Lisinopril and ace inhibitors

After doing a little internet research I found this interesting bit of information regarding Lisinopril:

Lisinopril was developed by Merck & Co. and is marketed worldwide as Prinivil or Tensopril and by AstraZeneca as Zestril. In India it is marketed by Micro Labs as Hipril. Like other ACE inhibitors, it is derived from the venom of the jararaca, a Brazilian pit viper (Bothrops jararaca).

I have been on Lisinopril for almost 10 years now for minor HTN. A few months after beginning Lisinopril, I began having swelling in my lips and slight swelling in my tongue. I figured I was probably allergic to something but did not give the medication a thought. Approx 1 year after taking it, I had a severe allergic reaction that caused my tongue to swell to the point my tongue was sticking out of my mouth and I was having difficulty breathing. I drove myself to my family doctor and was treated with epinephrine and steroids. The doctor had the crash cart ready in case I "punched out." After about 3 hours the swelling subsided. My doctor and I tried for several weeks to determine the trigger for the episode. There didn't seem to be any specific reason for it.

Fast forward almost 9 years to last week. I have been battling severe sinus conditions for about 10 years or so. I have now had 5 sinus surgeries to remove severe polyp growth in my sinuses. My ENT finally decided I needed to see an allergist. After going over my history and my medications with my young doctor, I told him about the swollen tongue episode. He immediately told me that it was due to the Lisinopril. He told me ACE Inhibitors are notorious for those types of reactions and it could happen again at any time, even thought it has been over 9 years since the only episode. He told me he would contact my GP and advise him to take me off the Lisinopril and prescribe something else.

Like many others on this site I too have experienced many symptoms that have not been properly explained. I am just wondering how many could be attributed to Lisinopril. Based on many of the side effects I have read here, some or all can be attributed to the Lisinopril, including the sinus conditions I have been battling for the last 10 years. My GP and I will be having a very serious talk at my next visit.

I am not sure if it is the Lisinopril or the 3 other medications I am taking for HBP, none of which seem to really help, since I have white coat blood pressure which goes wwwwway up.....This is the 2nd time I have woken up with my upper lip swollen and right now it is like 5 times the normal size and there is swelling above it now also as the swelling increases....started out as a bit of a tight feeling and swelling....Since this happens to people a lot who take Lisinopril (I take 40mg) I think this may be what is inducing it....It happened on Xmas day last year, not long after I started taking it, but then it was from an injury also, so it is hard to figure it out for sure, as I have addedn new BP meds since then....I don't see where anyone has posted anywhere on the internet about any one of the others though. Oh yes, the coughing is another thing...I hate that!!!

I was diagnosed with hbp in January 2008 (197/112), my Doctor prescribed Micardis to which I had few side effects limited only to 2 weeks of muscle and joint aches attributed to the HCT found in Micardis - once the aches subsided I had no noticeable effects to the Micardis and my bp dropped to under 130/80 but my insurance insisted that they would not cover the Micardis until I had been prescribed an ACE inhibitor so my Dr. prescribed Lisinopril and HCT as a water pill, within days of taking the Lisinopril I started having a dry, gagging cough that was aggravated by laying down making sleeping a serious problem.
I have found that drinking hot water is the only thing that will temporarily cut the tickle.
I have also noticed that I have been having dizzy spells and have started sweating profusely at the slightest exertion.
Still waiting BC/BS to authorize Micardis after 2 months or I will have to try another ACE inhibitor that may not have the same effects - any ACE inhibitors found to not cause these or similar symptoms would be greatly appreciated.

I started with 20mg of Lisinopril this winter. Within two months I was coughing. Within a month I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Antibiotics were prescribed and eventually the pneumonia symptoms went away, but I still have the cough. It is dry, deep and constant. I cannot sleep at night. I have a rash along my neck and on my scalp. I can't focus and I've gained weight. Food tastes funny and I have a metallic taste in my mouth sometimes. I have lost so much sleep I can hardly function. The only way I can sleep is to take a Benadryl at night, but that is not good restful sleep. I taking myself off of it starting tomorrow.

