My main problem with Lisinopril is the coughing. Coughing, cough...

I am having the same exact problem. My Dr. changed the script yesterday.
Evidently Lisinopril is the only high blood pressure med that does this.
I have spent a fortune on other Dr. visit's and meds to relieve the cough,
I read an article in a magazine by chance of this side effect of Lisinopril.
"I feel your pain" as I have been living it! Hopefully, now that I am off the Lisinopril, life will get back to normal.

I came across this post by doing a search on google for chronic post nasal drip and cough. Your symptoms are exactly mine. I went to an ENT who when I asked if Lisinopril could be causing the cough w/postnasal drip said that Lisinopril causes a dry cough not a productive cough. I've been hacking for 4 mos. now. It all started a week after I started the Lisinopril. I've taken Claritin, Allegra D, nothing helps. Do either of you have post nasal drip as a symptom not relieved by medications? I am beside myself here not knowing what could be causing this. I'm not sure how to get back onto this site so if you or anyone can reply, please reply to my email address: skirol@hotmail.com Thank you so much!

I also have the same problem. I was on 5mg (for 1 month) - no worries, doc put me up to 10mg, started with the cough, dry, almost gagging sometimes as there is nothing to cough, sleepless nights etc. Told GP, lowered me back to 5mg, cough stopped for 2 weeks and has been back relentlessly now for 6 weeks. GP says cannot be 5mg as it didn't affect me before - but only took for a month! GP says not medicine - don't smoke - no allergies - just sick of coughing, gagging to almost vomiting. I think the med causes nasal drip too, only had this since taking meds. How come GPs don't listen?

My goodness everything youve written is me ! I was treated for post nasal drip, then had asthma tests and anow am waiting to see a consultant. My cough is the same, im fine for hours and then it starts and when it starts it make me wretch and gag and i cant breath after,my eyes fill with water adn my nose too. This has been going on since xmas. The cough all comes from my high bronchila tubes like in my gullet not my lungs oh and ive had a lung xray and thats clear. Same as you in the shops and on the plane people look as if oh heck whats she got? every night around 4 it starts up and messes up my sleep.....mine seems to start up in hsops and in the car, with change of air. I ve been on lisinopril 6 months.

I had similar symptoms. I started with 5mg of Lisinopril and because I had lost weight, reduced sodium and increased activity levels, the dose was dropped to 2.5mg. A few weeks after this, I began coughing. At first I thought it was allergies since I generally get a cough in spring and fall. The cough persisted longer than it normally does and the tickle in the throat was different than what I was used to with allergies. I visited my doctor and his immediate reaction was to change the medication. He told me that about 20% of patients experience the cough side effect. I have been taking Diovan (an ARB) for a week now and the cough and tickle have disappeared. And yes, I had post nasal drip which is also gone now.

I have been taking lisinoprol for about two months and have experienced a constant dry cough nasal drip and heavy sweating. It has lowered by blood pressure which was mildly high but i am not going to take it anymore because of these side effects

are you still coughing ??

I also have a major cough which occurs intermittently throughout the day and night. I tend to gag, sometimes vomit and have become incontinent when the cough continues for a while. I have been given cough medicine and antibiotices but it continues. I have been taking lisinopril for about 7 or 8 weeks. My primary care physician has not considered the medication as a possible contributing factor.

S. Harris

I also have very similar side effects caughing for a long time which could not be controlled that ends on vomiting. I did not realize this is due to the side effects of taking Lisinopril. When I searched in google today, I found taking this medicine is causing such a kind of problems. I consulted the doctor twice for the caugh and sinus problems I have for the past 3 months. When dr checked he said everything is okay. I planned to cobsult him this week but after seeing this web site, I shold ask him to prescribe different medicine. I have been taking this medicine for the past 3 months.

I have the same problem and was told the same thing about my sinus drip. I finally called my doctor and he changed it to Atacand. Now I need to know how long it will take for my coughing to end.

My mother was taking lisinopril 10 mg for years and there was never a problem. Suddenly the doctor changed the dose to 20 mg. We noticed that once she caught a cold the coughing began and didn't stop. She would cough for weeks at a time. The last time I took her to the doctor, she had a cold, he switched her medication, stating lisinopril has this side effect. I thought he was a quack but allowed him to change it any way. she got better, the cough went a way. She developed another cold and simultaneously ran out of the new HBP medicine cozaar. I gave her some of the lisinopril saturday morning and sunday morning. Needless to say, it's the lisinopril. She is coughing so much I resorted to finding my own cure on the internet. Thanks for your input everyone.

