Lisinopril and headaches

My post is going to read similarly to all the other posts. It's 2:45 a.m. and I got up, feeling like I was having a heart attack. I went online to see if I could learn more about Lisinopril. I've been taking 10mg for just over two weeks. I've been short of breath, wheezing, sore throat just started, had chest pains and palpitations, lowered body temperature, and mild anxiety. I was put on this medication to lower significantly elevated blood pressure -- at times as high as 212/106. That scared me! I don't want to have a stroke and yet, on this medication, I feel terrible. My BP is lower which is good and my headaches have subsided, but considering the side effects I've already experienced, I'm reluctant to continue with this drug. I see my doctor on in a couple of days and I'm hoping she has a better option. I also take Atenolol and am wondering if upping that dosage is a viable option as I've had no notable side effects with that drug. Thank you all for your posts.

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.

49 year old African American, this is the worst experience I have ever had, constant coughing, diarrhea, throwing up after my evening meal, headaches and always tired, been off the medication for a week and everything is gone away but the coughing which is less common now that it was. I can finally sleep and not stay up all night coughing, don't take this stuff.

I'm a 27 year old female who has been taking 5mg of Lisinopril for about 6 weeks now. I used to suffer from really bad headaches/migraines and ever since I started this medication I haven't had one at all. This is amazing since I used to go through a bottle of Excedrin a month. Lately I've noticed lots of joint pain and pain in my knees.

It's terrible, I feel like an old lady and I'm only 27. I'm glad I found this site, I'm going to try to switch to a different medication ASAP. I've also noticed I've been spotting and having an abnormal period.. not sure if that's related to the medication though.

I am 55 years old and began taking Lisinopril HCTZ in September of 2008. My blood pressure was 224 over 124. I was at stroke level. I have headaches, dizziness, tingling in my arms, and a chest pain that has gotten worse in the last 4 months since taking this medication. The chest pain was so severe I thought I was having a heart attack. I rushed myself to the Emergency room at the hospital. No signs of an heart attack. After my experience from severe dizziness and chest pain on yesterday, I decided this medication was going to kill me before high blood pressure does. Today I found other means to lower my blood pressure and they worked. This medication has too many side effects.

I was prescribed Lisinopril last September due to hypertension level blood pressure that was at "emergent level" as determined in the ER. I had no other pre-heart attack symptoms other than headaches at night in sleep..

Prior to taking the RX I was doing 1 hr gym works outs 3-4 times per week, walk/jogging 3 times per wk 2-3 mi ea. NOW I'm lethargic and fighting to keep active. Joints are easily taxed and take several days to weeks to recover from what used to be routine.. Cough is dry and hits at night or day and leaves a general feeling of fatigue. Memory is impaired. Twitching muscles all over like little electrical impulses being shot off and extreme cramping of upper leg muscles when sitting down to stretch. Intermittent "heart flutters". Nothing I've every experienced before.

I'm heading in for followup now that I've read this forum. I had no idea of the severity of side effects. Here I thought I was being saved from eminent heart attack or stroke.

Raising two children and can afford to be lethargic or forgetful or worse.

Thank you all for your postings. You are indeed the life savers.

D.

i a on lisinopril. i have been having dizziness. i got real dizzy and i feel and my head hit a concrete floor fool force. i am now having headaches and severe dizziness now and does not want to go away. getting worse.is there anything i can take for this problem.

I have been on 5 mg lisinopril for 5 months. Moved misplace meds for one week. Had a slight headaches, believe is was due to my busy life. Found my medication and began using it again. Since then left temple pain nonstop, headaches everyday. I was driving the other day experience blurred vision. I am make a appt to the eye dr. trying to get in to see my primary dr. being with the VA that is a task in itself, so we will see. Tired on the nonstop headaches. All my life I have never taken a whole bottle of over the counter pain reliever in one week and it does nothing for me.

chronic diarrhea x2 weeks-began 4 days after initial dose of lisinopril.....
diarrhea x 12+daily.....
also, experienced headaches, nervousness, waking at night, sweats, acid-like taste in mouth. I discontinued usage, went to dr-she gave me an RX for procardia via nurse without even seeing me on the sole complaint of chronic diarrhea X2weeks......I surely hope this is the solution, and from the postings here, it does appear that Lisinopril is poisonous.
Good luck everyone. My prayers are with all experiencing similar ill effects.

