Lisinopril and depression

Wow it's amazing how at this time there is forty seven pages of people making this up! I really think the maker of this drug should be burned at the stake, I still have palpitations after taking this drug for about 8 months . I have been off of this drug for about 8 months now and feel way better then I did while taking it. I have started a diet and exercise plan and now my bp is normally 117 over 70 , I'd say thats pretty good for still being over weight (I have lost forty two pounds so far) I am not taking any meds right now because diet and exercise has worked so far for me . And I went through hell thinking I was dying while taking this med with the palpitations , chest pain , dizziness , fatigue , tingling in my hands and feet , burning sensation in my feet , and depression . Is anyone suing the maker of this drug ? I think we should all get together and get this off the market so nobody else has to go through this !

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.

Thanks for the post on urticaria. I occasionally have red itchy flaky splotches on my face though I usually had attributed this to high sugar-- though I hadn't worried about it before. When I got swine flu it got really bad but antibiotics seemed to have helped. It doesn't bug me. Though in relation to the other post about depression I'd be interested to know if others have had low hormone levels as well.

WOW! My Mom is 65 and having a lot of these same issues, rash, swelling of the hands and feet, itching, tired ALL the time, depression and she is really "foggy". Her feet are so swollen she cant walk! Her Dr acts like she is just seeking attention and just orders more blood work! After reading all of your comments I am sure its the Lisinopril! Her doctor told her she should NOT stop taking the meds because she could have a stroke! I am angry he is using this scare tactic. I live 2000 miles away but I ready to make a road trip to get this madness to end! She really needs to find a new Dr and stop using this dangerous drug!
Thank you all for posting these issues!

I am a male 60 years old, with the male problem of enlarged prostate. Since this time last year (Sept.2008), I have been on Lisinopril, 5mg. first then 10mg. I have experienced many of the symptoms already described on the website - headaches, depression, getting up 3/4 times a night to empty my bladder. I feel my life is running away with me and have had several consultations with doctors at my surgery but still the symptoms are getting worse. I feel it is time to put a stop to the medication of Lisinopril, having read many of the reviews tonight and have seen the similarity of what others have gone through.

I am a 51 year old woman and have been taking Lisinopril for 8 months. I have a total lack of sex drive now and have felt sad and depressed often. I also have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep. I had severe dermatitis (rash on trunk and back) about four weeks ago that required medicine to clear up. I thought it might be my bra, but now, after reading a few posts, I'm thinking it's the Lisinopril, too. Shortly after the rash my thick hair started thinning quickly. I, too, am afraid to step into the shower, as so much hair comes out it clogs the drain. It feels and looks very thin now. I have not added any new routines or products to my life to be causing these symptoms, except the Lisinopril. I went through menopause at age 43, I plan to visit with my Dr. next week about switching meds.

As I read these posts I want to S C R E A M! This drug is like a slow death from Arsenic. If your Memory is impaired, it should be. It's listed as one of the side affects right inside the pamphlet that the Pharmacist gets. I have a Pharmacist friend and she read me, muscle pain, joint pain, muscle twitching and on and on. It's poison for sure and anyone on it should get off it ASAP. My husband's been off for one year next week and he still experiences mental sluggishness and cognitive deficits. So much so, he's retired because he could no longer do his job. It creeps in on you slowly, and insidious. When you start to notice, you're scared to say anything or you don't associate it with this drug. Guess what, the only drug he's ever taken. And, oh yeah, lead to depression. This is a centrally active Ace Inhibitor that cross the blood brain barrier and is literally poisoning you. Actually, there is a derivative from a Brazilian Pit Viper. Synthetic or not, it's poison. Get off people, get off. It will eventually affect your memory more and more until you resemble some form of dementia. Maybe that's why so many people are sitting in Nursing Homes with full blow dementia. The disease that caused it are the DRUGS you're taking.
Get off.

Funny, I've been on Lisinopril for 4 yrs. & just noticed the tip of my tongue felt numb & with a weird taste. I thought it was from the Hysterectomy I had ungone a month ago. Nope it's due to the Lisinopril. So is the depression. WOW, I think it may be time to change BP Meds.

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.

