Scratchy throat symptoms and conditions

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.

I have been on lisiniprol with hctz on 10mg dose since October 2008. My BP averaged around 144/95 before taking the med, now averages about 122/78. The problem i am having is this constant "tickle" in my throat which has been giving me coughing fits. When i breathe in deep i can feel a sensation to cough, sometimes my throat feels tight and sore, the first time i felt this was December 2008 and the doctor said it was a touch of post nasal drip and this was before i have read stuff on this board. Has anyone else experienced this kind of sensation in the throat? sometimes when i talk i even have to cough, i experimented once and did not take my dose and it seemed my throat felt better but then noticed my bp went right back up, i guess i better tell the doctor to get me off of this drug. She did tell me that the cough was part of the side effect. thanks and hope someone answers this.

I had to re-start Lisinopril recently (almost 3 months now) and did not realize until I saw my Dr. last week that it was quite possible that that was what was causing my nagging cough, liquid phlegm cough-ups, burping at night, dehydration overnight, scratchy throat off and on at all hours of the day, loud chest coughing occasionally, my eyelashes are more brittle now, some leg cramping, and toe cramps, and watery right eye, would tear up quite a bit during heavy bouts of coughing. :( He just changed me to HCTZ which now I'm wondering if that is the same thing as Lisinopril? It reads that at the top of this post--what if they both cause an allergic reaction like this I am ALLERGIC TO SULFA COMPOUNDS so upon reading that pharmacist note above, I'm going to speak to my Pharmacist, My Dr's and my chiropractor too. I'll tell everyone I know, I've already heard from 3 other people that say they had a nagging cough and it turned out to be their blood pressure medicine.

Hi....I am a 48 year old male just starting on Lisinopril 10mg daily. Have taken it for 7 days now. Blood pressure before was 184/120 in the doctors office. Have seen it spike to 200/129 at the dentist plus 220/149 at the Oral surgents office removing a tooth. First day of taking Lisinopril it knocked down my BP too 123/75 thought that was great. Since has mellowed out now at 140/90. Im sure on my second visit the DR. will up my dosage which I will question. So far reactions have been that scratchy throat right of the bat that everyone discribes. Plus my stomach just groals the first hour as it trys to disolve. Takes about 4 hour before I can see it lowers my pressure any. Have been trying different times of the day best I can to find the best time to take it which I now have settled on right after noon lunch about 1 hour works best. I also have had alot of tiredness from it, which is different from the weakness I also get from a condition they say I have called N.A.S.H. (non alcholic steatohepatitis ) which basically is too much fat in your liver that drains me of energy worse each year. But why I bring that up is the feeling is different a tiredness compared to a weakness feeling I dont seem to like. The weakness I can jack away with some caffine but this tiredness nothing seems to help so far. Have had some dizzyness getting up which is something I can live with til it makes me faint or fall at some point then I surly will cry wolf get me off this. Getting blood work done soon to see how it affects my liver counts will update you on that later.

i got a bad sinus infection for the past month after starting lisinopril, on many meds for this, i switched from avapro to lisinopril as i wanted to join the walgreens plan for cheaper drugs, the doc put me on lisinopril instead after i sent him the walgreens list of available drugs that they use, the avapro was not on the list,, ive been to my ent and allergy doc for this sinuse thing that is well over a month now and getting better, but i have spent more $ for drugs to combat this infection that r not on the walgreens list over $300 spent out of pocket but with a discount for switching to the lisinopril from the avapro that ive been on for about a yr,, it was not worth it,, BUT my cardio doctor thinks it ws just a coincidence that i got the sinus infection about the same week that i started lisinopril, he asked me to tell my ent and allergy doc about this, the ent thinks i shld go back to the avapro if ii feel that it may have started the infection with the little cough, i have not talked to my allergy doc about it yet, has anyone felt they got these symptoms with lisinopril????? i am still taking it all thru this sinus thing, MRI and 2 inhalers and antibiotics, narcotic cough med, sinus wash and musilex r doing ok and on the mend, i have no other symptoms and on the 5 mg , what do u all think? and anyone else have a sinus thing going on when starting the lisinopril??? D.

I posted last week, now unfortunately im on my second week of doxy, one more day, two more pills to go,,,tonight when i took the 3rd to last pill, i started to get anxiety and panic attacks, which is uncommon for me, felt a little dizzy, and started to get a scratchy throat with an annoying cough. through the course of the second week, i noticed that i have been feeling weaker and lethargic, still don't have much of an appetite, have lost weight from not eating, have ringing in the ears, and am really starting to worry about taking any more of this med..i see the doc tomorrow....gonna skip the last two pills i think

I hope this helps someone.