I have a boyfriend who was diagnosed with high blood pressure yesterday March 25th. Prior to this about 3 years ago had a stroke, and a second small one. The doctor prescribed Lisinopril, after the first dose taken, he seems totally different. Seems to have a lack of attention on anything, a non caring attitude, very tired and starting to get the cough that is described in these side effects. I'm concerned about him. I'm worried about his high blood pressure that could result in another possible stroke but now I'm concerned he seems totally out of it while on this drug. Are there any other blood pressure meds that seem to get less side effects. The drug may resolve one thing but may cause many other things to go wrong. I don't know which is better for him. Taking this particular drug because it is cheaper to prevent the problem of high blood pressure, and possibly have something else go wrong with all the side effects. Or, stop the drug and find another with less side effects. What is the best solution. All drugs have side effects. When one thing is trying to be cured, the side effects could cause something else to go wrong. How does anyone know what is right.

I originally posted my side effects on January 8, 2007. I had been taking Lisinopril for about 1 year prior. The dry hacking cough was driving me mad, so my cardiologist switched me to ATATCAND on February 9. On February 28 I posted that I had my first full day without a cough. Well, it is now March 24 and I have been cough-free for 3 weeks. Most of the other side effects have subsided also.
I know that only a small percentage of people taking this drug report this side effect. I normally do not react to any medications, but this stuff is poison, literally. I wonder if only a small number of people have side effects, or if more people have them, but do not report them, or are treated with other meds for their problems.
If you have a dry hacking cough and think it may be related to Lisinopril, don't wait. See your doctor and tell him that you are allergic to ACE inhibitors. It is well know by my primary care doctor as well as my cardiologist that this allergy exists.

I am 58 with mild hypertension. Started Lisinopril 10mgs and started to cough and feel like I was getting a cold within 48hours. 4 days later I was in the MD office with what I thought was an Asthma exacerbation. We treated it with Solumedrol dose pack and xeponex nebulizer treatments. Two days later I am in the ER unable to stop coughing. My MD was on call and realized that this was due to the Lisinopril!! This dry hacking cough also sometimes produces some phlegm but I am exhausted. This is miserable. It appears from what I have been reading that Lisinopril has the worst record of the ACE Inhibitors for this cough side effect. I am an RN and had no idea that this could be so bad. No more ACE inhibitors for me...they go on my "allergy" list. There are other allternatives and I think the Calcium Channel Blockers are a better alternative.
Maybe it is time for the FDA to re look at Lisinopril????

My friend has been taking Lisinopril for several years,then suddenly last week she woke up with a swollen face and tongue! Went to ER. When asked what meds she was on, they told her was the Lisinopril. It can happen anytime! They gave her benadryl to bring the swelling down. She was really frighten.
No longer on this bad med!

Maxine

I am a 50 year old female and started taking 10 mg of Lisinopril about 2 months ago for HBP. I also take Lovastatin with no problems for about 2 years. Within a few weeks, I starting having the dry, hacking cough along with the tickle in the throat. I also starting itching over various parts of my body. I starting urinating a lot especially at night. Between the coughing and going to the bathroom, I was not getting much sleep. I was tired all the time and was not able to concentrate very well. A few weeks ago, I noticed my skin was getting little red spots. It finally dawned on me that all these symptoms occurred after I started taking the Lisinopril! I went online and found this site. I can't believe they would put a drug like this on the market! I quit taking the medicine about 4 days ago and my cough is starting to decrease, my itching is almost gone and I am not urinating as much. I have an appointment with my doctor in a few days and will tell him that I will NOT be taking this medicine anymore. I will find another way to decrease my blood pressure without medicine. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DRUG!!!!!

I have been diagnose with hypertension toady. My doctor has prescribed Lisinopril-HCTZ 20/12.5 for me. Has anyone taken this combination before? After reading these posting I will return to my doctor’s office on Monday and see what other medications I can be prescribed for hypertension. I so glad in read this before taking the medication.

