Lisinopril and crap

Just to start of, I just got out of the emergency room for heart attack symptoms which I later found out were caused by my cholesterol med that I was just put on 2 weeks ago, Litportal. Well after looking this up on google and found out many people had the same affects I figured well if that made me have so much pain maybe I should look up Lisinopril w/ body pain. OMG, was I speechless. After reading the blogs I was sure that the Lisinopril was causing all my pain which doctors had diagnosed as Fibromyalgia after 8 years of testing. I was put on Lisinopril 8 years ago after my reg brand was not covered by my health insurance. Didn't think much at the time because it was suppose to be the no name brand of what I was taking. Well, it started off with weird things happening. Pain in my ankle and wrist like I sprained them. Shooting pain in arms and legs. Vision problems, numbness on one side of face, stomach pain, just feeling like crap. Months past then other weird things happening, not feeling like I slept at all even though I did for 8-9 hours, body aches all over, anything I did made me hurt. Then years past and it was everyday, wake up with pain and go to bed with pain. Not able to do simple stuff like play with my kids or go grocery shopping knowing I was going to hurt even more and that percocet was all that would relieve it. After 8 years of this I am totaling drained. Just cleaning my house kills me. Everything got even worse after the years and still gets worse. Going to the doctors knowing they think I am crazy and it's all in my head. Family members questioning my pain. I would always say, if you could be in my body for one day, just one day, you would know the hell that I have been through. But today, a new life came into me, after reading tons of blogs on the side affects of Lisinopril. I am just hoping that this is what it is caused from. I am 39 years old now, my 30's completely wasted, and do I mean wasted. To think that this has all been due to a little pill taken daily for 8 years. I thank everyone who has posted on this blog, because if it wasn't for you, I would have no hope. Now I do. And I am schedule for an appointment in 3 weeks to change my meds. What I thought I would have forever may soon be gone. Or at least some of it. Thank you.

My whole life 120/70. Two months ago 160/103 wtf. I am on my second month of lisinopril. I am pretty sure it has caused me to be absent minded and grouchy. I was never these before. Worse yet for me is that I am a life long runner. I live to exercise so that I can enjoy the more fun things in life. beer wine and good food. ( I am 47 years old) I ran my first marathon 26.2 miles in January. I now have trouble running three miles with out getting fatigued, dizzy and winded. This sucks!!! any advice would be appreciated.

I am a 60 year old male. I have a bad heart, type 2 diabetes, damage to my heart from a heart attack in 2006. i have a pacer/defibrillator in me.
now after reading all these post i am wondering. i have been taking this medicine since 1996 when then i was told i had my 2nd heart attack and i did not know i even had my first. This medication was given to me for either an alfa or bata blocker, was on 5mg.. now i am on 2 1/2 that i take at night. i take a total of 19 pills a day and 5 shots of insulin, i have bad teeth and now the rest of them have to come out and i have to have bone mass ground down just to get some false teeth. wow i am in great shape huh..lol
well since the little history on me, this is what i am going thru now. i wake up with this deep cough and it gets to a point were i am gagging, after i get the what i call the hair ball out i feel a little better, then i have to keep blowing my nose to get the mucus out of my nasal cavity, I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE THIS MORNING WITH THIS and i did die 4 times in 3 days in 2006 when i had this last heart attack. I see my caro Dr. on the 11th of this month, and i am gonna ask to go off this crap. my bp is normally anywhere from 90/55 to 114/65. and before i was taking this medicine and my attacks in 96, my bp was normally 124 over 70. now i can understand that this medicine is suppose to help protect my kidneys, but the way i am dry heaving and coughing one day they are gonna with everything else in this body cavity come out thru my mouth.
i am horrified off all the ppl and post i have read about this little blue pill i take and it is not for keeping wood either, that floated down the river. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE A POST ...YOU HAVE MADE ME QUESTION THIS MEDICATION AND I AM GOING TO DO MORE AND MORE RESEARCH ON ITS SIDE EFFECTS.

Is anyone experiencing confusion, trouble thinking, trouble concentrating, decreased cognitive function, mental sluggishness, trouble solving problems or situations which require logical thinking and sequencing, and memory loss? Would love to hear from anyone experiencing any these symptoms and if so, how long were you on the drug.
Thanks!