I've been taking Lisinopril for about three months and wonder if this could be causing my anger. Before this medication I was definitely not a angry person but lately even the smallest things set me off. Has anyone else experienced this type of side effect from this medication? It has definitely regulated my blood pressure maintaining at 120/80

Thanks,
M.

I am a 52 year old female and began taking 20mg. of lisinopril about 6 weeks ago. My blood pressure was very high 174/111. I feel terrible on this drug! I'm tired all the time, zero energy. I either can't sleep or sleep too much. I am a smoker but my coughing seems worse. I have a very dry mouth at night, I feel very depressed, crying a lot. Granted, I just lost my beloved nephew to suicide in May, but I can't shake the depression I feel. I am allergic to bee and wasp stings and was never asked this by the doctor. I'm going back next week and asking for a different medication

This drug should be taken off the market. My Dr. warned me of a cough when he gave it to me but did not tell me that you would literally drown in secretions from the drainage in your throat. I have been on it 2 weeks and my quality of life has diminished considerably. During the day its as if a little man with a squirt bottle of acid is spraying my throat. At night the same thing but lying down produces uncontrollable drainage. I have to keep a spit cup by my bed and hardly get any sleep. Have tried allergy medications to no avail. I threw it in the garbage today. I would rather monitor my BP 30 times a day than live thru this.

My question is if you have been on this drug and your Dr. took you off, what did he use in its place? Would Beta Blockers be better? Who has experienced this and is now free of it? What is the alternative drug? I called my Dr.'s office today and they have Benicar waiting for me in the AM...anyone know about that one? I am desperate!

I am taking Lisinopril for high blood pressure for 5 days now. I have been experiencing depression, swollen right hand, tired, but sometimes not able to sleep..very low energy.I need to know if i should stop taking this medication or not but i can not contact my doctor until Monday. I also am taking other blood pressure medications but this one seems to have the side effects I am having.

For those of you taking this drug and want to get off, please know it takes 3-4 weeks (longer in others depending on your metabolism) to be "totally" out of your system. Don't think you'll feel better in a few days. Give it a least 6 weeks to show significant change in your symptoms. I know, my husband took this and was having mental sluggishness, depression, confusion which led to many other tests. He has been off the drug now since Sept 08 and off the anti-depressant too. Guess what...no depression has returned since being of this drug. He's back to an aspirin a day, what he took before this nightmare began. Anybody taking this drug should stop immediately. It's the drug from hell!

55 yr old female, taking this medication for couple of months...these
are my side effects...tired all the time,severe anxiety, can't sleep, my
legs ache and I am in pain, dry cough, headache and depression.

I'm 57 yrs old and have been on Lisinopril
40mg for about 8yrs. I have a high constitution so at times I didn't notice
things as quickly as others. I have always gotten my Lisinopril from the V.A. and noticed in recent months their source of supply for this drug. The V.A. went to a supplier called Major Pharmaceuticals, the pill is oval shaped instead of round. I have had bouts with depression , joint pain
back, knees,hips and neck not to mention
calves of legs swelling and worn to the touch. As of Tuesday of this week , 3days
off lisinopril I have seen a dramatic change.
of course my primary doctor non V.A. was
involved and prescribed another medication.
After three day off this Lisinopril , I don't know the source of I am very pleased and feel great. I am starting to think the drug companies are going for bargin basement
drugs made where ever, THX S.

Hello folks.I am a 63 year old male and began taking 10 mg.of Lisinopril 2 years ago. Eight months ago it was increased to 40 mg.a day.I experienced incredible fatigue(sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day),depression,I became severely anemic and was hospitalized for 3 days and given 3 units of whole blood.I became hypothyroidic and had rib cage pain.My legs and knee joints hurt so badly that I was almost unable to walk.I couldn't sleep through a night without waking up gasping for breath.My mental processes became extremely foggy and I was unable to concentrate.This is hard to believe but I sometimes was too tired to watch television.Although I am sure that not all people experience these symptoms,be advised that it can happen.I am now off of Lisinopril and have recovered my health.This horrible "medication" needs to be looked at more deeply by the FDA.

