Lisinopril is an oral long-acting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Lisinopril a synthetic peptide derivative, is chemically described as (S)-1-[N2-(1-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl)-L-lysyl]-L-proline dihydrate. Its empirical formula is C21H31N3O52H2O and its structural formula is: Lisinopril, USP is a white to off-white, crystalline powder, with a molecular weight of 441.53. It is soluble in water and sparingly soluble in methanol and practically insoluble in ethanol. Lisinopril tablets, USP are supplied as 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg tablets for oral administration. Inactive Ingredients: 2.5 mg tablets – anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate. 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 30 mg tablets – anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate, iron oxide red. 40 mg tablets – anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate, iron oxide yellow. Lisinopril structure.jpg

What kind of drug is lisinopril?

The FDA classifies lisinopril as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.

Can you take lisinopril with other medicines?

It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run lisinopril against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

What brand names is lisinopril sold under?

We track 3 lisinopril-containing products in the U.S.: Prinivil, Qbrelis and Lisinopril. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does lisinopril come in?

Across the brands we track, lisinopril is currently marketed as tablet and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.

Is there a generic lisinopril?

Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic lisinopril product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.

Has lisinopril been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement database lists 2 recall records whose product description mentions lisinopril. The most recent: Lisinopril and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets USP 20mg/12.5mg (Jun 20, 2025). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.

Lisinopril: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Q: How long does lisinopril stay in your system?

The elimination half-life of lisinopril is about 12 hours (the effective half-life, in adults with normal kidney function) — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. Lisinopril is not metabolized and is cleared unchanged by the kidneys, so its half-life is longer in people with reduced kidney function and in older adults; how much is absorbed also varies widely between individuals. The 12-hour figure is the label's "effective half-life of accumulation" (the clinically meaningful value), not a single-dose terminal half-life. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.

Lisinopril is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names, for diabetic nephropathies, heart failure and hypertension. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesHow we research

Key facts

Drug class: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor
Treats: Diabetic Nephropathies, Heart Failure and Hypertension
Available as: Tablet · Solution
Sold as: 3 products — Prinivil, Qbrelis and Lisinopril
Prescription?: Prescription only
Generic available?: Yes
Half-life: about 12 hours (the effective half-life, in adults with normal kidney function)
Typical price: about $1 for a 30-count supply
Boxed warning: Boxed warning

How lisinopril is dosed

From the FDA label for Prinivil (application NDA019558). Other lisinopril products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Hypertension: Initial adult dose is 10 mg once daily. Titrate up to 40 mg daily based on bloodpressure response. Initiate patients on diuretics at 5 mg once daily (2.1) • Pediatric patients with glomerular filtration rate > 30 mL/min/1.73m2 : Initial dose in patients 6years of age and older is 0.07 mg per kg (up to 5 mg total) once daily (2.1) • Heart Failure: Initiate with 5 mg once daily. Increase dose as tolerated to 40 mg daily (2.2) • Acute Myocardial Infarction (MI): Give 5 mg within 24 hours of MI. Followed by 5 mg after 24hours, then 10 mg once daily (2.3) • Renal Impairment: For patients with creatinine clearance ≥10 mL/min and ≤ 30 mL/min, halveusual initial dose. For patients with creatinine clearance < 10 mL/min or on hemodialysis, therecommended initial dose is 2.5 mg (2.4) 2.1 Hypertension Initial Therapy in adults: The recommended initial dose is 10 mg once a day. Dosage should be adjusted according to blood pressure response. The usual dosage range is 20 mg to 40 mg per day administered in a single daily dose. Doses up to 80 mg have been used but do not appear to give greater effect. Use with diuretics in adults If blood pressure is not controlled with lisinopril alone, a low dose of a diuretic may be added (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide, 12.5 mg). After the addition of a diuretic, it may be possible to reduce the dose of lisinopril.…

