Captopril

What is captopril?

Captopril belongs to a group of medicines called ACE inhibitors. This medicine is used to treat high blood pressure (called hypertension) and heart failure by reducing the amount of work that the heart has to do.

Captopril comes in a tablet form.

Before giving captopril to your child

Tell your doctor if your child is allergic to captopril or other medicines.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if your child has any of the following conditions. This medicine may not be right for your child if they have:

• swelling of eyes, lips, throat, hands, feet (angioedema)
• kidney disease or kidney transplant
• high potassium levels (hyperkalemia), as captopril can increase the amount of potassium in the body
  
• liver disease
• diabetes

How should you give your child captopril?

• Give captopril exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you to do, even if your child seems better.
• Talk to your child's doctor before you stop giving this medicine for any reason. Your child may become ill if they stop taking this medicine suddenly.
• Give your child captopril at the same time(s) every day (exactly as your child's doctor or pharmacist tells you). Pick times that are easy for you so that you do not miss doses.
• Give your child captopril on an empty stomach, one hour before or two hours after meals with a full glass of liquid.

A tablet may need to be dissolved in water so that a smaller dose can be given. Please read the "Dissolve and Dose" Med-Aid that explains how to do this.

What should you do if your child misses a dose of captopril?

• Give the missed dose as soon as you remember.
• If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose. Give the next dose at the regular time.
• Do not give your child two doses to make up for one missed dose.

It may take up to several weeks before captopril takes its full effect.

What are the possible side effects of captopril?

Your child may have some of these side effects while they take captopril. Check with your child's doctor if your child continues to have any of these side effects and they do not go away, or they bother your child:

• dry cough
• low blood pressure and feeling dizzy or light-headed
• headache
• loss of taste
• unusual tiredness

Most of the following side effects are not common, but they may be a sign of a serious problem. Call your child's doctor right away or take your child to Emergency if your child has any of these side effects:

• unexplained fever or chills
• sore throat or hoarseness that does not go away
• swollen hands, ankles, feet, or legs
• sudden trouble in swallowing or breathing, shortness of breath
• numbness or tingling in hands, feet, or lips
• rash or itchy skin
• swelling of the face, tongue, or lips
• continuing dizziness or light-headedness
• any change in the heartbeat, such as faster or slower
• weakness or heaviness in the legs

What safety measures should you take when your child is using captopril?

• Keep your appointments with the doctor to have your child's blood pressure checked regularly.
• Your child may feel dizzy or light-headed when they start taking captopril, especially after the first dose. Your child should get out of bed or get up from a sitting position slowly after taking the medicine. Your child should sit or lie down if they feel dizzy.
• Do not give your child any potassium supplements unless the doctor orders them.
• Salt substitutes usually contain a lot of potassium and may increase levels of potassium. Do not use salt substitutes.
• There are some medicines that should not be taken together with captopril or in some cases, the dose of captopril or the other medicine may need to be adjusted. It is important that you tell your doctor or pharmacist if your child takes any medications (prescription, over the counter, or herbals) including:
  • Other blood pressure medications
  • Digoxin
  • Ibuprofen (Advil), aspirin, naproxen (Aleve)
  • Lithium
  • Cold and allergy medications

What other important information should you know about captopril?

• Keep a list of all medications your child is on and show the list to the doctor or pharmacist.
• Before your child has any kind of surgery, even on the teeth, or an emergency treatment, tell the doctor or dentist that your child is taking captopril.
• Keep captopril at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do NOT store it in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Do not keep any medicines that are out of date. Check with your pharmacist about the best way to throw away outdated or leftover medicines.

Keep captopril out of your child’s sight and reach and locked up in a safe place. If your child takes too much captopril, call your local Poison Information Centre at one of these numbers. These calls are free. 

• Call 1-844 POISON-X, or 1-844-764-7669, from anywhere in Canada except Quebec.
• Call 1-800-463-5060 if you live in Quebec.