I am a 42 year old male. I have been on Lisinopril for two years. I developed sore muscles and joint pain. I was so tired I wanted to sleep all the time. My blood sugar was up. Some one mentioned to me that some blood pressure meds can cause blood sugar to rise. I quit taking the Lisinopril for a day to see what would happen to my sugar. It went down, and then I noticed that my joint pain was gone and, my muscle pain and soreness was gone and I had much more energy. I go see my doctor tomorrow for other options.
The drug made me so tired over the years I could not exercise and I have put on 25 more pounds
side effects
depression, muscle and joint pain, muscle stiffness, tired, weakness, dizzy

Gosh, I just got on the internet to see if some of my husband's symptoms (dizziness, muscle cramps, depression, feeling tired and short of breath all the time) could be caused by his medication. Now I'm really worried after reading all the other posts about Lisinopril. We've been trying to get something done about his symptoms for weeks now and not once has a doctor mentioned that it could be the Lisinopril or even checked his potassium levels or done an EKG. We have been told by a doctor who practices in another state that a carotid doppler should have also been done but if we ask for that, we are concerned the doctor will think we're trying to tell him/her how to do their job and then we won't get anything done. I'm afraid to take him off the Lisinopril 20mg suddenly.

I received yet another email from someone who has had a recent MRI due to memory difficulties and the MRI indicated brain shrinkage. This drug is breaking the blood brain barrier, causes depression, and is shrinking the brain. I know of 3 people who began Lisinopril and over a period of less than 2 years, have had MRI and their brains indicate shrinkage. We are wondering why Alzheimers is becoming an epidemic. More people are being prescribed Blood Pressure medicines at earlier ages, particularly Ace Inhibitors because they are cheap and these drugs are pentrating the blood brain barrier and causing a drug induced brain damage that mimicks Alzheimer symptoms. It begins to appear as depression, so, they treat the depression with anti-depressants. They improve for a period of time and then the symptoms of memory loss, difficulty retaining, concentration issues, mental sluggishness begin to present again. The Doctors are in denial, not us who are posting these symptoms. The obvious is oblivious. You cannot take a healthy individual who never took anything more than an aspirin and within 17 month of taking this medication have depression, memory issues and brain shrinkage. I hope if there are any Doctors that read this site, they pay attention to their patients and watch those people on Ace Inhibitors who then follow a pattern of memory problems and depression. It's much more than depression. I bet if all those people who experience memory difficulties got and MRI, there brains would show shrinkage.

It make me constipated,tiredness,headache,dry mouth,mental mood changes,depression,movement control.

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!

terrible ab swelling bloat and pain swelling in different part of body but every thing seems to be on left side.Feel compression of all inside organs in abdomen.making wheezing and breathing not right.Depression - my Prozac didn,t seem to work any more now that I look back on it. I started taking lisinopril about 8 yrs ago.Lately started with headache but that went away as soon as i stopped drug. Luckily over the holidays I ran out of pills and stopped taking and about on the second day (three days after one of my emergency visits where they never find nothing even though I feel like I am dying.) I felt like my old self again .I felt normal. I was so happy Yet so mad at doctors. For getting treated like I was crazy after awhile.I found out about intestinal angioedema fro my pharmacist when on a whim asked about lisinopril .My stomach area is all still sore but not all swelled up .Oh I also had urinary problems Which I still Have off and on But I take Flomax even though i am female. Im going to get bladder scope next week and I know it has to do with compression for so long from angioedema from the lisinopril.

I've been on it for about 2 months, the first month nothing really happened...but the last month its just been getting worse and worse. Light headed, sweaty hands, cold feet, tinglinging in the fingers, heart palpitations, etc...the worst are the heart palps, and light headedness (I feel like I might pass out right now!). I stopped taking it today, my last pill was yesterday morning, so hopefully the side effects will subside today or tomorrow.

for those who went off the drug, how long did it take for the side affects to disappear?

I just started taking Lisinopril on 2/11/09. Looked up this medication on the internet because i feel so weird since yesterday and saw all these comments. I have the heavy chest feelings, stomach problems, dizzy, depression, and many of the other symptoms that are described by everybody. I was on Benicar and am going back to it even though my insurance doesn't cover much of the cost. Thanks for everyone's comments..... .CN