I was never allergic to anything in my life until I went around this cat at the age of 33. I sneezed and got a really scratchy throat. I thought it would go away, but it turned into a cold. I thought the cold would go away, but it turned into bronchitis and then pneumonia. I was jogging everyday at the time and realized something was wrong when I couldn't finish my run.

I was hospitalized for two days and upon discharge I was stocked up with a cocktail of drugs: Singular, Advair, Albuterol inhaler, and Claritin. Needless to say, I took them all, because I was scared of dying. Thank God I'm not a good medicine taker, because I missed many doses and only took them as needed. I think this is why after 3 years I have only started to see the effects of these meds in the last 8 months.

Okay... I have major joint stiffness(all over) especially neck and fingers, heart palpitations, nervousness, short patience, horrible memory, lack of motivation. Oh my God! The weight gain...Please!

Before this, I was completely healthy. After reading this I will reduce myself to my inhaler and Claritin. I notice they are cool. Otherwise, if I keep my stress level down my breathing does really well. It would probably help if I got rid of the cat. Shhhh...Don't tell anyone. LOL.

I have since put my self on a juice fast using a high powered juicer to cleanse my system of all the trash the doctors gave me.

God bless you all and I speak life and breath into each of our lives.

BreatheWrite.

I hope this helps someone.

I was never allergic to anything in my life until I went around this cat at the age of 33. I sneezed and got a really scratchy throat. I thought it would go away, but it turned into a cold. I thought the cold would go away, but it turned into bronchitis and then pneumonia. I was jogging everyday at the time and realized something was wrong when I couldn't finish my run.

I was hospitalized for two days and upon discharge I was stocked up with a cocktail of drugs: Singular, Advair, Albuterol inhaler, and Claritin. Needless to say, I took them all, because I was scared of dying. Thank God I'm not a good medicine taker, because I missed many doses and only took them as needed. I think this is why after 3 years I have only started to see the effects of these meds in the last 8 months.

Okay... I have major joint stiffness(all over) especially neck and fingers, heart palpitations, nervousness, short patience, horrible memory, lack of motivation. Oh my God! The weight gain...Please!

Before this, I was completely healthy. After reading this I will reduce myself to my inhaler and Claritin. I notice they are cool. Otherwise, if I keep my stress level down my breathing does really well. It would probably help if I got rid of the cat. Shhhh...Don't tell anyone. LOL.

I have since put my self on a juice fast using a high powered juicer to cleanse my system of all the trash the doctors gave me.

God bless you all and I speak life and breath into each of our lives.

BreathWrite.

I have been using Lisinopril for about 4 months. About two months ago, I noticed a rash, itching, and hives. After eliminating soap, changes in diet, weather, etc. I believe that Lisinopri is the cause.

I also noticed a cough and scratchy throat, although not as serious or pervasive as with other posters.

I stopped taking the medication 6 days ago. The side effects have not cleared.

My doctor was supposed to call me back a couple days ago, but never has. Go figure...

I'm 19, and I've been taking it for four years to help with my allergies/asthma. I've suffered from depression, thoughts of suicide and have seen a therapist. My parents couldn't understand how I had gone from such a happy person to someone so miserable. I'm in college and in the beginning of the semester I was running low on the medication. I decided to stop taking it, because I had been feeling fine and when my mom called me to tell me about the medication I told her, "Mom, I stopped taking it and I've been feeling great." I will never take it again, I'm going home to see my doctor to get something new prescribed. I was miserable, short tempered, and emotional for four years; no one could figure out what was wrong because I didn't know myself. I'm more motivated and willing to help people and be a part of my family, for so long I shut others out and wanted to be alone. I've been off the medication for a couple of months and I'm starting to feel better. It's hard now that my allergies are acting up and I'm tempted to take the medication, but I'm chucking it in the trash. I can deal with the wheezing, scratchy throat, and runny nose for a while; it seems such a small price to pay.

i came across the site by accident and so glad I did - the light-headedness an fatigue are driving me crazy. Been on this drug for 2 1/2 weeks and the side effects are getting worse with uncontrollable anxiety - which is making my bp harder to control. I have a doc appt on friday, but I am going to stop taking this med TODAY! thanks all

BTW - i was diagnosed with hbp 150/90 when i was actually having an anxiety attack and yes i was holding my own arm up too!. So since i am prone to anxiety - this drug certainly doesnt help! Oh work up with cough and scratchy throat today too and the heat really bothers me

