Zedace (Captopril)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Quick Facts
What Is Zedace Used For?
Zedace contains captopril, which belongs to a group of medicines called ACE inhibitors. These medications work by lowering your blood pressure to normal levels if it's too high.
Primary Uses
Zedace is used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), certain heart conditions, and certain kidney conditions associated with diabetes. These are long-term chronic diseases, so it's important to continue taking Zedace every day as prescribed.
How It Works
ACE inhibitors work to lower your blood pressure to normal levels if it is too high. Zedace also helps your heart or kidneys work better by reducing the strain on these organs.
Good to know: There is no evidence that Zedace is addictive or habit forming.
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How to Take Zedace
Take Zedace exactly as prescribed by your doctor. The dose varies from person to person based on your condition and response to treatment.
Dosage Instructions
The usual dose ranges from 12.5 mg to 50 mg, taken two or three times a day. Your doctor may prescribe a different dose depending on your condition (especially if you have kidney problems) and how you respond to Zedace. Take it at the same time each day on an empty stomach, preferably 1 hour before food. Swallow the tablets with a glass of water. Food can interfere with absorption.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you're supposed to. If you're not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you have trouble remembering doses, ask your pharmacist for helpful reminders.
Important: Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. This may increase your chance of getting unwanted side effects.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Dizziness, light-headedness, fainting
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Dry cough
- Dry mouth
- Feeling sick
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Stomach pain
- Taste disturbances
- Sleep disorders
- Hair loss
- Itching or red rash
- Muscle cramps
- Confusion, nervousness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, or lips
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Weakness or heaviness of legs
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Severe dizziness or fainting
- Skin and/or eyes turning yellow
- Swelling of face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat causing difficulty swallowing or breathing
- Swelling of hands or feet
- Shortness of breath, chest pain
- Sore throat and fever
- Itchy skin and/or rash
- Pink or red itchy spots that may blister and form raised, red, pale-centered marks
- Ulcers, blistering, skin rashes, or burning, red, peeling skin (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
- Not urinating as much as usual
Important Warnings
Before taking Zedace, it's crucial to discuss your medical history and current medications with your doctor to ensure it's safe for you.
Who Should Not Take Zedace
Do not take Zedace if you are allergic to captopril or other ACE inhibitors, are pregnant or may become pregnant, have ever had idiopathic angioedema or hereditary angioedema, have diabetes or impaired kidney function and are treated with aliskiren-containing blood pressure medicine, or have taken or are currently taking sacubitril/valsartan for heart failure.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have diabetes, systemic lupus erythematous, scleroderma, neutropenia (low white blood cell count), heart attack history, heart failure, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or if you're dehydrated or taking diuretic medicines.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed. Call your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Zedace.
Elderly Patients: If you are elderly, be particularly careful when getting up from bed or a chair, and when taking Zedace for the first time. These symptoms can be dangerous, especially in people with heart failure, angina, or cerebrovascular disease.
Drug Interactions
Some medicines may interfere with Zedace and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medications you're taking.
Important: Taking a combination of Zedace with a thiazide diuretic and an anti-inflammatory medicine may damage your kidneys.
- Water tablets or diuretics
- Lithium or lithium-containing preparations
- Potassium tablets
- Potassium-containing salt substitutes
- Antacids
- Other blood pressure medicines
- Angina medicines
- Procainamide (for irregular heartbeat)
- Cancer treatment medicines or transplant medicines
- Allopurinol (for gout)
- Anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors)
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
- Vildagliptin
- Appetite control, asthma, cold, cough, hay fever, or sinus medicines
Alcohol & Driving
Zedace may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery, and alcohol can worsen these effects.
Alcohol
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. If you drink alcohol, dizziness or light-headedness may be worse while taking Zedace.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Zedace affects you. Zedace may cause dizziness or light-headedness in some people, especially after the first dose. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you feel dizzy or light-headed.
Temperature Regulation
Make sure you drink enough water during exercise and hot weather, especially if you sweat a lot. If you don't drink enough water while taking Zedace, you may feel faint, light-headed, or sick because your body doesn't have enough fluid and your blood pressure is low.
Storage
Store Zedace below 25°C in a cool, dry place away from moisture, heat, or sunlight. Keep tablets in the blister pack until it's time to take them – they won't keep as well if removed from the pack. Don't store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on window sills. Keep out of reach of children in a locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half meters above the ground.
Overdose Information
If you think you or anyone else has taken too much Zedace, urgent medical attention may be needed. Immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26) for advice, contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zedace is used to treat long-term chronic diseases, so it's important to continue taking it every day for as long as your doctor recommends. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure to make sure the medicine is working effectively.
Take Zedace on an empty stomach, preferably 1 hour before food. Food can interfere with the absorption of Zedace, making it less effective.
No, there is no evidence that Zedace is addictive or habit forming.
Do not stop taking your medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor first. Since Zedace treats chronic conditions, stopping suddenly could cause your blood pressure to rise again.
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. If you drink alcohol while taking Zedace, dizziness or light-headedness may be worse.
If it's almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when you're supposed to. Never take a double dose to make up for the missed dose, as this may increase your chance of getting unwanted side effects.
Elderly patients should be particularly careful when getting up from bed or a chair and when taking Zedace for the first time. Dizziness and light-headedness symptoms can be dangerous, especially in elderly people with heart failure, angina, or cerebrovascular disease.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.