This is a good forum and I am thankful I came across it. I had hardly ever taken medicine (other than cold/flu medications) in my life. I am a 36-year old male and in pretty good shape. My wife and I had been under considerable stress in recent years after our baby son passed away. Plus, we are both teachers so the everyday nature of our jobs can be stressful. I had frequently gotten a sensation of chest tightness and it was very uncomfortable. My blood pressure was elevated at times (130/80 or 140/90 range). One time it shot up to 153/93 and that scared me.

The doctor ran an EKG on me. Everything normal. Then, I wore a 24-hour Holter monitor. Again, my results were fine. He then prescribed me 10mg of lisinopril. After I started the drug, the chest tightness seemed to worsen. I always have this squirmy feeling inside, like body parts are moving around in my chest area. It is hard to describe but it kind of feels like parts are pulsating or are inflamed at times. Weird. I would wake up at night and start feeling nervous without thinking about my situation. The tension would just come on quickly. Other symptoms are dizzyiness, anxiousness, headaches and fatigue. One of the other forum writers said he or she felt tired all the time. Same here. All I want to do is lay around when I know I could be doing something constructive. I push myself to get up but it is difficult. Lastly, this drug also definitely affects sexual performance.

Now, I have quit the drug after taking it for 2 weeks. The final tipping point was when I was doing a morning walk/partial jog yesterday. I jogged the second half and when I slowed down to walk, I immediately got dizzy and had blurred vision. I managed to get to the front of my house and fainted. I remember making a grunting sound as I fell flat on my face in the yard. Luckily, I landed on the grass. I got up slowly, walked into the house and laid on the carpet. I felt very fatigued all day. Granted, I had only drank water before I went out and my blood sugar was probably low so that played a role. But I also think the lisinopril has screwed with my system and might have caused this since I have never had that happened before.

In hindsight, I suspect I have a problem with anxiety and that was the culprit for my problems before I took the lisinopril. As far as the chest tightness and anxiety is concerned, I will do my best to manage my anxiety with natural remedies (the herb Valerian works okay) and commit myself to better diet and exercise.

Does anybody know how long it takes for lisinopril to completely exit my system? I drink a lot of water. In my case, I took it for approximately 14 days.

Have been taking Lisinopril for some five weeks after Amlodipine did not suit me - flushed cheeks and headaches. Have also been taking antibiotics for intestinal problem. Thought it was a/b that were making me feel so ill. Finished them a week ago. Now just take water tablet (Bendroflumethiazide) Simvastatin and Lisinopril.

Lisinopril makes me constantly tired weak and woozy - no energy - it it difficult just to walk around my home. I am not the happy person I used to be - feel like a zombie - no appetite very shaky and slightly nauseous.

Trouble is damned if you take them and damned if you don't.

i am 30 yrs old and started taking lisinopril 20 mg along with 25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide about 6 weeks ago and then lisinopril was raised to 40 mg and i dont know whats worse the high blood pressure or the side affects that im getting,tired all the time,that damn cough,shortness of breathe,diarrhea,and nausea and a racing pulse that when i was watching tv went up to 135 and my insides just started to shake.im starting to get a little scared with my high pulse .if anyone else has the high pulse due to lisinopril p;ease let me know,thank you

I am a 49 year old female who started on 10 gm Lisinopril 2 weeks ago for high blood pressure. I've had a couple instances of light-headedness and headaches, nothing serious, but I have developed a real bad dry cough that I can't control. Sometimes it's bad enough I gag and almost vomit, and am loud enough I can be heard all through the office - very embarrassing. I've gotten up in the middle of the night to leave the bedroom so I won't disturb my husband. Other than the cough I have no complaints and actually feel better now than I did before I started. I read somewhere that iron supplements help the cough and I have started taking these to see if it's true; so far I think the cough is not as bad but still as frequent. It's only been a couple of weeks so I want to keep going for a few weeks longer to see if things get better or worse.

