Lisinopril and Alcohol: Interactions and Risks

Adding a daily 30-minute walk, swapping out your morning donut for some heart-healthy egg bites, and myriad other tactics to lower your blood pressure just may not do the trick. After another check-up, your may prescribe lisinopril to manage your blood pressure. Now you’re wondering if the occasional glass of wine or bottle of beer fits into the equation.

Mixing medications with alcohol can be like playing with fire. Although the lisinopril label doesn’t clearly state alcohol as a drug interaction, drinking isn’t advised. Drinking while taking lisinopril can open the floodgates to many adverse effects. Let’s explore how alcohol and lisinopril interact to understand why rethinking the drink may be the best move for our health.

Lisinopril: A Solution for Lowering Blood Pressure

Lisinopril is one of the most commonly prescribed FDA-approved medications used to treat high blood pressure. However, it’s also used for many other purposes, including improving symptoms of heart failure, increasing survival rate after a heart attack, and lowering the risk of diabetes. It comes in tablet or solution form and is commonly sold under the brand name Zestril and Prinivil. 

The drug is classified as an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It works by reducing chemicals that tighten our blood vessels. This allows for greater blood flow and, as a result, helps our heart pump more efficiently. Lisinopril is a common medication that can be effective in treating different health concerns, but how safe is it?

Is Lisinopril Safe?

Lisinopril is regarded as generally safe, which is why it’s prescribed so frequently. No major adverse effects are associated with it. Although

withdrawal symptoms have been associated with some blood pressure medications but none have been reported with lisinopril. It may cause some mild side effects:

• Feeling faint
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Persistent cough 
• Low blood pressure 
• Chest pain 

More severe side effects include:

• Allergic reaction 
• Kidney problems 
• Liver failure 
• High potassium levels 

Anyone experiencing any serious side effects after taking lisinopril should immediately stop taking the medication and dial 9-1-1 for emergency medical treatment. Although lisinopril is generally safe, it’s not appropriate for everyone. FDA warnings note that lisinopril shouldn’t be taken by


• women who are pregnant
• individuals with a persistent cough, chronic hypotension (low blood pressure), and/or a history of angioedema (swelling of the skin due to allergy)

Lisinopril may be a safe and effective medication, but what about when it’s mixed with alcohol?

Can You Drink Alcohol With Lisinopril?

Drinking alcohol while taking lisinopril is not recommended. Although no direct interaction with alcohol is listed, mixing the two can cause serious adverse effects.

The Interaction Between Alcohol and Lisinopril 

Alcohol indirectly affects lisinopril in many different ways. When we drink, alcohol can acutely lower our blood pressure — adding to the effects of the medication and increasing the risk of dangerously low blood pressure (hypotension). Over time, alcohol increases our blood pressure, which counteracts the purpose of the medication. This can lead to the ineffectiveness of the medication and other health conditions caused by high blood pressure.

Lisinopril is also used to improve other health issues such as heart failure, recurrence of heart attacks, and risk of diabetes. Drinking has negative impacts on these conditions. Alcohol can trigger atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm, which increases the risk of heart failure and heart attack. Drinking is also linked to an increased risk of diabetes and kidney damage — counteracting the medication when used for these purposes. 

As we can see, although alcohol and lisinopril don’t have any direct interactions, their indirect interactions can be equally as harmful to our health. Lisinopril and alcohol aren’t a good mix, but what about other blood pressure medications?

Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Blood Pressure Medicine in General?

Drinking while taking any blood pressure medication is not recommended. There are different types of blood pressure medications, including beta blockers, nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, angiotensin II blockers (ARBs), and many more that can cause negative effects when mixed with alcohol. 

Beta-blockers, a common category of blood pressure medications, work by slowing down our heart rate. When mixed with alcohol, they can cause dangerous side effects such as tachycardia, excess drowsiness, and hypotension. Alcohol also directly interacts with nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers such as Calan and Cartizem. This can lead to delayed alcohol metabolization — increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning. Other blood pressure medications, such as ARBs and Losartan, don’t interact directly with alcohol, but the combo can lead to increased side effects.

Drinking while taking some blood pressure medications may be more dangerous than others, but should generally be avoided to reduce complications and negative effects. Let’s get a better idea of what these are.

Risks of Mixing Alcohol and Blood Pressure Medications

Alcohol can interact differently with different types of blood pressure medications. However, mixing them can lead to general adverse effects from indirect interactions, regardless of the type of blood pressure medication.

• Decreased effectiveness. Excessive drinking is linked with high blood pressure. This means that even though alcohol may not directly interact with the medication, it can still decrease its effectiveness.
• Exacerbated side effects. Many side effects of drinking and blood pressure medications overlap. This can exacerbate side effects such as dizziness, fainting, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, and irregular heartbeat.
• Increased liver damage. Our liver is tasked with eliminating toxins in our body. This includes the toxins in alcohol and blood pressure medications like lisinopril. However, our liver can only do so much at one time. When we mix alcohol and blood pressure medications, the toxins can linger for longer — increasing the risk of liver damage. 

Drinking while taking blood pressure medications increases the risk of side effects, but does the amount of alcohol make a difference?

How Much Is Too Much?

When taking lisinopril, no amount of alcohol is recommended. Although lisinopril interactions with alcohol aren’t direct, indirect interactions can still cause dangerous effects. According to the World Health Organization, no amount of alcohol is safe for our health. 

If we do choose to drink, it’s best to consult with our physician, as they have a better idea of our health needs. Being honest with our healthcare provider helps us identify any interactions and helps us adjust our care as needed. Let’s explore some ways to increase our safety when taking lisinopril, drinking, and navigating the two. 

Approaching Lisinopril, Alcohol, and Consuming Them Safely

If we’ve been prescribed lisinopril, we may feel overwhelmed with all this information. To ensure our health and safety, we can implement mindful consumption strategies:

• Find alternatives. Avoiding alcohol can sometimes be challenging, but non-alcoholic alternatives can be an effective replacement. If our drinking stems from a more deep-rooted issue, we can develop other strategies to address it. 
• Track effects. Lisinopril and drinking can cause a plethora of side effects. Keeping track of our drinking, as well as any adverse effects we may feel, helps us increase our awareness and make changes if needed.
• Follow guidelines. Taking lisinopril as prescribed can limit adverse effects. This also applies to alcohol. While drinking while taking lisinopril isn’t recommended, adhering to moderation guidelines can limit the risks. 
• Consult with a physician. Our healthcare provider is second in line after ourselves in understanding our individual needs. Consulting with them can help us avoid potential interactions and improve our health and safety.

The only way to eliminate negative effects from mixing alcohol and lisinopril is by avoiding alcohol, but we can reduce the risks using these mindful consumption strategies.

A Healthy Path Forward

While we often attribute our high blood pressure to certain family members and stressful situations, hypertension can be caused by an interplay of many factors — making management a delicate dance of lifestyle changes and medication. If we’re taking lisinopril for blood pressure or its other uses, drinking alcohol isn’t a good idea. Although there aren’t any direct interactions, alcohol negatively affects our blood pressure and risk of heart issues, which lisinopril is used to treat. By choosing to limit or avoid alcohol, we can manage our hypertension better and take steps towards overall wellness. Cheers to a happy heart!