Lisinopril and lisinopril

I am 56 years old and I was put on Lisonpril about three months ago.

We had just moved to a different town with a new doctor. The reason I went to the doctors was that I had a bicycle accident where I went over the handle bars (front brakes locked up on me). I was also due for a periodic check up. I was sore from my bike accident (jammed my LH wrist, RH elbow, both shoulders and knees). The doctor had no x-ray machines so he sent me to the urgent care, nothing was broken. My doctor said that I would be sore for awhile and gave me some Vicaden pain medicine.

Due my periodic exam the doctor suggested that I go on Lisopril because I am a diabetic, even though my blood pressure is OK. He said that he actually takes it because of the preventive nature of the drug.

Well, as the weeks went on I continued to have aches and pains in my joints (wrist, elbow, shoulders and shoulders), wch I thought was from my bike accident. I also play seniors softball which is not a very agressive sport. Well I've had a pulled hamstrin and archilles tendon pull during playing. Thought this was normal but these injuries continued to plague me.

At nights sleeping my shoulders & neck would ach. My knees would shoot pains. My ankles constaintly ache, day & night.

A friend of mine told me about taking black cherry juice for joint pains, maybe from gout. After taking this black cherry juice it seemed to help, but still not normal.

Today I stopped at our local taven to have a berr and talk softball with the guys. I broke out in a heavy cold sweat and almost pasted out, lightheaded. I thought I was having a heart attack or something. Being very concerned I told my wife who is an RN. She read the side effects of Lisonpril and it clicked. This web site helped me figure it out also.

I am taking myself off Lisonpril today and expect improvement and my life back. I thought all this was from my accident and getting older. I am excited to see the results, which I feel very positive about.

i took lisinopril for 5 months for moderate high bp. stopped taking it 3 weeks ago because of the incredibly intrusive dry cough which often led to vomiting, and the feeling of utter exhaustion and muscle aches. some days i could only take one step at a time. i made stupid mistakes at work and found difficulty in multi-tasking, eventually questioning my ability to continue working. but even after 3 weeks i still cough with distressing frequency, peeing my pants and throwing up--and i'm as stiff, sore and tired as ever. after talking to friends who had experience with lisinopril, i now fear it may take many months to return to normal. having no insurance, it's not always easy to just run to the doc for this and that. i'm going it alone now. i am a 62 year old woman.

I am 40 years old and was prescribed lisinopril/HCTZ 20-25 a little over two weeks ago. I went in for a little congestion and low grade fever. I am a teacher and have many kids out with the flu, swine flu, etc. and felt that I needed to get checked. I came out with 5 medications, one of which was lisinopril. I have never had bp problems in my life. I am almost certain that the nurse practicioner wrote me down for something else and the dr came in and changed. I am usually a very calm person but in the last two days have experienced what I thought was a panic attack and anxiety, horrible anxiety. I haven't been able to face my students which isn't like me at all. During the first week I took my students on a field trip and had a really great day with them- much less stress than a normal day. I got home and my bp was around 138/98. I thought that was kind of odd. It has been under control since I started taking it. On this same day, I got blistered on my face and wasn't outside much at all. I have Rosea and thought that it had been aggravated. I believe now that it was the lisinopril. I know that it has a diuretic in it, but it doesn't make me go frequently. Instead I get a sudden urge and have had two "accidents" recently. I have a sometimes dry, other times full of mucous, cough to the point of nearly gagging. My neck muscles were already stressed out and tight, but have gotten worse. I feel a tightness in my chest constently. My lips are so dry that they peel all the time. I have no appetite and when I do eat I get nauseous and almost feel like vomitting. I have been lightheaded and dizzy. I am not sleeping and feel extremely tired all the time. But these last two days have been awful. I love being around people and right now can't stand the thought of it. I am guessing that lisinopril has caused much of these problems. I am about to go see the doctor today and think they will want to put me on some sort of nerve pill. I hate that!!!! I have a plan to achieve everything that these meds are supposed to. Exercise, change my diet, go see the chiropractor, do more relaxing things for myself and take better care of me! After reading these blogs I believe that I am going to take myself off of lisinopril and see what happens. My hubby is also on it and just last week developed an oozing sore and his left cheek - could be the lisinopril. I will pray for all of you bloggers and those who are unaware. This is definitely a poison to our bodies. I think I even read that it contains snake venom. Is this true????? I will update in a few days. Good luck and God bless!

Lisinopril works! I have been taking 5mg three times a day for years. No side effects. The Dr. told me to take 15mg once a day. Is this a time released tablet? I am 77 years old and a diabetic. I test my blood sugar 6X a day. This way I can control what I eat. Sugar problem was diagnosed 5 years ago with levels running from 40-385. I was depressed & worried about my health. This drug resolved the problem. My best advice is talk to your Dr. and your pharmacist. Friends, family & neighbors mean well. Consider the source!

