Lisinopril and Alcohol: Interactions, Side Effects & Risks

Your doctor has prescribed lisinopril to help combat your high blood pressure. You’re relieved that you’re now on medication to combat the cardiac effects of hypertension, but then you start to wonder how your drinking will affect you while taking this drug.

Is it okay to combine lisinopril and alcohol?

We’ll help you understand more about how alcohol can affect your blood pressure both on and off medication and let you know how your health may be negatively impacted by lisinopril and alcohol interaction.

Table of Contents

• How Does Alcohol Affect Blood Pressure?
• Can You Drink Alcohol When Taking Lisinopril?
• 3 Dangers of Lisinopril and Alcohol Interaction
• Are Lisinopril and Alcohol Side Effects Impacted by the Amount You Drink?
• Guidelines for Safer Alcohol Consumption while Taking Lisinopril
• What if You Can’t Stop Drinking While Taking Lisinopril?
• Dove Recovery Provides Empathetic Alcohol Addiction Treatment in Columbus, Ohio

You’ve probably read headlines about a glass or two of red wine a day being good for heart health. But there’s actually no proven correlation between the two since moderate wine drinkers may be more likely to live a healthier lifestyle in general.

What we do know for sure is that excessive drinking can cause high blood pressure. Specifically:

• Consuming more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure.
• Binge drinking can cause long-term high blood pressure. This is defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men in a two-hour period.

You want to avoid elevating your blood pressure at all costs because extended hypertension can cause strokes, heart attacks, kidney disease, and more. Because of this, the American Heart Association recommends that if you don’t drink alcohol, you shouldn’t start. And if you choose to drink, it’s best to limit your intake.

Now that we know how alcohol affects blood pressure, let’s explore what happens when you throw blood pressure medications like lisinopril into the mix.  

It’s a good rule of thumb to be careful about alcohol consumption while you’re taking any prescription drug — especially until you know exactly how they’ll interact — and lisinopril is no different. 

Lisinopril is a medication used to:

• Treat high blood pressure
• Treat heart failure in combination with other medications
• Improve survival after a heart attack

If taking lisinopril makes you feel dizzy or lightheaded, you should not combine it with alcohol. That’s because lisinopril and alcohol interaction can increase the blood pressure-lowering effect of this medication even more and could cause you to faint.

When you first start taking lisinopril or increase the dosage, don’t drink alcohol until you figure out how the medication affects you. If you don’t experience any dizziness, you may choose to try drinking in moderation and see what happens.

If you choose to drink while you’re taking lisinopril to treat hypertension or other cardiac conditions, you should be aware of these lisinopril and alcohol side effects.

#1: Increased Severity of Side Effects

Lisinopril is generally safe for most people to take, but it can come with side effects for some. Drinking alcohol may exacerbate these symptoms, which may include:

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Fainting
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Chest pain
• Irregular heartbeat
• Kidney damage
• Liver damage

The severity of these conditions may depend on both the amount of alcohol you consume and your dosage of lisinopril.

#2: Interference With How the Drug Works

We briefly discussed that drinking alcohol while on lisinopril may cause blood pressure to drop even more, but consider these effects when combined with inebriation. Impaired judgment and compromised neurological systems can be a dangerous — or even deadly — combination.

It’s also the case that if you’re drinking enough to significantly raise BP levels, the medication may be rendered ineffective and unable to bring your blood pressure back into the safe zone.

#3: Possible Liver and Kidney Problems

While short-term use of lisinopril and moderate alcohol consumption may not pose a significant risk to the liver and kidneys, long-term use of the medication combined with heavy drinking can lead to serious health problems. Alcohol is processed by the liver and lisinopril is eliminated from the body through the kidneys. When you consume alcohol, it can put extra strain on these organs, which may lead to long-term damage.

If you take lisinopril and are concerned about the effects of drinking alcohol on its effectiveness and your overall health, you may need to seek help. Dove Recovery provides alcohol rehab in Columbus, Ohio, and can help you learn to make the best choices to enhance your well-being.

Each person is different, but mixing alcohol and medications can cause harmful interactions. It seems obvious that drinking in moderation should have less of an effect on lisinopril and alcohol interaction than heavier drinking. Unfortunately, some people have trouble controlling their drinking even when they know it negatively impacts their health.

If you’d like to cut down on your alcohol use or stop entirely — but don’t know how — Dove Recovery can give you the tools you need for success. Our alcohol rehab treatment programs provide a comprehensive, compassionate approach with medical stabilization and emotional support.

You may be able to safely drink alcohol while taking medication for hypertension if you follow these tips:

• Limit your alcohol intake. Having no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men can help minimize the negative effects of alcohol on the body and its interactions with lisinopril. Avoid binge drinking altogether, as this can be dangerous.
• Monitor your blood pressure. If you notice any changes after consuming alcohol, you may want to seek medical attention.
• Stay hydrated. Alcohol can cause dehydration, which may further exacerbate hypertension and interfere with the effectiveness of your medication. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after consuming alcohol.
• Consult with your healthcare provider. Your doctor can give you personalized medical advice based on your situation and ensure that it’s safe (or not) for you to consume alcohol while taking lisinopril.

Even with these tips, some people may not be able to safely combine alcohol and lisinopril.

If you find it difficult to avoid alcohol or are consuming it in unhealthy amounts, its interaction with lisinopril may be just one of your problems. If you or a loved one is experiencing negative side effects because of drinking and still can’t stop, it may be time to seek professional health by entering a recovery program.

Dove Recovery provides comprehensive addiction treatment for residents of Columbus and the surrounding areas. Whether your alcohol use disorder is affecting your health, your ability to keep a job, or your relationships with others, we can help you turn things around with our customized outpatient treatment programs.

Contact us today to meet with our team and create your personalized treatment plan with evidence-based therapies to help you on your road to recovery.