P.S. I just happened to visit the Alzheimers Association Sites Forum as I was interested in a connection between BP meds (particularly this crap) and guess what...you will not believe the those folks diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers who have taken Lisinopril for years before diagnosis...Hmmm...any connection here...bet there is...? This crap has been around since the early 80's...wonder how many people now in there 70's were taking Lisinopril in their 50's and are now suffering dementia. This is not coincidence folks. These BP meds that cross the blood brain barrier are doing more harm than good. Can't understand why if this drug can cause depression, it can't be doing other things to the brain. It is...I tell you it is....get off this crap before you're sitting in a Nursing Home and don't know your ass from a hole in the ground.

Well I'm dealing with all of the above. I went straight to 20mg for a 145/90, I feel like CRAP. Back pain, dry throat, feeling like I must breath deeply, insomnia. Last week the sweaty palms and lack of hunger around noon time started (I talk it with dinner). I like to have a few drinks at night and initially I thought it was alcohol withdrawal, funny it started when I got on the meds. Anyone else with a similar story? I haven't taken it today and we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

I cant Walk this crap disabled me! I have nerve damage to my left knee.Dont take this crap.Period It can Kill you.there are a bunch of greedy people making a ton of money on the sale of this crap.We seem to have no Rights??? I was i a lot of pain like someone shot my knee off pain.Plus my lower left leg too all the way from ankle to my Thigh joint.It really sucks too when doctor blows you off.I went and sen another one for second opinion he had never seen a Knee swollen 5 times the size of other right knee.Class action Lawsuit anyone.I,d sign on.I was forced to take this poison.by insurance company.I was on Benicar for last two years.that worked for me.But for costs I was told I had to change over or die was my choices.Well to save a couple bucks its going to cost a lot more getting my extra doctors bills.plus attorneys fees I hope.

I started taking this garbage in May of 2009. I would go to the Dr and my BP would be 180/110. Let me say im still on Lisinopril BUT stopping tomorrow. Let me tell you my story.

35 year old male, diabetic and HBP. After years of not taking care of my self i went to the doc, i started taking Lisinopril. With in weeks i got a hacking cough and my BP was still crazy high. They up'ed my dose to 20MG and then hell started.

Constant blinding chest pain, strange electrical shocks in my back and head, went to ER and was admitted, they said i may have had a PAST hart attack Weeks of in and out of the hospital a 3 day stay in the cardiac ICU! Then i had a CT angiogram with dye and that reviled MY HART WAS FINE. I still had this horrible pain in the chest and legs and hands and my gut, electrical shocks and night mares and freak out for no reason at all. Problems with erections and slow hart beat. Unreal panic attack that i think i was about to die or GO insane. The past few days i have had intense pains in my upped back and gut. I went to have some blood work done to see how my new diet is doing. All the numbers were amazing, BUT my LIVER IS HURTING! Now i do not see a doctor for 5 day to review it all BUT i know this pill has mad my life hell for the past 2 months. MY LIVER WAS FINE BEFORE i took this pill.

I was able to make my diabetes VANISH with diet, i must try that with HBP. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PILL.

It feels like someone has taken a blow dryer to my windpipe. Feels like small grains of sand are in my airway and I start coughing suddenly and VIOLENTLY.. Yes, people in public look at you and start stepping back like they think you have something like TB and are contagious. Sleeping is out of the question. Laying down starts the barking cough. I am glad to hear someone else has the issue with excess saliva. I thought I was imaging this - it's as if I am drinking saliva and I vomit up clear mucous - to the point that I was considering going to the ER to ask them to check me for lung cancer or something. I cough so fast and hard that I have started vomiting and because it occurs so fast, I have had to throw up in the trashcan by my desk (attractive!) and the doctors I work for have come running into my office to see if I was "coughing a lung up". My chest is sore sore from all the coughing. My bronchial tubes burn like someone has been scrubbing them with brillo pads. This drug is nasty. Steer clear. Ask for something else till you get it right and then lose weight/get in shape so you can stop taking all this crap. Like the saying goes: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long - I'd taken better care of myself."

