I was on Benicar for several years with no side effects whatsoeve...

I was on Benicar for several years with no side effects whatsoever. I'm 42 with borderline high blood pressure and it worked great. I switched to Lisinopril in March/April due to the cost of Benicar and the fact I got laid off the first of the year and no longer have insurance. I discussed this with my Dr. and he recommended Lisinopril due to the cost. He did warn me the cough was a side effect but thought I would try it anyway. At first everything was fine, but the past month has been a nightmare. Horrible cough, especially at night, the past few weeks I've got next to no sleep. I was sitting here at 1am last night unable to sleep and decided to do a search on Lisinopril side effects and found this forum. Needless to say, my eyes have been opened, as I have experienced a lot of these same side effects since starting the drug, but didn't really put it all together until reading these posts, and it's like looking into a mirror! The cough, the constant muscle pain like I exercised too much, occasion hip and leg pain I didn't have a few months ago, the "fuzzy brain" and listless feelings, I've experienced it all. As of tonight I am stopping the drug, calling my Dr. and getting lined up for something else. As soon as I get some medical insurance back I'm back on Benicar, until then I'm getting off this stuff. I would rather watch my BP closely than keep coughing up my lungs like I'm currently doing. =)