Perindopril is a medicine used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. It's also prescribed after a heart attack.
Perindopril helps to reduce the risk of future strokes and heart attacks. It also improves your survival if you're taking it following a heart attack or heart surgery.
This medicine is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets. It also comes as a liquid for people who find it difficult to swallow tablets, but your pharmacist will have to order this for you.
Perindopril is also available as a tablet combined with another blood pressure medicine called indapamide.
Key facts
- Perindopril lowers your blood pressure and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. It starts to work within a few hours, but it may take a few weeks for full effect.
- Your very first dose of perindopril may make you feel dizzy, so it's best to take it at bedtime. After that, if you do not feel dizzy, it's best to take perindopril in the morning before breakfast.
- Some people get a dry, tickly cough with perindopril. If this happens your doctor might suggest you change to a different medicine.
- If you get severe diarrhoea or you're being sick (vomiting) because of a stomach bug or illness, tell your doctor. You may need to stop taking perindopril for a while until you feel better.
- Alcohol can increase the effect of perindopril, so that it lowers your blood pressure too much, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. It's best not to drink alcohol until you see how perindopril affects you.
- Perindopril can be called perindopril arginine, perindopril erbumine or perindopril tert-butylamine. They all work as well as each other and all contain the same amount of perindopril.