I have been taking Lisinopril for years. Also I've taken numerous tests to find out why I'm so fatigued, sleep all day and more tired afer sleeping even,severe knee pain at night when laying down only... I had also put on a huge amount of weight in a month or two when I started taking it now that I come to think of it. Oh my gosh. As I continued reading everyone's posts I wanted to cry. Has this been my problem after all these years? I sleep my life away for the last few years and I'm only 40. Before I started taking it, I worked out extreme 36 hours a week and worked 50 to 60 hours a week. Now my day is trying to get up to make it to work on time for 8 or 9 hours! I've already sent an email to my endocrinologist to request a different prescription and I am not using Lisinopril anymore!! Are there any class action suits for this? This has really taken a lot from me. I only hope this is my answer, which it sounds like it is! Thank you so much for sharing your stories. I will return after time to reveal my results!

That's it!! I have had it. A couple of years ago, Dr prescribed Lisinopril HCTZ for my high blood pressure. 6 months later, 'Hey your cholesterol is really high.' So she prescribed Crestor. Then 6 months later, 'Oh Crestor can cause liver damage, we'll need to check your liver.' I know doctors mean well, but they seem to all be trained to simply prescribe a pill. The average senior citizen takes 12. Daily! I have had it. I refuse to take the lisinopril any more. Last night: zero sleep due to the cough. Hacking and coughing, trying to 'hock-up' the crap draining down my throat. The wheezing at the top of my bronchial tubes. Unable to inhale enough air to cough. Peeing in my pants. Disturbing everyone else in the house. This is just bullsh--. Hey, how about another tip: Did you know the HCTZ can cause artificial inflation in your cholesterol numbers?? Guess what: after switching 5 months ago to the lisinopril plain, not with the HCTZ... you got it cholesterol went down. Down by 80 points, too! I made no other change during that time, not in my diet, exercise or anything else. So effective today: (1) No lisinopril (I'll check my BP daily), (2) increase my Kelp and selenium for my thyroid, (3) stick on my insulin-resistant diet, (4) reduce my caffeine intake. I'll keep this site posted on my progress.

My whole torso, stomach area and sides along with upper and lower arms broke out in an extreme rash which was painful, oozing, welts, open sores and some bleeding. This lasted from @ mid July 2009 to present, Nov. 2009. Using A&D ointment, oatmeal baths, many vitamins and plenty of water it is just now settling down to symptoms of pink(raw) skin and not so severe pain with still some itching and flakey skin.

I have been off the drug 4 days now. My BP is running around 175/85. This is to high. My doctor is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what to do. I refuse to take the lisinopril ever again.

I have been taking 20mg Lisinopril for six days for 140/100 BP reduction. Muscle cramps, muscle pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears (which I already had, but this medication has made it MUCH worse),some heart palpitations...generally scary and, on balance, I am going to find some other solution. Frankly, this is like taking a slow acting poison.

ok, i have been on lisinopril 10mg hctz for about a year now. sometimes i feel the cough, sometimes my throat fells tight , but one thing that scared the hell out of me just in the last few weeks was a sudden bald spot on the top of my head, granted i am 50, but i have a reasonable head of hair, i also, to my surprise found a little bald spot usually where a man does not go bald down toward the back of the head. I just walked by my haircut lady to ask her if i had this bald spot two months ago and she said no way and to hurry and see a dermatologist, i am truly thinking its this dam drug, anyone else experience sudden hair loss in strange places on the head? thanks.

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

I have been on Lisinopril 20 mg for the past 9 years. I can't believe I have taken it for such a long time. I noticed some strange chest sensations 2 years after taking it but pushed through it. Then I developed breast cancer and went through the chemo and radiation while continuing to take it. In the last 2 years and more recently in the last 3 months, I felt so many skipped beats that I had to check it out and I also have had significant hair thinning. I had a holter monitor, resting EKG, lots of bloodwork and was told that everything was normal. Normal???? Then why was I feeling so rotten and scared every time my chest decided to heave or get funny sensations in my throat. Doctors do not want to hear these types of complaints especially when you think it is related to a medication that they ordered.
So I decided to try an alternative approach. I have been taking fish oil, coenzyme 10, cholesterol nutritional supplement, Vit C, Vit E. I started these about a month ago while still taking Lisinopril. I finally stopped the Lisinopril yesterday so I'll see if I have any improvement of my symptoms.I also went to a website that showed 1% of people can have skipped heartbeats while on Lisinopril Here is the URL
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Hope this helps many of you who have similar episodes. MHS

I'm 54, started taking lisinopril in jan 09. I took for about 3 months and noticed a decrease in libido. My pressure was pretty much in control, so I stopped taking it. I started again around 1st of Aug 09. Approx 3-4 weeks later, I began to experience severe pain in my left shoulder and arm. It began to move into my neck and back. I went in for an EKG to ensure I wasn't having a stroke. It was normal. I experience dizziness and headaches. I wake in the night and my 2 left fingers on the left hand are completely numb. The pain in my neck is now moving to the right side and some shoulder pain seems to be apparent. I noticed pain in other joints as well. I'm unable to work out at the gym as I usually do due to the pain my my left arm. I highly suspect these symptoms to be caused by lisinopril. I've been taking 20mg and was just switched to 20 mgm Hct. a week ago. X-Rays were taken of my neck and shoulder last week. Haven't' heard from the doctor as of yet. I was on Diovan before I lost my job and health benefits. As a vet, the VA put me on the Lisinopril. The Diovan worked fine for me, too expensive for us vets I guess. I am discontinuing the Lisinopril as of today 10/24/09. I feel like I imagine a ninety year old would feel with these aches and all. I havent' admitted it, but I believe I'm feeling mildly depressed as well. Let's see what a week of purging this from my system does. f. D.