I am 47 never had high blood pressure in my life very active.When seen by a new dentist he took my bp and tipped me off that it was a little high.After a month of constant bp readings the doc put me on 10mg lisinopril.After two weeks no side effects went back to get a new bp reading normal.All is good so i thought.I have never been on any medication in my life other than an antibiotic here and there.I now have temple headaches,trouble concentrating at times, the little cough and the worst is the burning itching hands!My fingers are just enough swollen I had to remove my wedding band that i have never taken off in 25 years.I after reading all of this am going to other measures to lower my bp.Its scary when you feel worse than when you started....

I have been taking Lisinopril for two months - first month fine. Second month awful. I have the constant dizziness and as I have had problems with pancreatitus, have noticed some pain in that area - sometimes severe, sometimes just noticeable. Tried to go off it, but BP went up, so back on it and now have the headaches besides the above symptoms. I'm on vacation for another month so not sure what to do. Going to call doctor's office tomorrow and see if they can prescribe another medication and send to local WalMart. I was on Altace but wanted a WalMart $10.00/3 month prescription. What a mistake!!

I am a 37 year old female who has inherited my hbp. I was taking diazide, which gave me headaches, but now I take the lisinopril. I get the cough, to wear it is gagging sometimes and now I am having the palpitations. How long before you stop taking the medicine does the side effects go away. I don't like this medicine at all. My pressure is down however.......

I was prescribed this about two weeks ago. I knew I had high blood pressure and decided to work on getting it lowered. I started taking this and immediately had headaches in my temple...then numbness up by my cheeks and something that felt like hot flashes. I would get dizzy, was extremely tired, couldn't concentrate and had one of the worst cases of diarrhea I had ever experienced. My distant vision became very blurred. However, I thankfully never got the cough.

I spoke with the doctor about this and she said that there was no way this drug was causing my headaches. I'm scheduled for an MRI tomorrow and she wanted me to have a temporal biopsy, which I think is drastic.

I read an article from a medical journal that low blood pressure can cause headaches. This was just published last spring of 2008. I started getting the 24/7 headaches 3 days after I took Lisinopril. Aspirin or pain relievers never helped.

I took myself off of it two days ago. Yesterday I was so weak and tired with headaches all day long ...however today, I'm beginning to feel much better with much more energy. The numbness is disappearing in my cheeks and the headaches have greatly reduced.

I am thinking about a natural alternative to this ...losing weight...exercising and going on the dash diet. Unless of course the MRI shows something. I also thought about cutting the dosage of the pills in half or to one quarter.

Hello everyone, I started taking Lisinopril about 1 year ago and the side effects started immediately. The coughing, headaches, restless nights and low sex drive were the main sides effects for me. I noticed my hair texture felt different. It felt dry and stripped as if it was over processed and I have had all natural hair for over four years. About 6 six months of taking Lisinopril I realized my hair was thinning on the right side of my head and also the same side where I have those terrible headaches when I take the medication. So I don't take it any longer. I also have Sleep Apnea which contributes to HBP. This is another reason I discontinued use of this medication. I decided that losing lbs. and taking supplements will be the first 2 steps to healing. I don't suggest anyone follow my practice, I just didn't want to take any more chances with hair loss and I can't do anything during the day until the headache is gone. I've only been exercising and taking supplements for a month. My BP is still a little high but every week it is getting closer to normal. Thanks P.M.

I have intense pressure in my head, left front lobe. Had MRI and MRA and all was normal. OK on lisinopril for many years at 10MG when it was the little blue football shaped pill. Then, they switched it to a white hexagon shaped pill in January of 2008. That's when the pressure in my head started. When to GP and Neurologist and could find nothing wrong. Told to go to a holistic healer and laughed off that it could be lisinopril related. When I stop the lisinopril the headache goes away. When I take it just one time to test the headache comes back.