This my second posting for this drug I feel has caused me more harm than good. I posted earlier telling my age of 57 and have been on this crap for 8yrs plus.
I suppose it is a lot to do with me never having complaints to the my doctors involved ,
just assumed these doctors knew what they were doing . I am so sorry for not finding this site sooner. Folks , as I previously stated , joints, weight gain , etc
are just a few symptoms this stuff causes.
I've been off it for ten days, can't really express how much better I'm feeling.
All I can recommend ,if there is another alternative, take it. This stuff was awful for me.

Is anyone experiencing confusion, trouble thinking, trouble concentrating, decreased cognitive function, mental sluggishness, trouble solving problems or situations which require logical thinking, memory loss? Would love to hear from anyone experiencing any these symptoms and if so, how long were you on the drug.
Thanks!

Ive been taking lisinopril 5mg for over five yrs or more did not have side effects ive read about on here until feeling unwell over the past 12months maybe longer, joint pain, 6 months ago i could hardly walk, pain in left knee and pain in right foot, weight gain, pounding chest, dry cough, thank god for finding this site, soon as i did i stopped taking it that was about 5 weeks ago, i feel a lot better, even though my bp might be up i don't care id rather live with it than take this crap. and i feel that its just getting out of my system so you maybe talking a couple of months depending what strength you are on, to getting out of your system, hope my post will be of help.
S. in UK

ok ive been on lisinopril for about 4 months. the cough is annoying and its not all that bad but the thing I notice most is the constipation, and its causes one more side effect that most men are afraid to talk about and thats erectile dysfunction. The doctor told me this would improve after ive been on my meds for a bit but after 4 months the ED has gotten worse. I forgot to take my meds for a couple of days and for the first time since taking this stuff things are improving. Im 39 yrs old and am in ok shape but not bad. I have a physical job and am fairly active. The ED, reduced sex drive, cough and cramping of the right calf after 4 months ?????? If I stay on this what next? Anyone else have any ED problems with this drug???.

I have been on lisiniprol with hctz on 10mg dose since October 2008. My BP averaged around 144/95 before taking the med, now averages about 122/78. The problem i am having is this constant "tickle" in my throat which has been giving me coughing fits. When i breathe in deep i can feel a sensation to cough, sometimes my throat feels tight and sore, the first time i felt this was December 2008 and the doctor said it was a touch of post nasal drip and this was before i have read stuff on this board. Has anyone else experienced this kind of sensation in the throat? sometimes when i talk i even have to cough, i experimented once and did not take my dose and it seemed my throat felt better but then noticed my bp went right back up, i guess i better tell the doctor to get me off of this drug. She did tell me that the cough was part of the side effect. thanks and hope someone answers this.

I am in total shock!!! I have been at the hospital with my dad for 9 days now and not one person can figure out whats going on. We came in through the ER with extreme pain redness and joint swelling in shoulders, hands, elbows, ankles. Thought it might be gout so they withdrew fluid from ankle that was milk colored, no gout crystals. He started lisinopril 5 weeks ago at 5 mg per day he was on Inderal LA before with no problems. The pain has moved through out his body and he now has generalized pain weakness. He was taking lipitor but has not taken for the last 8 days so I was thinking if it was the lipitor this would have stopped by now. They ruled out any bacterial infection, labs and blood cultures have all been clear. They started checking for off the wall crap viruses like yellow fever, west nile virus, parvo virus and denguey SP? He has not had a fever what so ever and has not been out of the country for 30 years. I am going to make sure he does NOT take this drug starting in the AM does anyone know how long before the side effects take to go away?

Just had laprascopic surgery to remove a borderline ovarian tumor the size of a 6-7 month baby yesterday. I've been taking Lisinopril-HCTZ 10-12.5 for about 2 years now and have posted on this site before regarding my symptoms. Since this med works on the kidneys/adrenal glands and adrenal glands regulate some hormones I am wondering now about the possible connection between this med and my sudden cyst/tumor. The tumor was actually my left ovary enlarged to that size! Although benign, my very first symptom of this cyst started exactly when i began the med. It grew pretty rapid over a two year period. I have found no proof or mention anywhere and every doctor looks at me like I'm crazy, but my entire life I have NEVER had issues with my menstrual cycle or even much pain. After I began this med, I HAD to use ibuprofen every period. I began my cycle at 11 and not until 34 did I have issues - same time I began Lisinopril/HCTZ. Are their any women who are having female problems since taking this? Of course, the heart palpitations, arm and leg aches (like those of growing pains when you were a kid), dizziness, anxiety, depression, irregular sleep habits that I cannot break, increase appetite for mostly meats and proteins, some mild hair loss, abdominal cramping/tingling, hands and feet numbness, shoulder/neck pain, overall achyness, sudden/rash emotional extremes, even suicidal thoughts I know are side effects of this med.

