Prescription medication · ACE Inhibitor

fosinopril

Also sold as Monopril. Fosinopril is used to treat high blood pressure.

Data updated 2026-05-15

4,213
FDA reportsLightly reported
12
InteractionsSeveral interactions
$0.15
Generic price (NADAC)

What the data shows

fosinopril (Monopril) is a prescription ACE Inhibitor, among the least-reported drugs the FDA tracks (4,213 FDA reports), with 12 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.

fosinopril (Monopril) is a prescription ACE Inhibitor. Fosinopril is used to treat high blood pressure.

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

Drug Pricing (NADAC)

Generic Price

$0.15/unit

Generic Available

Yes (6 manufacturers)

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

View Alternatives → Compare with Another Drug → Full Side Effects Report →

What it does

Fosinopril is used to treat high blood pressure.

Common side effects

Cough, Dizziness, Nausea

Key warnings

Fosinopril can harm your unborn baby, even causing death.

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

How It Works

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.

Side Effects (from patient reports)

Based on 4,213 FDA adverse event reports.

Most-reported reactions

Adverse reactions in FAERS for fosinopril, 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) As of 2025

Reports over time

Adverse-event reports filed for fosinopril each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

0100200300400 20042007201020132016201920222025 91

Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.

Where fosinopril sits

fosinopril has more FDA adverse-event reports than 23% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.

fewest reports most reports

Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is fosinopril; the line is the median (50th percentile).

FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis

Detailed analysis of 4,213 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.

Total Reports

4,213

Reports Mentioning Death

398

9.4% of reports — not proof of cause

Hospitalization Reports

1,936

Top Indication

Hypertension

Gender Distribution

Female 1,635 (41%)
Male 2,371 (59%)

Age Distribution

0–17 29
18–44 160
45–64 1,035
65–74 947
75+ 927

Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)

# Reaction Reports
1 FATIGUE 239
2 DIARRHOEA 232
3 DYSPNOEA 210
4 NAUSEA 204
6 DIZZINESS 179
7 ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 176
8 ASTHENIA 170
9 RENAL FAILURE 160
10 HYPOTENSION 142
11 PAIN 142
12 HEADACHE 141
13 MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 131
14 VOMITING 131
15 DRUG INTERACTION 129
16 FALL 128

Reactions in Death Reports

DEATH 95
COMPLETED SUICIDE 43
RENAL FAILURE 43
PNEUMONIA 31
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 27
HYPOTENSION 27
FATIGUE 26
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 26
SEPSIS 26
DYSPNOEA 23

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

DYSPNOEA 140
ASTHENIA 120
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 119
RENAL FAILURE ACUTE 117
HYPOTENSION 106
BRADYCARDIA 103
CARDIAC FAILURE CONGESTIVE 100
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 100
DIARRHOEA 97
NAUSEA 90

Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation

Serious Warnings

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

Known Drug Interactions

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 co-administer aliskiren with fosinopril in patients with diabetes. Avoid concomitant use of aliskiren with fosinopril in patients with renal impairment (GFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ).

Mechanism: Both drugs affect the same system that controls blood pressure and kidney function. Using them together increases the risk of very low blood pressure, high potassium levels, and kidney failure.

moderate lithium

Lithium Increased serum lithium levels and symptoms of lithium toxicity have been reported in patients receiving ACE inhibitors during therapy with lithium. These drugs should be coadministered with caution, and frequent monitoring of serum lithium levels is recommended. If a diuretic is also used, the risk of lithium toxicity may be increased.

Mechanism: Fosinopril can make it harder for your body to get rid of lithium, causing it to build up to toxic levels in your blood.

In separate single or multiple dose pharmacokinetic interaction studies with chlorthalidone, nifedipine, propranolol, hydrochlorothiazide, cimetidine, metoclopramide, propantheline, digoxin, and warfarin, the bioavailability of fosinoprilat was not altered by coadministration of fosinopril with any one of these drugs.

Mechanism: Studies show that taking these two medications together does not change how much of the medicine is absorbed into your bloodstream.

minor aspirin

In a study with concomitant administration of aspirin and fosinopril sodium, the bioavailability of unbound fosinoprilat was not altered.

Mechanism: Taking aspirin at the same time as fosinopril does not change the amount of active medicine available for your body to use.

In separate single or multiple dose pharmacokinetic interaction studies with chlorthalidone, nifedipine, propranolol, hydrochlorothiazide, cimetidine, metoclopramide, propantheline, digoxin, and warfarin, the bioavailability of fosinoprilat was not altered by coadministration of fosinopril with any one of these drugs.

Mechanism: These two drugs do not interfere with each other's levels in the body when they are taken together.

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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

Can I take fosinopril with food?
You can take fosinopril with or without food.
What should I do if I feel dizzy after taking fosinopril?
Lie down until the dizziness passes. Talk to your doctor if dizziness continues.
Can I take potassium supplements while taking fosinopril?
Talk to your doctor before taking potassium supplements or salt substitutes. Fosinopril can increase your potassium levels.
How long will I need to take fosinopril?
Your doctor will determine how long you need to take fosinopril. Continue taking it as prescribed, even if you feel well.
Can fosinopril cause a cough?
Yes, a cough is a common side effect of fosinopril. Talk to your doctor if the cough becomes bothersome.
Can I drink alcohol while taking fosinopril?
Talk to your doctor about drinking alcohol while taking fosinopril. Alcohol can lower your blood pressure and may increase the risk of side effects.
What if I have diabetes?
If you have diabetes, you should not take fosinopril with aliskiren.
Will this medicine affect my ability to drive?
Fosinopril may cause dizziness. Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how it affects you.
Can I stop taking this medicine if my blood pressure is normal?
Do not stop taking fosinopril without talking to your doctor first. Your blood pressure may increase if you stop taking it suddenly.
What strengths does this medication come in?
Fosinopril comes in 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg tablets.
What are the common side effects of fosinopril?
The registry lists Cough, Dizziness, Nausea, Vomiting among the most-reported FAERS reaction terms for fosinopril. The compiled record contains 4,213 FDA adverse-event reports. These counts are not an individual symptom assessment.
Does fosinopril interact with other medications?
The registry has 12 documented interaction rows for fosinopril. Notable source-record pairings include aliskiren, lithium, hydrochlorothiazide. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is fosinopril?
fosinopril belongs to the ACE Inhibitor drug class. It requires a prescription (Rx). Fosinopril is used to treat high blood pressure.
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for fosinopril?
The FDA label for fosinopril contains product-specific pregnancy or breastfeeding language. PlainMeds does not apply that source text to an individual.

Other drugs grouped near fosinopril - same-class peers and common alternatives.

Compare fosinopril vs acebutolol side-by-side →

Compare beyond drug class

Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share

Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for fosinopril: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.

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What the FDA Data Shows for fosinopril

The FDA label for fosinopril (sold under brand names such as Monopril) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the ACE Inhibitor class. Fosinopril is used to treat high blood pressure. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Cough, Dizziness, Nausea.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 4,213 voluntary reports. The database also lists 12 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated major severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.15.

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: October 25, 2021

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.

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