It may take up to 2 weeks to see the full effect of Lotrel on your blood pressure.
What if I experience swelling while taking this medicine?
Tell your doctor right away if you have swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, or difficulty breathing.
Can I drink alcohol while taking Lotrel?
Talk to your doctor about drinking alcohol while taking Lotrel, as it may lower your blood pressure too much.
Will this medicine cure my high blood pressure?
No, Lotrel helps control high blood pressure, but it is usually not a cure. You may need to take it for the rest of your life.
Can I stop taking Lotrel if my blood pressure is normal?
Do not stop taking Lotrel without talking to your doctor first. Stopping suddenly can cause your blood pressure to rise quickly.
Can I take other medicines with Lotrel?
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
What are the symptoms of low blood pressure?
Symptoms of low blood pressure can include dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting.
What are the common side effects of amlodipine/benazepril?
The registry lists Cough, Headache, Dizziness, Swelling (edema) among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for amlodipine/benazepril. The compiled record contains 112,713 FDA adverse-event reports. These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
Does amlodipine/benazepril interact with other medications?
The registry has 7 documented interaction rows for amlodipine/benazepril. Notable source-record pairings include amlodipine, simvastatin, lithium. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is amlodipine/benazepril?
amlodipine/benazepril belongs to the Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). Lotrel is used to treat high blood pressure.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for amlodipine/benazepril?
The FDA label for amlodipine/benazepril contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.

Related Medications in Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination

Other drugs grouped near amlodipine/benazepril - same-class peers and common alternatives.

acebutolol

Sectral

Acebutolol is a medicine that helps lower blood pressure and control irregular heartbeats.

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aliskiren

Tekturna

Tekturna is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure.

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amiloride

Midamor

Amiloride is a water pill that helps your body hold onto potassium.

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amlodipine

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amlodipine/valsartan

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Exforge HCT is a combination medicine used to treat high blood pressure.

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What the FDA Data Shows for amlodipine/benazepril

The FDA label for amlodipine/benazepril (sold under brand names such as Lotrel) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Calcium Channel Blocker / ACE Inhibitor Combination class. Lotrel is used to treat high blood pressure. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Cough, Headache, Dizziness.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 112,713 voluntary reports. The database also lists 7 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: August 1, 2023

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page