I've been on 20mg of lisinopril for just under two years. I don't remember how long I took it before I started coughing. I've had post-nasal drip for ages, so I can't say if lisinopril would cause it for me. I asked a fellow choir member who just so happens to be a pharmacist what I could take for the drip. Somehow we got around to the fact that I take lisinopril. When he asked if it caused me to cough and I said yes he suggested that I take one regular aspirin about 15 to 20 minutes before I take the lisinopril. Amazingly enough, I WORKED! It's not like I never cough anymore, but my coughing has been reduced by maybe 90%. Great relief!

I am so glad I found this site. I am a non-smoker and no history of asmthma. For the past 3 years have not even had a sniffle. Three weeks ago my Dr switched me to lisinopril because it cost 4 dollars at wal-mart.
Be careful what you ask for.

After a day of taking the medication, I started having cold/sinus issues then 4 days later developed uncontrollable cough that started out as a tickle at the back of my throat on the left or right side. The coughing episodes lasted 15 to 20 minute when they happened with gagging turning into vomiting and incontenence.

I was prescibed mediation for acute bronchitis because my chest -xray showed no pneumonia. I have been on antibiotics, advair, zyrtec, singulair, methylpredosone, Musinex DM, cough syrup with codene.

I have talked to a friend and family member that had the same affects from Linisopril. It has been a week that I have been off the drug but I'm waiting for the gut wrenching coughing to stop. I have had two episodes today.

Hope this information helps someone else.

Wow. I am really glad, and also really bummed, to find this site. I've had the same terrible cough- burning sensation, non-productive cough, coughing so spasmic that I would sneeze, gag, and frequently vomit. It ruined my appetite and has caused more than a few uncomfortable social situations. It seems like the cough is more pronounced when I lie down, or move into a different room, or get in the car. I thought it was dust; I vacuumed my house like crazy. My doctor (the same doctor who proscribed the Lisinopril)- tried to treat me for acid reflux (of course it didn't work) and then consider the possibility of intestinal parasites (I travel quite a bit) and suggested an intense regimen of antibiotics to kill a parasite.

I was going on a 2-week rafting trip, so I declined the anitbiotics- they make your skin very sensitive to the sun. On the trip, I was not diligent about taking the Lisinopril meds very consistently. When I returned, there was a terrible tragedy for me, when a close friend suffered a fatal heart attack. In the ensuing difficult period, I quite taking the Lisinopril. A few weeks after he died, I noticed the cough stopped. I was so very glad it was gone, but figured it was from the shock? or something? I didn't know- I was just glad it was gone. About a month ago, I visited with my doctor, who put me back on the Lisipnopril because my blood pressure was too high again. Well, here we are 3 weeks later. I just went on a climbing trip, and the cough started up again. Somehow I connected the cough and the recent lisinopril dosing, called the clinic (they confirmed this), checked it out on the internet, and will be asking my doctor for a different way to treat my hi BP. All I can say is that doctors should be warning people about this side effect, because it is devastating to go thru so many different treatment scenarios for this horrible cough. If this cough is so widely known- how the heck did my doctor overlook this when he tried the acid reflux and other treatments when he was the one who prescribed the Lisinopril in the first place? DUH!!!

I also took lisinopril. When I got my prescription the literature that the pharmacist gave me said one of the side effects was coughing. I had no idea that it would be so bad. I also have post-nasal drip. I quit taking lisinopril and hope that the cough will go away. I also take Coreg for high blood pressure so I hope that will be enough to control it.

I was put on lisinopril in jan 2009 I* had a cough though it was my sinus my doctor told me could be side affect but would not switch me after 6 long months and not being able to talk on phone longer then 10 minutes.with out coughing finally straw was having a yard sale and couldnt talk with out coughing and tickle in my thorat I went off the medience 5 days ago I can talk for a hours now the tickle is gone . and cough is going away and my blood pressure is normal And I feel so much better !!

oh for god's sake-- reading this stuff makes me nuts! one of the main sid effects of lisinopril is a horrifying cough. every doctor should know this. when a patient is on lisinopril and develops a cough, it is recommended to take them off the drug before doing any other tests or prescribing any medication to treat the cough. chances are the cough is caused by the lisinopril.
in fact, the cough is the main reason why people stop taking the drug.

if your doctor doesn't know this, he/ she is an idiot and should not be practicing medicine.

