Coughs symptoms and conditions

I'm a 65 year old type 2 diabetic with low-functioning thyroid. I was put on lisinopril over a year ago to prevent kidney problems. I have been on 10 mg tablets. Even before I was diagnosed with diabetes I had low blood pressure so that was not a problem.

My main side effects are hair loss, coughing, insomnia and leg cramps, joint pain. I think the lisinopril is pulling nutrients from my body. I told my family doctor about the side effects I had found but he seemed more concerned about the possibility of kidney problems than any of the side effects. I know my hair loss is not age related as both of my parents had full heads of hair when they died and my mother was also a type 2 diabetic.

My blood sugar is under control, tests usually 85-90 twice a day, last A1c was 5.5 which is quite good. I take Byetta and metformin twice a day, levothyroxine, enablex. I recently started taking magnesium as it was besides calcium plus D, a multivitamin all ordered by the doctor. I also take crestor. Feels like all I do is take pills!

My weight is 166 but I'm short, 4' 10", so still heavier than I should be for my height. I try to get exercise but have degenerative arthritis in lower spine. Funny that I developed bursitis in my right hip recently, I just thought the arthritis was spreading. Now I'm not so sure it might not be due to the lisinopril also. I stopped using it yesterday so we'll see how long it takes my body to recover from this drug.

Does anyone have any experience with how long it takes to stop coughing or for the hair to regrow after quitting lisinopril?

Hello everyone. I too am experiencing the same problems described here from Lisinopril. On January 1st of this year, ( 2009 ) I was taken to the hospital emergency room and admitted into the hospital under the assumption that I was having congestive heart failure. After a barrage of tests it was determined that I have diabetes and I was already taking hydrochlorothiazide ( 50 mgs ) for water retention. I was prescribed Lisinopril ( 10 mgs ) and told to cut my hydrochlorothiazide in half. Everything was fine for about a month and then it started...
I had noticed on the bottle of Lisinopril that the one side effect in some patients was a dry cough but disregarded it since it didn't seem to be affecting me. After being on Lisinopril for a month, I began having this awful dusty feeling in my throat. It actually feels like someone has a bellows filled with dust which they've placed in my mouth and released a spray of dust which caused me to have this feeling of needing to cough almost to the point of choking. I don't have this cough all day long. It only happens intermittently throughout the day. Sometimes when I am standing or sitting but mostly when I am laying down in bed. I've also noticed that it seems to have somewhat of a consistent schedule. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I would take the pill every morning around the same time. However, I've stopped taking it about a week and a half ago and still seem to have somewhat of a pattern of when the coughs occur. Strange.
Another thing I noticed is that I've seemed to have an excessive amount of saliva which would also cause me to choke at times. Have any of you experienced excessive saliva with this medication?
I've been trying to lose weight without success and I'm wondering if Lisinopril has something to do with that as well. After reading all of these comments on this forum, I am wondering if doctors as well as The American Medical Association should take a closer look as to whether the side effects of this medication out weigh the benefits and/or what this medicine is supposed to be helping the patient with. So far I see no positive effects from this medication.

Hi,I am a 43 year old female who has high blood pressure. I have been taking 10 mg of lisinopil for about 8 weeks. I started getting the dry cough and always felt like clearing my throat. I went to the ENT and was told that I had acid reflux. I am up most of the night coughing and choking. I am wondering after reading the complaints that this med might be causing it. I am now taking Nexium for the acid reflux but the dry cough is still happening. My high blood pressure was only 145/90 so I am thinking of going off the meds and try to get the BP down on my own.

Someone, please tell me how long this coughing will last! I took Lisinopril for 4 weeks. During that time I had many of the same symptoms that I'm reading now, but didn't realize what was causing them. But after 3 weeks of a constant dry cough that led to gagging more often than not and cough attacks every hour on the hour even at night, I turned to the Internet to research tickling coughs. I too was sure I had throat cancer after experiencing lung cancer just a year ago. After reading all of these experiences from all of the people on this site, I was relieved yet furious. I called to inform my doctor of the side effect of the coughing that was keeping me from going anywhere but work (I'm a teacher so you can imagine how difficult that is). I was consuming 10 - 15 cough drops a day and night which was not helping my weight issue. She prescribed Toprol which I researched and read that it should not be taken if you have had a history of lung issues. Needless to say, I'm not going to take that either. My blood pressure is pre-hypertension so I believe I can control that myself with exercise and diet. It's been 5 days since I stopped taking the Lisinopril and the coughing has not subsided at all. I was up every hour on the hour last night and that was with taking a sleep aid.