Have been taking Lisinopril (5mg) once a day for almost two months. I'm a 52 y.o. male in good physical condition, 5'11", 200 pounds, work out with weights at least three or four times a week, treadmill work at least twice a week and very little salt intake, no fried foods, and overall healthy eating habits. The doctor told me when I was diagnosed with H.B.P. during a visit for a muscle strain that losing weight or changing diet and excercise weren't options to help with the problem since I was in good shape and eating well already. My blood pressure went down beginning the first week and by the third week was near normal (about 123/78). Great news, you would think........except.............
I developed a dry cough and scratchy throat within days of starting the drug and it now persists 24/7 causing a loss of sleep. I have severe itching and small rashes in various places but mostly in creases around joints and between cheeks (yeah, THOSE cheeks). Broke out in a cold sweat, became nauseous, and nearly passed out at work one morning. I guess because of a quick drop in B.P. Have a hard time concentrating and making sense according to others at work. And last but not least, my sex drive is practically non-existent, which is okay I suppose since I haven't been able to get an erection since about three weeks after I started taking this crap. Other than that life is just great!
So I stopped taking this stuff two days ago and am hoping to become healthy again once I get whatever this poison is out of my system. I'm willing to live with a little high blood pressure since I felt just fine before the doctor told me I just HAD to take something. I'd rather be healthy and happy with a touch of H.B.P. than sick and impotent with a normal reading.

Summary of what I've read so far...

On emotional level:
1. Anxiety/Depression
2. Fear of having throat/lung cancer
3. Fear of having a heart attack/failure/angina
4. Short temperedness
5. Vivid dreams/nightmares
6. Thoughts of suicide
7. Feel like we're going to die soon

On physical level:
1. Tingling/ pins and needles, on arms and fingers
2. Leg pains (cramp, etc...)
3. Chest pains ( various description...)
4. Shortness of breath
5. Back/neck pain
6. Trouble sleeping
7. Coughing, itchy/scratchy throat
8. Loss of sex drive
9. Dizziness
10. Lack of energy / feeling exhausted / fatigue
11. Muscle/joint aches
12. Night sweats / cold sweats
13. Hair loss
14. Nausea
15. Abdominal pain
16. Swollen feet/ankle
17. Palpitations

Alternative medicine without or minimal side effects...
so far, DIOVAN has been recommended.
I'm calling my doc tomorrow and will insist on DIOVAN...lol.

Feel free to add to this list.

Better health to you all.

God bless!!

WOW!! I can't tell you how glad I am to have found this site and learned about all the side effects from lisinopril. I've been on lisinopril since about January of this year...12.5 mg. Been back to see the doc 3X since i've been on it. I complained about chest pain and coughing. I've had EKG done on me 3X (including the one done recently when I checked my self in at the ER at 2:30am) also did the treadmill stress test. I've also been referred to and did see a pulmonary specialist where they checked my lung capacity/function due to the shortness of breath. I've been friggin joggin' 7 days a week for 3 months (used to do 3X/wk) to combat the fatigue, shortness of breath, tickly & scratchy throat causing me to cough to try to clear it, tingly arms and legs, chest pain (kinda like pressure or cramping, real discomfort)...and yes, i feel like my days are numbered. It's been such a life altering experience. I'm stopping lisinopril starting today. I hope the chest pain will get better. Will post again in a few days and let you all know how I feel. Thank you all again for taking the time to post your experiences. God bless!

I was on Nuva ring for 10 days. By day 5, I was severely depressed, crying daily, and having difficulty caring for my three young children. In addition, I was having dark bloody discharge after my period would have normally ended. I am certain that Nuva ring caused my symptoms and took it out. I can not believe that this bc is approved by the FDA. It is not worth it.

THANK YOU , JESUS FOR THIS FORUM. YES, INDEED. ALL
KINDS OF SIDE EFFECTS. RASHS, TINGLING IN MUSCLES,
PALIPATATIONS, TIRED, SWEATS, ANXIETY, HOARSE,
COUGH, SCRATCHY THROAT AND THEN THE ANXIETY
BLOOMS INTO ATTACKS. THIRD DAY OFF AND THE TEN
POTS OF COFFEE FEELING IS SUBSIDING. IM SURE IT GOING TO TAKE TIME. STARTED JUICING, EXTRA VITAMINS
B-COMPLEX, CALCIUM, ZINC, MAGNESIUM... GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND KEEP YOU SAFE AND AT PEACE.

