Lisinopril and dry cough

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....

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

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!

Hello all thanks very much for your comments on this drug. I need help quickly. My father is 55 years old and the Doctor have him taking this drug Lisinopril. All night long he is have a dry cough and only gets about 3hours of sleep a night. Please help with other options then this drug. you can e-mail me at ******

I was started on Lisinopril about a month and a half ago.

Initially I was taking 20 mg. I started having a dry cough and it was worse at night. After a month the doctor increased my dosage to 40 mg. The cough has grown much worse. As someone stated above...any phone conversation I have that is of any length at all will find me coughing continually.

At night I sleep for about 1 1/2 hours and then am awake for many hours before I can fall back asleep because my legs are aching and I have Charley horses in my toes. I have had problems with achy legs at night, in the past and ibuprofen always helped...now it doesn't and the achy legs are every single night.

Two nights ago I went to bed at 10:00 and woke up at 11:15. I was awake until 4:30 the next morning.

I decided after doing some reading on lisinopril that I was not going to take it any longer. The doctor had told me at my last visit that if the coughing increased they would change my prescription.

I too have experienced some nausea and headaches.

I commonly suffer the side affects of drugs so I'm not really surprised.

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

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

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

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

I 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.

After 25 days on 10 mg/day Lisinopril the following symptoms: extreme dizziness all day, hypotension so bad can't even get out of car seat without almost fainting, night time dry cough (tickle type), unusual muscle tiredness in legs and back (I bike 10 mi/day, 5 days/week for years) and now a rash on both forearms!! Doctor took me off the drug yesterday and prescribed Diovan 80mg/12.5 to begin next week. Wants all Lisinopril out of my system. The most disturbing side effect was Confusion. Even had dreams relevant to the effect on my thinking skills. I imagined this must be what it's like for a person when they realize they have Alzheimer's. Two days off Lisinopril, a little hypotension, dizziness gone, confusion gone, but rash remains and is worsening. All of the above discussed with doctor. He moved me to his own choice for his high BP...Diovan. We'll see

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

Doctor prescribed 10 mg. Lisinopril four months ago for borderline HBP. Since then I have suffered from an itchy rash, chest and shoulder pain , extreme fatigue , low concentration and memory loss , a dry cough so annoying that I live on cough drops and a strange feeling in my throat like a lump is always there , and most recently I have developed pain and swelling in the lymph nodes under my armpits. I also have dizzy spells so bad that I have almost fainted a couple of times. Once it was so bad that I could not even get out of bed. I am convinced that it is the Lisinopril because I did not have these problems before I started taking it. I am going to stop taking this poison and see a Naturopathic Practitioner. I have recently read that fish peptides also called bonito peptides have been used successfully in treating HBP and is a safe and natural alternative to those Pharma drugs that cause so much misery. I will keep you posted.

I am a 60yo white male. Started Lisinopril 5mg on 3/15 and within a couple of days experienced light headedness every afternoon. After 10 days medication was decreased to 2.5mg OD. Light headedness went away but I developed a dry cough that usually came on at night (in bed). Was not too much of a problem but then the cough would develop at different times of the day. I have decided that yesterday's dose would be the last. I will schedule an appointment with my doctor. Help...How long will it be for the dry cough to disappear? Throughout the whole time my B/P was right on!

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!!!!

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

I stopped taking lisinopril for a week now. It was my own decision. I've had it for only three weeks. I thought this was a miracle drug for me coz it really worked for me the very first day I took it and it was really easy on the pocket considering I don't have an insurance. My reading was in the 90+/70+. I was really happy w/ my BP for a while.

Currently, I am trying to observe my body if some of the symptoms I've had (which others have also mentioned here) are just my imagination/due to my paranoia or are really side effects of this drug. I've had mild dry cough especially at night (well I thought it was because of the dry air here in Vegas), nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, dizziness (especially if i stand up from a sitting or lying position which at one point almost made me faint), weakness/fatigue, pain in the shoulder, numbness in the left toes at first then on the day before i last took it, the numbness started creeping up into my left foot and calf. That last symptom really worried me the most coz I thought I was gonna have a stroke or something. When I checked my bp it was way too low 88/64! I thought my monitor was broke or something coz at first it's always making an error. I guess my BP was too abnormal for it.

Tomorrow, I'm planning on calling my doctor to report my symptoms, observations and probably share what I've read on this forum. I was on avapro before my doctor switched me to this one coz after my pregnancy, it doesn't seem to be working on me for a while. I guess I would suggest to him to put me back on avapro and will try to have a better/healthier lifestyle i.e., regular exercise, more fruits and vegetables, less sodium, more fluid intake, good sleeping pattern and better outlook in life for better stress management.

