Coat hypertension symptoms and conditions

I am so happy I found this website, I have been taking Lisinopril for about 5 years now. I have been have dizzy spells or the tunnel effect for about 2 years now. I thought I was going crazy! I can't drive, sit in a meeting, or even sit through church and it's getting worse. I call my mother and just sit and cry thinking something is wrong with me. I'm so glad all of you came here to tell your experiences. I will stop taking this medication RIGHT NOW!!

If none of the other postings tell you to get off of this drug, I certainly hope this one will. I began taking 5 mgs. of Lisinopril after visiting my Physician due to back pain. I have been a runner my whole life and went in because I had pulled my back out. I was very nervous; hence the high blood pressure….I was told by the nurse that I probably had white-coat-hypertension. Anyway, after being scared out of my mind, by this Doctor, I agreed to go on this drug, even though, at 50, I had never taken any other kind of drug in my life….HATE DRUGS! I began having heart palpitations after the first day on this drug, and one month after taking this poison, I began experiencing severe itching on my head, neck, and top of my back. I had just visited my salon and thought it was due to hair dye, which I had never had allergy to before. The itching increased and then I started getting severe cramping of my legs. I called my Dr. and was told to purchase organic shampoo/conditioner/soap, and that the leg cramps were probably Restless Leg Syndrome. He told me it was DEFINITELY NOT from the meds. He told me to let him know if the cramping got worse as there was something else that he could prescribe for it. This itching went on gradually for about 5 months. I purchased ever kind of organic shampoos, etc. with no relief, and the cramping of my legs became unbearable. Then, in April of this year, every thing starting to happen. I began itching all over my body and when I itched, it left big red welts wherever my nails hit. After about a week of this, I began breaking out in hives here and there. Went in to the Dr. and told him that I thought this medicine was doing this. This Dr. assured me again, that this would not be the cause of this and told me to take Benadryl and come back the next day so that he could see if I was any better. The Benadryl helped immensely and upon the next Dr. visit, he told me that I had come down with some sort of allergy and it was NOT due to the medicine. Went home and itched my body raw for the next week. Now the hives had turned into huge welts with water in them and my body began swelling with each new day! I stopped this poison on my own and was told to come back in to the Dr. immediately. I was put on Prednisone and told to take massive doses of Benadryl and this idiot Dr. still insisted that it was not from the Lisinopril….my ankles, arms, etc. now were almost double in size and the itching was unbearable. The seven day pack of Prednisone didn’t do a thing. I will say, though that after three days off this poison, my leg cramping subsided and my heart palpations did as well. I decided to take this in my own hands and went to see another Doctor. The Doctor I had been seeing, I found out, owned the Center where he practiced, and I believe he kept having me come back just to make more money. By now, my entire body had huge sores and pits and scales on my skin….I felt like a leper. I went to a Holistic Dr. and told him my story and he could not stop apologizing for the agony that I had been doing through. He told me this was ridiculous. His nurse asked me if I had ever heard of Johnson Steven’s Syndrome, and told me that she thought I had it. I was immediately sent to a Dermatologist and given steroid shots….which did nothing. My skin was pealing off each and ever day in flakes and I itched so bad I wished I were dead. I underwent skin biopsy’s and blood tests which came back showing that I was overwhelming reacting to some sort of allergy. This Dermatologist, who was excellent and didn’t even charge me due to his concern for what I had been through, sent me to an allergist. My small stature body had now increased 25 lbs due to water retention and sores covering my whole body. I can not put into words the agony I was in. Upon the visit to the Allergist, he recognized immediately what I had. He said he saw this type of thing, (not this bad, however), often due to the Lisinopril. Why didn’t that other QUACK Doctor stop this from the beginning…I believe it all comes down to money! Anyway, after almost 6 months of the hives, sores, etc., I am finally seeing a bit of improvement. My legs and back and back of my arms are permanently scarred…they are poke-a-dotted due to the huge hives and massive sores, and I still itch all night long if I don’t take my Benadryl. Who knows what the Benadryl will have done to me in the long run. Please, please look into this medicine and all other medicines that you take. There are holistic, natural methods of getting your ailments under control. Through my experience, I have encountered the most money-hungry, unprofessional Doctor in the world, but I have also experienced the most considerate well-intentioned Doctors. Please do your homework, and find a Doctor that has your best interest in his sight. Through this ordeal the only thing that sustained me was prayer. I have always been somewhat superficial about my looks, weight, etc. and this truly was an eye-opener. It’s amazing what these medicines can do to you, and don’t you wonder if the Pharmaceutical Companies don’t know all of this and could care less due to their hunger for money?!!!! It’s gotten to be a sad world. God Bless!!

