General Information
ACCUPRIL - CMI
(Parke Davis)
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some common questions about Accupril.
It does not contain all the available information.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking Accupril against the benefits they expect it
will have for you.
If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
What Accupril is used for
Accupril belongs to a group of medicines called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.
Accupril is used to treat:
high blood pressure (hypertension)
heart failure
Hypertension
Accupril is used to lower high blood pressure (hypertension). Everyone has blood pressure. This pressure helps get your blood all
around your body. Your blood pressure may be different at different times of the day, depending on how busy or worried you are.
You have hypertension (high blood pressure) when your blood pressure stays higher than is needed, even when you are calm and
relaxed.
There are usually no symptoms of hypertension. The only way of knowing that you have hypertension is to have your blood
pressure checked on a regular basis. If high blood pressure is not treated it can lead to serious health problems, including stroke,
heart disease and kidney failure.
Accupril works by widening your blood vessels which reduces pressure in the vessels, making it easier for your heart to pump
blood around your body. If your blood pressure is too high, Accupril can help lower it to normal levels.
Heart Failure
Heart failure means that the heart muscle is weak and cannot pump blood strongly enough to supply all the blood needed
throughout the body. Heart failure is not the same as heart attack and does not mean that the heart stops. Heart failure may start
off with no symptoms, but as the condition progresses, patients may feel short of breath or may get tired easily after light physical
activity such as walking. Some patients may wake up short of breath at night. Fluid may collect in different parts of the body, often
first noticed as swollen ankles and feet.
Accupril works by widening your blood vessels which reduces pressure in the vessels, making it easier for your heart to pump
blood around your body. This helps increase the supply of oxygen to your heart so that when you place extra demands on your
heart, such as during exercise, your heart may cope better and you may not get short of breath as easily.
Your doctor may have prescribed Accupril for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Accupril has
been prescribed for you.
Accupril is not addictive.
This medicine is available only with a doctor's prescription.
The safety and effectiveness of Accupril for use in children have not been established.
Before you take Accupril
When you must not take it
Do not take Accupril if:
you have an allergy to Accupril or any other product containing quinapril hydrochloride or any of the ingredients listed at the end
of this leaflet.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to Accupril may include skin rash, itchiness, shortness of breath, swelling of the face, lips or
tongue, muscle pain or tenderness or joint pain.
You have taken any other ACE Inhibitor medicine before, which has caused your face, lips, tongue, throat, hands or feet to
swell, or made it hard for you to breathe.
If you have had an allergic reaction to an ACE inhibitor before, you may be allergic to Accupril.
If you have a history of swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat, hands or feet for no apparent reason.
Do not take Accupril if you are pregnant.
Accupril may affect your developing baby if you take it during pregnancy.