Dizziness, fainting, rapid fall in blood pressure.
Not sure that this is a problem with Lisinopril, but would be interested in any comments. Have been taking Lisinopril for about 15 years, 10mg/day, BP been stable in the 130/75-85 range until it rose to 140/102, between Sep'06/Jan'07. Was spending the winter months in Spain and on returning to UK in May 2007 agreed with doctor to increase dose to 20mg/day. BP, diastolic reading remained high in 95/98 range. To cut a long story short doctor suggested 10mg Amlovasc (Amiodipine) which is a Calcium Antagonist in addition to the 20mg Lisinopril. This 'worked' and BP was then down to 130/84 range. No particular side effects apart from some dry cough. However 5 days ago I collapsed, fainted for a short period, poor vision, comforted by first aiders until ambulance arrived. Was sick before ambulance arrived and then felt much better but they measured my BP as 80/40. Had various checks in emergency (this is in Spain) ECG etc and now waiting for appointment with cardiologist. Since this event I have seen on the Amlovasc info sheet that it may interact with ACE inhibitors which is what Lisinopril is. I wonder if this possible interaction was the reason for the collapse etc? I have also been taking Benecol (Stanol Ester) since August 2007 to maintain my cholesterol at an acceptable level. This has been successful. Once I have had the consultation with the cardiologist I hope to know more.

Now I am off this medication ( for 3 months) I am no longer constipated!... cant believe this as this had been a problem for all the time I'd been on ACE inhibitors.
Also had the neck pain mentioned by the previous writer.... this is improving slowly too.I now take small dose of duiretic (Bendrofl,,) at night and feel I am alive again!!.

My doctor put me on Lisinopril (10 mg) a week ago. On the third day, I felt fatigue, had a cough, entire body soreness, felt feverish, with flu symptoms. My doctor told me to stop taking it for three or four days and start it up again. I did. I felt better, especially on my forth day. I started it up again on a Monday and still felt okay, but the fatigue returned. Today, which is Saturday, I woke up feeling great. I didn't take the Lisinopril until noon time and from then on I have felt very tired. I laid down for six hours, slept two. I still have the cough and have decided to take the Lisinopril at night so that I may sleep better. I go back to my doctor the 11th of October and will let you all know how that turned out.

PLEASE READ MY STORY!!!....Part 2. My Nephroligist put me on an ARB-Angiostein II Receptor Blocker-Cozaar@50mg.

He said in his opinion, " the medications on the market in both classes of ACE Inhibitors & Angiostein II Receptor Blockers (ARB's) are similar in regulating high blood pressure and helping the kidneys to function better." He went on to explain that "ARB's have less side effects, are a much better quality, and more expensive." "The insurance companies don't want to pay the higher price." "Cozaar is one of the best." I told him that's what I wanted, "The Best." I had a good feeling about this Doc. He knew what he was talking about and recommended what he felt was best for me given the problems I had with Lisinopril HCTZ. He's monitoring me closely and I'm to call him ASAP with any weird or unusual side effects.

I did more research on the ARB's and have personally concluded for the time being, that the ARB's make more sense to me in "how" the medications regulate high blood pressure. Of course there's different types of variables one must always consider before starting these medications or any other medications for that matter. Everybody's medical condition isn't the same and the medications are NOT a "one size fits all" and shouldn't be addressed as such.

I've been on the Cozaar for 3 days and so far I feel great! I'll keep you updated for any side effects. Anyone out there try any of the ARB's? If you're currently taking or have taken, I would certainly appeciate if you would please email me and let me know what your experience was like in regulating your blood pressure and/or any side effects you had.

Boy! It is funny how all of us posting here have all these side effects and the doctors for the most part say nothing or keep an eye on it. I to have symtoms ranging from bad headaches, the tickle in the throat and cough with it, to lower neck across shoulders the pain is intense. I was started out with a 20mg dose and on july 2007. There are differences with me as i have a hard time now getting to sleep. I toss and turn most of the night. It is now mid september and the doctor has never called to ask how i was doing. My blood pressure has not gone down but up. ranging from 174/110 on sept. 9 to 158/104 on sept16 2007. so i am taking myself off this crap and doing something different if only what are for-fathers did most of the time........they lived with it. Any thing has to be better than this.....thanks for all your help!

The cough from Lisinopril is from the ACE inhibitor (drug classification not isolated to just Lisinopril), one of the main side effects of almost any ACE inhibitor is a persistent dry cough...do not stop blood pressure medications without discussing with your doctor. There are many other blood pressure medication which are not ACE inhibitors and will not cause coughing, but will control you blood pressure....ask you doctor to try a Angiotension receptor blocker or BETA blocker I've been there I thought I would go crazy from the cough I experienced!!!. I was on Avapro...it worked great for me, but when my insurance wouldn't cover that paricular medication I was switched to DIiovan, and it work well also without side effects!!! I hope this helps somone!

My husband went on Lisinopril in Feb 07, his bp went down and was regulated his headaches almost left but then he had sinus surgery in mar or apr. He has now developed muscle twitching and now the "doctors" say he has Motor Neuron Disease.... I refuse to believe after reading everyone's side affects that this 41 year old with no family history of this other than 1/2 siblings with high bp that he has this disease. He has experienced neck stiffness like it is broken (had MRI) no broken bones or slipped disc, he has had the chills, hw has vision blurred issues, heaviness in his legs, left side of his body more prominent than the right, he has crazy dreams and thoughts, he feels like he is dying, he doesn't however have any coughs, he has anxiety which they put him on anti depressant. After reading others comment I researched this med, it was developed by venom in a poisonous Brazilian snake. My husband as a child would get bitten by wasps, fire ants etc.. they would rush him to ER for meds and he used to take shots if stung, swells up like a balloon. So in my theory this med has the snake bite affects and I believe this has caused him to have this neuron disease but I can't prove it. His muscles twitch all the time. I believe this drug has been slowly poisoning him to a eventually paralysis to death. I have begged the doctor to take him off. He has but now he is on Atenolol, which is not much better but has no snake venom or ACE inhibitors. Please people email me. I am desperate we need to band together.
Thanks you Joann

I have been taking Lisiniopril for several years now for moderately high blood pressure. (10mg) I have the mild dry throat and cough but was willing to put up with it as opposed to having a stroke. What I did not count on was the fatigue, muscle and joint aches that I have developed along with feeling like I was in fog many days. Aches and discomfort in the middle of the night enough to wake me up and sometimes lasting all day (although it would subside somewhat during the day). In addition I have been having discomfort in my kidneys. I thought I was developing arthritis but was tested by my primary doctor for the gene and did not have it. Why did he not discuss the effects of this drug he had prescribed? Now that I know of other peoples experiences I am stopping this drug and will try harder to control my bp with execise and diet. My research has told me that simple diuretics will control the bp if necessary. These ACE inhibitors are nasty things...stay away!

I have been taking Lisopril 10 mg. for only 4 days. Already I have felt terrible. The first 2 days I had so much fatigue and aching in my body - I felt like I had the flu. I spent almost one whole day in bed. Today I was feeling depressed and like I was menopausal again - with heat sensations. Now I notice a red rash on my chin and chest. I am not taking anymore of this medicine! My question is this......I had previously been taking Mavik 2 mg for almost a year. It too is an ACE inhibitor, but I never noticed any side effects with it. The reason the doctor switched me to Lisinopril is because the cost of Mavik is so expensive...even with insurance. Does anyone know, about Mavik? Also, I have taken Atenolol for many years, and if I have side effects, I'm not aware of them. Will I need to ween myself off of the Ace inhibitors? I'd appreciate your comments.

i posted a few post down about the allergy doc telling me to stop taking it..

its been about 4 days im off lisinopril and I can finally sleep again (no more terrified heart attack feeling from my heart pumping so hard).. my blood pressure is perfect right now at 120/70 and my coughing is going away..

about atenelol post someone posted.. I heard that med absorbs into organs and will give you some serious problems later? isnt ACE inhibitors your best best at BP medicine in terms of long term effects?

Changed from Atenolol to Lisinoprol because of the new guidelines about beta blockers versus ACE inhibitors. Within 24 hours I was dizzy, weak, pains in my abdomen, tight chest, heart pounding, breathless, could not run for the bus. I persevered and took 3 doses (5 mgs each) but eventually felt so bad I stopped and after 24 hours went back on Atenolo. Within 1 hour I was much improved. In spite of the guidelines and the long term dangers of beta blockers, I feel I have no choice but to stick with them as my quality of life on Lininopril was unacceptable.

There is something seriously wrong with this generic drug, maybe quality control. It now has 68 pages of complaints, and continues to grow rather fast. It seems even worse than other ACE inhibitors, even the brand-name/non-generic versions of this same med, like zestril or prinivil. It is obviously toxic for some people, like me. I compare this to other meds I know about that have 1 or 2 pages of complaints.

For what its worth, a bit of extra zinc and selenium seem to help a lot with the cough, also with other problems from this med. Also vit-c and vit-e. Best of luck to all.

I've been taking Ace inhibitors for several years. Started with captopril, another whose name I don't remember caused marked depression (the others did not), and finally lisinopril. All caused the cough, which went away after taking it for a few months, and starts up again if I stop taking for a while and then resume. Other symptoms I attribute to ace inhibitors in general are a lack of libido, headaches, dizziness, and dramatic, but gradual, hair loss. (I am female.) At one point either the ordering dr or the pharmacy inadvertently doubled my dose from 10 to 20 mg(and I didn't catch the error for quite some time - weeks or months.) When I finally did catch the error, it explained my increased cough, headaches and dizziness, and severe postural hypotension. (I'm up and down a lot at work, and I felt I would almost black out when changing position.) I'm diabetic, and take it to prevent kidney damage. My blood pressure is borderline, and sometimes higher. Unfortunately, the ace inhibitor at 10 mg doesn't seem to lower my blood pressure enough.

Has anybody else experienced very bad headaches from this medication? I'm seeing my PCP tomorrow and telling him to take me off of Lisinopril and try something else, but NO MORE ace inhibitors. My husband was put on an ace inhibitor a few years ago and had the most horrible seizure like side effects. He would get coughing really bad, his eyes would all of a sudden roll back and then he'd pass out. As soon as he was off of the ace inhibitor he was back to normal. Thank God! You put your life into the hands of a doctor to take care of you and wind up going through hell. What are we supposed to do?

I posted here in early Sept. about my problems with lisinopril. After reading other posts I started doing some google searches. Because a previous HBP medicine caused my thyroid function go down I was switched to Lisinopril. Two years later, my throid levels which had recovered are now going down again. Several posters mentioned suppelmenting with zinc to deal with the cough so many people develop. A "lisinopril zinc" search had several sites that all stated in practically the same words that no research showed a link to zinc and lisinopril but supplementation might be a good idea. (Don't dose yourself with zinc because that can cause things to go out of whack.) I also found an article by Dr. Ron Hoffman about "Drugs That Steal." He reported that ACE-inhibitors caused zinc to be depleted from the body.
Then, I googled "zinc TSH". TSH is the indicator of how your thyroid is working. There I found several articles about how low zinc levels may cause low thyroid symptoms. Ask low-thyroid sufferers how hard it is to get doctors to diagnose and deal with this wide range of symptoms that are often vague.
Now I'm stuck. Is it lisionpril or is it my thyroid? My doctor sees the HBP first and wants to add medications to deal with the first medication's side effects. But then suppose there are more side effects from the next medication. This is a real quality of life issue.

I started taking Lisinopril 4 weeks ago to control my high blood pressure. About a week later, I began to itch all over my body, but mostly on my forearms, armpits, and ankles/feet. It leaves my skin red with bumps and welts. I didn't even connect it with the Lisinopril until it just dawned on me one night. My MD said most likely I am allergic to Lisinopril and any other ACE Inhibitors, so I've stopped the Lisinopril and will begin to take Cozaar instead. I've been off Lisinopril for a week and I'm still itching. Hopefully it will go away in a few days.

I had been put on Lisinopril 10mg in January 2005 for high blood pressure. The does was increased to 20mg in February. In March I began to experience severe bone pains throughout my body and developed a dry night time cough. There was a period where it appeared to be a viral infection but the pains continued. My life has been on hold due the pains. From waking up and having my wrists and ankles hurt badly to shooting pains all over. The pain appears in different body parts each week. My cardiologist and regular md did not think the lisinopril was causing this. After a series of blood work ups very high liver enzymes appeared (alk, alt, and ast) I was sent for a liver ultrasound and to a GI doctor. The bone pain is crippling and has lead me to have to take pain medications which cause other issues. The GI doctor believes I may be in the 1% of people who are effected this way. I would rather live with high blood pressure than experience the pains I have. I await more test results and have independently stopped taking Lisinopril as of today. After researching ace inhibitors, I think the Lisinopril is the culprit. I believe this medication is toxic to me.

I was actually looking for side effect info. on some of the current BP meds I am taking. My dentist has suggested some problems w/ staining & rotting be be related to a beta-blocker or from depending on lifesavers to bring my blood sugar up on a regular basis. While they don't want to advise me against something that works, I am trying to move back toward fresh fruits for low sugar instead. But, I have been taking Toprol for a little over a yr. and am reasonably pleased w/it. The dr. initially prescribed 50mg, but gave me samples in the 25mg - since i have had a lot of problems w/side effects w/several meds, I started the first few days w/this dose and was satisfied, feeling better and the BP was normal. So I inquire w/them about staying at that dose and their nurse recommended I do what the dr. said to do - so, I bump my dose up to the 50mg and start getting low pressure and feel sick all over, cold feet - it was awful (I have my own BP meter at home too, the ones in the pharmacy are not always accurate). But, called the dr. office again and the actual dr. me back and when I explained the difference in the effects between the two doses, she said to stick w/the 25mg. Had I not tried this out at a lower dose I would not have been willing to continue w/this med had it made me feel that bad on the first day or a few days after.

I also have Type I Diabetes and was a smoker for 17.5 yrs. I became more motivated when I was diagnosed w/COPD of the emphasema type and my breathing was restricted for a couple of days as a result. I found an online group called (I think if i remember correctly) Smoke No More and I also took an herbal supplement (a sleep aid) called Valerian every 4-6 hours to releive the axiety of the withdrawel. Otherwise, I had tried the Zyban and/or Wellebutrin, but could not take it, it eventually made me very short of breath w/chest discomfort.

Best Wishes, I have otherwise also tried several ACE Inhibitors with not a whole lot of luck - but Endocrinologist are very big on these for the kidney protection - but if that is what you are taking, there are quite a few different types out there.

I have been on lisinopril for 3-4 months. For the past 4 weeks I have had a dry cough and was treated for bronchitis. Last night was taken to the emergency room, because I was coughing, gagging, throwing up balls of mucus and not being able to catch my breath, feeling my throat was closing. They checked me out and felt it was a reaction to ACE inhibitors. Took me off and are treating with new blood pressure medication. They said it would take at least 4 days to see a difference.

Help!! Has anyone experienced severe swelling of the lips? (Appears to be a type of "cheilitis" and some on-line info ties ACE inhibitors to cheilitis.) This started about 11 hours ago - Dr. treated as allergic reaction with steroid pack and antihistimine which was supposed to produce near immediate results. IT'S GETTING WORSE BY THE MINUTE!!! My lips are about to split open they're so big and the swelling has also extended to the lower jaw area.

Just wanted to tell you all that it was confirmed in a British Television news feature that "Ace Inhibitors" - in other words Lisinopril CAN cause stomach upsets. Date Nov. 11, 2003. The news article was about a new, as yet unlicensed drug that allegedly will not have any such side effects.

Why oh why (oh why) are so many people here taking Lisinopril for high blood pressure?

I thought ACE inhibitors were mainly for heart damage. That's why I'm taking it. Why not take something like Atenolol for high blood pressure? It's generic, has minimal side effects, and really lowers the bp; there are a range of beta-blockers you can choose from for your own chemistry; plus a small dosage works wonders; really drops it.

It seems you're all taking massive amounts of Lisinopril for something it's not meant for when a little Atenolol or other drug would do much more.

Really curious about this. I know Lisinopril lowers bp but... it's not what it's really for. I think the lowering is a side-effect mostly. Anyone ever looked into this, thought about it, asked their doctors?

Why or why... are all you people being given Lisinopril for high blood pressure? Atenolol (brand name, Tenormin) is as side-effect free as any drug, is specific for high blood pressure, and really lowers it with a very small dosage. There are tons of other similar drugs too. The ACE inhibitors should be used for heart (defect) problems. Mine is. I never heard of using an ACE inhibitor for hbp!!! Has anyone ever looked into this? You're taking massive dosages and getting very little results. What's going on?