I've been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 10-12.5 for 8 months now. I hate it. So far I've experienced:

- dry cough
- headaches
- chest pains (under my left rib cage area. Its a sudden sharp pain that lasts maybe 2 seconds, then its gone. It'll do that a few times a day)
- stuffy nose (doctor told me it was allergies. Put me on allergy medication, have been on it for 2 months, and it hasn't helped)
- trouble breathing
- rashes
- fatigue (doctor assured me it would go away after a few weeks, but it hasn't)
- dizziness
- no menstrual cycle (this medication has stopped my periods all together)

I've had it with this crap. My primary doctor wasn't the one who put me on it. I haven't been able to see my primary doctor because I don't have insurance and couldn't afford it. I've been going to a community clinic. I'm willing to pay to see my primary doctor than continue going there. At least I'll know I'll be taken seriously.

Started at 10 mg/day, then doubled to 20 and finally 40mg lisinopril with 25mg HCTZ..

After being upped to 40mg I started getting a itchy lump in my throat that lead to an amazing amount of cloudy white mucus. This would usually occur later in the day and especially when I tried to lay down to sleep. Lungs feel fine, no wheezing, rumble or pain. Nostrils sometimes clog a little but not enough to explain where all the mucus was coming from. Throat doesn't really hurt except when I used a lot of generic sore throat spray.

Doctor mentioned the possibility of acid reflux or a seasonal allergy and give me generic Claritin which didn't help a bit. I'm 56 and can't say I've ever had a seasonal allergy in my life but he said they can develop at anytime so I was hoping he was right. When the weather turned cold and the symptoms remained I even thought I was allergic to something in my home, new drywall, fiberglass, mold something.

After considering the possibility of a reaction to lisinopril or terbinafine I started googling to find posts that described my reaction to a tee.

Besides the cough/mucous I've had a pounding heart, anxiety, fear of dying not knowing what was wrong etc.

Lisinopril seemed to bring my pressure down at the one month point so my Doctor doubled it to bring it down another 15 points. Three weeks later instead of going down it went back up so he doubled again and added the water pill. Today when I went to the Doctor it was still up and I told him about my web research. He agree it was not working for me anyway and I suppose he believed my suspicions about the side effects, at least for me.

He asked me "You're self pay aren't you?" as if just because I had to pay for the stuff myself I'd rather take the $4.00/month crap rather than pay for what I need. If you're self pay you even get 20% off if you pay within 30 days. I bet if I'd walked in there with insurance I'd have erg's, mri's, all that overpriced stuff.

Anyway he put me on Bystolic (30 days free samples :)) which I think I could detect a bit more confidence in his voice that it would actually work. I mean I'd much rather pay $4/month for generics if it worked and didn't make me feel like crap but I'll gladly pay the over inflated $50/month price for something that actually works without making me feel so much worse.

i am 20 year old male with high blood pressure. i have been on lisinopril for about 3 months and since i started taking it my sinus is always clogged, i get mad for no reason, i flip out on my friends and coworkers, i don't care about stuff, i say stuff i normally wouldn't even think, i feel depressed randomly, i cough really bad for a few minutes after i eat a meal, and am very tired all the time for little or no reason. i am planing on stopping the medication as soon as i can talk to my doctor but i don't have much free time to drive across town and am afraid to stop taking it on my own with out letting her know.

I am 37 with elevated BP. I started taking Lisinopril about ten days ago before bed every night. My kids have been sick with colds and I had also been ill with a cold a few weeks ago. My Dr. did tell me that I may develop a dry cough, but that I shouldn't worry about side effects. WHATEVER!!! I have felt like crap, flu-like symptoms and trouble breathing. I used to smoke and I feel like I have been on a smoking "bender." Then, this morning, my top lip was slightly swollen and peeling. I thought maybe one of the kids hit me with their heads (twin 13-month-old), but the swelling has gotten worse throughout the day and I look like a Botox-gone-wrong. And maybe it is the power of suggestion, but I have been feeling pretty down....

