<p>Amlodipine is an effective treatment of hypertension in once-daily doses of 2.5-10 mg while Benazepril is effective in doses of 10-80 mg.<br />
<br />
It is usually appropriate to begin therapy with this capsule only after a patient has either-</p>

<ul>
	<li>Failed to achieve the desired antihypertensive effect with one or the other monotherapy, or</li>
	<li>Demonstrated inability to achieve adequate antihypertensive effect with Amlodipine therapy without developing edema.</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>Dose Titration Guided by Clinical Effect</strong>: A patient whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled with Amlodipine (or another dihydropyridine) alone or with Benazepril (or another ACE inhibitor) alone may be switched to combination therapy with this capsule. All patient groups benefit from the reduction in Amlodipine-induced edema. Dosage must be guided by clinical response; steady-state levels of Benazepril an Amlodipine will be reached after approximately 2 and 7 days of dosing respectively.<br />
<br />
In patients whose blood pressures are adequately controlled with Amlodipine but who experience unacceptable edema, combination therapy may achieve similar (or better) blood-pressure control without edema. Especially in nonblacks, it may be prudent to minimize the risk of excessive response by reducing the dose of Amlodipine as Benazepril is added to the regimen.<br />
<br />
<strong>Replacement Therapy</strong>: For convenience, patients receiving Amlodipine and Benazepril from separate tablets may instead wish to receive this capsule containing the same component doses. In small, elderly, or hepatically impaired patients, the recommended initial dose of Amlodipine, as monotherapy or as a component of combination therapy, is 2.5 mg.</p>