Quinapril: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Quinapril is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor sold in the U.S. under one brand, 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.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor
- Treats
- Diabetic Nephropathies, Heart Failure and Hypertension
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- Quinapril Hydrochloride
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
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How quinapril is dosed
From the FDA label for Quinapril Hydrochloride (application ANDA076803). Other quinapril products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Hypertension Monotherapy The recommended initial dosage of quinapril tablets in patients not on diuretics is 10 mg or 20 mg once daily. Dosage should be adjusted according to blood pressure response measured at peak (2 to 6 hours after dosing) and trough (pre-dosing). Generally, dosage adjustments should be made at intervals of at least 2 weeks. Most patients have required dosages of 20 mg/day, 40 mg/day or 80 mg/day, given as a single dose or in two equally divided doses. In some patients treated once daily, the antihypertensive effect may diminish toward the end of the dosing interval. In such patients an increase in dosage or twice daily administration may be warranted. In general, doses of 40 mg to 80 mg and divided doses give a somewhat greater effect at the end of the dosing interval. Concomitant Diuretics If blood pressure is not adequately controlled with quinapril hydrochloride tablet monotherapy, a diuretic may be added. In patients who are currently being treated with a diuretic, symptomatic hypotension occasionally can occur following the initial dose of quinapril tablets. To reduce the likelihood of hypotension, the diuretic should, if possible, be discontinued 2 to 3 days prior to beginning therapy with quinapril tablets (see WARNINGS ). Then, if blood pressure is not controlled with quinapril tablets alone, diuretic therapy should be resumed. If the diuretic…
Quinapril side effects
Hypertension Quinapril hydrochloride has been evaluated for safety in 4,960 subjects and patients. Of these, 3,203 patients, including 655 elderly patients, participated in controlled clinical trials. Quinapril hydrochloride has been evaluated for long-term safety in over 1,400 patients treated for 1 year or more. Adverse experiences were usually mild and transient. In placebo-controlled trials, discontinuation of therapy because of adverse events was required in 4.7% of patients with hypertension. Adverse experiences probably or possibly related to therapy or of unknown relationship to therapy occurring in 1% or more of the 1,563 patients in placebo-controlled hypertension trials who were treated with quinapril hydrochloride are shown below. Adverse Events in Placebo-Controlled Trials Quinapril Hydrochloride (N=1,563) Incidence (Discontinuance) Placebo (N=579) Incidence (Discontinuance) Headache 5.6 (0.7) 10.9 (0.7) Dizziness 3.9 (0.8) 2.6 (0.2) Fatigue 2.6 (0.3) 1.0 Coughing 2.0 (0.5) 0.0 Nausea and/or Vomiting 1.4 (0.3) 1.9 (0.2) Abdominal Pain 1.0 (0.2) 0.7 Heart Failure Quinapril hydrochloride has been evaluated for safety in 1,222 quinapril hydrochloride treated patients. Of these, 632 patients participated in controlled clinical trials. In placebo-controlled trials, discontinuation of therapy because of adverse events was required in 6.8% of patients with congestive…
Who shouldn’t take quinapril
Quinapril hydrochloride is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to this product and in patients with a history of angioedema related to previous treatment with an ACE inhibitor. Quinapril hydrochloride is contraindicated in combination with a neprilysin inhibitor (e.g., sacubitril). Do not administer quinapril hydrochloride within 36 hours of switching to or from sacubitril/valsartan, a neprilysin inhibitor (see WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS ). Do not co-administer quinapril hydrochloride with aliskiren in patients with diabetes.
Quinapril 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 quinapril product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Quinapril Hydrochloride.
What quinapril pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Combination products containing quinapril
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.
Quinapril and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for quinapril: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadBecause of the low levels of quinapril in breastmilk, amounts ingested by the infant are small and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised July 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about quinapril
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 1,438 reports naming quinapril, and the FDA flagged 86% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- fall560 reports
- cognitive disorder500 reports
- hypotension497 reports
- orthostatic hypotension494 reports
- constipation493 reports
- balance disorder491 reports
- sedation467 reports
- depressed level of consciousness441 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean quinapril caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 26, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is quinapril?
Quinapril Hydrochloride is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor used to treat Diabetic Nephropathies, Heart Failure, Hypertension, Left Ventricular Dysfunction.
What kind of drug is quinapril?
The FDA classifies quinapril 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 quinapril 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 quinapril against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does quinapril come in?
Across the brands we track, quinapril is currently marketed as tablet, 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 quinapril?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic quinapril 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.
What should I avoid while taking quinapril?
Food: salt substitutes containing potassium, and large amounts of potassium-rich foods or supplements — see the food section above for what each one does and whether it means avoiding it or just being consistent. This is what the FDA label and our cited sources say — it is not a complete list. Your pharmacist can check your own combination.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Quinapril: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/quinapril
- MLA
- “Quinapril: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/quinapril.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
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.
Read the full FDA label for quinapril on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.