My husband (57 years old) started Lisinopril in March of 2007 for High Blood Pressure and he's never been the same. At first, we didn't connect the symptoms but now I am convinced this drug caused his problems. His symptoms include loss of memory, can't concentrate, can't retain anything, short tempered, depression. At times confusion or unable to grasp anything requiring multi-tasking. He had a loss of appetite where in lost 25 pounds in less than 6 months. He described months ago that "his head just doesn't feel right". When asked...do you have a headache...he'd reply.."I can't explain it...it just doesn't feel right. The depression has lead to another drug "Lexapro". This drug interferes with concentration too!
Prior to taking Lisinopril my husband was running his own business and working a full time job he's had for years. Within 6 months, our lives changed drastically. I know 2 other people experiencing the memory loss, can't concentrate, can't retain symptoms around the same age as my husband... all taking Lisinopril.

All of this has been weighing heavily on his mind because his mother has been diagnosed with Dementia/Alzeheimers at age 74. Guess what...she has been taking Lisinopril for years and years and has been treating for depression for years and years....any connection here? This drug has been around for many years and it seems like every elderly person is taking this for High Blood Pressure. Could this be a culprit to Dementia/Alzheimers? A reoccurring theme I see amongst all of these side effects is "depression".

Of course when we discussed these symptoms with his Doctor...we were pooh poohed with "I've never heard of these symptoms in 20 years of practicing". Well, he needs to do some research! My husband quit taking this drug on Sept 12th which takes 2-3 weeks to get out of your system. I noticed recently he didn't struggle at all at the ATM machine. I'm hoping this is the culprit as we are now in the process of getting a second opinion to determine if he may be in the early stages of Alzheimers. We pray that he is not! Get this drug off the market!!!

I am a type 1 diabetic and was put on the Lisinopril over a year and a half ago, maybe 2 years. I have my hair coming out when I shampoo and the red patchy skin on my lower legs which is dry making it embarrassing to wear shorts or capris. It makes me feel ashamed. I have laid off both the Lisinopril and HCTZ for a few days now. I got blurry vision, and I think it has made me gain weight. I get the swelling of the angles by this or both meds. Before taking these, I didn't have the swelling. I liked reading through the replys here on this medicine or both. I tried to identify some replies with myself and what I am experiencing. I want to get off this crap and take something else if at all "Alternative" at best. I did take atenylol (sp)? before. If anyone wants to contact me, they can e-mail me at ****** because, I would like to see what others are doing differently now to take care of the situation I am going through.

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?

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 am so glad I found this web site-I really thought I must be dying, I feel like crap. I was diagnosed with hbp, borderline, but also diagnosed diabetic at the same time, dr gave me metformin, simvastatin (for cholesterol) and the lisinopril, i was told they all work together and are prescribed together, well i never felt so horrible i have been taking them since the end of May, I have a dry tickle cough that mostly happens when i'm laying down at night but get some coughing bouts that bring tears to my eyes. I have this horrible left front neck pain i thought was a sore throat, but it doesn't hurt to swallow -just pain and pressure like a constant dull toothache. i have a headache and sinus ache that feels like pressure that doesn't ease up even with Tylenol, i took motrin one day & the pain went away but my feet swelled up. now i have had a pain in my right kidney (back) for the last 2 weeks and i can hardly walk when i rise. I get cramping in my fingers and toes. I am very short tempered and have depression to-so many side effects in such a short time---July 14 i have a doctor appointment, but i'm not taking anymore after today.

I was put on Lisinopril 10 mg after my blood pressure was deemed to high.The first thing I noticed was the shortness of breath, like I had ran a mile instead of only walking a few steps. Nest was the dry cough that kept me up all night. Also sick to my stomach the whole week I was on it. My doctor took me off the drug three days ago, I still feel like crap.How long will this "poison" stay in my system? I have never felt so bad in my life and I leave tomorrow for vacation!! I do not even have the energy to pack.

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'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!