Well, I beg to differ with "huh1051" regarding the snake venom. This is straight from "Wikipedia"... History/brand names
Lisinopril was developed by Merck & Co. and is marketed worldwide as Prinivil or Tensopril and by AstraZeneca as Zestril. In India it is marketed by Micro Labs as Hipril. In the United States, a generic version is available. Like other ACE inhibitors, it is derived from the venom of the jararaca, a Brazilian pit viper (Bothrops jararaca). So, "what" do you believe!!!???? This drug breaks the blood brain barrier which is probably why so many people get depression. However, I "think" this drug is causing more than just depression. It's shrinking the brain and affecting memory.
bellabear

Hi, I have been taking lisinopril 2.5 mg for a little over a year now. I am 20 years old and had high blood pressure for my age so my doctor prescribed me to a low dose (2.5 mg) of lisnopril. I didn't think much of it at first because I figured my doctor had prescribed it and knew what was best for me, so I have been taking it over a year now.
The past couple days, I've started to think more about things and am wondering if the lisinopril has anything to do with it. I have definitely noticed that my hairline is receding faster and my hair, especially in the front of my head, is thinning. I have also gained weight over the past year and cannot seem to get any weight off. I never had these problems of losing hair or gaining weight before I started lisinopril.
My question is could the lisinopril, even with the low dose of 2.5 mg that I'm taking, actually cause these types of things to happen?
If anyone reading this could please reply to me and let me know, I would appreciate it so much because I am really worrying about this. Thanks.

I was on 10 mg of Lisinopril for 2 weeks. After quitting, major side effects of the drug gradually subsided (including ringing of the ears, headache, sleeplessness, nausea, fatigue, general flu-like symptoms, panic and anxiety). I'm now 2.5 weeks off the med and was feeling fine but suddenly had a flare up of sleepless night followed by 2 days of nausea, dizziness, irritability and depression. This spell came just after I played an aggressive soccer game. Does vigorous exercise trigger recurring spells?
Has this happened to anyone? How long should I expect symptoms?

Starting Lisinopril tonight - 20mg. I am nervous about reading about the Dry Cough as I cannot tolerate that! I am 29 with Super High Blood Pressure and I need something that can control my BP and not cause me misery. I'll post my future with this drug soon.

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 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 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

Horrific muscle cramps, twitches or fluttering in my heart/chest. Aches, pains, depression, feeling old, having lots of hair come out each day, thinking it looks like more than it should be, swollen stomach/bladder/uterus, urge to pee even when my bladder is empty. Cramps in my bladder/abdomen. Some dizziness and weird vision episodes.

They had me add these in a separate area - these are just the majority of what I can think of. Part 2 to my post.

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.

I have been on Lisinopril for many years, and always had a small cough.
This summer the cough and clearing of the throat became worse. I mentioned this to my chiropractor and he said my body has built up a resistance to this drug and greatly affecting my throat to the point where I may not be able to breathe. There have been many times, this summer, when I couldn't seem to get enough air, like I couldn't breathe deeply enough to fill my lungs. Then at times it would feel like a feather was in my throat and I would have a terrible coughing spell. I have sensed that my memory has been effected and I have had more periods of depression.
This is not the medicine for me.

Husband taking 10mg. He is having dizziness, confusion, memory lapse, depression, short-temper, severe leg cramps, chills, loss of appetite, constipation and severe stomach cramps. We are discontinuing this medication. He thinks it's literally killing him like being poisoned.

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!

Here is a follow up- I have been off of the Lisinopril now for about 6 days. I am slowly feeling better and getting energy back. I still have some residual muscle burning, bouts of fatigue, bouts of depression. The shortness of breath is getting better also.
The irregular heartbeat is almost gone and the cough is now only occasional.
I have been taking vitamins such as vitamin c, multivitamin and drinking lots of water.
My memory and loss of words is getting better also.
I am forcing myself to exercise and lose weight. This med almost killed me.
I just pray that I don't have any permanent damage.
Also significant is the symptoms got worse when they were manufactured bu IVAX.

Well, my first posting didn't take for some reason. I have been taking L. for about 5 weeks. I had thought that I had developed a full allergy and had begun suffering from early menopause until I read these other entries. The hacking gagging cough and clear mucus from lungs?throat . The fatigue is constant and the depression is to tears about twice a week for no known reason. I didn't have these symptoms when I was on Benicar. Guess what I'm switching back to.?!!

My father stared on lisinopril on Friday, on Monday his tongue swelled so badly that he lost his airway and by Tuesday he was legally brain dead from lack of oxygen secondary to tongue swelling. Thanks lisinopril for taking my dad.

