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AMLODIPINE AND BENAZEPRIL

Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor, at the same time each day. Do not take more of it and do not take it more often than directed.

Dosing

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of tablets that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are taking it.

• For oral dosage form (capsules):
  • For high blood pressure:
    • Adults 1 capsule a day. Your doctor may increase your dose if needed.
    • Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage

To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For amlodipine and benazepril combination, the following should be considered:

Allergies Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to amlodipine or benazepril, as well as to any other ACE inhibitor (captopril, enalapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, moexipril, quinapril, ramipril, or trandolapril). Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy Studies with this combination medicine have not been done in pregnant women. However, use of any of the ACE inhibitors during pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimesters (after the first 3 months) can cause low blood pressure, kidney failure, an underdeveloped skull, or even death in newborns. Therefore, it is important that you check with your doctor immediately if you think that you may be pregnant. Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before taking this combination medicine.

Breast-feeding Benazepril passes into breast milk. Use of this combination medicine is not recommended in women who are breast-feeding.

Children Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of amlodipine and benazepril combination in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults This medicine has been tested in patients 65 years of age or older and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults. However, blood levels of amlodipine may be increased in the elderly and elderly people may be more sensitive to the effects of this medicine.

Racial differences

Black patients may be less sensitive to the blood pressurelowering effects of this medicine. In addition, the risk of a serious allergic reaction involving swelling of the face, mouth, hands, or feet may be increased.

Other medicines Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Diuretics (water pills) Effects on blood pressure may be increased

• Potassium-containing medicines or supplements or
• Salt substitutes that contain potassium Use of these substances with ACE inhibitors may result in an unusually high potassium level in the blood, which can lead to irregular heart rhythm and other problems

• Bee-sting allergy treatments or
• Dialysis Increased risk of serious allergic reaction occurring

• Dehydration Lowering effects on blood pressure may be increased

• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) Increased risk of potassium levels in the body becoming too high

• Heart or blood vessel disease Lowering blood pressure may make problems resulting from these conditions worse

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease Effects may be increased because of slower removal of this medicine from the body

• Scleroderma or
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (or history of) Increased risk of blood problems caused by ACE inhibitors