If none of the other postings tell you to get off of this drug, I certainly hope this one will. I began taking 5 mgs. of Lisinopril after visiting my Physician due to back pain. I have been a runner my whole life and went in because I had pulled my back out. I was very nervous; hence the high blood pressure….I was told by the nurse that I probably had white-coat-hypertension. Anyway, after being scared out of my mind, by this Doctor, I agreed to go on this drug, even though, at 50, I had never taken any other kind of drug in my life….HATE DRUGS! I began having heart palpitations after the first day on this drug, and one month after taking this poison, I began experiencing severe itching on my head, neck, and top of my back. I had just visited my salon and thought it was due to hair dye, which I had never had allergy to before. The itching increased and then I started getting severe cramping of my legs. I called my Dr. and was told to purchase organic shampoo/conditioner/soap, and that the leg cramps were probably Restless Leg Syndrome. He told me it was DEFINITELY NOT from the meds. He told me to let him know if the cramping got worse as there was something else that he could prescribe for it. This itching went on gradually for about 5 months. I purchased ever kind of organic shampoos, etc. with no relief, and the cramping of my legs became unbearable. Then, in April of this year, every thing starting to happen. I began itching all over my body and when I itched, it left big red welts wherever my nails hit. After about a week of this, I began breaking out in hives here and there. Went in to the Dr. and told him that I thought this medicine was doing this. This Dr. assured me again, that this would not be the cause of this and told me to take Benadryl and come back the next day so that he could see if I was any better. The Benadryl helped immensely and upon the next Dr. visit, he told me that I had come down with some sort of allergy and it was NOT due to the medicine. Went home and itched my body raw for the next week. Now the hives had turned into huge welts with water in them and my body began swelling with each new day! I stopped this poison on my own and was told to come back in to the Dr. immediately. I was put on Prednisone and told to take massive doses of Benadryl and this idiot Dr. still insisted that it was not from the Lisinopril….my ankles, arms, etc. now were almost double in size and the itching was unbearable. The seven day pack of Prednisone didn’t do a thing. I will say, though that after three days off this poison, my leg cramping subsided and my heart palpations did as well. I decided to take this in my own hands and went to see another Doctor. The Doctor I had been seeing, I found out, owned the Center where he practiced, and I believe he kept having me come back just to make more money. By now, my entire body had huge sores and pits and scales on my skin….I felt like a leper. I went to a Holistic Dr. and told him my story and he could not stop apologizing for the agony that I had been doing through. He told me this was ridiculous. His nurse asked me if I had ever heard of Johnson Steven’s Syndrome, and told me that she thought I had it. I was immediately sent to a Dermatologist and given steroid shots….which did nothing. My skin was pealing off each and ever day in flakes and I itched so bad I wished I were dead. I underwent skin biopsy’s and blood tests which came back showing that I was overwhelming reacting to some sort of allergy. This Dermatologist, who was excellent and didn’t even charge me due to his concern for what I had been through, sent me to an allergist. My small stature body had now increased 25 lbs due to water retention and sores covering my whole body. I can not put into words the agony I was in. Upon the visit to the Allergist, he recognized immediately what I had. He said he saw this type of thing, (not this bad, however), often due to the Lisinopril. Why didn’t that other QUACK Doctor stop this from the beginning…I believe it all comes down to money! Anyway, after almost 6 months of the hives, sores, etc., I am finally seeing a bit of improvement. My legs and back and back of my arms are permanently scarred…they are poke-a-dotted due to the huge hives and massive sores, and I still itch all night long if I don’t take my Benadryl. Who knows what the Benadryl will have done to me in the long run. Please, please look into this medicine and all other medicines that you take. There are holistic, natural methods of getting your ailments under control. Through my experience, I have encountered the most money-hungry, unprofessional Doctor in the world, but I have also experienced the most considerate well-intentioned Doctors. Please do your homework, and find a Doctor that has your best interest in his sight. Through this ordeal the only thing that sustained me was prayer. I have always been somewhat superficial about my looks, weight, etc. and this truly was an eye-opener. It’s amazing what these medicines can do to you, and don’t you wonder if the Pharmaceutical Companies don’t know all of this and could care less due to their hunger for money?!!!! It’s gotten to be a sad world. God Bless!!

Glad I found you all. I have a couple questions. I am on 5mg Lisinopril and am already weaning myself off. What other meds do you recommend for blood pressure? Can we just stop taking it? I've only been on it for a couple weeks. I check my b/p daily and it is usually good. So I don't believe I have "high" b/p. I think it went up during pain and stress and my doc decided to keep it in check. I've been getting a lot of headaches and dizziness. I also have MS and Graves disease. So I'm confused and complicated.

Thanks

So. I have read a lot here about side effects. What have you guys switched to (i.e. what BPM are you taking now)?

Who has switched to something else and been pleased with the results?

Need specifics please on an alternative.

I was taking 20 MG of Lisinopril for approximately 1 month, getting a bp reading of about 155/95, so my doctor increased the dosage to 40 MG. About 2 weeks after that, my BP is up a lot, to about 190-200/95-110. Anyone have a similar reaction?