62 year old female, taking Lisinopril for over a year. I was at lost for my symptoms until I read this site, pain in arm, don`t sleep, itching all over, Head ache, pressure on back of head Dizzy, trouble walking,depression,loose of memory etc.( history of a benign brain tumor about 10 years ago) Pressure was so bad I made a appointment with my neurosurg) Talked to a Pharm. He suggested to not take it one night and see. I did and the pressure went away.I called the Cardiologist. His nurse really told me off and that I was not having any side effect, something was going on, but not Lisinopril as I had taken it for so long. She was just plain rude! She would not call anything else in for me either. I am titrating it and and looking for a new doctor!!

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.

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!

drowsiness, depression, upset stomach, cough

I had been on Lisinopril for about 5 weeks, first on 40 mg. then I reduced it in half on my own, and have now decided to stop entirely and go back on Avapro. When I started it, I developed flu like symptoms and I thought I was just sick, but my body continued to fill "unwell". I had such terrible vertigo that I fell down 3 times and would get very dizzy when sitting up or bending over. Sometimes, the vertigo comes when I am sitting perfectly still! I became constipated and bloated with bouts of gas, headaches and sore throat in the evenings. My arms and legs were falling asleep during the night, so bad that I had to wake up and massage my hands and move my legs to get them circulating. Also, leg cramps have developed and cramps and shoulder pain that doesn't want to go away.I started to have to urinate all the time, as well! When I went to the doctor's office after being on it for 3 weeks, I complained that I was feeling awful (like I was going to die), depression had set in, I want to sleep all the time and have terrible vertigo, I was told that these were unusual symptoms and to try it for a few more weeks and see if these symptoms subside! Typical!!! It is thru researching blogs like these that I found that my symptoms are not at all unusual, but they are VERY ALARMING! I am a 46 year old woman and am healthy in every way. This medicine makes me feel as if I am being poisoned! I went off of it yesterday and am now doing an herbal cleanse to detox myself. I am also on fish peptides - which lowered my bp substantially in the past, but needed to find a reliable source that keeps it in stock all the time. It is safe and has no side effects.

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?

My doctor (PA, actually) prescribed Lisinopril a few weeks ago because I'm diabetic and she said it would help protect my kidneys as well as lower my moderately-high blood pressure. Things went well for a couple of weeks, but the past few days have been unbearable. Not much of a cough, but I feel terribly weak, exhausted, and I can hardly think at all--am very confused, and can barely write this note (strange for a professional writer, eh?). I also have trouble walking, am quite dizzy and out of breath, and have severe muscle cramps; feels almost like my nervous system is shutting down. And truly, I feel like it could kill me. I was grateful to read all of your comments; makes me know that I'm not alone. I will have to discontinue this medication, as I simply cannot function while using it. (I'm a 62-year-old female, by the way.) Thanks again for your comments, and I wish you all luck and happiness.

I have been on this for only 5 days- I also have the achy feelings in neck muscles and legs but I think it is mostly making feel depressed. I have never been diagnosed with depression - but I am having a hard time getting through a day. Do other people feel depressed on this drug?

Thank God I accidentally found this sight. I changed pharmacies and my husbands pill looked different so I decided to look it up on the net. He has almost every side effect up here and we had different answers for each one. High heart rate, shortness of breath, dry cough, can't concentrate, anxiety, depression, feeling of something bad happening to family or him dying, bad dreams, erectile dysfunction, no patience, stomacher pain, just not the man that is my best friend. Now that we look back it started the same time he started Lisinopril. I that the good Lord that I found this so I can get my husband back. He was getting so bad I thought I was going to have to start BP meds cause he started driving me crazy. Thank you Jesus and I hope anyone going through the same thing finds this sight.

This was my husband's experience, not mine. He started Lisinopril in October of 2007. After one month he started having anxiety/panic attacks, started having trouble concentrating on reading (which he loved), his memory was shot, he didn't sleep well, he lost his sense of humor. After two months, in one week's time, he spiraled into such a deep depression that he ended up taking his own life. I'm convinced it was because of the combination of Lisinopril, diuretic and Statin he was taking. He was a different person after adding Lisinopril and Simvastatin to his diuretic medication.