Shop products for Enalapril 
Combination drugs: Innozide®, Vaseretic®
Enalapril is a type of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, a family of drugs used to treat high blood pressure and some types of heart failure. Enalapril is also used to slow the progression of kidney disease in people with diabetes.
Summary of
Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, an herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem
contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized
interactions.
 May be Beneficial: Side effect
reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or
severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication. |
Iron |
 Avoid: Adverse interaction—Avoid these supplements
when taking this medication because taking them together may cause undesirable or dangerous
results. |
High-potassium foods* Potassium supplements* Salt substitutes* |
 Check: Other—Before taking any of these supplements
or eating any of these foods with your medication, read this article in full for details. |
Sodium |
| Depletion or interference |
None known |
| Supportive interaction |
None known |
| Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability |
None known |
An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.
Interactions with Dietary Supplements
Potassium
An uncommon yet potentially serious side effect of taking ACE inhibitors is increased blood
potassium levels.1 2 3 This problem is more likely to occur
in people with advanced kidney disease. Taking potassium supplements,4
potassium-containing salt substitutes (No Salt®, Morton Salt Substitute®, and
others),5 6 7 or large amounts of high-potassium foods at the
same time as ACE inhibitors could cause life-threatening problems.8 Therefore,
people should consult their healthcare practitioner before supplementing additional potassium
and should have their blood levels of potassium checked periodically while taking ACE
inhibitors.
Sodium
In a short-term study of nine overweight men, enalapril plus a low-salt diet reduced blood
pressure more than a low-salt diet alone.9
Additionally, enalapril plus a low-salt diet resulted in better
insulin response than the low-salt diet alone. The importance of this preliminary
information for overweight people with high blood pressure is unclear.
Iron
In a double-blind study of patients who had developed a cough attributed to an ACE inhibitor,
supplementation with iron (in the form of 256 mg of ferrous sulphate per day) for four weeks
reduced the severity of the cough by a statistically significant 45%, compared with a
nonsignificant 8% improvement in the placebo group.10
References
1. Good CB, McDermott L, McCloskey B. Diet and serum potassium in patients on ACE inhibitors. JAMA 1995;274:538.
2. Rush JE, Merrill DD. The Safety and tolerability of lisinopril in clinical trials. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 1987;9(Suppl 3):S99–107.
3. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians’ Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1965–8.
4. Burnakis TG, Mioduch HJ. Combined therapy with captopril and potassium supplementation. A potential for hyperkalemia. Arch Intern Med 1984;144:2371–2.
5. Burnakis TG. Captopril and increased serum potassium levels. JAMA 1984;252:1682–3 [letter].
6. Ray K, Dorman S, Watson R. Severe hyperkalemia due to the concomitant use of salt substitutes and ACE inhibitors in hypertension: a potentially life threatening interaction. J Hum Hypertens 1999;13:717–20.
7. Sifton DW, ed. Physicians’ Desk Reference. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 2000, 1965–8.
8. Stoltz ML. Severe hyperkalemia during very-low-calorie diets and angiotensin converting enzyme use. JAMA 1990;264:2737–8 [letter].
9. Egan BM, Stepniakowski K. Effects of enalapril on the hyperinsulinemic response to severe salt restriction in obese young men with mild systemic hypertension. Am J Cardiol 1993;72:53–7.
10. Lee SC, Park SW, Kim DK, et al. Iron supplementation inhibits cough associated with ACE inhibitors. Hypertension 2001;38:166–70.
11. Threlkeld DS, ed. Diuretics and Cardiovasculars, Antihypertensives, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors. In Facts and Comparisons Drug Information. St. Louis, MO: Facts and Comparisons, Apr 1998, 165o–5p.
