What Factors Affect a Sufficient Enalapril Dose?

Enalapril is a medication that is used to treat hypertension and heart failure. This compound blocks the action of a certain protein, called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), thereby preventing blood vessels from constricting. Like the other ACE inhibitor medications it is related to, there are many factors that can affect a proper enalapril dose. One main factor is the medical condition for which this drug is prescribed, but other variables like kidney damage and dosing schedules can influence the dosage amount, as well.

This medication is usually taken orally, and it is available in tablets that contain 2.5 milligrams (mg), 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg of enalapril. Adult patients with hypertension will usually take an enalapril dose of 5 mg taken one time a day, at first, increasing to doses ranging from 10 mg to 40 mg daily. These larger doses may be taken just one time a day, or they may be administered in partial doses twice a day. A partial enalapril dose may be used if the patient still shows symptoms in between doses. Intravenous (IV) administration is also possible, and uses smaller doses of 1.25 mg to 5 mg taken four times a day.

Congestive heart failure is another condition that this drug may be taken for, and the oral enalapril dose taken in this case is often somewhat lower than a dose for hypertension. Patients often take a starting dose of a 2.5 mg tablet, once each day. They then may progress to taking doses of 5 mg to 20 mg two times each day. Dosage increases take place over the course of several weeks, until the symptoms are fully controlled, but the total dosage does not normally exceed 40 mg per day. Enalapril can be given via IV for heart failure, and uses a dose of 1.25 mg to 5 mg given four times a day.

Many times, people with kidney, or renal, damage have an inability for the body to remove or metabolize medications quickly. Renal damage can therefore cause drugs to remain in the body for a longer period of time than they would in healthy individuals. An enalapril dose for patients with kidney problems is usually smaller for this reason, and oral starting doses of 2.5 mg one time a day, or IV doses of 0.625 mg four times a day are used. Doses may be increased slowly until the doctor can tell how the patient is responding to the enalapril.