Heart Failure (CHF) Information
Treatments
Medications Commonly Used to Treat Heart Failure
The list below includes some of the more common medications used to treat heart failure. You can see an overview of these medications on the Quick Reference Medication Table.
Like all medicines, heart failure medications can cause side effects and may not combine well with other drugs. People react to medications in different ways. Just because a drug can cause a particular side effect doesn't mean that everyone will experience it. If you have side effects, report them to your doctor right away and ask what can be done. Sometimes dosage can be adjusted, a medication can be taken at a different time, or another medication may be substituted.
Potentially dangerous drug interactions can occur when different drugs mix together and work against each other. To avoid this problem, tell the doctor about any other drugs being taken. These include prescription medicines as well as over-the-counter drugs like pain relievers, supplements or herbal medicines. Also, it's a good idea to ask the doctor whether any of the prescribed heart failure drugs could cause problems when combined.
It's important to realize that some over-the-counter medications could make heart failure worse. For instance, cough and cold remedies may increase blood pressure and increase the heart's workload. Anti-inflammatory agents, such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, can make the body retain sodium and water and can decrease kidney function. Other over-the-counter medications might contain anti-inflammatory substances as well. That's why it's so important for people with heart failure to keep their doctors fully informed about anything they're taking.
Generic name
Brand name(s)
captopril
Capoten ®
enalapril
Vasotec ®
ramipril
Altace ®
lisinopril
Prinivil ® , Zestril ®
quinapril
Accupril ®
fosinopril
Monopril ®
benazepril
Lotensin ®
moexipril
Univasc ®
trandolapril
Mavik ®
perindopril
Aceon ®
DON'T HAVE Rx COVERAGE?Click Here to print out your FREE OPTIMIZERx Card and instantly begin savings on your next prescriptions!