I got off Diovan because of diminished energy, drowsiness, and all-around lack of ability to focus after several years on it. I didn't realize it was the Diovan until I got off it and got on a weight loss med: Phentermine. I felt like I was 20 again. But that was short-lived of course because you can only take that stuff for 90 days, max. Diovan was bad for me. Then the Doc prescribed Lisinopril and I was on that for a couple of months until a week ago. I'd been suffering with a dry cough for a week when I told the Doc about the side effect and I've been off Lisinopril for 7 days. The cough is still but slowly going away. Bouts of coughing are no longer every hour on the hour but about 2-3 times a day and still all night long. I'm off of any BP meds now and my BP is 150/90, same as it was on both Lisinopril and Diovan. Apparently it takes a while for the Lisinopril coughing spells to go away.

I would like to say something about advair that is POSITIVE. I have taken this drug, with NO SIDE EFFECTS for 5 years now and it has made a huge difference in my life.
I have had no isues with thrush (i rinse and spit) or weight gain or hair loss or coughs-

please don't condem a drug just based on your experience. reading through these comments I see a lot of times this has been prescribed fr folks who were not ashthmatic or with COPD. This drug is not for folks who don't have hyper reactive airways-but for those of us who do, it has been a lifesaver.

BTW I changed careers 2 years ago and entered the health field as a Respiratory therapist and adair has helped many many people. But its not a miracle drug-it has a specific purpose and if hat is not your problem, its not likely to be a good solution.

began taking lisinopril in June. To my mindtheBP has not reduced significantly but I have developed a dry cough with accompanying mucus especially at night or when I lie down.On two occasions blood was in the mucus. This only occurred recently(last week). I am due for a doctor visit and certainly will brig this up with him.

My 8 yr old has been on singulair since May. I never put two and two together until reading these posts. He has been having anxiety at night..crying and looking terrified saying he can't stop the scary thoughts in his head. Tonight I felt so bad for him...because I can't make it go away. I am hoping with tonight being the last night on singulair he will not have such a hard time at night. He also says it's very hard to get to sleep at night. Poor kid. I also know he's a sensitive kid but it seems a bit overboard in the last few months....like getting upset and just not knowing how to handle his emotions so he just shuts down. Please message me if you've had similar experiences. I'm calling his dr. on Monday to figure out some other options if there is any. My son started with a cough in March and finally took him to see the dr. in May and she heard wheezing and started him on singulair and then added zyrtec. I know they control his coughing (wheezing...slight asthma) because if we miss a dose he coughs all day the next day. I'm a bit scared to go off it...but hope it stops the anxiety and moodiness. He had his first asthma attack last week too...and I wasn't prepared as we never have had to use the inhaler...so I didn't have it with us. Anyway, hoping he doesn't get too bad taking him off...and I hope he is able to control the scary thoughts by going off of it too.

I had a terrible cough.Constant and very dry and hacking. Making sleeping impossible. Working impossible.My life was turned to mush.The coughs were very heavy and causing my throat to swell and feel extremely dry no matter how much I drank.I developed acute tonsillitis. I needed antibiotics to clear up.I have a fever and was sicker than I can ever remember.I called the doctor and told her I never had any of the coughing until taking this med.then I read it is common. Why in the ---- would any doctor prescribe such a horrible drug.??
I have never had a heart attack and only had slight blood pressure issues. Sometimes it gets a bit high. Not often. Doctors are drug pushers for the pharma companies.I have no respect left for this doctor.And will never go back.