! am a 45 yo male and have been taken in 10 mg of Lisinopril for the past 4 yrs. I am 230 lbs and my doctor tells me that he would stop prescribing Lisinopril when I lose about 20 lbs. I also need to tone down on the sugars, liquor, salt etc. which makes sense. I just realized that when I saw this website, I too at times felt the dizziness, faintness, cramps on my hands, especially when I am weight lifting and playing a quick short game of basketball with my son. I am going to stop taking this for a week and schedule a physical check-up to see where my bp stands without it. For the past half of year I have been walking 4 miles per day and trying to eat healthier. I also, have been depressed, some stomach pains, headaches are like those that seem to feel like pressure near my temples. I also play the drums on weekends and have had cramps and have experienced much tendinitis on my shoulders. Anxiety and sleep problems also affect me. I notice that when I am off my dosage, I do feel much better and more energetic. I feel though I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't take this drug.....anyways...thanks for your posts!

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!

I got a BRUTAL headache ... I TOLD my doctor I was prone to headaches.

I cannot wait until this effect wears off.

Not a new symptom ... but I told my doc I was prone to headaches .. .this drug gave me a blistering headache.

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?

Amazing! Just now I decided to check on Lisinopril side effects.
Imagine my surprise when I found the first posting described me!!
Morning cough, persistent runny nose, left ear problems!!!
Also have the dizziness and faint feeling on occasion.
Have been on Lisinopril-hctz 20 for two years and my symptoms have suddenly gotten worse with headaches.

I appreciate the information this site has provided and DO BELIEVE.

Hi, I am a 67 year old male and I am glad I found these testimonies. I have been taking Lisinopril 5mg for over a year now and after reading all this you bet I'll stop taking it right away. My symptoms are pretty much the same as all of yours. Last night I had the worst episode, I started feeling a sharp and pounding headache which made me cry, along with memory loss, nausea, and my pressure was way up high. I really wasn't aware that this medication can make so much harm to your health, no wonder I felt so sick ever since I've been taking it. My symptoms are bloated belly, fatigue,weight gain, nauseas, hartburn, throat irritation, headaches, tiredness, sleeping problems, reflux and pressure in my chest. I hope all of this stops once I've discontinued this venom. This week I'll be seeing my primary doctor and we'll see what else she'll prescribe me,but I'll be sure to check it out first in the internet before I start taking it.

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.

Hi,

Fist off I'm a fit 38 year old male, not overweight, don't smoke, occasional social drinker.

I've been taking Lisinopril since being diagnosed with high blood pressure in Feb 08, I was started on a dose of 5mg, which was then increased to 10mg and finally 20mg.

The Lisinopril never really got my high blood pressure under control and my Doctor has now switched me to Bendroflumethiazide, only been on those for about a week so have to see how they go.

Lisinopril certainly made me feel terrible:-

Constant Fatigue
Depressed
Foggy
No concentration
Dizzy
Tinnitus
Pounding headaches

if you feel like this then I'd go and see your Doctor and try something else

coughing, constant urination, headaches

I was put on Lisinopril (10 mg) back in August for my diabetes. My blood pressure is very normal without medication. About a month or so later I developed a urinary tract infection, something I have never had before, which was followed by severe, migraine-like headaches along with sinus pressure around my eyes. I also felt very anemic. My doctor(s) attributed the headaches to a degenerative disc in my neck. After five weeks of these daily headache bouts, I stopped the Lisinopril when my chiropractor insisted it was the blood pressure medication that was causing the headaches. The headaches subsided within a week.

I was prescribed Lisinopril about a little over a year ago and initially I thought things were going great; my blood pressure was down, pains in my arm and neck subsided and my headaches disappeared. After several months of being on lisinopril I began to experience a persistent cough, insomnia, heart palpitations, heaviness on my chest and anxiety. At first I thought it was all in my head and that I was some how causing these symptoms. The panic attacks are the worst side effect ever. It is an extremely terrifying event, at least for me, to have to go through. At first I thought that is was a heart attack or something the doctors were missing but then I realized that is was anxiety. I could not understand why after 27 years of no anxiety that all of the sudden I was having up to four panic attacks a week. The doctors dismissed any claim I had so I decided to research on my own. This is when I found an article stating that certain medications could cause anxiety and this is when I came across this site. I am extremely happy that I was not crazy and that I was not alone. I have been off the lisinopril for about a week now and I feel great. As far as my blood pressure I am going to try treating it with a strict diet and exercise. NO MEDICATIONS. Again, thanks to all those that posted comments here.