Hello folks - thought I would post here as well.........I am on 20MG of LISINOPRIL 1 time daily. I notice during regimented times of the day I get the side effects. I take it when I wake up in the morning. I have been on this for about a year now...........it has lowered by HBP from 150's/80's to about 130/80..............regular........I am a 37 year old Male

Problem is the multiple side affects:

1. Tiredness - comes and goes all throughout the day - almost like I could just close my eyes and go to sleep anywhere.........feels like someone threw sand in my eyes.......
2. Shortness of breath
3. Sore Muscles - everywhere - it doesn't discriminate!!!!
4. Pain in the chest mostly the left side but sometimes the right
5. Headache in one spot in the head - doesn't last long
6. Wake up often in the middle of the night with dead hands or legs
7. Sometimes I just have a total memory blank on things I should know right away - usually only occurs when I'm getting tired.
8 Of course the panic from thinking something is wrong with me!!!

Anyone else with these set of symptoms????

Drop me a note!!!!

My husband has been taking Lisinopril for about 5 years now. He was taking 1 tablet a day. He was feeling dizziness, and lightheadedness, so he went to his Cardiac Doctor. The Doctor checked his Blood Pressure and said it was high. Than the Doctor prescribed 2 tablets instead of 1. When he takes 2 tablets it makes the dizziness worse, so he went back to taking 1 tablet, and feels somewhat better, but it's not the best. Does anyone know of a
medication that he can take for the high blood pressure that won't cause dizziness? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Smmr1321

I am diabetic, and was put on Lisinopril to protect my kidneys. Keep in mind that I am of healthy body weigt, and walk 5 miles a day almost every single day. Since I started this drug (20mg once daily) my sugars have skyrocketed. I have never had a fasting much over 90, and now I am waking up in the 140's and 150's. I also have a dry hacking cough is about to put me over the edge. I am frustrated to say the least. I want to try natural medicine, but am scared. I have 2 small children, and want to be around for a long time.......

I have only been taking 20 mg Lisinopril for about 5 days now. I actually started to notice I was feeling better, my headaches were gone and I could breath better, but about 3 days ago I started to get horrible heartburn, flu symptoms and I haven't been able to get more then an hour or so of sleep before I wake up to shaking and my heart racing.This is the scariest thing,I work overnights and I have serious sleep issues already so I feel like crap.
being that i have only taken this med for 5-6 days does anyone know how long it will take to get out of my system? I was thinking about starting to take them again just to see if it was something else, but after reading these posts I'm not touching that EVER again.

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?

i am 34 year old with bp of 160/101 and have been taking lisinopril for 2 weeks. I have had severe headaches at night and sometimes through the day since taking it also stiness and pain in neck and jaw. and just in last few days have had pain in lower back and stomach. went to doctor and he wants me to take Hyzaar 50-12.5 , I'm weary of anything now and may just try on my own, drug companies ar bs and pedaling crap i think. seem most medicines cause reactions.

45 year old female - 10mg per day taken at night for kidney protection. CONSTANT cough to the point I sometimes gag and get a pounding headache. Sinus drainage, leg cramps at night, itching red skin, can't sleep at night, very irritable. I actually thought I had a bad cold for the last 3 months with some allergies kicking in - BS - it is the Lisinopril - I know that now after reading hundreds of people saying the same thing...I e-mailed my doctor today and told her I want off this horrible drug!

I am a 48 year old female and have been taking Lisinopril for 5 weeks now and I feel like CRAP! I ended up going to the med.check because I thought I had something wrong with me from coughing so much but I didn't have a cold, or fever any other side effects but this horrible cough that I coughed so much and hard my eyes would get blood shot and I didn't know that. Now 5 weeks later it is because of Lisinopril. I just found out today. I was starting to be tired and really grouchy and mean very moody and not getting any sleep at night so I would suggest NOT taking this drug. Plus I have gained weight from it just in 5 weeks. DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG it will mess you up !

Help!! I need some advice. I'm 47 and have been diagnosed with HBP. I'm 6'2", 250 lbs. My Dr. has prescribed Lisinopril, which I'm suppose to pick up today. I've never been on any prescription medicine before. Don't have any known allergies. My BP averages 138/90 in the am and 170/117 in the evening. My fear is once I start taking this medication, am I on it forever? The side-effect described on this board are frightening. Any advice??