I just started taking this drug three days ago, and I am already having such bad side effects that I don't want to take it anymore. I am only 29, but have a family history of high BP, and went to the doctor last week to find out my bp was 175/90. Since starting the drug, I've been getting dizziness, but last night took the cake. I woke up around 4:30 with horrible nausea. I ran to the bathroom where I fainted while sitting on the toilet lid, wanting nothing more than to vomit. I remember waking up and looking in the mirror, and my face was as white as a sheet, as were my lips. I looked dead, and it scared the hell out of me. As I came to, I suddenly had diarrhea hit me, and once that was over, I felt better. My husband thinks my body is trying to get rid of the drug. In addition to all this, I am having palpitations and feel that my heart is beating too fast. I know that part of this is nerves, because I'm scared of taking this medication, but the fainting and nausea ARE because of the drug. I called my doctor today, and she wants me to come in to get my BP taken again. I am so scared that she won't lower the dose or (better yet) switch me to something else, because my bp always goes up at the doctor's office when I get nervous, every time. Oh, and I also started metformin last week because the doctor tested my blood sugar and it came back 250. Could it be the combination? I don't know. I just know I have only been on this stuff for a few days and already hate it and feel that it's bad for my body! It's very scary.

I have been taking it for almost a week. I was swimming and got this awful leg cramp and had to get out of the pool. I got some potass. pills and took a couple before I noticed it wasn't recommended. Dear me! I couldn't go to sleep last night and rolled a lot and just couldn't relax I'm hoping things get better in the next few days. My back was hurting a lot today so don't know if there is a relationship or not. I hope this gets better as this medication did take it down a lot from 166 to 110.

I'm just not used to taking medication at all, but want to live awhile.

Hello. I haven't posted anything in a couple of months, but as usual, I'm always searching for more information on natural supplementation that may help your blood pressure. If you're interested, please e-mail me and I will send you the information links. Take care :-)

I recently back in April of this year received Cyberknife radiation for Adenocarcinoma with metastasis to my brain. After surgery to remove my brain tumor in March of 2009. I went though whole brain radiation and the Cyberknife to my lung. The doctor was very adamant that as the lung heals from radiation you will develop what they call wet lung or neumonesis sp? This will have to be treated separately, or severe coughing would continue. My primary care doctor in the mean time put me on Lisinopril 20 mg for hypertension. I have not gotten a good nights sleep in 2.5 months since, then came the pneumonosis. This cough persist to this day waking me from what little sleep I do get, and amazingly am now suffering from joint pain especial in my hips. It's to the point I can't even cross my legs anymore it hurts. When discussing this with my primary she says its in my head as of today and reading this site and side effects I am taking myself off of Lisinopril and will seek a second opinion, even a third if need be thank you all so much for posting your side effects from this drug.

I AM A 71 YEAR OLD MALE I HAVE BEEN ON LISINOPRIL FOR ALMOST A YEAR, THREE WEEKS AGO MY DOCTOR INCREASED MY DOSE FROM 10MG TO 20MG THREE DAYS AGO I STARTED TO GET LEG TINGLING AND CRAMPS, THEN I BROKE OUT ON MY UPPER LEG WITH SOME BRIGHT RED SPOTS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR, THERE ARE SMALL BLACK SPOTS IN THEM AND THEY HURT LIKE RAW NERVE ENDS, IT IS VERY HARD TO WALK WITH THE PAIN OF MY PANT LEG RUBBING AND KILLING ME.
ALSO MY WIFE IS YOUNGER THAN ME , SEX DRIVE WENT OUT THE WINDOW, I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF MY AGE. BEEN THERE DONE THAT. I AM GOING TO TRY TO GET OFF OF THAT STUFF TOO.

the same as some I've read on here,but not as severe. I have the red neck literally, a few sores in my scalp and more hair loss. as far as libido, I do have less desire, but some still there. I don't go out in the sun much because I just don't feel good if I stay out too long. some sharp pains behind eyes and occasionally up the back of left side of my head.

I am taking 20-25mg of Lisinopril and have been for about 1 month. First, I have to say the stuff works - my blood pressure went down immediately. Recently I have noticed a dry bottom lip (neither water or chopstick helps) and I am drinking AT LEAST 12 glasses of water a day and still feel thirsty. Anyone have similar side effects?

Was prescribed HCTZ and started taking it off and on in early August. Pain in the butt cutting the pills in half. Started to feel weird feeling in my left ear and cheek and then numbness spreading up my face, forehead and scalp.(I did have a few beers the weekend before this happened) Took myself to ER. MRI, CT, full blood work, thyroid check, EKG, heart and lung xray. ALL PERFECTLY NORMAL. Of course I was diagnosed with possible MS, Belle's Palsy, and was told I might just be wired weird.

Went to primary the following day for follow up and was told that my blood pressure may have been the cause of the episode. Prescribed Lisinopril and started taking it immediately 10/12.5. Started feeling good pretty quick, but noticed a few crazy dreams and almost like I was falling.

Missed a few doses and and had a few beers over the labor day weekend. Started meds on Monday but started feeling pins and needles coming back in different parts of my body. Continued to take meds and then went camping. Had a few beers around the fire. Woke up next morning with slight case of Vertigo. Continued with meds through the weekend and have felt dizzy, dumb, tired, my eyes don't move correctly, my left arm has felt numb and swollen, my left cheek tingles and I feel so swollen in my gland area under my ears. Knee pain too.