Btw, many thanks to this site and to all who posted their side effects. This somehow gave me some reassurance that I'm not going' crazy about what I've been feeling while taking this drug. Felt like I'm taking a 'killing me softly drug' after all.

I have been on lisinopril since august of 07. I have had no side affects except for a little dry cough every once in awhile. about a month and a half ago I started getting blurred vision, short term memory loss,(It took me about 5 minutes to remember what I had for dinner the night before) shortness of breath and the sharp pains along my left rib cage. I think I have figured out why I started getting these symptoms so late in my treatment of HBP. I believe it was due to the recent intake of a salt substitute. I saw on the warnings for lisinopril that you should avoid salt substitutes. I now stopped taking this medication and now my vision is back to normal and the chest pains and memory loss has gone away. I hoped this helps anybody that has had these symptoms because it is something I dont want me or anybody to go through again!!!!!!!!!!!!!( DON'T TAKE SALT SUBSTITUTES ON THIS DRUG)

I have been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 20/25 for about 5 weeks now and I have noticed a little dry cough recently and a constant runny nose. Since 3-15-08 I notice that my left ear has been losing some hearing and today the 18 of march it feels like I have something jammed in there and everything is severly muffled.I was just on Lisinopril at first and on 3-11-08 the Dr put me on Lisinopril-HTCZ 20/25 and this started 4 days after I started the drug I have not taken it today and don't plan on it after I I have read what I have just read. I am going back to see my Dr. this after noon.

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

I am a 66 year old female with mild hypertension successfully treated with 25 mg HCTZ for over 10 years. In January 2008 I developed sinusitis and ended up in the hospital for a week exceedingly high BP and an electrolyte imbalance. Initially the MD wanted to give me Lisinopril, but I told him that there is a hx of family sensitivity to the drug. Both my mother and brother had developed a severe cough and had to stop Lisinopril. He prescribed something else. It's now 2 months since my acute illness and they can't get my BP under control. I told my MD that I would be willing to try Lisinopril since the cough from my sinus infection is now gone. I didn't want to rule out using it just because of a family hx. Maybe I would react differently? I am already on 2 BP meds and Lisinopril made it #3. I took 2.5 mg Lisinopril and for 3 days felt wonderful. My BP was terrific. I suddenly developed severe acid indigestion which kept me awake all night. The next day I had a dry cough which would make me me gag. Then I developed non-stop belching, nonspecific stomach discomfort, and loose stools. I felt "not quite all there". My BP has been terrific. I just called my MD and she will prescribe something else. I asked her, taking only 2.5 mg, if it's possible to develop side effects in only 3 days and she said yes. Wish me luck as I try my new 3rd BP medicine.

Funny (not ha-ha) how one drug leads to another leads to another... My dr. started me on Lipitor for cholesterol, then Lisinopril for borderline high bp. Both drugs increased after six months - Lisinopril up to 40 mg. a day. I started to feel constantly fatigued, irritable, depressed and no sex drive at all. I thought I was going menopausal, but estrogen levels were normal. So I went on Wellbutrin to combat those symptoms. Seemed to help at first, but gradually less so - even at increased dosage. Dr. never suggested there might be other side effects to these drugs other than "dry cough" with Lisinopril, which would probably just "go away". Ever notice how side effects are minimalized by doctors., if acknowledged at all! I started to feel toxic with all the medicine in my system and decided to look into side effects. Now I am not taking these meds anymore - am watching my diet and will go to check ups. If doctor is unhappy with me I will look for different doctor!

59 year old female, overweight.

My nightmare with 40 mg. Lisinopril started 3 months ago with the dry, hacking cough which got bad enough for me to gag & left me short of breath. I stopped this med completely after reading the horror stories here. Had little effect in lowering blood pressure.

I felt achy all over - thought I had the flu or a nagging cold which wouldn't let go, yet no temperature or other symptoms. Been coughing for 3 months. Some numbness in left hand fingers. Very tired all the time with no desire to do anything.

Depression got much worse, I felt like I was dying or had cancer and just felt like I wanted to end it all to get relief.

Had moving chest pains and some pain in left arm. Bad stomach/intestinal pains with bloating, gas & cramps. Some dizziness & light-headed feelings.

Reading the posts on this forum has been a Godsend; I wish I had found it sooner. My mom just got a prescription for Lisinopril; I told her to not take it - it's poison. Referred her to this page. When I read the same symptoms over & over on these pages, this is a red flag. Only wish the doctors would take heed of this - in fact I plan to tell my doctor tomorrow to come here & read these postings - they are an eye opener and could well save others from the horror of Lisinopril.