I started taking Lisinopril about 10 months ago and now I have had severe redness and heat in my face, neck, and chest. I have constant headaches and my eyes are bloodshot most the time now. I have quick sharp pains throughout my chest arms and legs/feet a lot. I get blurry vision and disorientation every time after taking this stuff.. My heart rate varies from high to low but it feels like my blood is extremely thick no matter if I eat or not, I also get extreme nausea after eating even a salad with no dressing. I hate this stuff so much and it scares me to no end. I have major anxiety disorders anyway but this crap makes it worse. I think I am dying everyday its so nerve wrecking and I am only 25yrs old!!!! I recently stopped taking this junk for about a week but still took my Xanax for my anxiety and my face and neck aren't hot at all most the time anymore only when I move around and work a lot but not bad at all. My heart rate is normal and my blood pressure is staying about the same but maybe bout 8 or 9 notches lower than when i was on this stuff. I think someone is really going to get hurt on this stuff and we are all going to see a commercial on TV saying to call a lawyer for cash rewards because of med induced illness or even deaths... I'm going to the doctor and telling them to give me the most expensive effective and less side effect BP med..

LISINOPRIL(KILL
Just started Lisinipril about a week ago, fatigue, dizziness and head aches are all killing me anyone know of a fairly decent BP medication? HELP

I have had numbness in my face. I sleep a lot. Total nightmares, suicidal thoughts. Feeling of dread something really bad is about to happen. Anxiety, Crying spells, which I'm sure come from the bottomless pit of depression it has caused in me. My 5 year old asked me where her other Mommy is. Yes.. My daughter can even tell.

My hair is falling out. I have lost most of my eyebrows.

I'm calling my doctor Monday, getting switched and I'm going to do a lot of investigating about this crap. I am really wondering about suicidal risk of this stuff. Maybe another little drug cover up. I really believe that depression and suicidal thoughts should be clearly stated to potential consumers.

And now I am really mad about this.

Kim Age 47 taking for 2 months now and my side effects seem to just mount.

Wow I am so glad I found this site, Ive been on this crap since June 2007 and now Sept 2007 I experienced everything from swollen eyelids to the miserable chronic cough which sometimes is dry and sometimes kinda wet. It did lower my BP but after two months of coughing I've had enough and yesterday was prescribed Benicar 20mg. Does anyone have experience with Benicar?

Symptoms I have:
NOTES on health since day after I started the Lisinipril.
9-03-07 – started taking Lisinopril
9-05-07 – Saw Dr. for Bladder infection (left urinalysis with doctor). Prescribed a sulfite antibiotic for bladder infection.
9-06-07 – First symptoms began; trouble urinating
9-06-07 – Called Dr. Kuebals office to let them know that I was having trouble urinating. I also asked if they got the lab test (urinalysis) back yet. The nurse let me know that I had strep in my urine (very rare she said) but they will be prescribing me macrobid and to stop the first antibiotic.
9-06-07 – Began taking macrobid
9-11-07 – Unable to urinate at all
More symptoms after a few more days of taking this drug: Heart pounding in my chest, Achy skin, panic/anxiety attacks (hard to catch breath, heavy chest), Cold feet, hot sweats and chills, urinary retention, bladder infections, ultra sensativety (body to the touch), muscle cramps, arms, legs, back and neck feel heavy. I can't even lift my arms to fold clothes they get so heavy.
9-12-07 – went to the ER to get catheterized
9-14-07 – At hospitals request (doctor at hospital) saw a urologist although he thought that this was most likely a cause of the bladder infection and that I might have some swelling around the urethra or he also suggested that it might be caused by a tear or “stretch” in the urethra from not being able to urinate due to the pain of urinating. I didn’t not think that one, because as soon as I was not able to urinate, I knew that I would need a catheter until we figured out what was wrong.
9-14-07 – Removed catheter at urologist office
9-15-07 – Early am – went to ER again to get catheterized as I was still unable to urinate
9-19-07 – Went to CT Scan requested by Urologist
9-20-07 – Nurse removed 2nd Catheter at Urology Office and said to come back by four if I still could not urinate on my own.
9-20-07 – Researched Lisinopril to find UT could be caused by Lisinopril (medications.com) and saw the side effects that some people were having with this drug. Also learned that this was a derivative of venom from a Brazilian snake (thus the symptoms of feeling achy, sick, tired, muscle weakness and urinary retention
9-20-07 – Went back to urologist to let them know that I still could not urinate and they showed me how to self catheretize. Also, as of the evening of 9-19-07 stopped Lisinopril.
Between the ER doctors, my PCP and my Urologist, they have heard me complain about all of these symptoms but they refused to connect them to the Lisinopril.

