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Safe Discontinuation of Antihypertensive Therapy-Reply
Julienne K. Kirk, PharmD
Bowman Gray School of Medicine Winston-Salem, NC.
Arch Fam Med. 1995;4(9):755.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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In reply
We agree with Dr Ahmad's additions to the table of the other potential antihypertensive agents that can cause AWS and thank him for his comments. However, there is reference to one case of AWS occurring with the angiotensinconverting enzyme inhibitor, lisinopril. This class of agents has not been abundantly reported to be associated with a withdrawal syndrome. Although the single case cited is convincing, this is not enough evidence to associate angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors as agents that routinely cause AWS. The addition of one case report of AWS with lisinopril is noted, and the recommendation to slowly taper off administration of this class of antihypertensives is most likely not an inappropriate suggestion, especially in patients with a history of angina or coronary heart disease. As pointed out in the case cited, enalapril maleate is available in an intravenously administered formulation that could be used if necessary in specific situations.
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
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