I'm planning on weaning myself off all prescription meds and start an herbal/alternative lifestyle. I stopped this stuff cold turkey when I read all the posts here & am feeling somewhat better altho I still have the nagging cough. Truth to tell I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Back on January 8, I posted side effects that I was experiencing from Lisinopril. On February 9, I stopped taking it and was switched to Atacand 8 mg. Today, February 28, I finally had my first full day without a dry cough. My new prescription still needs adjustment since my BP is still in the 150/70 range, but I am due back at the cardiologist on March 4. I will post again when I am completely rid of the dry hacking cough.

Since starting this drug last April, I've gained 15 lbs. I know some of the blame is my own so I've changed my diet and am exercising again, but I can't lose any weight. None. I have the dry cough, my legs ache, especially when I'm trying to sleep and I make a lot more trips to the bathroom. I never had trouble losing weight before this (if I did the right things), but it seems the harder I try, the higher the scale goes.

I have been on this horrible drug about 6 months now. At first, no problems. Then about 2 months ago, I developed this itchy feeling in my throat; thought I had a cold coming on. The itchy throat after two months turned into a terrible dry cough so bad you almost gag. I also developed a rash on my throat and itching all over my face mostly, but also down my back. Lastly, I feel really fatigued now and sometimes I have flu like symptoms, that is, achy and feverish with chills. I have been off the Lisinopril now 4 days with no change, but everything I read on these posts indicate that it may take from several days to several months, depending on the individual, to get this junk out of your system. Like many others, I feel this drug should be taken off the market, and yes, it is incredible to me that so many doctors have no clue of its terrible side effects!!

I just started taking this yesterday. Have itchy throat, dry cough already. I reported to my Doctor he should get back to me soon. I will not take this drug after today..esp. when I learnt its is extracted from the venom of a poisonous Brazilian snake..

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

I experience a mild dry cough and mouth, and recently a warmness all across the lower stomach belt line, especially 1 to 2 hours after eating dinner if i stay in a sitting position. Warmness becomes less 4 to 5 hours, is this normal as ACE is a vein and artery dilator. i use 1.25 mg daily in morning.

Thank goodness I typed in "Dry cough "and "gag." I found this site and now I know WHY I can't seem to get over this "cold."

I've been on lisinopril for about 3.5 weeks and I was beginning to think I had suddenly developed allergies. I get this terrible tickle and I try to fight it, because I know once I start coughing, it will take a while to settle down again. My eyes water, my head throbs, and I reach a point of nearly gagging. In addition, I get to deal with the added pleasures of menopausal stress incontinence. I'm MISERABLE!

I've been needing to schedule an MRA for another non-related issue, and I have been putting it off due to concerns about being in the MRI machine and not being able to catch my breath.

Thanks to all of your input here, I'm calling my doctor tomorrow. Enough is enough!

I developed hbp during pregnancy with my first child, after delivery the bp continued to stay up for about four months and then it went back down to a safe level. Six yrs later I became pregnant with my second child and my bp spiked again. Once again, after delivery, my bp went even higher. I tried a calcium channel blocker which gave me SEVERE headaches and then was put on a beta blocker. The beta blocker had no side effects but my bp was still out of control. My GP tried me on Lisinopril 10 mg in November 07. Since then I have had abdominal pain, loss of concentration, fatigue, leg and arm pain and numbness that is slowly worsening, dry, hacking cough, loss of sleep, strange thoughts of losing family members, etc....When I spoke to my GP about these new symptoms, I was told I have reflux, even though I never get heartburn and get this...POST PARTUM DEPRESSION! Oh, I am so sick of the "D" word. I never have thoughts of hurting myself or my kids, not to mention, I'm the happiest person I know. I'm really convinced now that these symptoms are all due to the Lisinopril b/c it all started around that time. The cough can be so embarrassing. I work in health care and will start hacking in the middle of an exam with a patient. It comes off as really unprofessional and it bothers me a lot. I see him next week and will discuss this with him. I am kind of discouraged b/c my bp is totally out of control w/o meds and this is the second one that has caused major side effects that has actually helped my b/p.

I am taking Lisinopril 20 for about a month. I am experiencing the almost daily dry cough (mainly at night and again in the morning) I also have a dull, low-grade pain in the back of my head. Some light dizziness, also.

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.

I am not sure if the Lisinopril is my problem. I have been on it for 3 yrs now. I do not have HBP -never had it. I developed Type II diabetes and am on Metformin. In the last two months, I have developed dizziness and light headedness. Also, last two months, heart palpations - and the itching is driving me crazy. Skin has developed tender sites - like the skin feels like very thin paper. I think I am going to stop it - even reading what's on this page - it may be what's causing these strange things. I did not know it was from viper venom. I also have dry mouth, but no consistent cough. Every now and then.