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!

I took one pill of this crap, one pill. Woke up at 2:00 the next morning and with lips that made me look like Bucky the Chipmunk. Then the itching! It's been a week and I still itch. 1 PILL! No - no - no, was on Toprol for years but there was concern with it's combo with my Paxil. I finally had to go on a steroid series to try to control the itching; terrible!

Hello. I started taking lisinopril 20 mg about 1.5 months ago because of hbp and I also started taking toprol for rapid heart beat 1/2 a month before that. Although it did lower my hbp it made me feel lousy. I started getting anxiety all the time, aches in my body (stomach etc), nausea, dizziness, spaced out, and numbness in my hands. My father passed away about 2.5 months ago and so I figured that the anxiety was something normal given the circumstances. I thought that the other side effects were part of the anxiety. I felt as thought I was going to go crazy or die. I also started to become a hypocondriac thinking that if I had a pain in my stomach it might be stomach cancer etc. It was not until I found this site that I see that lisinopril and/or the toprol might be the thing that is causing me to feel lousy. I was always healthy and I never had anxiety. I understand that I shoud feel a little anxiety and sadness because of my father, but I don't feel a little anxiety, I get intense panic attacks. I feel as thought I can't get back to normal, I just feel as though I'm not myself. I want to stop this meds as soon as possible before I, too, get worse side effects. Please let me know if you all think that it is the medications or is this just part of the griving process. All I know is that I started taking this pills and all this started to happen.

I have been taking Lisinopril for several years. I am 52 years old. I have had terrible scratchiness and coughing at night. As soon as I lay down it starts. I am sweating terribly for no reason. I worked with a personal trainer all last year but could not lose any weight. I have gained weighed and very large waist. After reading this column I feel that all of these side effects are coming from taking this pill. I am also taking Zocor so that is what I am looking up next. Have a dr. appt. this week and I am getting off all of this..... I am so excited to think that there is a reason why I couldn't lose any weight and only gain. My stomach also looks bloated quite a bit. Does the sweating relate to anyone else out there? I didn't hear too much on that from other writers. Please let me know!

I have found since taking this drug that my bowel movements are very difficult. I am not actually constipated, but feel almost impacted. I have never experience this problem before, and attribute it directly to this drug. I am curious if I am alone in this problem.

Thanks

I have switched from Lisinopril to Diovan and my flash headaches and malaise feelings have subsided while maintaining great BP. Would love to sue the makers of this poison since I had to spend $1900 on a MRI. Maybe a class action suit is needed to remove this crap from the market.

My husband is 36 years old and started taking Lisinopril 10mg about 2 weeks ago. Since then he has noticed some cramping in his lower legs, but the main side effect he noticed was a severe drop in sex drive. He has never experienced this before and the Lisinopril is the only thing that has changed in his daily activities. Thanks to those who shared their experiences with this drug. I'm sure he's going to call our MD first thing in the AM.

This e-mail is an update of my July 11 post. I gotta tell you, I feel like a million bucks compared to when I was taking lisinopril. I quit taking it, monitored my bp and went to my doctor to confirm with him that what I was doing was ok. I didn't have extremely high bp anyway. I think it went up when I visited the doc so I was diagnosed with pre-hypertension (white coat syndrome). Anyway, nearly all my side effects are gone. No more coughing and gagging, no more achy-crampy feelings....sleeping like a baby! Feeling so much better motivated me to get a tread mill again. Life's a crap shoot so unless I've got something life threatening going on...I'm not taking medicines anymore. My bp has been good even though I've been off the stuff only 2.5 weeks. Also, my memory and vision has improved remarkablely. I'm on the mend from this experience and caution everyone to PAY ATTENTION to side effects! Who knew some of this crap could make you think you're dying? I'm going to go the diet and exercise route.....learned my lesson. :)