I have been on this medication for 3 months now. I am a 28 year old male, 6'2", weigh 211lbs, and in overall good health. My blood pressure average is 144/72 without the medication, but on the medication it seems to stay around 136/66. It took about one week for the blood pressure medicine to start working and when it did I felt very tired (which is normal). Now, in my third month I have started to notice new symptoms like severe headache in the right front lobe, severe tiredness, cold fingers and toes (in warm conditions), severe lower back pain, mood swings, blurred vision in the right eye (same location as headache), and a occasional twitch in my right thumb (probably not related to the medicine). When I first started this medication I did read all of these post and figured that everyone was crazy and/or nuts, but know I am thinking that I would rather stop the medication
and start seeking out for a better medication.. I know medicine has side effects but damn!!! Anyone else have cold fingers and toes while they have been on the medication..thanks

I've been on Lisinopril for a little over three years and have developed a cough, can't sleep along with becoming impotent. I also get these terrible headaches and have recently started to urinate more than usual. Has anyone else experienced these side effects?

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 was so happy to find this website!.. I am a 49 year old female taking Linsinopril for approximately 10 months now for high blood pressure (which has come down to a normal rate since being on the medication). I have been experiencing a severe in my lower back towards my left side for about 2 months now and have been tested for many things (ultrasounds, MRI's, blood work, etc.) and nothing has been found to be causing this pain so far. The pain is constantly there, but more severe when I have a bowel movement and for about 1-2 hours afterwards. I also have the following symptoms: pain in joints on left side of my body - ankle, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand (including joint swelling mostly on left side). Bad pain and weakness in upper left arm when I try to rotate my arm backwards - can no longer pick up heavy objects with left hand. Also have pain in joints on right side, but not as severe. I have experienced headaches and my abdomen feels swollen all the time. It feels as though someone pumps air into my stomach every morning. It also feels as if something is throbbing or on fire across my abdominal area. This condition has disrupted my life - I have no energy and feel weak and tired all the time. I get out of breath easily just from walking or any amount of exertion. I no longer have the ambition to do the things I used to do. I've been thinking that there has to be something seriously wrong that the medical doctors are missing - and have feared some type of cancer. Now that I have found similar symptoms on this website, I am going to try to stop the Lisinopril and see if my symptoms subside.

OMG -I'm 47 and I've been on for 6 months now and I've had a hunch for a few weeks but never thought I'd find this!! I was on Hydrochlorothiazide for 1 wk-had cramps in my toes so Dr. immediately took me off even though I said I felt great-but peed a lot!- He said this would be better for me..... EVERYTHING I've been feeling is the same as you.......I've just not been able to put my finger on it - I just felt "different", I thought it was me and I was getting "old" with a nagging tinkling cough, at the worst time "bed time"...ruins any sex life! I had fatigue, problems concentrating, headaches- back of my head, blurred vision- my eyes would kinda fog over- scared me to death so had tests but all was ok), I've been getting that "bummed out feeling" & didn't feel like doing anything but I've always loved Summer and Fall - going to the beach, riding motorcycles, swimming, my garden and to be outside, but now I kind of force myself to do. Then just this past week I've been feeling sick and nauseated, with an acid reflux vomit feeling and I've just had enough.......There are way tooo many coincidences here....... I have to get off of this stuff!!

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

I hope someone can help. I am 42 year old female and I have been on Lisinopril 9 years. I now take 5mg daily, down from 10 when I first started taking it after developing cardiomyopathy. Lately my ever constant post nasal drip is worse, my throat is sore, headaches daily. I clog the sink daily with the hair I lose after the shower. My GP doc has done loads of tests on my head to check causes of headaches but all is normal. Never mentioned maybe 9 years straight on Lisinopril could be the problem. Of course I can't see my cardiologist for weeks. Any one experience the same?

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....