Hi everyone
I am new here and Im so glad I found this place. I was reccently prescribed Lisinopril like everyone else here for my high blood pressure and have been taking it for about a month. I thought it was great at 1st but after a few weeks, Ive noticed all the same side effects everyone else here is suffering. The worst part is when I have to drive. Not sure if anyone else ever had major panic attacks and dizziness while driving? Sometimes it gets so bad and I am so paranoid that I have to pull over to the side just to catch my breath. I feel like I am going to faint. I have never had this problems in the past but now I see where its coming from. I am also slowly beginning to feel the scratchy throat as well and my entire body is so stiff every morning and its gradually getting worse. I have tried other prescription drugs in the past and all with no success and always some kind of horrible side effects. Like Atenolol. I don't want to insult other dr's out there who actually care and wants to genuinely help people that are suffering but the sad truth of all of this is most doctors are prescribing this junk because its FDA approved which is total BS. Guarantee most of these Dr's never even tried these presciptions themselves and experienced 1st hand the side effects. And always there answer is either prescription drugs or surgery. They dont really want you cured, just stabilized so we keep buying these horrible junk. I guess its all politics. If they truely found a cure, then I guess pharmaceutical companies would be out of business and there would be no need for Dr's right? It's very frusterating.
We'll if this helps for anyone, I have a friend at work who actually fought his way and battled HBP and cured himself. Only true way he said was to change your diet and exercise. That is the only true way. Eating fish and less salt of course helps. He also mentioned that he ate 1 clove of raw garlic everyday for 1 year. One other solution you can try is an all natural medication called Hyprava. Its a bit pricey and Im sure it's not FDA approved because its too natural with no side effects but I did notice a difference when I was using it. Only downfall, was its an expensive alternative. Maybe this might help for some of you.

i went to the dr. due to a herniated disc. i received an injection in the bottom. before the nurse took the needle out i statred to feel funny. i thought it was because i was thinking about it too much.but before i could walk all the way to the waiting room i felt nausea and faint. i sat down waiting for my release papers. i stood up asked the recpt. if i could lay down some where. i was trying to breath normal, but was starting to faint. i told her i was going to faint, she went to get the dr. i had then passed out. i believe i had an allergic reaction. i was sweating,cold and clamy. i think i was out for a few moments. woke up on the floor. i did start to sneezing, scratchy throat. i did lay there for a while. they checked by blood pressure from time to time. aftr bout 30 min i was able to leave. had allergy syptoms all night but seem fine now.

Since taking Advair 3 years ago I've experienced thirstiness, scratchy throat and voice, yeast infections, and increased sweating. My skin is always black and blue from sensitivity to bruising. But the one side effect I'd like to know if anyone else has faced is bruxism? My teetch are always clenching when I sleep at night, causing pretty bad headaches and muscle tension, and it gets worse if I'm not consistent in taking the Advair.

Hello. I was a long term Lisinopril user. I was taking 5 mg for several years with no apparent adverse effects, except for constant short coughing and scratchy throat. It lowered my Systolic pressure, but didn't lower the Diastolic pressure, so the doc upped my dose to 10 mg. Over the next several months, I began to get rashes, small pin-prick itches on my legs, sleepless nights due to extreme itching, fatigue, burning sensation in the chest, and excessive weakness. The Diastolic pressure still remained high so he upped my dose to 20 mg. Within a week, my hands swelled up and I got an extreme case of the hives all over my arms, hands, and legs. I never recalled ever having hives before and I didn't know what it was. I was terrified as to what was happening to me. The help counter at Walgreens Pharmacy told me I was having a severe allergic reaction to something that was causing a severe case of the hives. At that point, I still didn't make the connection to Lisinopril. The side effects continued to increase including burning sensation in the chest when I did the smallest chores, massive fatigue, dizziness, abdominal pains, headaches, rashes, and intense itching. I had 9 out of the 10 side effects caused by the drug. I research hives and found that I had the kind that would vanish after 6 weeks, because low and behold after exactly six weeks it went away. I kept complaining to my doctor about the problems that I was having, but he was of no help. After nearly 6 months on 20 mg of Lisinopril I became light headed even while lying down. I thought I was going to die. In mid-December, a year and a half ago, at 3:30 a.m., while lying down, I cramped up with severe abdominal pains, bloating, and extreme light headedness. I sensed that this was the end. I scrambled to my feet and tried to get upstairs to tell my family to call 911. I collapsed on the stairs and thought that this is where they would find my dead body. I made a second effort and struggled to my feet and made it into the dining area where I collapsed for a second time. My wife heard my body hit the floor. I saw the tunnel and light. She rushed out and called 911. When the paramedics arrived several minutes later I began to come out of it. My blood pressure was extremely low. After a short period of time, I recovered and felt relatively normal again. After that episode, I looked up the causes of light headedness on the internet and found a site that listed 10 medications that caused this side effect. Lisinopril made the list. I immediately stopped taking the drug. Within a few days, the light-headedness and rashes went away. I put 2 and 2 together and took my findings to the doctor. All he said was, "why didn't you tell me?" I had been complaining about these problems to him for the past several months. He switched me to a calcium channel blocker. Within a week I began getting rashes again and I discontinued the use of that drug. I now take a natural diuretic concoction of calcium, potassium, garlic pills, vitamins, other minerals, and a daily regimen of low dose aspirin. My strength and stamina have returned. I feel 90% better, but I think the experience has done permanent damage to my digestive system.