My experience with Lisinopril is similar to many others here. Mine is further complicated by the combination of drugs I am taking.
Due to my BPH I was taking Proscar and Doxazosin (4mg), the Doxazosin helping with hypertension as well (140/90). My doctor decided to add 5mg of Lisinopril to augment and help lower the blood pressure some more. He also liked the overall helpful aspects of the Lisinopril on the cardiological system. After about a week and a half on this regimine I was having dizzy spells and light headedness.....disconcerting when driving. I also had the infamous dry hacking cough noted my almost everyone. I stopped taking the Lisinopril and things went back to normal.
On my next visit to the doctor, he wanted me back on the Lisinopril but trying 2.5mg doses. That seemed to be OK for awhile. I have now added Flomax to my regimine and noticed the same dizziness problem. So I am staggering my pill taking which seems to be helping somewhat.
However, after three weeks on this program, I am having severe dry hacking cough episodes, 5-10 times per day. Also have to be careful when I stand up due to dizziness. Additionally, I am having sporadic insomnia problems that are out of the ordinary for me. Also, runny nose, sneezing and a tightening feeling in the chest and abdomen.....Almost like a mild flu. The tightening feeling is more like a caffeine overdose high...ergo the insomnia.
I attribute the hacking cough to the Lisinopril. The insomnia could be the same or possibly the Flomax. I'm not sure about the tightness. I plan to stop the Flomax next week when I go back to the Urologist and will stop the Lisopril at the same time and see what happens.
I would be interested in any input readers may have on my dilemma.

I am 43 year old financial advisor at the second largest bank in the United States. I have always considered myself in very good athletic shape. Three star athlete in baseball, football and basketball in high school. I went on to letter for four years as captain of a division I baseball team. After college I continued to run, work out, and manage/play baseball up until this day. It was at my routine physical that my Dr diagnosed me with hypertension. No surprise I thought as being under plenty of pressure at work. My blood pressure was140/85.
Although I continue to work out three to four time's per week my weigh has spiked from 190lbs to 208 lbs in the year and a half that I have been taking Linsinopril. Until I found this web site I couldn't explain the cough, pain in the left side of my neck or the feelings of emptiness/depression that have followed me around like a cloud. That is when I can get out of bed and function that is. I used to be happy and fun loving. The person that you wanted to be around. I truly believe that this drug( that I have heard contains snake venom) is a big reason why I haven't been myself. I am not the type of person to spend time researching the internet and have always been skeptical of nuts writing or responding to any one or thing over the internet. I consider myself to be fairly rational and sane. However, this drug has made me dull and empty. My lowered sex drive almost ended my marriage. For a year in a a half I have been in a psychotic hell. I never thought about questioning my Dr. until recently when my marriage almost ended as a result of my feelings and anxiety attacks. Although my blood pressure is 115/70 my life has been a mess. I find it hard to believe from the posting here that only 1% of users of Lisinopril have suffered any type of serious psychological reaction to this drug. Perhaps the clinical trals focused on rats or elephants, but certainly not living humans.

I have since stopped taking Linsinopril (two weeks now) and the sun is beginning to come through the clouds again. If you have been taking this drug I plead with you to stop immediately as it seems enough clinical data was ever taken to fully understand the impact of this drug.

