Oh My Gosh - as I sit here with abdominal cramps typing my experi...

Now you know. I'm sorry to say but my mother has been going through the same terrible attacks. There is a name for this called angioedema (although layman's terms would be internal hives). You're far from alone. She was on it for 3 months with attacks every 3 weeks, then they kicked up a notch and went every 2 weeks even after she stopped taking it. Read up and there on a UK medical site it says these attacks can be recurrant for months even after Lisinopril. Here's what works. The herb Marshmallow will keep your system calm with no side effects, but it's merely masking the attacks. You can have your thyroid tested, but I wouldn't bother. Odds are it will come back high TSH reading with the T3 and T4 normal. Lisinopril takes your immune system out of whack. Iodine is the answer, although you won't find anyone who will tell you and the doctor's will tell you it's from the ark and dangerous. It's a coverup to a simple solution. Search google for "the history of iodine" and you'll see what I mean. We ordered iodoral and within 3 days (one pill a day), you'd be surprised to know how normal she feels. There's a simple, cheap test to find out if you're iodine deficient. Just buy a bottle of "tincture of iodine" from your local Walgreens, paint a 2x2 patch on your arm and if it vanishes in under 24 hours you're deficient, if it's gone in under 10 then you're severely deficient (hers was gone in 4 hours). It only costs $3.50 to find out and no doctor will tell you this.

Thank you for your reply. Thought I was going insane with this problem. It's comforting to know others have had these same symptoms/attacks, although I woulnd't wish this on anyone. My thyroid tests were all normal. I am going to do the iodine test. I've had enough blood work done that one would think this would have showed up. Is your mother still on lisinopril?

Hi, I'm the Mom my daughter was talking about and I've just been getting over the 6th attack since starting the drug 4 months ago and taking myself off it about 5 weeks ago. The sad part is this was the second attack since stopping the drug and as my daughter has stated "It's the gift that keeps on giving". I'm on no drugs right now and I'm scared of all of them after the terrible draining experience and I'm doing what I can naturaly and my blood pressure is satisfactory to me but tends to begin rising whan an attack is eminent. That's not surprising either. I didn't realize what was happening to me because I was taking care of my daughter during a very bad reaction to ciprofloxin and it was her that found this site. You can look up hers under that drug.
We have researched the stomach side affect to death and only found information on overseas sites. This drug is cheap and they hand it out to anyone without monitoring but in the UK (I was born in England 61 years ago) they take it quite seriously and do monitor. I did what all women do, I decided that although I had never had stomach problems in my life, it must be the way I was dealing with stress. Now I know that was poppycock. It was on the fourth bout where it lasted much longer and I was ready to go to the emergency room, but didn't have insurance and couldn't afford it, my daughter, barely back on her feet began researching and was horrified. She also found out about marshmallow root and drove thirty miles to get me some, even though she had major problems walking. It took two days and I began to feel relief, and after a few days I thought I was cured. Then it hit again and I took it for two weeks and I thought I was cured. Then last week it came back and not just the stomach part, I began coughing and couldn't stop and that went so well with agonizing stomach pain. Now I intend to stay on marshmallow much longer then slowly wean one a day and watch for reactions. Each bout makes me worse off and I have always been so well, this is hell for me. I also still have the bladder infection I went to the doc first about and she decided as my BP was up I needed this drug. I am worrying about what to take to clear it up as they gave me nitrofuration and it knocked me out for a week with more terrible side affects. I believe I am now in a dangerous position as my immune system is low and any drug may cause me complications. I keep a blog http://tuscanadesign.spaces.live.com if this site will let you see this address and I wrote more there. I may be going back to England to stay with my sister shortly to get better medical treatment and the answer I want (hope for) as it would cost a fortune here and they only want to throw you another round of prescription drugs without supervision. I have National Health insurance over there because I paid in seven years before I married. (I was married 34 years before he died) Here I'm too young for Medicare and not indigent so I'm out of luck unless I add to my credit card debt and go bancrupt. They don't even give you BP drugs in the UK unless you've been monitored 3 times and they feel you really do need them. Don't believe all the bad things you hear about National Health over there as although it's not perfect like anything else at least they have it. Anyway, it looks like there is no cure for angiodema and I tried Benadryl for the bad coughing fit to no avail. You either get through it or die. Hope this is good info for you.

I wish I had seen this sight sooner. I started on Lisinopril last January 2008. 2 days after I had 'labor' like pains and called the doctor to see if it could be lisinopril. He said "not likely" and said to call him if it happened again. It did - in mid February I had my appendix out when they couldn't find anything else wrong despite every test under the sun EXCEPT inflammation around the ileum. Had 25 'attacks', was referred and seen by 10 doctors (yes - 10) including an immunologist who did genetic testing. All tests (repeated twice) came back negative. They took me off the lisinopril after 4 attacks 4 weeks in a row in order to test (a 2nd time) for Hereditary Angioedema. I had to wait 2 weeks off all meds before testing and then wait 2 weeks more for results. I've stayed off Lisinopril (switched to a Diltriazem) in the meantime. Low and behold - tests came back negative and, so far, NO MORE ATTACKS! Vomiting, diarrhea, 8 hours of dibilitating pain, 30 days of missed work, 25 'attacks', 2 facial swellings, and 1 laryngeal swelling later and - guess what - it was the Lisinopril! The very thing I asked after the first episode and asked about with every single doctor. I have lost a lot of faith in the medical profession in the midwest!

At the time of my original posting on Oct 13, 2008, after my 8th "attack" of violent vomiting, cramping, diarrhea for eight hours, I decided to take myself off of Lisinopril (after seeing all the side effects posted on this site). I called my internest to let him know of my decision. Went back to see him for a checkup. BP was good (even after being off the drug for 10 days), and I had lost about 20 pounds during the ordeal anyway. I started eating healthier (more fruits & veggies) and have also been trying to walk more. BP is still good. What's remarkable is 1) I have had no attacks since being off lisinopril (3 mos now), 2) my doctor (who is quite experienced and well-known in the medical community) said he had never heard of these side effects and that as long as he's been prescribing lisinopril that he has had no patients with these side effects. I told him to use me as a medical case study! and 3) that there is not more information about these horrible side effects from the manufacturer and/or doctors.

I just experienced the same side effect. Took 1/2 of a 20mg Lisinopril and within 3 hours had severe stomach cramping, followed by intense vomiting and diahrrea. I was sore for 4 days after this and felt like I had ben kicked in the stomach. I have NEVER had stomach craImping that severe and it began from my stomach to my intestines. Mysoreness prevented me from wearing jeans or any tight clothes. I did not go to the ER...I am NEVER taking this medicine again.