this is not some obscure, rare side effect. it is common knowledge. there is NO excuse for a prescribing physician to not know one of the main side effects of the drug he is dispensing

oh for god's sake-- reading this stuff makes me nuts! one of the main sid effects of lisinopril is a horrifying cough. every doctor should know this. when a patient is on lisinopril and develops a cough, it is recommended to take them off the drug before doing any other tests or prescribing any medication to treat the cough. chances are the cough is caused by the lisinopril.
in fact, the cough is the main reason why people stop taking the drug.

if your doctor doesn't know this, he/ she is an idiot and should not be practicing medicine.

this is not some obscure, rare side effect. it is common knowledge. there is NO excuse for a prescribing physician to not know one of the main side effects of the drug he is dispensing

oh for god's sake-- reading this stuff makes me nuts! one of the main sid effects of lisinopril is a horrifying cough. every doctor should know this. when a patient is on lisinopril and develops a cough, it is recommended to take them off the drug before doing any other tests or prescribing any medication to treat the cough. chances are the cough is caused by the lisinopril.
in fact, the cough is the main reason why people stop taking the drug.

if your doctor doesn't know this, he/ she is an idiot and should not be practicing medicine.

this is not some obscure, rare side effect. it is common knowledge. there is NO excuse for a prescribing physician to not know one of the main side effects of the drug he is dispensing

oh for god's sake-- reading this stuff makes me nuts! one of the main sid effects of lisinopril is a horrifying cough. every doctor should know this. when a patient is on lisinopril and develops a cough, it is recommended to take them off the drug before doing any other tests or prescribing any medication to treat the cough. chances are the cough is caused by the lisinopril.
in fact, the cough is the main reason why people stop taking the drug.

if your doctor doesn't know this, he/ she is an idiot and should not be practicing medicine.

this is not some obscure, rare side effect. it is common knowledge. there is NO excuse for a prescribing physician to not know one of the main side effects of the drug he is dispensing

Unbelievable!!! I've been plagued with a dry tickle cough that comes on like a Hurricane and can progress to gagging, vomiting and occasional incontinence. My family was beginning to really worry (my Mom died of cigarette related Lung Cancer). But we were renovating the house, lots of concrete dust, rugs pulled out and painting. The paint fumes gave me what the doctors call Chemically induced broncitus. I was very sick during this time but got well again. Meanwhile a month or so prior I started on lisinopril. Since it was spring, I assumed I was having allergies to whatever, or allergies to dust or the chemicals/building materials used to renovate. Well now that summer is creeping into August and the house is done and the sun and heat have scorched every living thing outside, I am still hacking a non-productive cough. While looking at Post nasal drip on Google, I found several references to lisinopril and here I am. Disgusted. Because the doctor did not discuss the side effects of this. The literature that came with it said, Oh yeah there might be a cough as a side effect. I didn't make the connection with the gawd awful cough I was experiencing to the Oh yeah, there might be a cough as a side effect.

I will try the aspirin 20 min before taking it before I decide to see my doctor about it. He's the same doctor who prescribed a statin for me that eventually rendered me unable to walk up a flight of stairs or open a bottle of water (I'm 55 and am an ex-2nd Degree Black Belt!!) and didn't quite believe me when I described the incredible weakness and the fact that I weaned myself off the crap without his input..... he didn't like that at all. I only found out about the muscle interaction by accident or I'd still be on the statins and a permanent cripple by now.

I'm fed up. I'm also in the market for a new Doctor.

Thank you, thank you guys! I am going insane with the cough, started 2 month ago, the same time I started the medicine. Could you guys tell me how long will it take for the cough to stop after I stopped this "medicine"?

thank you thank you. i have been taking this d___ bp prescription since 1/07. i developed the cough about a month later. we use chemicals in my day spa and thought i must have hurt my lungs by breathing in the fumes. i went to england and scotland with new boyfriend and coughed and hacked my across the land. my hosts thought i was really ill. my son also takes this prescription and has the same symptoms, blames it on allergies. this is stopping today and i am seeing a new doctor this week.

wow, I am so suprised to read ALL of this, I have had a horriable cough for the past four months...to the point my co-workers started complaining. Sometimes, I try to leave office and go to bathroom to shake cough and BEFORE i know it I am throwing up!!! Finally, after much complaining from co-workers I make an appt at doc (a new doc cuz my regualr doc is out of town) and he tells me its my NEW MEDICAITON!!! WHAT? I really didnt even beleive him...but, after reading this...wow...why didnt the doc who gave it to me mention this side effect. AND IT ALWAYS starts with the tickle, I was soooooooo scared it was something else.