Lisinopril and blood pressure

HELLO EVERYONE....IM SITTING AT WORK AND JUST DECIDED TO RESEARCH THIS DRUG LISINOPRIL...BECAUSE I AM REALLY BORED....WHEN I GOOGLED THE NAME I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE.....OMYGOSH...I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY...I HAVE BEEN TAKING Lisinopril FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW....I ALWAYS READ THE INSERTS THAT COME WITH THE MEDICATION BUT I NEVER SEEN THE SIDE EFFECTS THAT WE ARE HAVING ON THE INSERT...I SING IN THE CHURCH CHOIR AN I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY MY VOICE WOULD BE SO HORRIBLE AND MESSED UP..I AM SO HAPPY I GOOGLED THIS DRUG...DOSE ANYONE KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES BEFORE YOUR BODY GOES BACK TO NORMAL AFTER STOPPING THE DRUG....

Was previously on Micardis HCT; dr. switched to generic Lisinopril HCTZ 12.5 in 11/07 when I went on Medicare & was concerned about cost of Micardis. Since that time I've put on 10 lbs. and had increased pain/muscle fatigue and general lethargy. Unusual, as I've exercised 4-5 days per wk. (incl. aerobics/strength trng/flexibility.) for 20+ yrs. Also, frequently, have problems swallowing pills due to feeling of obstruction in esaphogus tube. In July '08 I awakened to slight numbness/tingling in lips and my lips then proceeded to the swell to the point of pain and my lips (in profile) protruded further than my nose. I received steroid injection and prescription for steroid pack. Diagnosis was possible allergic reaction to new cosmetic product. Today (9/3/08) I woke up with the same symptoms and again had to go to the dr.for a steroid injection & meds. Diagnosis this time (different dr.) was possible side effects of "blood pressure meds." Has anyone else experienced edema of the lips, wt. gain, and problems swallowing?

I have been on Lisinopril for about 10 months. I have really not felt well the whole time and have developed some side effects that i have gotten use to and just lived with and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I had fatigue, problems concentrating, headaches, chest pain, blurred vision, body aches and overall didn't feel like doing anything. I also noticed a small rash on my stomach/chest when i would get out of the shower but figured it must have been soap or something. I even tried not using soap and it would still be there. Friends and family started telling me I never feel good etc. So about 3 weeks ago I got really sick with diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chest pains etc. Kept thinking i had a virus or something. A few times i was so sick I layed on the floor wondering what is wrong with me. Finally got into my doctor today and he also said it was a virus. A few people said they thought i was my blood pressure pills including my chiropractor. The doctor ran a sleu of tests today and i should get the results tomorrow. I have also had itching all over my body and a vaginal infection so i thought that would not go away. From reading all of this I realize everything is a reaction to the medication and I did not take a dose tonight but 2 benadryl instead. I always noticed throughout this that i always felt better towards the evening of course because that was when my medication was due. I will not be taking anymore of this and I am not happy that so many people are being given this everyday without any knowledge. Thank goodness people are responding and telling their stories so we don't think we are going crazy and hopefully feel better and maybe save a life!

I want to add something to my original post. I only took this med for 10 days (5mg) and was miserable. After 3 weeks I was beginning to feel better (having 1 bad day, then 2 good) when suddenly I experienced pain in my left side, numbness and tingling. My doctor sent me for a kidney scan. Five days after this new pain began, I developed another rash. I realized that I had shingles. So PLEASE be careful if you have any symptoms. This puts a terrible stress on your immune system. Apparently my immune system couldn't handle the stress and the result is shingles. So, I'm miserable again and probably have another 3 weeks to go before I begin to come out from this episode.

Also, for those of you who are switching to another blood pressure medicine that is an ace inhibitor (as lisinopril is), you will not tolerate those either. They are all made from the same ingredient, snake venom.

Lisinopril; I had an allergic reaction with in 3 hrs of taking my first pill, my lips swelled up and it moved down my neck, went to emergency and was pump full of Benadril; at that time I proudly weighed 169. Doctor switched me to Atenanol and this helped my blood pressure, but my weight that I had worked really hard to loose all came back. Now I weigh 230 and have no metabolism...I want something else to take besides Atenanol. Please help!!!

I am still experiencing hot flushes even though I am post menopausal. I reckon it could be down to the Lisinopril pills. My dose has been doubled to 20mg from 10mg. Could this be the case? Has anyone else had these symptoms?

Similar story here. I tolerated the drug for a bit, and it worked great for my blood pressure, but then my throat started to feel scratchy and odd (especially in the evening and at night), then it worsened into a cough, then it worsened to hacking so bad I would almost vomit. They switched me to a different drug today.

I am actually crying as I had no idea what was wrong with me. I have been on Lisionopril now for about 5 years at 40 mg/day.
During those five years I have been fatigued, suffered with GERD, dry cough. Of course my doc said to lose weight.
Last month I went on a diet and all hell broke loose. I lost 25 lbs and I don't know if the weight loss released all of those Lisionopril toxins or what but here goes:
Fatique, weakness, arm and leg muscle pain, absolutely no sex drive, rib cage pain, back pain, perceived shortness of breath. Heart palpitations, dry cough with mucus. I have a lump in my throat. It got so bad I went to the ER , they drew labs and my BP was elevated. They added labetalol to the lisinopril. I came across this site and I called my doctor and I told him that I wasn't taking lisinopril anymore. I feel as if I am having a slow death. I cant function, I cant work, I am panicky and nervous.
He said to monitor my pressure with 2x/day with the Labetalol.

I was on the maximum dose and I wonder how long will it take for this poison to leave my body. I can't believe what this medicine is made from. I am more than willing to lose weight and do anything to stop taking these poisons. I would love to hear your experiences. I need all the support that I can get.

I just don't understand the sudden exacerbation of all of the symptoms unless it is the weight loss. But my BP never went down even with the weight loss.

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!!!

My heart rate spikes when my blood pressure gets markedly lower. I also get really dizzy when that happens. I know that so many of you are struggling with these side effects and I also know (based on experience) how nerve wracking it can be. Maybe...just maybe we aren't experiencing side effects from the drug exactly, but instead the effect of the drug working. Maybe once our bodies get used to the lowered pressure, our heart rates will normalize. Maybe when we adjust to the lowered pressure a little better, we won't get so dizzy....

Don't mean to sound preachy...I guess I'm just trying to suggest an alternative view...again, one that is based on experience../.

I am a 40 year old female and both my husband and I are taking Lisinopril 40 mg. I have mild tingling in my arms at night, however the tingling/ burning sensation is so great in my husband's arms that he can't sleep at night. His rest is continually interrupted by this uncomfortable sensation. I have noticed a host of things like tiredness, an occasional dry cough, feelings of depression, rapid heart beat, and lack of energy in myself. My husband has experienced all of the above and muscle pain and irritability. I thought his irritability was being caused by lack of sleep, but I have learned from this website that it may be yet another side effect of the medication. We both have to get off this. Thanks for all of your helpful comments.

I became very dizzy and my legs started cramping and tingling.I got to where I could not keep my balance while walking.As I was walking I would miss a step,as my left leg would catch,uncontrollably.This was all within one week of taking them.I called my doctor and I was told to stop the medicine and monitor my blood pressure x one week and call them with results.This is my first day without Lisinopril and I am still wabbling and some dizzy,but better than yesterday!

Was taking Norvasc when my Doctor added Lisinopril i took it from Friday to Monday experienced chest pain,blood pressure dropped to 95/60,neck and arms had tightness and cramps,also a few fingers went numb.

On May 24th, I posted some info. about my trip to the ER and being prescribed Lisinopril. I didn't want to take it because of all of the side effects and I have been on a quest for natural supplements ever since to try to get my bp under control. For those of you that are looking for supplement information, I came across the following links that may be helpful. Hope all of you feel better soon.

Hypertension Supplements-Hypertension Regimen Article:

www.hypertensionsupplements.com

Vitacost Vitamins sells there products at wholesale prices:

www.vitacost.com

Also, I had mentioned "Holistrol" or also known as "HiQi for Blood Pressure." This is another product that sounds promising and I am currently awaiting my shipment to see how this works. I do plan to update how my experience is with the "Holistrol" after a few weeks. I am currently trying the "TwinLab Blood Pressure Success" for the past week, but have yet to see any change in bp. It's probably too soon to see any changes.

I am a 34 y/o male who started taking 10mg/day of lisinopril on May 15th. My blood pressure at the time was 140/118, pretty high I guess! I was feeling it too in the form of headaches. The doc wrote the script for me and I filled it that night. I should also mention that this is not the first time I have taken Lisinopril. I stopped taking it back in March because the script ran out. I don't seem to recall any kind of side-effects the first time, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I also take Levoxyl for my hypothyroidism, and it is a pretty hefty dose, 225mcg a day.

So, for the first week, I was doing pretty good on it. No coughing, or any of the listed side effects listed for the med. Then, about a week into it, I started having numbness in the right three toes on my right foot. When I say numb, I don't mean I could not feel anything, it was like touching your skin with a t-shirt over it. I could feel it, just kind of topically numb. I had a 'patch' of this numb skin right behind those same three toes and several other areas up the front and back of my right calve. I delt with this for a few days, thinking it was my shoes I was wearing at work. They were pretty worn out on the outer edges. I got new shoes on Monday, June 2nd. I wore them to work on the next day. At the end of the day, my calves felt kind of tired. The next day, they felt kind of tired still. I found this sort of weird. From that point on, my high anxiety really kicked in. I don't want to mention the thoughts I am having about what it could be that is causing this. I forgot to mention that I have not been sleeping well lately either since I started taking the Lisinppril again. I guess overall, I feel exhausted and weak. More so in my legs. To add to it, my lower back hurts like mad. I have two herniated discs and mild arthritis in it from damage from years ago. Also, for the past week, a pain has been developing in my left shoulder blade in my back. It is worse in the morning, and had gradually been getting worse for about a week. Today, it was awful.

I have ready a lot of the messages about the side effects different people are having. My question is, has anyone ever been on the lisinopril, gone off of it for whatever reason, having had no bad side effects, then gone back on it only to start having these bad side effects that you did not have before?

I have stopped taking the lisinopril on the 5th and have a doctor's appointment on the 9th to find out what is going on. I don't feel good at all. Can anyone relate?

I am a 62 yo female who was prescribed Lisinopril in February. Within a week I had such a continuous horrible dry, hacking cough that I trouble communicating with others. This cough was particularly bad during the night. I have had to live with water and cough drops as my constant companions. I can honestly say that I have only slept through the night once from February until last night. My PCP finally decided that I did not have a sinus infection and that a codeine based cough medicine was not the answer and switched me from Lisinopril to Avapro on Monday, June, 2nd. According to my PCP it could take up to a week for the cough to go away.

As a 43 year old male in otherwise excellent health, I've always been opposed to being on meds of any kind unless absolutely necessary. My blood pressure has been borderline for a few years now, and I couldn't seem to get it lower with diet and exercise. So I allowed my doctor to prescribe something. I'm on 20mg of Lisinopril and 25mg of hydrochlorat. I'm glad to have a site like this available where I can be forewarned of side effects. So far, I've only experienced the dry cough, which my doctor warned me about. But it hasn't been too bad. It seems to bother me most shortly after falling asleep at night (because it wake me up). Actually, it seems like a welcome trade-off to the daily headaches I was suffering (I can't believe I haven't had a headache in over a week because I used to wake up with one daily). I've only been on this prescription for 10 days, so I'll continue to monitor myself for some of the potential side-effects that have plagued others.

I was recently prescribed 10 mg lisinopril for borderline hypertension. the first 2 days I felt better and my blood pressure went from 160/106 to 124/76 in 3 days. But also on day 3, I have developed a hoarseness and I feel extremely tired adn depressed. The calves of my legs feel like they weigh 50 lbs each, they feel heavy. I don't think I will take anymore of it and contact my doctor for a change in medication. I am glad I came across this website.

I have experienced many of the same side effects as you. Late 20's male..blood pressure has been mildly high for many years, was put on 10mg of lisinopril about a month ago- as many have mentioned the first 2 days my BP dropped considerably and I could hardly stand up without feeling like I would fall over due to the drop in BP. However, after 2-3 days this was gone and my BP stabilized in the 120-80 range. For 2 weeks I was great, no side effects. Then for the past week I have been very tired, very nauseas and noticed my arms/legs would fall asleep much more easily than before. All of these seem to be common side effects as you have all mentioned, however:
1) Not many of you mention nausea - I feel it 60% of the day, is this common also?
2) What do the doctor's then prescribe to make it go away - I cant live like this - cant concentrate at work due to tiredness and nausea
3) I go to doctor in a few days for my check-up, any suggestions on what to say?

Hi Gang,
Im on 20 mg of Lisinopril in the morning and 25 mg of atenolol at night. The Lisinoril is for my blood pressure and the Atenolol is for my anxiety attacks that i have. O.o But im still have anxiety attacks, and i don't know why. So ive had all the test, heart ultra sound, ekg's, blood work, treadmill ekg, halter monitor for 3 days. The works basicly. Im 40 and yes over weight. But i passed all the test with flying colors. Doc said he only ever wants to see me again, if im Really sick. Anyone know why im getting anxiety attacks (mine are rapid heart beats, and feeling like fainting) all of a sudden. When i started the lisinopril i had a minor cough, but not any more. Otherwise ive been pretty good with both meds. Just don't know what is triggering the anxiety!

I have been on Lisinopril (20 mgs) for around 6 months and although it has reduced my blood pressure to a 'normal' rate, I have been suffering from swollen hands, particularly my right one, and they become uncomfortably hot and red looking. I sometimes find it difficult to sleep at night. Does anyone have a similar symptom? I am so worried about it, I have actually had a blood test by my doctor and am still awaiting the results to see if I have some form of arthritis. The only other side effect that I have noticed is the irritable cough, which also wakes me up during the night.

I'm a 44 year old female, and I have been taking 40mg. of lisinopril for over a year now. I also take omeprazole 20 mg. (a sub for prilosec) every day. Before taking lisinopril, I did have high blood pressure, but since taking this medication, I have had more problems than that. I have an irritating cough all the time and phlegm in my throat so thick that I feel as if I am chocking to death. I also have a severe rash all over my body and on the bottoms of my feet, and on my hands. I am depressed all the time, have no interest in sex whatsoever, and basically feel like crap all the time. I have a very bad pain in the left side of my neck that I know is not a result of sleeping the wrong way. I have to say, I never felt this way before taking this medication, but today I got to the point that I wanted to look up side effects to see if what I'm taking is hurting me. After reading some of these posts, I believe I know what my problem is. My husband was also on lisinopril, but 20mg and had such a terrible cough that we thought he had pneumonia. He is off the medication now, and his cough had disappeared. For me, the rash, and depression is the biggest thing. I have decided to take myself off this medication on my own, and try to find another way to deal with my high blood pressure. If you know of any herbs, and/or foods that help with blood pressure, I would love to hear about them. Thank you all for the information you have posted here. I'm sure it will help others think about what the doctors and pharmaceutical companies are trying to do to us. Seems the more medications they prescribe, the worse side effects we endure. Thanks again everyone!

Am I the only one who has gained a lot of weight while on Lisinopril? I have gained over 40lbs in 3 years. I have also experienced odd muscle cramping and have never made a connection to this and Lisinopril. The pain in my ear, side of my head, and my jaw was unbelievable. ENT dr thought it was TMJ or nerve damage. He was not able to really pin down the exact cause. One month later I was bed ridden with severe back pain, which I have never had before. MRI showed nothing. Headaches are daily, cough, leg cramps, chest pain, decreased sex drive, and definitely have feelings of depression. I have never made the connection between the changes in my personality, health, and lifestyle to this medicine; but now I have. I will be immediately contacting my doctor to discuss alternatives. My BP when I started was 150/90 and now is 112/70. Please let me know if anyone has also had the weight gain like I have experienced. I know I am going to have to have hard facts to show to my doctor. Thank you.

I have been taking 40mg of Lisinopril daily for over 5 years, which has successfully lowered my blood pressure. I thought the drug was fine - however, I do occasionally experience ED, and to be sure of successful performance, I need to take 50 mg of Viagra. My testosterone levels are fine. My doctor has ascribed the ED to my 3 - 4 glasses of wine each evening - saying that if I reduced the wine intake to 2 glasses, the problem would go away. After reading these accounts, I'm not sure it is the wine. I did experience severe leg cramps at night for 2 - 3 years - but those have stopped, and I have not had any of the other symptoms mentioned.

I am so glad I found this web site because I knew my husband was going through changes and I knew something was wrong. He was having mood swings, talking crazy like he was going to dye and we were going to be harmed if we left the house. It was very strange and not like him. He was very impatient and he had a cough like something was in his throat. He would cough really hard. I know at times he had a very distant look and a look of confusion. I asked him what the doctor gave him for his blood pressure and it was Lisinopril. He has been using this medication for about three weeks and I told him today was his last day taking this medication. We are going to use apple cider vinegar to maintain his blood pressure, fruits and vegetables and regular exercise and see an alternative medicine doctor.

I've been taking lisinopril for about 4 months for HBP which I have had since I was 18 and I am 40 now. My blood pressure went down immediately--I can never remember the number but before nurses testing my bp would always say I was "a little high" and now they always say "it's normal." When i first started taking it I noticed I felt a little depressed, and I always felt lethargic on lisinopril. I believe that's just normal from taking something which reduces BP. I had bad diarrhea and got pretty sick for a short while a couple weeks ago but there was a flu that was going around. I noticed some dizziness and was pretty out of it, but I have felt those symptoms before I started on lisinopril. I am now worried from reading your complaints about this drug.I ran out of pills a few days ago and I feel much more energetic and with-it now, generally better although now I worry about the long-term effects on my body of my HBP. I currently have a headache and to be honest I still don't feel 100%. While I was on it I noticed some dryness in my belly and my poop seemed weird not normal--I had some bad flatulence and my poop would come out sometimes pretty sparse. I definitely felt different, especially in my digestion and lethargy, but did not have very very bad side effects. Still I'm thinking twice before taking it again. My father had some blindness in one eye that was apparently from long-term HBP, so I am concerned about long term effects of not doing anything about my BP--so I may go back to lisinopril or whatever else my doctor prescribes.

I have been on lisinopril for two years, in that time I became unable to do anything. I would eat, but it would not give me energy, so I would eat more. I gained over 100 lbs from this. Nothing tasted, for all I knew I could of been eating rubber. My head hurt in one spot on my head. I could not remember anything, even how to cook anything, I have cooked all my life. If you can not taste then it is hard to cook. I was told in Aug of last year that I was hypothyroid. Come to find out the body can not make your thyroid work well while taking Lisinopril. I thought good they found out what was wrong with me. . I had the stomach problems they started in the night, I felt like if I went to the bathroom that I was going to die. For a full year I delt with my stomach hurting, before I got really sick. I was so depressed, really depressed. I was taking Norvasc which was doing good for my blood pressure. Before this started my doctor told me to try this wonder drug, it would make everything perfect, it was cheap and my insurance would cover it. It was the start of a two year ordeal that I hope is over. The wonder drug was Lisinopril, the death pill is what I call it. I was in the ER blood pressure 170/110 pulse 130. My day of grace came when I ran out of Lisinopril and started taking HCTZ, a water pill. My blood pressure is perfect, 123/75. I can taste, I can remember, I can clean my house, I can take care of my kids and I am looking forward to getting back to work. I hate that this drug stole two years from me and my kids. It seems like there should be a lawsuit somewhere to repay us for all our pain and suffering.

Update to my prevous 3/31/08 posting: I stopped the Lisinopril 2 weeks ago & resumed my previuos med. (Ziac), which gives me no problem. All symptoms are gone but the cough is not quite completely gone yet. The strange thing is the higher the dose my doctor prescribed, the higher my blood pressure went. It nearly landed me in the ER! It immediatly dropped to previous levels upon stopping Lisinopril. Has anyone experienced this? Since my BP was a little high in the morning, a different DR. increased my ziac doseage and now I am Fine. My original Dr. still does not believe my problems are from lisinopril and insists I did not take it long enough. I say a month is long enough for me to know if I am better or worse. I do not intend to see him again.Thanks for reply to previous posting.

I have been on Lisinopril for several months and my blood pressure was 170/104 . It is now 104/77, but I do have side effects that my dr. says it isn't from this drug. 1 is asthma and a cough and headaIches. Lightheaded and fatigue. I am now on asthma medicine an inhaler. I was taking 10mg but it was increased to 20mg and with hydrchorothiazide 12.5mg. I was depressed on the first 10mg I don't feel that now. I am also now taking zocor. I don't sleep as well. I am 57 year old woman, I other wise had been active enjoying life.

I am 37. My BP was around 160/95. My Dr put me on Lisinopril 10mg daily. My BP became normal almost immediately. I have been on it for over a year now and here is what I have noticed. I am CONSTANTLY tired and dizzy. Any thought of walking anywhere of any distance is horrifying because of the fear of collapse. I sleep over 10 hrs a night only to wake up exhausted. I am so sick of being tired. I just want to sleep my life away. This is no way to live. I am depressed all of the time. I can't even shop anywhere because of the anxiety which comes with it. i.e. numbness in arms, rapid pulse, faintness, hyper ventalation and just pure panic for no reason whatsoever. I can't control it. When I sleep, my fingers and hands fall completely asleep. They are dead. It wakes me up numerous times every night. I can't get good rest. I stopped taking Lisinopril a week ago. My BP is below normal now. My pulse is around 55 at all times. I have never had joint pain, just extreme fatigue. God willing, I won't have to take this med again, or any med. I forgot how I used to feel. I wasn't always like this.

Actually, I found this site looking for answers to why I have ED. I have had a little problem with it for years but now it's major. I am seeing a urologist about it on 04/18/08. I wanted to see if medications I am currently taken were the cause. My BP was going up into the high 130's and I was concerned about it. So my doc put me on 5 mg of Lisinopril daily to bring the BP down. It's now less about 116/86 which is great but I have the ED problem. I also take 10mg Aciphex for acid reflux and 10mg Singulair for allergies & asthma. I am happy with the blood pressure reduction but really unhappy with the ED. I really do not have any other side effects with Lisinopril that I know of. I am wondering if I should wean myself off it. I do not want to have this ED problem for so long that it develops into permanent problem which I read can and does happen. Any comments?

Right after I started taking Lisinopri in May 2007, I had a major flare-up of my Psoriasis. I have had Psoriasis for over 35 years and it was only in certain areas, now it has completely spread over my entire body. I also have constant ringing in my ears, never thinking it could be related to the Lisinopril. Sometimes it works to lower my blood pressure and other times it seems not to help. Occasionally I experience dizziness. These are all symtoms I never had before, I am not overweight and do not smoke. I had been healthy except for borderline hypertension prior to taking Lisinopril. I am not taking any other medications. My dermatologist is pressuring me to start Raptiva and I have agreed, not realizing that maybe just stopping the Lisinopril might ease the symptoms of my psoriasis. I just started researching Lisinopril in the last few days when someone I work with casually mentioned that there may be a link between Lisinopril and Psoriasis flare-ups.

When I first started taking lisinopril, I had several episodes of dizziness and almost fainted. That was when I looked up the side effects and was alarmed to find out that it is made from the venom of a poisonous snake from Brazil. I stopped taking it for several months, but my blood pressure kept climbing, so finally decided to give it another try. It didn't give me any problems at first. Just before Christmas last year, I had a bad cough and congestion, for which the doctor prescribed antibiotics and cough syrup with codeine. The antibiotics did nothing for it, but the cough syrup finally gave me some relief. Since then, the congestion got a little better, then worse, with the good spells lasting only a few days, compared to the coughing getting worse and worse. Finally when my throat was very wheezy with every breath, I decided to check the symptoms of lisinopril again. I called my doctor and told her I wanted to go off of it and see if it helped. That was 10 days ago. My throat is clear now, but I still have a lot of lung congestion. The crazy thing is that my blood pressure kept going up in spite of taking lisinopril. I've been taking atenolol for years, and now the dr put me on lovaza, which brought my blood pressure down to normal within a day.
Another thing when I was taking lisinopril, I began to wonder if I had fibromyalgia because I had so much pain all over my body. I don't know it the lisinopril caused that, but I don't feel nearly as much pain since I quit taking it.

I have been in Lisinopril for about a month. I have a dry cough that keeps me awake at night, headache, fatigue and lightheadedness. My doctor refuses to believe the cough is from the Lisinopril. He said I have not taken in long enough for it to be side effects. He keeps increasing the dosage from 5mg then 10 now 30mg my blood pressure continues to climb averaging 150/100 not dropping below 140/90 and spiking to 177/118.My doctor is not concerned and says come back in 2 months. I am calling him tomorrow and if he doesn't change my med. I will stop Lisinopril and find a new doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

My 31 year old son has been on Lisinopril for a year. He now has frozen shoulder. Has anyone else had this happen, can it be a side effect of the Lisinopril?

Lisinopril helps millions of people with their blood pressure. Just because a medication is not right for YOU does not mean it should be withdrawn. So far, every side effect I've read on here is clearly stated on the Warnings and Side Effects section included with the prescription.

I am not in any way minimizing or mocking the side effects all of you have stated. I had a few myself. It's very upsetting and scary, but again...the vast majority of users do not experience these side effects for long. Lisinopril has worked for me...my dizziness, cough, breathlessness and chest heaviness disappeared after a week or so.

I am not in the pharmaceutical industry (as I'm sure many of you suspect!) and I'm a Nervous Nelly when it comes to taking medication. I was especially worried about this one, but luckily I have had no problems. I hope all of you find the right HBP med that works for you.

My sister died of a heart attack after being on lisinopril for a month and a half.. She had no known heart problems..

She passed away in 5 am. The evening before she told me that she was going to stop taking lisinopril because of the side affects.

I miss her so much.

I have been prescibed Lisinopril by my GP since last May,previously I was taking Atenalol,in the last two months I have developed a dry cough,problems with swallowing my tongue feels swollen at the back of my mouth,problems sleeping and what feels like palpatations,I have an appointment with the GP on Tuesday,I will be insisting that I come off this drug.It seems that because this is a cheaper drugs for blood pressure the GP's are keen to use it.

My doctor keeps increasing my dose of lisinopril. It started at 10 mg, then 20mg and now 30 mg.The doctor wanted me to take 40mg , I refused and am thinking about slowly decreasing my dosage with my pill cutter. My blood pressure is high. But when I take it at home, it is lower by 10 to 20 points.
At home 125/80-1 hour before doctor visit
Doctor's office 150/95

I have been taking Lisinopril/HCTZ now for approximately one month. Since then I have had several side effects very similar to those I have read on this website. Thank goodness my husband decided to check this drug out because I have not been myself lately.

First of all, I have been experiencing sporadic leg pain with the sensation of getting cramps on my left calf that have kept me up at night. I have not been able to get a good night's sleep because of it. This started about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I didn't understand why my leg was bothering me so much until I finally went to the doctor and he told me it was a side effect from the Lisinopril/HCTZ drug I was taking. He told me that the drug was a diuretic that acts like a water pill. It makes the kidneys work harder to get rid of the excess water in our body. When that happens, we lose minerals that cause the leg cramping. He suggested that I buy over the counter vitamins that had a lot of calcium and magnesium in it, as well as increase my levels of potassium. So, any of you that are having this problem, it is a side effect of this pill.

Other side effects that I have experienced are: stomach bloating and gas. Yesterday, my stomach bloated up so much I looked like I was six months pregnant carrying triplets! I have never looked this way before and it really depressed me. I looked absolutely awful! Furthermore, I noticed I am beginning to gain weight and inches. Although I am overweight, I was not putting on any weight or inches at all. I have been maintaining my same weight or less for years. Yet, since I have been on the drug for about one month, I have noticed the weight gain and my clothes are fitting tighter all over.

Finally, I have been more irritable and feel run down. Probably from the lack of sleep from the leg pain at night; but also from the hot flashes I have been experiencing within the last week or so. Although I am 50 years old, I have not experienced any hot flashes until now. They are so bad, I feel like I'm burning up inside. I have to open up the window or turn on the fan at night although it is cold in the room. This is also a new symptom I have never had before.

After reading other people's side effects on this website, I am convinced that I am going to stop this drug cold turkey. I was fine before and why try and fix something that doesn't need fixing? Doctors tell me that it is a preventative measure to getting a stroke or heart attack. I believe many doctors scare us into believing that we can die someday if we don't take it and that is pretty scary. But check things out first.

Thank God my husband did some research on this drug and found this website. It convinced me that I wasn't alone and this drug is really bad for you. I plan to go back to normal and watch my weight, eat healthy, exercise, and monitor my blood pressure instead. Not to mention, my blood pressure is only borderline from being normal. So, why risk it?

Martha G.

OMG! It's 4:45 a.m. where I live and I just found this site...what a Godsend. I thought I was going crazy! I've had almost all of the symptoms everyone has listed here the worst being insomnia,racing heart rate(at night)and feeling like I can't breathe! WOW! I have been on this med for almost 4 years now(10mg/day,down from 12mg/day with HCTZ)and I think it's time to STOP! I've honestly felt so horrible that dying didn't sound like such a bad idea...hate to say that but it's true. My Doc. does not think that this drug is causing these problems and just wants to give me more drugs! I'm a 36 year old female that used to be the picture of health...not anymore. I'm going to stop this medication a.s.a.p. and would urge others to do the same...the side effects are worse than the so called 'cure!' Please email if you'd like to discuss further. Thanks to everyone! You have saved me!

I am 51 year old female. I have been having similar side effects that everyone is posting. The cough just started. And I am having cramps in my legs and back that I never had before. I also have been a little depressed. I just stopped taking the medicine yesterday. I am at a place called Optimal Health Institute. They put you on raw veggies and juice and fruits and nothing else for a week to 3 weeks or as long as you would like to be here. Also mild exercises to help you cleanse and you juice wheat grass 2 times a day. I decided to go off my meds yesterday (been taking 10mg for about 4 months) and my blood pressure reading just registered 119/78. It has been running 135/85 with medicine average. I just started but after reading all of these posts and my own side effects, I am definitely going off this junk. I hope this cleansing works. I am going to be here for 2 weeks.

Male, age 39, bp at worst 148/88 in Dr.'s office, 137/78 at worst at home, both parents had history of heart disease before passing away at age 67, 20 mg. of lisinopril.

Side effects experienced during the 9 months on this stuff: Anxiety, CHEST PAIN!, tingling in hands and feet, pounding heartbeat at night, drowsiness, stomach discomfort.

First, let me say that the medication worked in keeping my blood pressure down. I was in the 115/65 range at best, 130/80 at worst (rarely).

BUT, this stuff made me feel like absolute crap and led to many sleepless night due to anxiety. I would have chest pains along my rib cage. The pain wasn't usually in the same spot, but moved around. These sharp, stabbing pain episodes lasted anywhere from 2 minutes (pain coming every 30 seconds or so) to the entire afternoon (resulting in two trips to the ER where the EKG was normal).

With a history of heart disease in my family, I'm very aware of chest pain of any kind, and this drove me nuts until I found this website. I thought I was having heart attacks! My doctor had no idea that chest pain could be a side effect of this drug and when I told him it was #4 on the list of most side effect complaints, he was shocked. He thought it was well tolerated.

I went off the 20 mgs for about a month and then the doctor talked me into going back on 10 mgs after a doctor.'s visit and a 148/88 reading. I was fine for the first day, then the anxiety and chest pains returned along with the drowsiness (couldn't make it past 7 PM without falling asleep in the lazy-boy). Enough of this crap! I threw out the bottle. No more.

I took Lisinopril for over 9 months. In that time I lost a lot of weight, vomited up to 15 times a day, had a persistent dry cough and headache. My GP had no answers for me, sent me to specialists, etc. None of the medical professionals at that point could tell me what the cause was. ( I went from 200 pounds to 145 pounds, due to not being able to keep food or beverages down.) My teeth are permanently etched from stomach acid. I developed all sorts of other problems due to improper nourishment. During this time I had a total knee replacement.. thank goodness I had no complications due to the lack of being able to keep food down.
My husband did an internet search on my blood pressure med ( lisinopril) and found this was a common side effect. I immediately made an appointment with my GP, who was away and another Doctor was standing in for him. She listened to my symptoms and said it was the lisinopril and to stop taking it immediately and prescribed something else. Within a week the cough and projectile vomiting was completely gone!
What is the matter with the medical team? Why didn't one of them clue into this?
Can't this droop be taken off the market or come with a warning on the pharmacy label?

I've been taking Lisinopril for almost 2 years & Happy my BP has lowered. But I've been having terrible joint pain; that has been magnifying a lot lately. Even when I'm not doing anythings strenuous. Two of my fingers on the top ache terribly, the front of my shin is intensifying, my knees feel like they are going to go out on me, my shoulders feel like arthritis had set in & my neck is constantly feeling stiff, my feet hurt. I am overweight, but never have experienced anything like this stiffness & pain before. I was beginning to wonder if it were Candida related. I'm going to try going off of the Lisinopril for a while; monitoring my blood pressure & see if my pain resolves. I pray so; I feel like one of the elderly residents I help take care of.

i have been taking Lisinopril for 4 weeks and have developed a violent dry cough, sore throat, tiredness, aching, leg and ankle swelling, and no drop in Blood pressure. I have also got the return of Angio Oedema (facial and throat swelling), which i have not had for 5-6 yrs. I shall not be taking this medication any more. Im sure there are other drugs that can help without these side effects.
Tanis.

My mother has also been taking lisinopril and I have noticed some memory loss. Could this be a side effect?

I have been taking 20 mg. of Lisinopril for over two month. I notice that I have been experiencing shortness of breath and dizziness, and bronchitis. and a cough. I went to see a doctor and She said that was causing these symptoms was the Lisinopril. I have been taking celery seed extract and by the grace of God. I have seen my blood pressure go down. I believe we need to seek God to give us directions and wisdom when it comes to our health and many other issues.

Last week, I was prescribed to take Lasix, along with Klor-Don (potassium supplement) for Congestive Heart Failure. Also Levaquin for pneumonia.

I returned to doctor, to state that the Lasix was not having an effect on my urinary habits at all.

SO, the doctor prescribed 60mg Lasix per day, 30mg Klor-Don per day, with an additional 5mg og Lisinopril per day.

Now, everything I read about Lisinopril, is that it should not be taken with Lasix, or any potassium additive stuff.

Plus all the side symptoms that lead to my first prescriptions, are exactly the side effects of Lisinopril. How in the world would I ever know anything was working?

Also, my BP is 108/81. Doesn't look high to me.

Any thoughts? I watched my Dad wither away after being presented additional prescriptions when ones weren't working. To me, it complicated his problems. I'm not about to get into the same piss*** contest with doctors & prescriptions.