I hope that someone else does actually read this post and find it useful enough to impact their life. STOP TAKING THIS POISON

I am still experiencing hot flushes even though I am post menopausal. I reckon it could be down to the Lisinopril pills. My dose has been doubled to 20mg from 10mg. Could this be the case? Has anyone else had these symptoms?

My heart rate spikes when my blood pressure gets markedly lower. I also get really dizzy when that happens. I know that so many of you are struggling with these side effects and I also know (based on experience) how nerve wracking it can be. Maybe...just maybe we aren't experiencing side effects from the drug exactly, but instead the effect of the drug working. Maybe once our bodies get used to the lowered pressure, our heart rates will normalize. Maybe when we adjust to the lowered pressure a little better, we won't get so dizzy....

Don't mean to sound preachy...I guess I'm just trying to suggest an alternative view...again, one that is based on experience../.

My doctor keeps increasing my dose of lisinopril. It started at 10 mg, then 20mg and now 30 mg.The doctor wanted me to take 40mg , I refused and am thinking about slowly decreasing my dosage with my pill cutter. My blood pressure is high. But when I take it at home, it is lower by 10 to 20 points.
At home 125/80-1 hour before doctor visit
Doctor's office 150/95

I started taking Lisinopril for my bp about 2 1/2 months ago and even though it did lower my bp, I started having strange side-effects. It started out with drowsiness throughout the day, no matter how much sleep I got. And, waking up feeling drowsy even after 8-10 hours of sleep. Then, I started getting strange aches and pains throughout my body, like I was getting over a stomach flu. My asthma also flared up and I started having to use my inhaler for the first time in almost 15 years (usually I just need it after exercise.) The side-effects continued to get worse over the next months with increased fatigue, drowsiness, coughing, anxiety, muscle aches, poor concentration, feeling like my nerves were "shot," headache, weakness, tightness in my lungs, numbness in my hands and feet, and just plain feeling bad.
I made an appointment to see my doctor because I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. It crossed my mind that I might be feeling this way because of the Lisinopril. I stumbled across this website and after reading everyone's testimonials, I decided to stop the Lisinopril. I haven't taken it in 3 1/2 days, and I am already feeling much better. I would rather try a more holistic approach to lowering my bp then taking Lisinopril.
I hope this helps someone else out there who might be going through the same thing.

Ziggy,

This drug will lower your blood pressure, and a few people report no problems with this drug.

However, if you do have problems with it, they will last with you very long after you quit. By the time you notice the problems, you might never be the same anyway even if you then quit.

If you have problems your doctors will not suspect this drug at all, and instead will prescribe psychological medications. If you that route, you'll never be the same.

Since this drug is meant to be used for the rest of your life, if there is anything bad in it, it just keeps building up in your body. It is very hard on the liver.

If you have to take this drug, for god's sake, don't take the generic version (lisinopril). Try the Zestril or the other one (Prinivil?).

I'd strongly suggest trying all natural treatments first. Weight loss, exercise, and there are a variety of herbal treatments, there's calcium and pottasium. Of course most doctors won't even discuss natural treatments, as if there are none.

And, here the really important thing: measure your blood pressure at home! Do this before you take any medication, so you have an idea of what your b.p. is normally. Doctors hate the idea that you can measure your own b.p. There is a well known condition called white-coat hypertension in which patients exhibit higher blood pressure in the doctor's office than at home. We are not really concerned about temporary high blood pressure caused by temporary stress (like going to see the doctor). What's important, as I understand it, is that the b.p. goes low enough for a good duration of the day.

I use an Omron HEM-773. Its an automatic unit, and seems pretty foolproof. I have also given one to my mother recently (I didn't know she was taking medication for hypertension). When she measured it, she found out that her b.p. at home was much lower than in the doctor's office, and, the doctor had been trying to get her to take more medicine that it turns out she doesn't need.

If at home you are just boarderline, then by all means go natural instead of taking any of these lifelong drugs.

Erik