Lisinopril and fear

After a lifetime of good blood pressure, I was so reluctant of surrendering to the fact that I needed to be on blood pressure medicine but finally did so for the fear of a risk in having a stroke. My doctor put me on Lisinopril about 6 weeks ago. The good news is that my blood pressure is now 120/60 HOWEVER....I have had the most unusual, annoying, dry, itching cough that simply stops me in my tracks!!! It just sneaks up on me without warning and I suddenly feel like a lint ball is stuck in my throat and I can't swallow and the tears pour down my face. I cannot even walk into the post office without a bottle of water in my hand for fear of an attack coming on. The only relief I can get is to drink water. It really hits me at night when I am trying to sleep...so guess what I DON't get much sleep!!! I went thru 1 gallon of water 2 nights ago!!! Along with this condition, I have also felt extremely irritable!!!! I did have enough sense to know that the level of anger or the amount of tears I was experiencing seemed to be over amplified. Thanks to my good friend for caring enough about me to discover this web site so I can discontinue this medicine. No more high blood pressure but I may just choke to death!!!

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

I'm fortunate (so far!) that my experience with Lisinopril has been mostly uncomplicated, judging by what I'm reading about what others have gone through. I've been taking only 2.5 mg per day (a scrip given to me by my generalist; my cardiologist subsequently said she would have started me on 30mg!) for about a week. BP is mostly good with occasional unexplained spikes up to 135-ish over 80. No cough, nothing else to note, except the DREAMS! I've always been one of those people who tend to remember dreams, and they've often been vivid, but these are *intense.* Not necessarily bad (though there have been a couple that caused me to wake up suddenly from fear or revulsion), but vivid, intense, active, and memorable. I'm evaluating whether, over time, this will affect my energy level; i.e., what does this mean for quality of sleep?

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 was looking on the Internet to try to figure out which of my former BP meds the Lisinopril was to replace. I recently had to change insurance and my doc and I were looking for generics to replace what I was taking. One of the new drugs says Lisinopril - HCTZ 20/12.5mg one per day. So my side effect, having read all your posts, is fear of starting it!!! I'm thinking I will just keep an eye on my BP and wait until he returns after the first of the year. Thanks everyone and Merry Christmas. Molly

Everyone is saying how they have or will get off lisinopril. This is a dangerous approach unless your doctor approves. What other BP drugs are considered safe with minimal side effects? After 3 days of lisinopril usage, I woke up this morning feeling very hyper inside. No outward shakes or anything like that. I NEED to take BP medicine so what are the alternatives? I'm 64, not overweight. Diuretics kept my BP in the normal range but the side effects of HCTZ kept getting worse until I had to change medication. If lisinopril is so bad why do so many doctors prescribe it?

Summary of what I've read so far...

On emotional level:
1. Anxiety/Depression
2. Fear of having throat/lung cancer
3. Fear of having a heart attack/failure/angina
4. Short temperedness
5. Vivid dreams/nightmares
6. Thoughts of suicide
7. Feel like we're going to die soon

On physical level:
1. Tingling/ pins and needles, on arms and fingers
2. Leg pains (cramp, etc...)
3. Chest pains ( various description...)
4. Shortness of breath
5. Back/neck pain
6. Trouble sleeping
7. Coughing, itchy/scratchy throat
8. Loss of sex drive
9. Dizziness
10. Lack of energy / feeling exhausted / fatigue
11. Muscle/joint aches
12. Night sweats / cold sweats
13. Hair loss
14. Nausea
15. Abdominal pain
16. Swollen feet/ankle
17. Palpitations

Alternative medicine without or minimal side effects...
so far, DIOVAN has been recommended.
I'm calling my doc tomorrow and will insist on DIOVAN...lol.

Feel free to add to this list.

Better health to you all.

God bless!!

It's 3:00 in the morning and I am awake again convinced I must have heart failure. I've been on Lisinopril for several months and recently have experienced swelling of the tongue, throat, and face. I also have hair loss, shortness of breath, fatigue, and tingling in my arms. Until I found this site I had no clue as to the cause of these symptoms. Actually, afraid to go to the doctor for fear that I had some potentially fatal heart condition or worse. Now, however, I'm making an appointment tomorrow right after throwing those pills into the trash. I think I can sleep now. Thanks for input.

I have been having a hard time with this med for a long time and now I have had enough. I noticed when I first started taking this med for high blood pressure, and this is the first med I ever had to start as a regular daily medication, that if I didn't make it to the bathroom immediately I felt as though I had to vomit and had a strong regurgitation response and it lasted until I emptied my bladder. I feel that over time this is a huge side effect and at times I have felt a prisoner of my home by way of fear of not having a bathroom close by quick enough.