I didn't take a dose today, and I feel 100% better. Still tingly and numb in spots, but better. A little anxious and my heart feels like it's beating really deep and fast. BP is 154/82 after going down quite a bit on the drug.

Anyone else had trouble with the alcohol? Any similar symptoms? This site has calmed me down as I've always been a worrier/hypocondriac type. any response or idea would be really appreciated. Thanks everyone...good luck!

I have been taking Lisinopril for about six weeks now,,, about a month ago I started getting this horrible tickle in my throat, especially at night, it has become worse over ther last few weeks and I can't stop coughing almost to the point of vomiting. I am so glad that I found this web site. Luckily I don't seem to have any of the other side effects others are experiencing, and I don't want to, I am stopping this med and calling my doctor tomorrow. Also, my 82 year old mother is on this and she has been telling me for months that she is tired all the time, and coughing, no energy, depressed, I am definitely calling her first thing in the morning and telling her to call her Dr. (which happens to be her granddaughter by marriage) and hopefully she too can get off this horrible med... Thanks for all the posts.

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

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.

I just read many postings here regarding lisinopril/hctz and the sexual problems it had caused you. I'm a 26 year old male, just married, and am having major problems with my sex drive and erections as well. I've been to several andrologists and they all concluded that 'everything is fine' and that i shouldn't be having the problems i'm having (based on many blood tests of course). I actually used to have a very high sex drive and no problems at all with erections, but i started losing my sex drive slowly but surely a year ago when i started taking lisinopril/hctz. Few months later, my erection started getting weaker and weaker as well. Now, i almost have no sex life. I quit lisinopril/hctz just 3 weeks ago, and i THINK i'm experiencing better morning erections, but still my sex drive is abnormally low. Sometimes my wife gets offended. I may get an erection during foreplay, but the erection is usually short lived, since i have no sex drive in the first place. Could anyone please share with me their experience with quitting this poison, and please let me know if you recovered your sex drive/life. Many thanks,

I am a 36 yr old Hispanic-female who's been on all kinds of bp meds, since my early 20's. I am not overweight nor am I diabetic. For the past year or so I have been on Lisinopril 10mg.....here lately, I feel like I am having panic attacks all the times, w/the tightening feeling in my chest....and anger so much anger. I couldn't explain to myself OR my husband why I was feeling this way. This medication has totally taken over, not just my life, but my family's as well. Thank God and all you who have posted your comments and side effects on this site. I don't know how I bumped into this site, but I am soooo glad I did!! Never before have I felt this way....and guess what??? As of tomorrow, I will NOT be taking this medication anymore and will be setting an appt w/my dr. asap!!!! Thank you all...and for those of you who say, take the meds and get over it?? WHY waste your time....obviously, all of us have some type of problem w/this med...if you don't that is great!! Get out then!!!! Have a good day....

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 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.

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'm a 65 year old type 2 diabetic with low-functioning thyroid. I was put on lisinopril over a year ago to prevent kidney problems. I have been on 10 mg tablets. Even before I was diagnosed with diabetes I had low blood pressure so that was not a problem.

My main side effects are hair loss, coughing, insomnia and leg cramps, joint pain. I think the lisinopril is pulling nutrients from my body. I told my family doctor about the side effects I had found but he seemed more concerned about the possibility of kidney problems than any of the side effects. I know my hair loss is not age related as both of my parents had full heads of hair when they died and my mother was also a type 2 diabetic.

My blood sugar is under control, tests usually 85-90 twice a day, last A1c was 5.5 which is quite good. I take Byetta and metformin twice a day, levothyroxine, enablex. I recently started taking magnesium as it was besides calcium plus D, a multivitamin all ordered by the doctor. I also take crestor. Feels like all I do is take pills!

My weight is 166 but I'm short, 4' 10", so still heavier than I should be for my height. I try to get exercise but have degenerative arthritis in lower spine. Funny that I developed bursitis in my right hip recently, I just thought the arthritis was spreading. Now I'm not so sure it might not be due to the lisinopril also. I stopped using it yesterday so we'll see how long it takes my body to recover from this drug.

Does anyone have any experience with how long it takes to stop coughing or for the hair to regrow after quitting lisinopril?

Well, let's see now.................
I am a 48 year old female who has always been healthy.
4 months ago I went to the clinic for stomach pain that was gnawing at me. That's when my nightmare started. I was told to go straight to the local hospitals ER room because my Blood Pressure was 238/127
I was kept for 2 days in the cardiac unit. Tests were run and they all came out perfectly fine. I was then put on 50 mg toporol along with 20 mg Lisinopril. I was sent home and couldn't hardly function. Nauseous and dizzy, I was hanging onto walls just to go to the bathroom. Doctor switched me to Diovan instead of the lisinopril but insurance would not cover it. So once again I was switched to Avapro taken along with toporol.
By the second day on Avapro I was itching extremely and my skin was on fire. I called the Doctor once again and he said to Quit the Avapro and just take the Toporol alone. Well, within 4 days I ended back up in the emergency room with an elevated bp of 204/107. Once again, I was kept overnight and put on Labetelol (an alpha and Beta Blocker).
I did quite well on this med for a month and then the bp levels started to rise once again. I called the doctor this evening and was told to take 20 mg of the Lisinopril I had in the medicine cabinet along with the Labetelol.
It's been two hours and I'm starting to itch from the Lisinopril now....sigh.
Thank God I go to the clinic in the morning!!
I am really getting anxiety problems from dealing with these meds!!
Hopefully I can get everything straightened out. I am willing to hang in there until I can find something that works. It is obvious to me that I need HBP medication. I just wish They could find the right ones for me without having to go through all this . To all of you that have high BP, Hang in there. If one med doesn't work, keep trying!!
God Bless All Of You!!!!

It's 4:42 a.m. Can't sleep. Keep coughing when start to doze off then. Shortness of breath. Was cold now hot.. Started searching internet for side effects found this site. I am taking 40mg of this started only 4 days ago. coughing up the clear stuff. started today. runny nose. have the same spitting episodes. I may go to ER. Trying to make it through the night to call dr. in the morning. I am unemployed...can't afford ER. have to visit clinic. Very hot. I wish I had known about these side effects would never have taken this medicine.

This is in response to someone who suggested that if you just take the pill as ordered, you will be ok. T0 put it simply , you are wrong. There are more than a few people affected by this drug. The problem is most people assume that because they have high blood pressure their health is already compromised and they put the weird symptoms and problems they have on their overall health.
I started taking Lisinopril 5 years ago and not once did my doctor connect my sudden problems to Lisinopril.
I was told I needed my right shoulder cuff repaired cause I was overweight and I believed it. I was told I had GERD cause the abdominal fat was pushing the acid into my throat. I believed it. I started having menstrual problems I was told I was getting old ( I am on ly 42 years old). I believed it.
I started having memory and concentration issues I was told I was too stressed at work. I believed it. Started having heart attack and stroke symptoms. I was told I had high blood pressure and I needed to lose weight. I believed it. My knees and joints started giving out.. again I was told I was overweight. Lose weight and I will get better. I believed it. Started having rib cage pain like shingles and I was told it might be my gall bladder. I had a HIDA scan and nothing was found.
One day last summer I felt like I was dying a slow death and I went to the hospital and was found out I was in heart failure, heart rate was irregular and kidney function was impaired.
I was admitted to the ICU for 3 days. While in the ICU I had my blackberry and I started googling all of my meds and I came across this site and I suddenly felt like a thousand pounds was lifted off my shoulders. That was the last Lisinopril pill i took and guess what? EVERY single one of the above problems have magically disappeared.

I work in a healthcare setting where people are admitted that are critically ill. Whenever I see a particular diagnosis I immediately scan their meds and what do I see? Lisinopril. People are having joints replaced, stomach surgeries, shoulder surgeries, irregular heart beats, unexplained heart attacks, people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer and dementia on this drug. People are getting brain lesions and the list goes on and on.
There are over 30 million people worldwide on this drug. If drugs were so good why are people getting sicker and sicker.
Please don't take this drug. Do what you have to do to get your blood pressure under control.

I am 35 years old and I have high blood pressure. I am taking Inderal and Lisinopril. I have been taking Lisinopril for about a year now. I have had a cough for almost a year now. Have had chest x-rays and ct scans that show nothing is wrong. I was taken off of Lisinopril and put on Diavan but my feet and ankles were swelling so I went back to Lisinopril .
I still have cough, dizziness, light headed, hot flashes, fatigue, weakness and chest pain. I cannot go to the grocery without everyone staring at me coughing and the people at work are getting annoyed with it. I cough to the point where I vomit. My doctor has sent me to a specialist for acid reflux and has even went as far as telling me I have sinus or allergy problems. I will be going back to the doctor next so I will be suggesting being taken off of this drug and put on something else. Thank you to everyone on here. Everyone thinks that I am crazy because I am only 35 and I have all of these symptoms but no one knows what is wrong with me.

I started taking Lisinopril two weeks ago for relief of high blood pressure. Male, 45, 260 lbs, family history of high blood pressure and stroke. After one week I began experiencing intermittent chest pain, tingling and numbness in my left hand, and sensations like shocks in my head.

I spent several sleepless nights feeling for chest pain, feeling my heart race, expecting my heart to explode and wondering if I should go to the ER.

I visited my doctor and expressed my concerns. She immediately performed an ECG and verified that my heart was functioning normally and that my blood pressure was down. She also indicated that it's not uncommon for vasoconstrictors like Lisinopril to allow stomach acids to rise in the esophagus. This can cause chest pain and affect nerves leading to the brain and to the arm. She prescribed Zantac 150 twice a day and asked me to call her at home 60 minutes after taking the first pill.

I filled the Zantac prescription (one of the $4 prescriptions you can now get most places) and took one immediately. Ten minutes the chest pain was gone. Twenty minutes later the shocks in my head were gone and my arm went from tingly and numb to just slightly achy. Thirty minutes later all of my symptoms were gone. After an hour I dutifully reported to my doc that she was a genius and on my Christmas gift list.

If you're taking Lisinopril and having chest pain obviously let your doctor know about it. Studies indicate that denial is a serious issue and a contributing cause in heart disease victims. Many of my symptoms were classic for unstable angina, which is scary. However, they are also common stomach acid symptoms for first-time users of a wide variety of high blood pressure medications. It's possible that a simple antacid could relieve your side-effects.

Now my goal is to lose 80 lbs so I can get off this medication completely. Working 90 hours a week (the highlights of which are travel, sitting at desks, and eating) isn't going to cut it any more.

So here is the caveat, I am not sure these symptoms really are related to Lisinopril or not, but they all started about three weeks after taking 10 mg a day. Waking at night with rib pain, hip and low back pain. At first this was only at night, for several months (the pain was very intense). The pain would move from rib, to right hip, to low back (mid), left hip seeming to make no sense. I have had every test under the sun, MRI, CTSCAN etc. Now rheumatologist believes I have a thing called Ankolosing Spondolytis which is an auto immune disease in which the body attacks the large joints of the body (I tested positive for the HNLAB27 marker). I will be having a special MRI to test for AS.

So maybe Lisinopril has played no part in this, but I think it is very coincidental that this all started when I started taking the Lisiniprol. I am wondering if Lisinopril could have been the trigger for AS (if it is AS). Until this started I was in excellent health, 40 year old mom of 4!!

I don't have any of the side-effects that are mentioned. The drug is designed to reduce blood pressure and heart rate. If you do not exercise or are over weight, your days are already numbered if you have had a heart attack. A persons has to exercise appropriately and get their heart back into shape or they will remain unhealthy. One person mentioned that their BP was 129/142. That is a very high BP. Yes it reduces you ability to do the same rigorous exercise. Reducing the drug (breaking it in half), taking it after your evening meal helped me. The pronounced effect is for about 8 hours after taking the drug. Taking it at about 5-7:00 PM or right before you go to bed works well, because it reduced your Heart rate and BP. Taking it in the morning after taking coffee is a mess-up. A number of drugs should not be taken when you want you most energy. The lingering effects are reduced. Certainly everyone is affected differently. I am 59, I have my heart attack at 56. The exercise, weight loss, and salt reduction are very important for anyone. Fluid retention increases blood pressure. If you are on Lisinopril and eat a lot of salty seasoned foods, your body will not react normally and you will feel terrible and have the combined effects of excess sodium on the systems in the body, especially nerve responses. I can not explain the coughing and gagging. I have GERD and keep it under control with Acidifex; however, after loosing about 10 pounds, (I weight 187 at 5'11'') I do not seem to need the drug.

Stop taking the drug and you may die, taking drugs off the market because a few people have problems is stupid. More people have died from tobacco and excess alcohol than all acidents, wars, murder, and the like, and we have done very little in comparison to deep pocket drug companies.
I understand how the drug works and how it doe3s not work. If you don't do what the doctors says....everything, especially dieting properly, exercising, and reducing stress,

Alright, listen. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for those who have found this site. My story was posted on June 20th. I would have to say that I cannot trust any doctors for anything since then. This web site has saved me money from the idiot doctors and my insanity. Really. It is so scary that when you go to the doctor they will never investigate your meds you are taking and will send you through many tests and prescribe you medicine that you don't need. I went through 4 different doctors multiple times that prescribed many different things with no effect to my condition. I went off Lisinopril and went back on Diovan and it took 8 days before I noticed any improvement. During those 8 days I got more depressed because I didn't feel any better. Then my symptoms started going away. My anxiety and coughing started to decrease. By the second week i did not need the help of sleeping pills to knock me out due to the anxiety at night and the gagging and coughing decreased.Since then I am almost back to normal. I still though have some symptoms of coughing, but not that bad. If you found this site and taking Lisinopril, please take note that your doctor is probably wrong. You are not going to die. Get off the da#m med and start living again. It may take longer than me. Don't get discouraged.It may take more than a month or so. Stay strong. I am pissed off and would love to beat the s&it out of the ones that created Lisinopril. I know we are the small % that has the effects, but get it off the market. People are dead from this med and the others are going though Hell......I feel for the ones who have had family members that have died from allergic reactions. I had an undiagnosed throat swelling that took me to the ER. I know what it was now...Take care, stay strong, get off Lisinopril, enjoy the rest of your life...

I just got prescribed this med and am now scared to death to even try it. I am taking it because I have High Protein in my Urine and will be getting kidney biopsy in week sor so after a few 24 hour union tests that never improved. Has anyone had anything good come from taking Lisinopril. I don't know what to do now. Help!

July 8, 2009
I took Lisinopril for 2 months and began noticing soreness and stiffness cramping in my legs. Joint pain and general muscle weakness. Biggest indicator was my inability to ride road bikes (bicycle) nearly as much as normal. I did not have the muscle strength or stamina to ride like before. On one ride I had such sever cramping I had to get pick up, first time in 18 yrs of bicycling. It also states to not use sodium or potassium supplement while on this medicine, which I was doing for cramping. Also because I was borderline hypertension I did not notice any decrease in BP while on this. I have stopped taking this medicine. nn

I was on Benicar for several years with no side effects whatsoever. I'm 42 with borderline high blood pressure and it worked great. I switched to Lisinopril in March/April due to the cost of Benicar and the fact I got laid off the first of the year and no longer have insurance. I discussed this with my Dr. and he recommended Lisinopril due to the cost. He did warn me the cough was a side effect but thought I would try it anyway.

At first everything was fine, but the past month has been a nightmare. Horrible cough, especially at night, the past few weeks I've got next to no sleep. I was sitting here at 1am last night unable to sleep and decided to do a search on Lisinopril side effects and found this forum. Needless to say, my eyes have been opened, as I have experienced a lot of these same side effects since starting the drug, but didn't really put it all together until reading these posts, and it's like looking into a mirror! The cough, the constant muscle pain like I exercised too much, occasion hip and leg pain I didn't have a few months ago, the "fuzzy brain" and listless feelings, I've experienced it all.

As of tonight I am stopping the drug, calling my Dr. and getting lined up for something else. As soon as I get some medical insurance back I'm back on Benicar, until then I'm getting off this stuff. I would rather watch my BP closely than keep coughing up my lungs like I'm currently doing. =)

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 took lisinopril for two months and now i have the cough. I have stopped the medicine, now when does the cough stop, if is really getting to me.

Hello everyone. I too am experiencing the same problems described here from Lisinopril. On January 1st of this year, ( 2009 ) I was taken to the hospital emergency room and admitted into the hospital under the assumption that I was having congestive heart failure. After a barrage of tests it was determined that I have diabetes and I was already taking hydrochlorothiazide ( 50 mgs ) for water retention. I was prescribed Lisinopril ( 10 mgs ) and told to cut my hydrochlorothiazide in half. Everything was fine for about a month and then it started...
I had noticed on the bottle of Lisinopril that the one side effect in some patients was a dry cough but disregarded it since it didn't seem to be affecting me. After being on Lisinopril for a month, I began having this awful dusty feeling in my throat. It actually feels like someone has a bellows filled with dust which they've placed in my mouth and released a spray of dust which caused me to have this feeling of needing to cough almost to the point of choking. I don't have this cough all day long. It only happens intermittently throughout the day. Sometimes when I am standing or sitting but mostly when I am laying down in bed. I've also noticed that it seems to have somewhat of a consistent schedule. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I would take the pill every morning around the same time. However, I've stopped taking it about a week and a half ago and still seem to have somewhat of a pattern of when the coughs occur. Strange.
Another thing I noticed is that I've seemed to have an excessive amount of saliva which would also cause me to choke at times. Have any of you experienced excessive saliva with this medication?
I've been trying to lose weight without success and I'm wondering if Lisinopril has something to do with that as well. After reading all of these comments on this forum, I am wondering if doctors as well as The American Medical Association should take a closer look as to whether the side effects of this medication out weigh the benefits and/or what this medicine is supposed to be helping the patient with. So far I see no positive effects from this medication.

54 year old Male, Retired Marine, Very physically active, with Type II Diabetes; 5mg. Thanks for this Website. Started Lisinopril 3/25/09. Took it for 25 days, found this website and stopped taking it immediately. I had severe JOINT PAIN. It started in my hands, then feet, knees were next, then moved into my shoulders. The pain was the worst I've ever felt. Approximately 60 days after stopping the drug I went to see the Dr. after the Pharmacist told me Lisinopril should have been out of my system after 2 weeks. The Dr gave me Steroids (Prednisol) which completely eliminated ALL pain in 2 days . I was tested for Polymyalgia Rheumatica, however the my Sed Rate was normal. The blood tests did reveal that my RHEUMATIOD FACTOR is elevated (34.3 where the normal range is 0.0-20.1 IU/ML). Was told that if the pain returned, then I would be referred to a Rheumatologist. 3 Days after finishing the dosage pack of Prednisol, the pain/swelling in my hands and shoulder has returned. Going back to see the Dr today to discuss next steps.

Although the doctors don't agree, I believe Lisinopril caused this pain, and although out of my system now, triggered something that isn't going away.

The rest of this describes the roving pains I experienced.

Hand pain included swollen fingers, inability to make a fist or type on a keyboard. After light yard work on Sat., shooting burning pain up the inside of both arms. Trying to close your hands into a fist, you can feel the tendons up your arm burn with pain. Motrin did not alleviate the pain. Hot water did not help.

Pain in my knees each morning. The pain worsened over night and frequently causes you to wake up. The pain was like your knees were being squeezed in a vice. No position is comfortable. Motrin sometimes helped, but after awoken, getting back to sleep was impossible.

Feet swollen. Couldn't wear any shoes for extended periods. Loosening the laces helps, but still caused pressure which becomes unbearable and the shoes have to come off.

Shoulders; This is the strangest one. First pain was in the left shoulder, like I had impacted a brick wall at a full run (actually no trauma occurred). The pain felt like someone had stabbed it in my shoulder in the socket. At it's worst, no position is comfortable. Had to put my arm in a sling. 5 Days later, the same type pain moved to the right shoulder.

OMG...I want to thank everyone for their comments, as I thought I was just crazy, I have not been able to walk more than 25 steps in three years because of this stupid Lisinopril. I could honestly just cry. Three years have been just taken. My daughter was 8 and now she is 11. We have not been able to go to the mall one time because mommy's muscle pain and weakness is so bad and it is just embarrassing to try to walk around a mall or the airport. I am only 39 there is no reason my primary Dr. should not have caught this. I have been referred for and had multiple MRI's, cortisone injections, nerve testing and nerve blocks, taken Tramadol until I can not take it anymore. Thank you all of you. Thank you. God Bless you, in Jesus name, Amen.