I was on Lisinopril for about 3 1/2 months. I coughed the entire time-day & night. I coughed until I vomited almost daily. I had diarrhea, severe muscle cramps in my sides and toes. The coughing was HORRIBLE and I really thougth it was going to kill me. I saw a new doctor who told me Lisinopril is notorious for causing coughs. My first doctor told me to take Mucinex. He is a moron. Thank God I changed doctors. It took an additional 16-17 days for the cough to subside once I stopped taking Lisinopril. Now I am taking Norvasc 10MG. It makes my ankles swell. Not thrilled with it but I could not cough another day.

I just started the Singular and it has helped my asthma a lot. I can't tell about the coughing because I also started it while I had a cold. But now and then even before I took singluar I would cough. Sometimes coughs are produced from various types of airborne things, many different types of things. I have a mold aggreviated asthma so that could be why its helping my instead of causing me to go nuts like it does for some. But it doesn't sound like a very good drug for children. It seems as though none of the posts coming from children taken Singular are positive. But so far it's helping me. I made it through the day without grabbing for my inhaler which was a great relief for once.

I just started using Singulair a few days ago. I am 54 years old and just started coughing at night only. I would be fine during the day and then never failed, at night I started to cough keeping me awake. I was given antibiotics, narcotic cough syrups but it only helped temporarily and then I went back to coughing nights only again. So as I mentioned, I started taking Singulair a few days ago because my physician thinks I have developed allergies and Singulair is noted to help night coughs. It is helping my night coughs but I still cough a few times at night and now I cough quite a few times in the day when I never use to cough in the daytime. Wondering if Singulair is worth taking as the symptoms are becoming opposite? I hate taking drugs and don't know if I should find a safer alternative? Help, anyone? Thank you

I was prescribed Lisinopril on 2/2008 to protect my liver, after taking I started with a tickle in my throat that would turn into one of those coughs that would make you cry which would occur at least 3 or 4 times a day. Then I would have pain in my neck, arms around my ankles and knee joints. Now I have developed a cough that is uncontrollable and happen all during the day and night I could not get any sleep, have bag under my eyes. I went to see my doctor and he told me to take robitussin DM, which did not help. The cough was so bad, until it made my chest and stomach hurt. It made me feel as if I had to throw up. I went to see my doctor today to tell her that I was not going to take the LISINOPRIL anymore, but when I told her about my cough, she said it was from the LISINOPRIL and not to take it any more.

I forgot to ask her was any of my other vital organ affect by this drug.

I was put on Prednisonsone for Uveitis, inflammation of the eye. He started me on 20mg at 9 pills a day, then each week it was lowered to 6 pills then now i'm on 3 pills and then next week it will be 1 1/2 pill and i'll be off. I got the puffy face, my feet swelled, everytime i hate my stomach bloated and hurt, my face and neck turns red, i stayed hungry although i fought the temptation of eating for not wanting to gain a lot of weight, which I don't think I've gained any. But now I wake up in the middle of the night and severe knee pain, it feels like my knees they are in some kind of device that is crushing my bones they hurt so bad. i caught a bad cough and it's been around now for about 2 weeks and won't go away, i told the nurse about it and she says, i probably just got what everyone else has gotten, just a bad cough, well what's if it's some kind of infection? I look like a chipmunk, my face is so puffy. When i get off these prednisone in another week I WON'T BE going back on them, no matter what the case. I'm in more pain being on them and have more side effects while on them than the problem i was having with uveitis. I think some co workers thank I'm over reacting, but they're not here they don't see all the pain and frustration i'm going through while on this drug. The leg pain just started this weekend and i Know i can't deal with waking up everynight like this in severe pain. Everyone just makes me feel like i'm over reactin and it's nice to know that somebody out there is going through the same thing. Any comments will be great.

I started taking Lisinopril and notice that I have been coughing. I cough so much until I have to throw up. I have so much sinus drainage and it is affecting my sleep. As soon as I try sleeping the drainage interfere with my sleep. I have cough so much until it cause me to throw up. I cough, non-stop all during the night, I cough during the day. The Cough is so severe with the drainage until I have to sleep sitting up. I notice I have stomach problem nausea a lot and it is hard to get to sleep insomnia. When I finally sleep it is interrupt from the cough and the drainage. I have so much drainage from my sinus. It is
a lot. I have a lot of red mark over my body; I also had a red rash. I have pain in my joint often.
Since I finally found out the source of the problem, what can I do to get this medication out of my system fast? If anybody have any suggestion so that I can get some relief from the cough and the drainage please advise.

