What essential instruction should a nurse give to a client taking captopril daily?

The essential instruction for a client taking captopril daily involves advising the patient to change positions slowly to avoid dizziness. Captopril is an ACE (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme) inhibitor often prescribed for conditions like hypertension and heart failure. One of the common side effects of captopril is orthostatic hypotension, which can cause dizziness or lightheadedness when moving from a sitting or lying position to standing. This effect occurs because the medication can cause blood vessels to relax, leading to a drop in blood pressure. Therefore, patients should be cautioned to rise gradually to help mitigate the risk of falls or injury due to dizziness.

While increasing fluid intake can be important, particularly if the patient is at risk for dehydration or is experiencing side effects that may lead to decreased fluid volume, it is not a specific recommendation tied directly to the effects of captopril itself. Monitoring blood glucose levels is more relevant for patients on medications that directly affect glucose metabolism, such as insulin or oral hypoglycemics. The advice to take captopril with food is not universally applicable as it actually can decrease the absorption of the medication; it is often recommended to take it on an empty stomach for optimal efficacy. Thus, the most critical instruction in relation