I have been on Lisinopril for about 10 months. I have really not felt well the whole time and have developed some side effects that i have gotten use to and just lived with and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I had fatigue, problems concentrating, headaches, chest pain, blurred vision, body aches and overall didn't feel like doing anything. I also noticed a small rash on my stomach/chest when i would get out of the shower but figured it must have been soap or something. I even tried not using soap and it would still be there. Friends and family started telling me I never feel good etc. So about 3 weeks ago I got really sick with diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chest pains etc. Kept thinking i had a virus or something. A few times i was so sick I layed on the floor wondering what is wrong with me. Finally got into my doctor today and he also said it was a virus. A few people said they thought i was my blood pressure pills including my chiropractor. The doctor ran a sleu of tests today and i should get the results tomorrow. I have also had itching all over my body and a vaginal infection so i thought that would not go away. From reading all of this I realize everything is a reaction to the medication and I did not take a dose tonight but 2 benadryl instead. I always noticed throughout this that i always felt better towards the evening of course because that was when my medication was due. I will not be taking anymore of this and I am not happy that so many people are being given this everyday without any knowledge. Thank goodness people are responding and telling their stories so we don't think we are going crazy and hopefully feel better and maybe save a life!

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

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

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

I've had some issues with Lisinopril also, headaches, back aches and some dizziness. Just wondering if is normal for a drugs to have all these posting of people having issues ..maybe is only 1% of the population and I am one of the unlucky ones?

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.

Exhaustion, joint pain, headache, ankle swelling, shortness of breath, persistent (cold) sores in my nose…

I am 52 years old and have taken Lisinopril for approximately 7-8 months. During the past two weeks, the majority of my joints have suddenly begun to ache. My fingers, especially index fingers, and one wrist are extremely uncomfortable. Other than the side effects listed in the comments on these pages, has anyone lost their eye brows? Sounds crazy doesn’t it but I first thought it was a side effect of hormone replacement therapy. I gradually stopped taking the HRT (ugh!) but continued to lose my eyebrows and now I notice my eyelashes are thinning. After trips to two dermatologists, neither had an explanation and both denied the HRT drug would cause the hair loss. I was and am extremely frustrated. I am not sure what made me research side effects for Lisinopril again but I finally saw something on an internet site saying that ONE percent of people could suffer hair loss. I’m sure my doc will be disappointed that I want off this medication. The only meds I take regularly are Lisinopril and Dyzaide (low dose). I have taken the Dyzaide for several years.

Took first pill (5mg) on 7/8. Second on 7/9. After lunch on 7/9, food stayed in stomach and would not digest. Felt like a huge lump. Digestion continues to be a problem. No appetite. Food does not look good. On 7/11, developed two hives with large red areas surrounding them, however, they were not itchy. Became quite tired also. Allergy symptoms of itching eyes, watering eyes, itching throat, stuffiness developed. Headaches to the point of taking a pain reliever. Developed muscle cramping in calves on 7/15. Still great difficulty eating with no appetite. Existing hiatal hernia became a problem at night with nausea. Terrible flatulence also. Exhaustion is now the description, not just tired. Feeling depressed, but perhaps that is a result of the exhaustion. Blood in urine on 7/18, the final straw. Discontinued med on 7/18. Hives have still not cleared up totally (7/28) and the tiredness has still not gone away. I have been told that when you have hives on the outside, you have hives on the inside too. I would never take this med again. Going to look into biofeedback.

I am not sure about contributing this to Lisinopril, but I have been on this drug for about 1 1/2 years. I have been experiencing slight headaches and a burning feeling in my throat. Has anyone else had this in conjunction with Lisinopril?
July 26, 2008

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

I 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?

Im a 57yr old female, when i was given Lisinopril 5mg 6months ago my doctor said it was the cleanest HBPT, around so i started taking it, i was on medication for cholesterol about 6 different ones, which made my life hell, so BP went up hence this medication, the mood swings, have been terrible, happy one day the next i hate everyone who comes into view even my husband said he cannot take this verbal abuse i send his way, i have felt so depressed, in the last couple of days i have just felt like ending it all, cant sleep, crying, all the time, headaches, coughing, heavy legs, noise in my ears, swelling of legs and fingers, i have got to find an alternative remedy, my life is worth more than feeling like this, im back to see the doctor tomorrow as i cannot cope any more, neither can my family

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.