I have been taking Lisinopril 40mg.for about 4 months now for high BP. It works very well for the BP issue. Since I have started taking it I have had the dry cough, but its not so bad that I would have change anything because of the fact that it IS helping my BP. I have also noticed that I have been getting the numbness in my arms mostly my left. My Nephrologist mentioned that its Steal Syndrom caused from my Fistula Creation (dialysis access). After reading these posted side affects I think its from Lisinopril. ALSO, in the past 2 months I have been getting acne. First thought it was from my diet, but I have not changed anything in my diet. Its almost like my body is trying to get rid of something in my system. This is not the ordinary acne problem, this is on my face, back of my neck(hairline), on my shoulders and back. The "acne" gets very bad and when I get something out of the sores it has a very strong metallic type smell. Also, I am experiencing the itching, which has been getting worse the past few days. As of today I will NOT be taking any more Lisinopril. I am certain Lisinopril is the cause of all of my problems. Has anyone experienced acne from this product??

Thanks,
Shawn
36yo, Minnesota

I have had many of the symptoms described above. Racing heart, palpitations, most annoying dry cough that kept me up most of the night. Also, running a low-grade ( 99- 100.04) fever. And to top it off, my pressure was still high. Dr. took me off of it 3 days ago and put me on Coreg. My pulse is back to normal - it was running 95 to 100 bpm. Already the cough has improved although the Dr. tells me it may take a few weeks to totally go away. My pressure is perfect. He had ordered a chest x-ray and did blood work to check out my thyroid because everything was so wacked out. Tests were all fine. I put up with Lisinopril for 3 months, even though as soon as I took my pill in the evening the palpitations would start. Everyone ,do yourself a favor and get off this stuff...there's plenty of other blood pressure meds out there...

I AM A 28 YEAR OLD FEMALE WHO WAS JUST PRESCRIBED LISINOPRIL FOR HBP AFTER ANOTHER MED WAS MAKING ME SICK. I AM QUITE YOUNG STILL AND HAVE NEVER BEEN ON A LONG TERM DRUG. I AM QUITE SCARED TO START THIS MEDICATION AFTER READING ALL OF THESE THINGS WRITTEN BY YOU ALL. IF THIS DRUG IS SO HORRIBLE WHY DO DOCTORS KEEP PRESCRIBING IT? SHOULD I CONSULT MY DR WITH MY CONCERNS BEFORE STARTING THIS MEDICATION?

I've been taking Lisinopril for several months now. I started with the normal 10mg dosage (for about a month) and increased to 20mg (for about 4 months now). Luckily I avoided the dry cough, but recently I've been getting swelling in my hands that itch for a little, turn a slight reddish color, and then subsides. It's just recently come on and has occurred regularly for about three days now. Has this happened to anyone or has anyone heard of this possible side effect?

I am a reasonably healthy 57 year old male, 6' 1", 220 lbs. I started taking Lisinopril 10mg about 1 year old for HPB. My BP was all over the chart, but averaged at about 160/80. After being on Lisinopril for about 1 week, I noticed that my BP would be about 130/70 in the mornings, but jump back up to about 150/75 in the evenings. I have never achieved the 120/70 range that others talk about. It was also at this time that I developed the tickle and dry cough. I lose sleep by waking up coughing. The cough also comes on at any time, day or night. Sometimes I cough until I feel my head is going to explode. I never cough up anything. Always dry.

Over the last year, I have had other side effects that have come and gone and come back again. Among them have been itchy skin, numbness in fingers and toes, chest pains (EKG's and stress tests were fine), stomach pains, back pain, jaw pain, pounding heartbeat, racing heartbeat, loss of sex drive, erectile dysfunction, vivid dreams (when I sleep), feelings of dread and recurring thoughts of something happening to family members.

Since I do not have any prescription coverage in my insurance, I was happy to find a $4.00 drug, but now that the refills have run out, I think that I will ask the doctor for something else.

I have been taking Lisinopril for 3 months now but stopped 4 days ago because of the dry cough. I still have the cough! When does this go away? Getting worried that this is something else. Never smoked.