Lisinopril side effects

Common adverse reactions (events 2% greater than placebo) by use: Hypertension: headache, dizziness and cough ( 6.1) Heart Failure: hypotension and chest pain (6.1) Acute Myocardial Infarction: hypotension (6.1) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Exelan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-866-604-3268 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Hypertension In clinical trials in patients with hypertension treated with lisinopril, 5.7% of patients on lisinopril discontinued with adverse reactions. The following adverse reactions (events 2% greater on lisinopril than on placebo) were observed with lisinopril alone: headache (by 3.8%), dizziness (by 3.5%), cough (by 2.5%). Heart Failure In patients with systolic heart failure treated with lisinopril for up to four years, 11% discontinued therapy with adverse reactions. In controlled studies in patients with heart failure, therapy was discontinued in 8.1% of patients treated with lisinopril for 12 weeks, compared to 7.7% of patients treated with placebo for 12 weeks. The following adverse reactions (events 2% greater on lisinopril…

Lisinopril and food

Potassium-rich foods & salt substitutes
Don't use potassium-based salt substitutes unless your clinician approves, and ask before taking potassium supplements. Your clinician may check your potassium level with blood tests.
Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor) — MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) ↗

Every lisinopril product we track (3)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Lisinopril products
#	Drug	Rating	Type	Form	Generic?	Typical price
1	Prinivil Boxed warning	72/100	Prescription	Tablet	Generic	$1	View →
2	Qbrelis

What lisinopril pills look like

Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.

Lisinopril pill imprints
Imprint	Strength	Colour	Shape	Maker
H150	10 mg / 12.5 mg	white	round	—
LL;B03	25 mg / 20 mg	orange	round	—
LL;B02	12.5 mg / 20 mg	yellow	round	—
LL;B01	12.5 mg / 10 mg	blue	hexagon (6 sided)	—
LL;B02	12.5 mg / 20 mg	yellow	round	—
LUPIN;10

Combination products containing lisinopril

A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.

Lisinopril recalls

From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.

How long lisinopril stays in your system

The elimination half-life of lisinopril is about 12 hours (the effective half-life, in adults with normal kidney function). Lisinopril is not metabolized and is cleared unchanged by the kidneys, so its half-life is longer in people with reduced kidney function and in older adults; how much is absorbed also varies widely between individuals. The 12-hour figure is the label's "effective half-life of accumulation" (the clinically meaningful value), not a single-dose terminal half-life.

LISINOPRIL tablet — DailyMed (FDA label), Clinical Pharmacology / Pharmacokinetics ↗

Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.

Frequently asked questions

What is lisinopril?: Lisinopril is an oral long-acting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Lisinopril a synthetic peptide derivative, is chemically described as (S)-1-[N2-(1-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl)-L-lysyl]-L-proline dihydrate. Its empirical formula is C21H31N3O52H2O and its structural formula is: Lisinopril, USP is a white to off-white, crystalline powder, with a molecular weight of 441.53. It is soluble in water and sparingly soluble in methanol and practically insoluble in ethanol. Lisinopril tablets, USP are supplied as 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg tablets for oral administration. Inactive Ingredients: 2.5 mg tablets – anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate. 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 30 mg tablets – anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate, iron oxide red. 40 mg tablets – anhydrous lactose, magnesium stearate, iron oxide yellow. Lisinopril structure.jpg
What kind of drug is lisinopril?: The FDA classifies lisinopril as an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
How long does lisinopril stay in your system?: The elimination half-life of lisinopril is about 12 hours (the effective half-life, in adults with normal kidney function) — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. Lisinopril is not metabolized and is cleared unchanged by the kidneys, so its half-life is longer in people with reduced kidney function and in older adults; how much is absorbed also varies widely between individuals. The 12-hour figure is the label's "effective half-life of accumulation" (the clinically meaningful value), not a single-dose terminal half-life. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take lisinopril with other medicines?: It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run lisinopril against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.

Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.