Gloria A

I keep getting dizzy, quick blackout and fainting spells since taking this medication. I also get sweats/chills. I also urinate more and am always tired. I am thinking it may be from the medication but my doctor says no and I am not sure I believe him unfortunately. Did anyone else have these spells when taking lisinopril?

I was put on lisinopril 4 weeks ago and have broken out with shingles!!!!
I know it has caused it. I am very sensitive to any medications. My husband takes it and he coughs all day...I am throwing the stuff out..It may work for some but be aware if you get shingles it could be from this drug!

I'm writing for my mother. She was on 20mg of Lisinopril and her doctor insisted her violent coughs was from her asthma. Being an asthma sufferer her whole life and knowing the difference, she insisted it was not. He told her that this drug does not cause violent coughing as she described (but later admitted otherwise). I saw her in October and then in November for Thanksgiving and it looked as though she aged ten years! She was coughing badly, throwing up from coughing so violently and was white as a ghost and was extremely tired from not getting enough rest (from coughing). Everyone in the family told her to STOP taking the medication. She stopped taking it the day after Thanksgiving. It's been about five days and she is still coughing, although it's not nearly so bad, but she's taking pain medication (Hydrocodone) and I believe this narcotic has helped to subside the coughing, plus allow her to sleep, but masked the effects of the Lisinopril. Please, anyone, that has discontinued this medication, can you tell me how long to expect this drug to be out of her body? This has been an absolute nightmare and I'm so worried about her! Please email at ******

Thank you for this site and all who posted! My daughter at 6 years was put on 4 mg of singulair for the later half of the winter last year for preventative measures after repeated visits to the doctors for bad colds and coughs resulting in wheezing. They told me she had "cold induced asthma." My daughter has had no previous asthma or history of, any history of trouble breathing etc. I can honestly say looking back that I didn't notice any glaring difference in her personality last year. I didn't like the idea of putting her on a daily med but I trusted the doc and asthma specialist and was told I could take her off in the spring 07 when the "cold season was over and most threats had passed. This year, at age 7, I was told to start Singulair again a week before school started in August 07 as a prevention med for the upcoming germ/cold school year. The dosage was increased to 5 mg due to her age. Note, she is a tiny, petite girl with not a huge amount of weight gain from prev. year. Let me tell you, September and the begining of October while on this med, my daughter was extremely irritable, down right nasty at times, crying very easily, tantrums, lacked a desire to do her homework and not very focused. In short, this was NOT my daughter. I didn't recognize her and it scared me. I like others who've posted, would try to blame her behavior on outside events or troubles. Anything to try to understand what was going on and explain her behavior. Sadly at first, Singulair didn't occur to me so I just kept battling with her to the point of almost asking for psych. help. Thank goodness I didn't! It was like a light bulb went off in my head as I was about to hand her her singulair one night. I went to the internet, read these posts and saw some of the exact same things being quoted. Coincidence? I think not! I stopped giving her the Singulair it's been 2 weeks now and the results are so dramatic and obvious to me. I had my daughter back! I, like a lot of you was told it was safe! My pharmacist told me that while there were studies on adults with a small % reporting agitation, there have been no studies in children. I find that amazing considering so may children are prescribed it. Last note - report your symptoms to your doctor, even if they don't agree with your findings. It may eventually help others in the future if enough of us report. Thanks to all of you and good luck.

I was a 2:42 marathoner. I used a synthetic varnish containing isocyanates, pentanedione, organic solvents, in one 7-hour session; the company-recommended respirator did not in fact prevent transmission: Severe chemically- induced asthma, plus neuropathy, plus, plus.

I've used Advair 500/50 for six years. There have been many diverse effects from the chemical exposure; I'd not questioned any being Advair side effects. But the raised blood pressure was not initial, and certainly not a priori. Diminished hearing, diminished eyesight, anxiety. Again, not to lump in, but these questions are new for me. But the point I'd like to bring before this group is this: In August I was diagnosed with ehlichiosis , and was prescribed 28 days on doxycycline. They recommend eliminating many possible antagonists to the doxycycline. My respiratory capacity had been continually diminishing. My ongoing physician said this was to be expected and recommended only the next more powerful steroid. Not a good solution. Before all this I was strong; repaired myself. In the absence of constructive answers, wondering if the Advair was weakening me, making me dependent, I quit the Advair as well on beginning the doxycycline. Today is eleven days post-doxycycline. Eight days ago there began with increasing severity, a terrible wracking deep cough producing dark yellow mucus. Painful. No fever. Grevious throat from the wracking, but I question whether this is a cold or infection. It's just in my lungs. Maybe it's as though I've thrown off an epithelial coating. These past two days the quantity of deep yellow mucus is not as ready, but the wracking and coughing is more severe. And my lung capacity, my respiratory capacity, is frighteningly diminished. Until these past two days I'd considered this an infection, especially post-doxy. But it doesn't feel like an infection. And I'm scared. Is this because I quit the Advair abruptly after long regular use? Have any of you had a similar experience. Can you discuss the effects of abruptly discontinuing Advair. Have you stayed off it. What's happened to your respiratory capacity. Have you any professional studies, trials or experience to recommend. Thanks.

After reading this accumulated several years of reporting below:
Yes to higher heart rate and BP for sure - after several days using albuterol in the home nebulizer I have had - it is for emergencies and every severe asthma attack but one (Oct 06) it kept me out of the hospital. I also tho have a GERD ulcer in my throat that causes caughing - Nexxium is THE ONLY med proven to heal those btw - and they do still come back! But anyways, this latest irritated throat followed by uncoltrollable coughinghas been on the "other" side of my throat for 6 days -
(this is all separate from my bronchial and lung coughing from asthma and the lung infections that come with it).

So anyways - ta daa - I came here suspecting the new spot in my throat that is super-sensitive is due to the nebulizer and after reading the other comments- maybe this really is it! The forced air in particular - because I just don't get coughs like this when I stick to my little purse canister.

My husband used to take Altace fo HBP. It wasn't working so his dr. put him on Lisinopril in Feb. of this year, 2007. He had to keep lowing the dosage until he reached 5mg. It knocked him on his ass, he has no energy at all, no sex drive, we have not had sex since Jan. He is tired, tired tired all the time. He also coughs but is a smoker, wakes up at night with his t-shirt soaked. He has told his dr. this and he says it's where his BP gets low and his heart is pumping trying to keep up with his body. He had bloos work done and has found out he's anemic. I don't know if the medication has caused this or not. Since June 2007 he has had to have 2 blood transfusions, has gone through scopes, more blood work and we are waiting results of the lastest done Aug. 7, 2007. He goes for a CAT Scan Aug. 21, if the dr. isn't satisfied with that he's doing a bone marrow test. Could this be the result of lisinopril? Anyone else having these systoms?

After experiencing a horrible cough with sinus drainage for almost five month while taking 5 mg of Lisinopril I stopped the medicine and after a few days the cough almost disappeared. It has been a week now and I only cough short coughs a few times a day. I can FINALLY sleep and go out in public now without hacking all night and day. I was beginning to think that I should wear a bag over my head the cough was so embarrassing. Good luck to all of you who are experiencing side effects.

My daughter is 5 years old and has been on singulair for 1 week. i have already noticed a dramatic change in her behavior. she has become irritable, mean, nasty, and emotional. she has had me in tears on a daily basis. she has turned into a monster. we will be calling the doctor in the morning!

I have been taking lisinopril/hctz 10/12.5 mg tablets for about a year now. I did get the cough for awhile but it only flares up now and again. I do remember really rough night coughs for awhile where I felt like gagging but they have passed. My bp is where they want it and I have going to the gym for the past 6 months with no ill effects. If I can lose at least half the weight my doctor wants me to lose I am going to talk to him about lowering the dosage or drop the added ingredient. He also put me on a thyroid med too. I hate pills!