I have been on Lisinopril since the first of November. I had a dry cough at first but nothing really bad. After about three weeks I got a fever and sick for about a day and 1/2. The fever went away but I had shoulder and back pain (between my shoulder blades) The doctor listened to my lungs and told me I had pleurisy!!!! Treated me with antibiotics - got a little better. The soreness still there in my lungs up into my neck - some chest pain. Went to the ER - took chest x-rays.. found everything normal. Still coughing - congested all the time - I am 41 years old and I WAS on 5mg of this drug 1time a day. Not a lot at all but the ER doctor took me off the drug. He said after about three days the drug should be out of my system and then I can evaluate whether it was the lisinopril causing my lung problems. Also I have noticed that I have been having anxiety and worrying about things to excess lately, which is not like me. The anxiety started about a month after starting the drug. Maybe it is from the physical problems that I have been having. I was very healthy before all of this - I am very active and a non-smoker. Since these things starting happening I feel like I have aged 10 years!!! I also have some troubling getting air sometimes - like I feel as if I have to take a deep breath. Anyway - this is the only drug I am on so it only makes sense that it is causing all of this. The first night I stopped taking it I had terrible dreams - anyone else had this after stopping the drug?

I have been on Lisinopril for approx 3mos and heard that the side effects can come months after starting med. I now have the most annoying dry cough, shortness of breath. I am telling my doctor to take me off this.

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

My nephrologist (kidney doctor) put me on Lisinopril 20 mg/per day, I have been taking it for about 2 months now because I have stage 3 kidney disease due to Diabetes as well as high blood pressure 150/90. For about a month now I have been itching like CRAZY! I cough to the point of throwing -up every morning, very dry cough! I told my doctor about the itching and cough but he just didn't say much about it.I didn't know about these awful side effects before taking it, Thanks to this site I know that I'm not the only one having these episodes and will contact my doctor to see about a change, I wish I would have known this before taking this med. YUCK!

Been off this medication now for 4 months and have realized I don't have the unexplainable anxiety I use to have. This was over odd things like driving, which I have done for years quite happily. Also seem to take life in a more relaxed way all round. One side effect still to go(I hope) is neck pain with headache, though these aren't so frequent now. Weight too has remained stable.

I'm a 37 yr. female. I was diagnosed with depression/anxiety about 6 yrs. ago.I take Effexor XR & about 3-4 mo. ago was prescribed 10mg. of Lisinopril for my high blood pressure.Med worked for that :)
My side effects from this med are the dry hacking cough at night.(Comes and goes) Loss of sex drive(even worse)
And about 2wks ago I started feeling really down.Crying, angry,withdrawn & having suicidal thoughts due to all the added feeling's.I had ran out of my meds(BP) and missed about 3 days.Best thing to happen :) 'Cause just a couple days ago it's like the old me returned!!! I'm HAPPIER, the depressed feeling's are GONE. I care about myself alot more than I have in a long time.Just bad brain zaps(on & off) from the sudden stop.
I've been reading on here how some side effects came on slowly,and I'm one of them this has happened to. I have MORE energy too now that I stopped.
I thought maybe my anti- depressant med. needed to be adjusted again(even took one extra pill) and that didn't work.It was my BP med making me feel terrible. Anyone who has depression should really watch for any added changes. I'm SO GLAD I found this website!!!
I thank everyone who has shared they're experience's.

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

Have any men on this site experienced erectile dysfunction? I have been on Lisinopril 40mg for around 18 months and my BP is around 120/80 which is pretty good but the ED has come on quite suddenly and is alarming to say the least. I have the dry cough and throat tickle as well as having difficulties getting a full night of sleep but none of the other side effects mentioned. I am a healthy 55 year old male, not overweight and in good health, Lisinopril is the only medication I take.

I ALSO DEVELOPED A TERRIBLE DRY COUGH AND TOOK TONS OF MUSINEX AND ALLEGRA D AND NYQUIL JUST TO CONTROL IT A LITTLE. I HAVE BEEN ON IT FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR. NEVER AGAIN

I have been taking Lisinopril for about a year now. My highest BP reading was 217/174--that was high as some of the nurses in the ER had ever seen! I was one of those that didn't have any HBP symptoms--I was in the ER because I had a crook in my neck that had me incapacitated. I started taking the Lisinopril and my BP is now within normal range (120/70) and hasn't been that low since I was in my teens. I do have the dull headaches, night sweats, stomach pain, trouble sleeping, constipation, and the dry cough but I feel like dealing with those things is worth it since now I don't have to worry about my BP going through the roof and killing me in seconds.

I haave been on lisinopril for 3.5 yrs. I have mostly OK with it. But I do have the dry cough-I haven't slept the whole night in all that time. I also have the numbness in my pinky--but a Orthopeadic Dr said I have Cubital tunnel syndrome which is why it does that. I am dizzy once in a while.
Bur lately I have vibrating "floaters" in my eyes if I do anything strenous.