I have been taking Lisinopril for nearly a year and have experien...

Hi:
While I was taking Lisinopril, I began to notice that every time I took a really deep breath, I experienced a pulling sensation deep inside which would make me cough. I believed I was developing bronchitis. Now that the doctor has taken me off the Lisinopril, I breathe deeply and the sensation is no longer there. I have been off the Lisinopril for almost three weeks. I am not 100% but its getting better. The fatigue is wearing off (I take a multi and B12), and the anxiety is not as bad. Good Luck to you - I hope you can get off this stuff.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It made for a "eureka" moment for me. I was put on lisinopril about 3 months ago. Soon after (although, I never connected this sequence of events until yesterday when I stumbled into your posting), I began having strange symptoms... blocked sinuses, pain in my bronchial area, wheezing and the feeling that I had asthma, a horrendous post-nasal drip, terrible insomnia, fatigue. As time went on, things got worse. It felt like hands were choking my throat. I went to my doctor who thought it was allergic asthma (we were having the WORST pollen season in my West Virginia county that anyone can remember). I was put on Singular and Flonase, neither of which helped. Finally, my nose cleared but my thoracic pain worsened to the point that I couldn't sleep without Ambien every night and could not function during the day, just sit around exhausted, convincing myself I was dying, and trying to deal with the pain. I had terrible pain in my upper back muscles. And then I developed constant stomach pain, a tightening sensation, creeping up my esophagus, a slight nausea. I was now convinced I didn't have asthma but have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), which, I read, can cause post-nasal drip and mimic some aspects of asthma. After 10 days of this intensification of pain, I scheduled to return to my doctor. That morning (yesterday) I had a suspicion that MAYBE there were some side effects from lisinopril, given the onset of this strange syndrome so soon after starting the med. Also, because of stomach upset, I had missed a day's dose this week and THAT was the day I felt "less horrible" in that 10-day agonizing stretch. So, before I got in the car to my doctor's appt., I did a quick search on the Internet for "lisinipril side effects" and up popped your story! Just like mine! Except, I'm only 2 days off lisinopril and still having symptoms, although they are already reduced. I have begun Prilosec to deal with the reflux. Your comment that it took "2 weeks" off lisinopril before all your symptoms cleared gives me hope. Thanks again.

I have been on Lisinopril for 2 1/2 months - prior to that I was on Altace for Hypertension -which worked very well. The reason I switched was because of price - Walmart $4 compared to $58. Shortly after taking I developed the throat tickle, within 2 weeks leg fatigue, another month kidney pain, the came the anxiety and sleeplessness, month two brought the post nasal drip with heavy phelghm and wheezing. Just so happened that everyone in the house was sick so I attributed it to that but after week two still having clear mucus. Never was asthmatic. Took my script for Altace and started taking yesterday and voluntarily got off the Lisinopril. Thanks for the stories makes me feel that I am not nuts.