Jack - 2/28/06

Started this medication in November of 2004. Had coughing, sneezing, teary eyes, scratchy throat for months. My doctor "officially" took me off the drug last Friday. Finally! I had already cut back to taking it 2-3 times a week instead of everyday. Hopefully my side effects will go away soon.

my name is danielle. i am 29 and have had asthma all of my life, properly diagnosed by age two. i have been on many medications, and advair seems to be the only one that works for me. i use 100/50 once a day, because it does keep me up at night, and i already have troble getting to sleep. however, i do have side effects that until now i have disregarded, but upon reading this website, i feel that i am no longer alone, and that some of these side effects are not a part of life, but a part of the advair.
metal side effects:
irritabilty
aggresion
mood swings
depression
hard to concentrate
short fuse
stress
and the above mentioned insomnia

over the years i have been on many different steroids for my asthma, and the docs always said that that amount wouldn't
have side effects, and sent me to shrinks to be medicated. currently i have no insurance and am not taking anything besides advair and albuterol as needed.

physical side effects:
sore/scratchy throat
always have to clear throat before talking
hoarseness
sores on tounge
dry throat, mouth and nose
deeper voice
dental problems
a lot of these may be my fault because i never rinse my mouth after wards.

more side effects:
abdominal weight gain-no matter what i do
gas a lot!
constipation
blurry vision-i now need glasses
floaters
acne on face only ( i'm 29) and not only at that time of the month
dizzy spells on ocaasion (just last night in fact)
muscle cramps in upper back, shoulders and neck
chest pain/lung cramps-sometimes i think i am gonna have a heart attack, but then the pain goes away
i do notice an increased heart rate after taking advair. i had to give up caffeine so as not to make it worse.

i don't know if these side effects are due to the steriod or the serevent, which i read here is now being investigated. i am not sure what to do at this point. without medcation, i am sure to end up in the hospital emergency room. i have been on advair for going on three years. i am ready for a change. i tried not taking it today and my chest became tight. i had to give in. i know i should not wean myself off it anyway. i will make an appt. with a doc once i gather some research. what have other people done?? i am willing to try anything at this point. my email is ****** thanks for listening. i feel better already.

I'm waiting for my doctor to call me back - it's a Friday around 3 p.m. so I probably won't hear from him until Monday. BUT I AM SO EXCITED!! I really feel that I have discovered the cause of my chronic coughing. Here's the lowdown: I had been taking Diovan for a few years, along with another blood pressure med. All was fine. Then we had to change medical coverage and the Diovan was not approved, so shortly after the first of the year (2004) I started taking Lisinopril. I've had an awful time, but I didn't know why until today. I had bronchitis in November '03, then again in February '04. So I was already coughing when I started Lisinopril. I coughed incessantly. Now I realize that I was coughing both from bronchitis AND from the constant tickle in my throat. About 10 days after the Feb. bout of bronchitis began I was in awful pain in the right side of my rib cage. Had lung xrays, rib xrays. Lungs clear. No fracture could be seen, but I was told that 25% of rib fractures do not show up on xray. I was prescribed Hydrochodone for pain, but I took 2 pills and that was the end of those pills. I have to drive & work, and could not function. I am still coughing, but not from my chest as would be the case with bronchitis. It's been driving me crazy, and people at work are somewhat annoyed because I cough all day. TODAY WAS MY LUCKY DAY. All this time I had been trying to determine why I was still coughing from bronchitis. When I got on the Internet & typed in "scratchy throat coughing" I got lots of things that said Lisinopril could be the cause. Then I found your forum and I could not believe it!! I'm ecstatic because I'm sure this has been the problem with my dry, hacking cough - just like some of you, it makes me gag, then my eyes water which makes me sneeze, etc. I will get back to this forum for a final confirmation, but thanks to all of you for taking the time to write your comments. It has been a huge help to me. Bless you all.