Lisinopril and Your Kidneys: Risks and Benefits Reviewed

Lisinopril (Zestril, Qbrelis) is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S. Certain people take medications like lisinopril to help protect their kidneys. But you may have heard that lisinopril can harm your kidneys, too. Conflicting information can be confusing and it’s hard to know what’s true.

The short answer is that lisinopril doesn’t usually harm your kidneys. Rather, it’s been shown to have several benefits for the kidneys. But if you have certain risk factors, it could affect how well your kidneys work. Below we’ll review the potential risks and benefits.

What is lisinopril?

Lisinopril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor that has been around for decades. It’s available as both brand and generic tablets (Zestril), as well as a brand-only oral solution (Qbrelis).

Promotion disclosure

Lisinopril

Avg retail price

$77.65(Save 92.66%)

GoodRx discount

$5.70

See all discounts

How it works

Use GoodRx to find medications, pharmacies, and discounts.

GoodRx discounts can help you pay less for your prescription.

Bring your free coupon or savings card to the pharmacy.

Lisinopril works on a system that helps regulate your blood pressure, fluids, and the balance of potassium and sodium in your body. It’s currently FDA approved for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart failure, and heart attack. It’s also recommended for certain people to help prevent their kidney problems from getting worse.

Can lisinopril affect your kidneys?

In general, lisinopril has positive effects on the kidneys. But in some cases, lisinopril can affect how well your kidneys work. Fortunately, these effects are usually reversible.

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering out toxins and waste from your blood. But when there isn’t enough blood flow, they aren’t able to do this job as well. Under normal circumstances, your body has a process to make up for this. However, lisinopril can interfere with this process, causing your kidneys to filter your blood less efficiently.

Your healthcare provider will run blood tests to monitor your kidneys while taking lisinopril. A small change in kidney function is possible after starting treatment. But if there’s a larger change, you may need to take a lower dose. In some cases, you may be instructed to stop taking lisinopril.

You’re more likely to get kidney problems with lisinopril if you also have a medical condition that affects blood flow to your kidneys. So, if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), heart failure, or dehydration, your kidneys could take a harder hit. Taking lisinopril with other medications that harm the kidneys, like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), can also increase this risk.

Make sure to discuss your full medical history with your healthcare provider. It’s also important that they have your current medication list to check for potential interactions. This list should also include any supplements you’re taking.

Can you take lisinopril if you have kidney disease?

Yes, you can. There are some risks with lisinopril when you have kidney disease, but you can still benefit from taking it. In fact, experts recommend ACE inhibitors for certain people with CKD. And, these medications can also slow down kidney damage in people with diabetes.

Depending on your kidney function, your healthcare provider may have you take a lower lisinopril dose. This is also the case if you’re undergoing hemodialysis. They’ll monitor your kidney function closely during treatment to ensure lisinopril is still safe for you to take.

Does lisinopril help the kidneys?

Yes, lisinopril can help the kidneys in a few different ways. 

High blood pressure can damage many organs in your body, including your kidneys. If left untreated, this can lead to kidney failure. Lisinopril can help prevent this damage by keeping your blood pressure under control.

Lisinopril is known to have other positive effects on the kidneys. This includes reducing the amount of protein leaking out of your kidneys into your urine (proteinuria). It can also slow the worsening of kidney problems and lower the risk of kidney failure in people with CKD.

What about other organs?

Besides your kidneys, lisinopril can help lessen the stress on other organs in your body. A few examples include your heart and eyes.

Lisinopril helps make it easier for your heart to pump blood throughout your body. It also causes your body to get rid of extra sodium and water. These effects can help alleviate heart failure symptoms. Lisinopril can also help improve survival after a heart attack by preventing your heart from changing shape.

Untreated high blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in your eyes, resulting in vision problems. Lisinopril can help keep your blood pressure under control, preventing these problems from happening or getting worse. What’s more, ACE inhibitors may also provide a benefit to people with diabetes-related eye problems.

Rarely, lisinopril has been associated with liver damage. If this happens, it’s usually within 2 months of starting the medication. Contact your healthcare provider right away if you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes (called jaundice).

So, is lisinopril safe?

Yes, lisinopril is safe for most people. And it has positive effects for the kidneys, heart, and other organs. Depending on your personal situation, these benefits often outweigh potential risks.

Lisinopril can cause side effects, especially when you first start taking it. Some of these, like dizziness and headache, usually get better over time. If you develop a dry cough that becomes bothersome, your healthcare provider may switch you to a medication less likely to make you cough.

Other lisinopril side effects require blood tests to catch them early, usually after starting treatment and after dose changes. These include kidney problems and high potassium levels. 

While rare, some people experience angioedema, a condition that causes swelling of your mouth, face, and neck. If your swelling is mild, contact your healthcare provider right away. But if it’s severe or starting to affect your breathing, go to your nearest emergency room.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Kristianne Hannemann, PharmD

Kristianne Hannemann, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist in California. She has been a retail pharmacy manager and staff pharmacist for over 7 years and has contributed drug information content to different health companies.

Edited by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts