Lisinopril and bp

My Doctor said I needed a different BP med since my pressure while on my diovan was 150/80. Lisinopril was so much cheaper than diovan and I was happy to not be paying 1.00 per pill for diovan. I never had one side effect from Diovan but I believe that all the symptons I have been having in the last 12 days is because of Lisinopril. I started Lisinopril on 8/20 and by Oct 1st I was in bad health. First I had the cough start, I have coughed so much I walked around with cough drops in my mouth all the time trying to keep from coughing. Coughing kept me awake at night. Sometimes I would cough so much I would start choking and start gagging. Then 12 days ago I started have pin pricks on the bottom of my feet and horrible cramps in my feet and legs. Then I started having the dizzy feeling that would come and go. Sometimes I would get so dizzy while sitting down that I felt like I was about to pass out. It felt like blackness was creeping in on me and my vision would start to go black. I had terrible pain in my back on my left side and suffications feelings in my neck. My doctor never even brought up that maybe I was suffering from side effects from this BP med. instead he sent me for a heart echo and stress test. With a heart monitor used for 24 hours also. Cardiologist said everything looked fine. I told him that I had just been put on Lisinopril about 30 days ago but he never said maybe that could be the problem. I don't understand how any Dr can be so uninformed about a medicine. Why didn't anyone mention that what I was feeling could be medicine induced. I have been scared to death I was having a heart attack or had a blocked artery and was going to stroke. Unbelieveable to me. I am so glad I found this website. It validates what I was thinking. I stopped the lisinopril yesterday when a friend said his dad had symptons like mine when taking this BP med.
Actually felt better today, no passing out feeling, felt like cleaning my house again. And the cough is almost non existent tonight. I changed myself back to my diovan since I had a few left and will talking to my doctor Monday about all this.

I recently noticed my hair was thinning, long strands coming out in the shower, and extremely dry. I had thin hair to start with, so can't afford to lose any hair. I read all these postings where others have had hair loss from Lisinopril. I started taking it the end of August and in the past few weeks have noticed the hair loss. I put in a call to my doctor and am waiting for his return call. Lisinopril has been keeping my BP's almost perfect, but what a trade off. I'm wondering if taking extra Vitamin E or Nioxin which promotes hair growth would overpower the effects of Lisinopril. I've also felt a vibration in my left thigh that comes and goes and my thigh heats up once in a while and goes away. Anyone had that side effect?

I have been on Lisinopril for 3 days now, for slightly elevated BP. Doctor told me to take 20mgs, I split it in fourths, and have been only taking a fourth, and have had tingling in my hands and feet, chest pain, tiredness, severe anger and depression, I had the same reaction when I took Atenolol, (beta blocker), 12.5 mg a day for three months, Also I am going completely bald!! I know that was from the Atenolol, so this med, is just as bad, I'm not taking it anymore, I like my hair,health, happiness and sanity to much to compromise it another second, I also have suffered from depression for many years and have asthma, so I should have never been giving either one of these drugs! I will take Garlic, Omega supplements and see where it takes me, God Bless and lets try nature instead! P.S. I am a 41 yr old female. hope this helps.

I am taking 20 mg in combination with 12.5 HCZ. It has kept my BP in the normal range of 110/75. In the first day of my lisinopril regimen, I experienced a strange tickle at the back of my throat. My doctor said it was probably nothing. That gradually, over 6 months developed into fits of coughing that hit 2-3 times an hour and continued throughout the night. It was the coughing that made me finally decide to stop the drug. I also had constant mucus drainage down the back of my throat that I'm convinced is connected with the Lisinopril as well, although my doctor disagreed and said I had a low-grade, long term infection. Well, after 3 courses of 3 different antibiotics, it was still there. In the last week, I developed increased coughing fits, and was having an allergic reaction causing rashes under my arms, and itching in all the tender places. Doctor said the rashes and itching was a reaction to the Hydroclorothyazide. I'm now on Norvasc 10 mg. Hopefully this will be a better experience and still give me good control of the numbers.

I am taking Adalat XL 60 mg. once a day.. as far as BP went was working fine.. They found I needed a stent in my heart... specialist put me on metropol 12.5... after the operation i went back to him.. BP was 80/53.. wow, no wonder I was feeling tired.. he advised me to stay on it.. NO WAY.. just my Adalat XL is working fine.. BTW.. and for the Gladys1948.. a few days after i started the metropol (lisiopril) I noticed a floater in my right eye... was disconcerting.. but is slowly leaving since stopping the drug.

It must be the HCTZ... I was on Lisinopril 20mg for a month with little avail to my bp. I'm 25 and prior to taking it I was at 150/120: during I was bouncing between that and 130/90ish. A Walk-In clinic doctor started me on Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/12.5 and within the week, I had major upper back pain, trouble seeing and severe nausea. I have since gone to half a pill and feel much better. I hadn't heard of any of these side effects. Please let me know if anyone has similar experiences. My Mother thinks I dealt with a bout of the flu, my sister thinks I'm pregnant. Hmph.

My Dr. suggested that I try Lisinopril because my BP was 138/86 and I have type 2 diabetes. Today is my 4th day on it and my last. The side effects are terrible. I thought about giving the drug a chance by getting use to it but after today I wont. I am thankful for this site and the info.

I am 43 year old financial advisor at the second largest bank in the United States. I have always considered myself in very good athletic shape. Three star athlete in baseball, football and basketball in high school. I went on to letter for four years as captain of a division I baseball team. After college I continued to run, work out, and manage/play baseball up until this day. It was at my routine physical that my Dr diagnosed me with hypertension. No surprise I thought as being under plenty of pressure at work. My blood pressure was140/85.
Although I continue to work out three to four time's per week my weigh has spiked from 190lbs to 208 lbs in the year and a half that I have been taking Linsinopril. Until I found this web site I couldn't explain the cough, pain in the left side of my neck or the feelings of emptiness/depression that have followed me around like a cloud. That is when I can get out of bed and function that is. I used to be happy and fun loving. The person that you wanted to be around. I truly believe that this drug( that I have heard contains snake venom) is a big reason why I haven't been myself. I am not the type of person to spend time researching the internet and have always been skeptical of nuts writing or responding to any one or thing over the internet. I consider myself to be fairly rational and sane. However, this drug has made me dull and empty. My lowered sex drive almost ended my marriage. For a year in a a half I have been in a psychotic hell. I never thought about questioning my Dr. until recently when my marriage almost ended as a result of my feelings and anxiety attacks. Although my blood pressure is 115/70 my life has been a mess. I find it hard to believe from the posting here that only 1% of users of Lisinopril have suffered any type of serious psychological reaction to this drug. Perhaps the clinical trals focused on rats or elephants, but certainly not living humans.

I have since stopped taking Linsinopril (two weeks now) and the sun is beginning to come through the clouds again. If you have been taking this drug I plead with you to stop immediately as it seems enough clinical data was ever taken to fully understand the impact of this drug.

I hope that someone else does actually read this post and find it useful enough to impact their life. STOP TAKING THIS POISON

I am 25 and in shape (115 lbs) and have high bp adn kidney damage. I take toprol-xl and norvasc. I also just switched from Cozaar to Lisinopril 2 or 3 weeks ago because my insurance does not cover Cozaar anymore. Ever since I switched I've had lower than normal blood pressure, dizziness, feeling faint and then 10 days ago I started having diarrhea everyday. I thought it was a stomach virus but it doesn't seem to go away. At first I was up every 2 hours at night, then last night it was every hour for 9 hours. Does lisinopril cause diarrhea like this?

Hi I am 45 an been taking 5mg Lisinopril daily for the last 5 years, I am also a very active racing cyclist. Over the last 12 months I have seen my performances drop by 50% and I am so tired all the time, I also feel short of breath, been to docs he ran all the normal tests, nothing showed up, also,I now get terrible headache above my right eye whenever try any exercise. Watch out for grapefruit, it must react with the meds, my throat swelled up almost closed, horrible experience, I now ger blurred vision and muscle weakness. Not on, I have taken myself off the meds to see if things get back to normal, I will be able to monitor the situation based on my cycling performance results and will report back.

Have been on Lisinopril for about 3 years. In the last 2 years I developed hoarsness, frog-in-throat type of feeling--some unexplained vaginal & bowel irritation --not severe but rather uncomfortable. Thought I had yeast infections but NOT. I have stopped the Lisinopril and feel a bit better--am hoping to feel like a normal person again. My BP is 129-132 over 68--did I really need the drug?

About 8 years ago I was prescribed Zestril by a private physician, after joining Kaiser 6 years ago I was switched to Lisinopril. 20mg/day. I had no problems until about 9 months ago when I suddenly had a SEVERE rash on my arms, back, and legs. After 3 physicians and an ER visit no one could identify the rash and no one asked about BP medications. I changed soaps, foods, clothing, and took lots of Benadryl. No improvement.

I never considered the Lisinopril because I had been taking it for so long.

My last physician was a very knowledgeable female doctor who confirmed that even after years of Lisinopril the side effects can suddenly appear.

It has been two weeks since stopping the drug and my condition has slightly improved but still very bad. Doctor says it could take weeks, months, or longer for symptons to leave.

My biggest complaint is that no previous physician including the ER never inquired about BP meds or Lisinopril. Incompetent at the least, bordering on malpractice.

Has anyone has similar symptons after a long use of Lisinopril?

I am so glad that I stumbled onto this website. I have been feeling bad for over 1 1/2 years with unexplainable symptoms all of which started around the time that I was put on Lisinopril/HCTZ 10/12.5 to help control my HBP. I started out with flu like symptoms, that progressed to terrible headaches onto chest pain that sent me to the ER. I thought I was having a heart attack. I've been to see every kind of Doctor you can name: neurologist (headaches) allergist,cardiologist (heart doctor), hematologist (bloodwork), rheumatologist (to rule out Lupus) all of which can't seem to find anything wrong with me. I mean nothing. I specifically asked my doctor some time ago if my symptoms could be could be related to the new BP meds and he told me "NO". After reading these testimonials, DON'T THINK HE'S RIGHT. I'M GETTING' A NEW PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN!!!!!

I have been on Lisinopril for 6 days...taking 20mg along with norvasc 5mg. I don't have headaches usually and the last two days I have had sharp and very painful headaches, my throat started hurting yesterday and I had cramps in my abdomen, sides and legs so severe that I cried last night and I could not sleep. I am glad that I found this website. Besides all that, if I walk more than a few steps I feel as if I have to lie down and my heartbeat is very high. It is not the Norvasc 5mg....I have taken it for 3 years or so.

Calling my doctor and changing meds....it did reduce the BP, but I can't put up with this pain.

I've been on Lisinopril for about a year and a half now. I thought some of my side effects were just my bad health - tingling in my hands and arms and legs and feet. I've been in ER a time or two in fear of heart attack and they cannot usually find anything particularly wrong with me or my heart. I thought since my blood pressure was down, that this medicine was a life saver. I had no idea these side effects could be from the medicine. Especially since they were pretty mild and sporadic originally and only in the past few months have they seemed to increase almost daily. Also I had to get an ultrasound for my enlarged uterus and I believe the pressure I feel (I had no pressure just a few months ago) is due to the increased side effects of this drug. My concern is this, how do you safely wean yourself off of this junk once you've been on for years. I don't want to even take any more bp medicine - hbp will eventually kill me but feeling daily like I'm going to die at only 36 is not worth living a long life if these symptoms are all I have to look forward to. Save my heart, but give me neurological disorders? I don't think so.

I was on 10mg of Lisinopril for 6 weeks (switched from Azor). After the first 3 days, I was having trouble swallowing . . . this went away 2 days later. Then, I was having trouble breathing, sinus problems, dizziness and constant FATIGUE during the course of the 6 weeks. I am a very active, energetic, 30 year old male. I'm not overweight, and play basketball 2 or 3 days a week. I really think I have White Coat Syndrome (170/110 at dr's office - 130/75 at home), but better safe than sorry.I could not even run for more than 5 minutes straight without feeling like I might pass out. I would have to say during those 6 weeks, I was functioning about 50% of normal, at best. I tried to stick it out to see if the side effects would go away; they only seemed to get worse over time. My Doctor said it was the "summer fever" and allergies. I felt it was the medication, especially after reading these posts, so I switched doctors. My new doctor took me off of this medication. He said Lisinopril can has been known to effect your lungs and cause breathing problems. He is located in the same practice as my previous doctor. Why she didn't inform me of any side effects, I'm not sure (thanks for nothing). All of my terrible symptoms were gone within a week. I am now taking Bystolic (5 weeks), and feel normal again. My father has been on 30mg of Lisinopril for 12 years, and never had any problems. I believe everyone reacts to medications differently. I am now on my 3rd medication in 7 months, and think I have found the one that works best. I guess I'm just one of those people that has trouble adjusting to medication. Good luck to those of you that have not found the right medication yet.

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 think some of the severe symptoms reported here are just that.. severe, and as advised on the drug information insert they can happen, and should be reported to your doctor. We are led to believe our doctors will stop the meds and try something else. If they are not willing to do that, or try to convince us it's all in our heads then... we should stop the meds ourselves and find another dr. These side effects are real, and scary. I've stopped cholesterol meds for that reason. I don't need a dr. to tell me to stop... I know my body, and how I feel and know when something isn't right.

I've been on Lisinopril for two weeks now. I was initially on the diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide, but had so much arrhythmia that I thought my heart would jump out of my throat. The dr. discontinued that after less than a week, and put me on Lisinopril. I am a bit dizzy sometimes, and do have a mild cough, but I had the cough before the meds so I can't really blame it on that. However, for all those with the problem of coughing and headaches... I read at drugs.com that you should take this medication with a full glass of water, and drink lots of water throughout the day. This tip was not in the drug handout and I thought that odd. Something so easy, and yet left out. Luckily, I drink water at my desk all day at work. This weekend while home I didn't drink water and had a horrible headache the entire time. I never connected it until I read that you should drink lots of water. Back to work today and drinking water and my headache is gone. It's worth a try, it might help. My husband is on Lisinopril/HCTZ combo, has been for at least 3-4 years with no adverse side effects.

We are all different, medication effects all of us in different ways. I hope I never experience the kinds of side effects I'm reading about here. If so, I'll be off the drug in short order. My dr. told me there are loads of other medications we can try. While there are side effects to everything we take, mild is ok but no one should put up with life altering and/or life threatening side effects like what I am reading here.

HI, I am a 56 year old woman with elevated BP. I was put on Lisinopril/Hctz about a year ago. I am not exactly sure when the cough started, since I am an asthmatic and have trouble with coughing already, but this cough is different and much worse than my asthma coughing. I like many others on here cough in the night and mornings until I vomit, cough up fluids, gag and can't breath. The cough was so bad on Friday I broke the blood vessels in my face, the coughing spell lasted for 30 minutes. It was just yesterday that I looked at the Warning for this medication as I picked up my refill on Friday. There on the warning was dry cough. So I looked on this site and there was my answer...most of you described exactly my symptoms....I feel so much better now that I think I know what has caused it, since my doctor was chalking it up to the asthma. I have emailed him with my new info, and hope that he will change my medication ASAP. I also have researched cronic fatigue sys....because I am always tired and unable to get anything done.....I was never like this before. Good luck to the rest of you, thanks for sharing or I would never know that this medication could cause all my problems.
DL

Back again Oh my am so confused on what to do.. I was taken off this med(LISINOPRIL) at my extreme constant complaint- and put on another--well either I have atypical reactions to all these drugs or am still having side effects from the Lisinopril-- I am taking diavon now-- I feel even worse-- rash is back head hurts so bad I could cry and I am weak all the time.. I could pull every hair that is left on the top of my head right out! I now have that rash around my neck and upper legs- was told before it could be the shingles hey I never had them before,, never.. my nerves are shattered I cry a lot and am hesitant to change again-so I stopped this is day 2 and my headache has subsided
What are we to do I am at wits end.. I know I need something but what today I am at 140/90 going back up,, any suggestions? I started taking Zinc yesterday was told that I am experiencing LOW ZINC LEVELS DUE TO THE LISINOPRIL(HAS ANYONE ELSE BEEN TOLD THIS?)

I have taken Lisinopril 20mg once daily for only 3 weeks and I am having some of the same side effects. Memory loss and forgetting things is the main one, the 'grit in the eyes' and general feeling of being tired all the time. I'm glad I found these posts. It did lower my BP from 160 over 108 to 144 over 94. I take it after lunch, since I didn't want to drive while it takes hold. Guess i'm lucky I don't have the other side effects.

Spoke with my Doctor today and he said those were unusual side effects. I guess not from what i'm seeing here. He told me to stop taking Lisinopril and gave me samples of Hyzaar 50/12.5. I really hate taking drugs, since I have atypical reactions to them, but i'll give it a try. I'll do the research first.

Hope this helps others.

Do any of you take Lisinopril by itself without a diuretic like HCTZ (hydrocortothiazide)? I got dehydrated 2 days ago & doctor has cut my HCTZ in half-- I felt light-headed, dizzy, pounding heartbeat like I was having a panic attack. I've been on this lisinopril/hctz combo for 3 months. I don't have any of the adverse allergic reactions (rash, itchiness, swelling) at all; nor do I have the cough thing at all. But weakness, chest-pounding heart, dizziness, fatigue all coming now daily. I wonder if our problem is the HCTZ, so is anybody on lisinopril WITHOUT HCTZ?

I am 26 years old and have been taking 20mg of lisinopril for over a year now and have just gotten the side effects the last 3 weeks! I now have fatigue, light headed, dizziness, fever, and dark urine! Does anybody know whats going on or have the same symptoms! Please reply!

Started using Caduet in 2005. Found I got the usual side effects plus swollen ankles. Doctor changed my PX to Lisinopril about a year ago.Seemed to work well, lower BP and no side effects. About 2 months ago started getting lightheaded,nausea,and a few other side effects. Is it common to use this drug for that long and then get the side effects? How long will it take for these effects to go away if use is stopped?

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?

If you are taking this medicine, STOP! I took this medicine for about three months. I started to feel like I had a congestion. I cough lightly at first then into a hard cough which progressed into a hacking. My wife thought I was critically ill. I was spitting up clear congestion at work into my garbage can. This stuff is bad, I found this site and stopped taking the medicine. It took 3 week for the cough to subside. It’s been about 4 months, and I would say I am only about 98 percent back to where I started . About every 3 weeks I out of the blue start to slightly hack. I know one thing this is not a good medicine. When I started my BP was 138/109. My doctor told me to try this. Because of this medicine I could not do my job and my doctor never told me it was the medicine. When I told him he told me he didn’t think it was the medicine and prescribe some cold medicine

I was prescribed 2.5MG of Lisinopril yesterday because BP is very high every time I go to the docs. The only thing is that it drops to normal every evening. I decided to check the side effects and found this site. I am now terrified start taking this medication because it seems I am going to be suffering!!! I am already on sick leave with work related stress and having had a very bad fall earlier in the year I truly believe that coping with these horrible side effects would drive me completely over the edge. I have phoned my doctor and asked for a respite while I lose some weight and take more exercise - I am determined to get BP down naturally. Lisinopril looks like hell!!

I"m 54 and have been taking Lisinopril for 5 years.
Decided to stop now. My late Mom was a retired nurse and she use to make jokes about taking snake venom. But I didn't take it seriously until, I found out that Lisinopril was made out of Brazilian Pit viper venom..
Had problems sleeping, fatigue, muscles burning, tingling. aches with high pulse when ever I took this drug.
Figured it was something that i just would have to live with.
That God I finally decided to stop taking it and switch to natural herbs instead My health care practitioner is a retired Medical Doctor.
And he said natural herbs are better without the adverse side effects.

I was on lisinipril for 10 months. I have never felt so terrible in my whole life!!!! I am 34 years old and this was my first BP med. I had dizziness, bloating, 20 lb. weight gain, tiredness, pain in my arms, back and neck. I could barely eat yet I gained weight???? I had nausea and even vomited at times. I had anxiety, depression and my hands would shake. The symptoms would come and go so I figured this is how I have to live my life. So I tried to deal with it. I had to quit 2 jobs because of the dizziness and finally thank god found this website. After reading everyone else symptoms and knew I wasn't alone--- I decided to go to the Doctor's and get on a new med. I am now on norvac and I do not have a single side effect! All the symptoms of that poison are gone and I have never felt better!!!!!!! Get off lisinipril- It is not in your head-THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE REAL!

I just wanted to follow up as promised about taking the Holistrol natural supplement for blood pressure. I have been taking it now for approx. two months and have seen a significant drop in my bp readings. The bottle suggest to take 4 but I didn't really see a difference so I increased it to 8 capsules. My readings were 174/116 and now they range from 112/73 to 127/86. I'm also taking magnesium/potassium/aspartate and vitamin D (I previously posted a link within the last couple of months that gave info. about treating high blood pressure with natural supplements). Good luck to all of you.

I've been on Lisinopril for a couple to three years. I often get tingling and numbness in my arms when I sleep. Also, my sense of smell diminished
greatly. I've now gone off the 5 ml. and am noticing my SENSE OF SMELL is much better!! Has anyone had this problem?? My hands swelled badly too, and that has improved too. Cough all gone. I'm monitoring with a bp monitor, and my pressure is normal. Exercise and good diet seem to be working.
Am so glad to have my sense of smell back after years!!!!

I have been on 5mg of Lisinopril for about four years now. I have the cough everyone talks about. It can start as a dry cough and come from nowhere but often I know it is coming as I can hear the rattle in my chest. If I have just eaten and it comes on I often end up being sick. I have this awful clear (totally colorless and odorless) mucus that comes up. It is horrible, it is so hard to cough to clear it without being sick and I make horrid noises. If anyone is around me they all look at me with horrified expressions on their faces. My Bp is now under control since I now also take a water tablet too, but I still get horrid fluid retention around my ankles and on top of my feet and have to go to doctors now as the pain on top of my left foot is stopping me from walking - the only exercise I do, and what keeps me alive I guess) and the cough is not occasionally anymore, I get it daily. I don't cough all of the time, and it mostly gets me in the morning when I awake, but I know it is a side effect and getting worse. I guess I am putting off going to doc because I hate the thought of having o come of the drug and try something else as my BP is reading a lovely 123/79 most of the time, which is great!

I have been on Lisinopril for 2 days now (20mg). I do not like the way it makes me feel. I feel dizzy and my hands are swelling up. Doc says I had a heart attack and I was not aware of it. There has to be something better than this BP med... I think I am going to start taking Garlic pills.

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 have been taking 20mg of Lisinopril and 5mg of Felodipine for about a year now, and I am experiencing excruciating joint pain. The back of my knees ache even while sitting and the bottom of my right foot keeps me from walking freely because it hurts so much. My wrists and fingers hurt too. I am overweight, so I just figured it was due to excess weight, but reading these posts made me realize that this is not normal. I am in pain all day long. I feel like I'm going crazy because I can't just get up and go- I struggle to do anything. I did not want to see my doctor because I've switched medicines before- used to take 50mg of atenolol but fatigue was horrible, so doc gave me hydrochlorothiazide and it gave me a terrible rash on my face. I thought I was done switching meds- does anyone know what is a good bp medicine? I'm tired of being tired and in pain.

I have been on lisinopril on and off for over 2years or better.I started with 20 mg.then i cut that down to 10 mg. then to 5 mg, still feel bad,that includes 6 mg.hctz.many side effects,muscle weakness,neck pain,cramps in legs mainly,and just feeling like your about half sick all the time, have to force myself to move because of feeling tired and aching all over, if i work in my garden i have to sit and rest every 5 minutes because the muscles in my back start hurting and get weak,blurred vision, itching ,bad dreams,irritable( my poor wife) etc. Also take metoprolol 150mg. per day and have for a lot of years which also has side effects.Tried taking hypavera which is a natural herb mix after 2 days bp went up to 204/94 so stopped that fast so be careful on mixing certain vitamins and herbs with prescription drugs.

oh yea...i forgot to mention dry eyes and a hacking cough that was severe but has since gone away, really bad pain in legs, elbows and joints and toes that feel broken to the point that i recently had to get on pain meds, over counter meds didn't do the job. the more i read about lisinopril the more i'm convinced to start a half dose tonight. i'm going to experiment by tapering myself off and if i live through it i'll let you all know if the side effects leave.

I'm 55, Female, and have been on hbp meds for a long time. i take atenelol and lisinopril. they are both the affordable meds that seem to keep my bp in pretty good check. only problem is that i have been feeling sooo badly that i got on here to check out the side effects of these drugs i'm on. i hurt all over, i'm gaining weight, can't seem to lose, i'm constantly fatigued, depressed, very low energy, want to sleep all the time, feel like sand bags hanging on my eyelids all day, sweat profusely till it looks like i've just stepped out of the shower and haven't dried my face off yet which is very unattractive and i also have the reddest rashy cheeks. after reading the side effects of both meds i'm on, i'm very tempted to cut them in half or discontinue them. only problem is that i'll prob die of a heart attack because of high bp. i also have trouble with my blood sugar dropping to the 60's sometimes. i feel like if i continue feeling like this, i'll be checking out soon...any comments??

Last year i changed from working retail to an outside field tech job, it involves no or little physical labor, recently i had to do one day on a dirt site outside and the next day in the desert at 113 degrees. i drank 11 bottles of 16oz h2o but still ended up in the er. so far it seems after reading the other comments, that though the lisinopril does lower my bp, it also causes depletion of electrolytes in high heat areas if you are not acclimated to it. I also now know why i have constant throat problems, coughing and clearing of my throat after meals, and my muscle fatigue...

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 went over to Lisinopril when I transfered insurance carriers recently. The new carrier was going to charge the max allowed for using Altace and Lisinopril is way cheaper. So I went back to Lisinopril and have been on it for about a month. When I first tried it many months ago I had a sick gall bladder that has now been removed. The side effects at that time include a rash on my chin, burning urine and crotch area. Within two days of stopping, the symptoms were gone. Since I don't have the gall bladder problem I decide to try it again to save money (ha). After a week I notice my BP was increasing. I was taking 10 mg so I went up to 20 mg of Lisinopril and that didn't work - my BP kept going up! I keep talking more of the stuff and my BP keeps going up. This morning I took 40 mg and my PB was 200/90 and I suddenly thought it's the meds as there is no reason in the world that my BP should be going up crazily like this. Then I found this side and several folks mentioned their BP had gone UP. No more Lisinopril for me. I'm so glad I found this site! Thanks all for being independent thinkers and sharing your stories!

I've taken Lisinopril (10 mg once a day) now for two months and am reasonably happy with it so far. My BP seems under control. I bought a BP monitor and record the results on a spreadsheet. Since starting Lisinopril in early May, my average BP is 112/64, down quite a bit from where it used to be. I often check it several times a day. I do have some side effects, the worst of which is light-headedness when I rise from sitting or lying down. I also have some tiredness. Lately I've developed itchless red spots on my right forearm that come and go. My big concern is what longterm use of Lisinopril will do to my body. My goal is to continue with a diet and exercise program and, with the doctor's guidance, wean myself completely off this medicine by the end of the year. I would suggest to anyone who hasn't to buy a BP monitor, record the results and show them to your doctor. The doctors treat you on one snapshot of your BP taken at their office, and BP readings can change dramatically during the day, depending on the situation. If your average BP, say, is 135/80 at home and you're being treated for what the doctor sees, perhaps 160/95, questions arise as to dosage and to the necessity of taking any BP medication at all. walterj

Dry gagging cough, weight gain, charley horse in calves, but worse of all when I use the bathroom I have a terrible burning sensation in personal area of my body. Am using baby wipes instead of TP. The burning subsides for a while but of course is back when I have to use bathroom again. I think the diuretic in this pill may have some bearing on this symptom. I was checked for a bladder infection and it was negative, although a minute amount of red blood cells were found in my urine. I too, have had the very low BP readings, 90/68, etc. The first time this happened it frightened me so bad I got up and ran around our house and took BP again and it had risen within the normal range. I was on Hyzaar and my present doctor could not understand why I was on such a strong BP med. So he changed my to Lisinoprol HCTZ. Anyone having the same effect?

I am a 60 year old female and have been on Lisinopril (40 mg.) for at least10 years. Before that I was prescribed Zestril, but a generic was often substituted (Lisinopril). So it's hard to say just how long I've taken the Lisinopril. I'm amazed to read the side effects listed here. I've experienced almost all of them at one time or another. It's scary. I've tried to quit the Lisinpril a couple of times, sometimes just because I ran out of the prescription. But now I am substituting a natural supplement for the Lisinopril. I'm trying Holistrol (HiQi). I've been on it for about a week. I checked my bp when I started the natural and will check it again after a week. It was high when I first checked, but I had been off the Lisinopril for a few days by then. I'll continue to monitor and take the natural supplement and then will report back.

These side effects are very similar to those experienced by people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrom ( both of which I've been told I "might have"). My diagnoses came from several doctors in my hometown and even from the Mayo Clinic. I'm wondering how many people with these diagnoses are taking Lisinopril?

My side effects are starting to leave my body, but after so many years, there are many layers of toxins to release. But I am confident that I am doing just that ~ releasing toxins!

Thank you for listening and especially for sharing your side effects. This is bad stuff in my opinion and I'm glad to have started the process of clearing this poison out of my body.

Ann

I can't tell you all how glad I am that I found this web site.

I've been taking 10mg Lisinopril daily for about ten months now (for slightly high bp). Beginning last October, I started feeling the following symptoms off and on:

-lightheadedness (including one fainting spell)
-some discomfort and tightness in my chest
-difficulty breathing (when this happened, I would force myself to breathe deeply and usually found that I was breathing OK ... just felt like I wasn't always getting enough air)
-feelings of panic
-muscle pain in back and neck
-diarrhea

I've never really had any previous health problems and I've never suffered from anxiety or panic attacks.

I saw my doctor several different times about these issues. When it first started, my wife wondered if it had something to do with the medication. My doctor (who I really like) said 10 mg is not enough to really do much of anything.

Since I've been on it, my bp has been great. And I knew 10 mg wasn't very much. I believed that the medication wasn't causing it. So I went through the series of tests:

-MRI was normal
-blood tests were normal
-repeated EKGs were normal
-chest x-rays were normal
-stress test was normal

My doctor started thinking it was something mental and talked to me about ways to reduce stress and anxiety. But I knew there was something going on.

Then I found this site. I stopped taking Lisinopril yesterday and am talking to my doctor about changing to something else.

Thanks, all!

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 43 yr old female and have recently developed high bp. I have been taking lisinopril 20 mg for about 1 1/2 months. I have not been able to sleep for the past few days, as my heart is racing and I have a constant feeling of anxiety. In addition, I am having trouble swallowing and my throat feels raw. I thought that the fever and aches I had last week were the flu, but after reading other similar stories, I will contact my doctor as soon as the office opens in the morning.

Ive been taking Atenolol 100mg for years but it wasn't enough so my doc added Lisinopril /Hydrochlorothiazide 10/12.5mg......great at controlling my bp but the side effects aren't so grand. Recurring cough that sometimes triggers the gag reflex, especially late at night while lying down attempting to sleep. Also my libido has been cut in half. Time to go back to the doc.

When my bp, which had always been VERY low, rather suddenly skyrocketed at age 48 (possibly as a long-term effect of the preeclampsia I had 23 years ago when pregnant with my daughter), I was put on 10 mg of Lisinopril. I had diarrhea by that evening. The next day, the diarrhea thankfully disappeared, but other flu-like symptoms set in--mostly nausea and muscle weakness/fatigue. The nausea often made it hard to eat, and the muscle weakness was so bad that sometimes I'd have to stop what I was doing---even typing on the computer--and go lie down. Fortunately, these symptoms abated after one week, and I've been fine for the last two weeks. But now, as my bp is still too high, my Lisinopril is being increased to 20 mg, so I fear getting sick again.

About 1 1/2 years ago my allergist recommended I switch BPM from Lisinopril to Atacand because of congestion problems associated with Lisinopril. I made the switch and had no problems with Atacand other than my co-pay was considerably higher. Because of this I asked my family practice MD to switch me back to Lisinopril because I remembered it worked okay. However this time - a couple of days after the first dose of Lisinopril I developed flu-like symptoms (aching, congestion, fatigue). I thought I was coming down with the flu AGAIN. After about three days I started having chest pain, a headache that wouldn't go away, blurred vision, dizziness, shortness of breath, very shaky, weakness, couldn't sleep. I thought I was on the verge of a heart attack at times. The fatigue and weakness worsened. I often felt that I couldn't get off the couch or out of bed. My legs felt like weights. It wasn't until I checked out the side effects on this website and read the comments of other users of the drug that I realized what was most likely happening. Needless to say, I called my doctor and asked to be switched back to Atacand. I'm more than willing to pay the extra $'s to feel better.