Switching Between Losartan And Lisinopril

In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses switching between two blood pressure medications, losartan and lisinopril.

Question

I was taking lisinopril for about 4 months. It was making me couch a lot my Dr changed me to Losartan and it's not lowering my blood pressure at all. To change back to the lisinopril how many days do i not nerd to take the Losartan

Asked by Lisa On Jun 08, 2022

Answered by
Medical Content Reviewed By HelloPharmacist Staff

Published Jun 08, 2022
Last updated Mar 29, 2024

Key points

  • Lisinopril and losartan are similar drugs, but are in different classes
  • Lisinopril is an ACE-Inhibitor while Losartan in an angiotensin II receptor blocker.
  • ACE-inhibitors like lisinopril commonly cause a drug cough, and switching to an ARB due to this is fairly common.
  • The dosages of lisinopril and losartan aren't equal, but you can generally find a close conversion.

Coughing on a drug like lisinopril is not uncommon.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, such as lisinopril (Zestril), commonly cause a persistent dry cough.

Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), like losartan (Cozaar), are less likely to cause this dry cough.

Although these medication classes work in a similar fashion, ARBs do not inhibit kinase II which is thought to be responsible for the cough. Switching from lisinopril to losartan may help reduce the likelihood of developing a dry cough.

Switching Between The Two Drugs

Before switching back to lisinopril, it may help to ensure that the losartan dose was sufficient.

Increasing the dose may help lower your blood pressure without switching back to lisinopril. Also, other medications may be added to complement the losartan, even at a low dose.

See below for a general idea of equivalent doses between losartan and lisinopril for high blood pressure:

 

Lisinopril

Losartan

Starting Dose

10 mg

50 mg

Usual dose range

20-40 mg/day

25-100 mg/day

Maximum Dose

80 mg

100 mg

Maximum Dose—renal dysfunction

40 mg

Dosage adjustment only if volume-depleted

 

If you and your doctor decide to switch to lisinopril from losartan, the following information may be helpful:

  • Losartan has a half-life of around 2-6 hours, including its active metabolite
  • Losartan should be cleared completely after 12-36 hours
  • Both medications have a similar mechanism of action in the kidneys.
  • Although this has not been extensively studied, it would make sense to start the lisinopril at the same time as your next losartan dose would have been due

Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs have cardiac protective effects outside of the impact on blood pressure. Although ACE inhibitors can cause a slight worsening in your serum creatinine in the near term, they are thought to be renal protective over the long term.

Both ACE inhibitors and ARBs are known to increase the risk of having hyperkalemia, or high potassium.

The normal range for potassium is 3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L, but your physician may allow for variances to this range depending on your situation.

Sometimes, potassium levels will be increased when beginning therapy but may improve over time.

The effect on both blood pressure and potassium levels is enhanced with higher doses. Hyperkalemia may also be associated with poor renal function and a serum creatinine test may be warranted to assess your kidney function.

Other common side effects of these medications include hypotension (low blood pressure) and dizziness.

Angioedema or swelling of the tongue, lips, and throat occur rarely with ACE inhibitors and ARBs, although the risk with ARBs is thought to be lower. This typically happens within the first week of treatment, but rarely occurs later in therapy.

References

About the Pharmacist

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD

Dr. Brian has been practicing pharmacy for over 13 years and has wide-ranging experiences in many different areas of the profession. From retail, clinical, program development, and administrative responsibilities, he's your knowledgeable and go-to source for all your pharmacy and medication-related questions! Dr. Brian Staiger also has herbalist training and educational certificates in the field of medical ethnobotany. Feel free to send him an email at [email protected]! You can also connect with Dr. Brian Staiger on LinkedIn.

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