Lisinopril and losing my mind

I have never taken BP meds before in my life. Began Lisinopril HCTZ 10-12.5 MG 1/day about 8 months ago. It seemed to have a positive effect on my blood pressure, however I had never connected some of the side effects to this medication.

For some time, I have had difficulty breathing, panic attacks, severe gagging coughing attacks which seem to occur out of the blue, many so severe that I begin to throw up in the middle of wherever I happen to be. I have had these attacks so severely that when they begin to occur while I am driving I immediately begin to get off the roadway as I begin to choke, eyes tear up severely, and the clear mucus type substance is thrown up.

It is horrible and very embarrassing especially when it occurs in a restaurant or department store. I do not sleep well as the coughing keeps me awake most nights. I notice lately that my eyes seem to be constantly blurry, teary, and I experience severe mood swings, fatigue, crazy thoughts and nightmares on an almost nightly basis.

I am so exhausted most of the time, even though I previously was very active and able to work in excessive heat, no more, I begin to sweat profusely and feel faint.

I live alone so am afraid of just dropping dead. While I have had migraine headaches most of my adult life, I seem to have them much more now and when they do occur, they are totally disabling. I had no idea this could be attributed to a BP med until stumbling onto this website.

Thanks to all for your comments. I am trying to get my BP under control through a common sense weight loss/ exercise program and sensible diet and plan on asking my doctor whether I can get off this altogether. I thought I was losing my mind.

Thank the Lord for this site. I took 1 pill of this stuff.... just one 10mg pill, and I spent the day trying to stay awake, dizzy, confused, and strangely depressed and emotionally distrought. (and I do not have any history of depression nor have any traumatic or emotional events occured in my life.)

At first I thought I was losing my mind, but then I had a friend tell me about Lisinopril and boy am I glad. I stopped taking the stuff today and I hope the symptoms go away quickly. I know it's personal, but I've also been unable to get an errection since I started the stuff and even now that I've quit.

How Ironic, the medical profession has moved from the cruedality of selling snake-oil to the more advanced effects of selling snake-venom. I think I'll stick with aspirin and exercise.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

I have just called my dr. for an appt. I was not researching Lisinopril I was looking for info to email someone - happened to spot the first post...I nearly fell over! I now know I am not losing my mind, because that's how I've been feeling - the cough, the weary feeling, palps, my anxiety increase, etc. etc. Low readings that I'm wondering if I'm still alive, and this head detached from my body,, feeling, sort of walking like a well in control drunk, if that makes sense to anyone, a feeling like "iI'm gonna have a stroke" feeling in my head...it feels "tights". I started this med. last year, and feel this has been a gradual on-coming train! I have anxiety, and try to keep it under control myself, since I took prosac for about a week, talk about looney - look up another charming side affect - akethesia - nasty. For one poster who said we're all overweight nuts, I am 103lbs, I do a mile every evening, and eat very healthy, thank you.

I've been on Lisinopril almost one year now. I do experience most of the side effects listed on here but I take so many meds that I never attributed any of them to just the Lisino. How do I know if my side effects are the direct cause of taking the Lisino? I'm very concerned because my side effects are so many and they are so bad that's it's constant torture to deal with. I'm beginning to think maybe I should just get off ALL these medications and hand it all over to the ultimate DOCTOR Himself. I feel as if I'm losing my mind sometimes because of all this medication nonsense. I'm 49 years old. I don't need all of this in my life. It's making me crazy!

Thank you so much for this site. I thought I was losing my mind. Rapid heart rate, twitching in the muscles in my arms, persistant cough, headaches, no energy at all and depression even though I am on Lexapro for it. I didn't think that my BP was even high enough to be put on this medication. I will be asking for something else.

I am so glad I found this site....I though I was losing my mind...I am so tired from coughing all the time...at first my bp went down and it was looking promising..now it has shot up with all my coughing and need to take cough syrup constantly. I am so tired from not sleeping at nights and I drag through the day. My energy level is getting lower and lower. I want to throw this so called medicine as far as I can, I have been to the doctor twice now and he tells me it will pass, we did try another med for a week, I dont recall the name, I think it made it all worse. I am so congested all time, I cough and cough and everything thinks I am dying, I wake up in the night with such a tightness in my chest and unable to breathe normally, then I panic and begin to have a major coughing spasam. What are drug companies and doctors doing to us?

I have been taking lisinipril 10mg. and 20mg. before that for about 3 years...i am so glad to find this website. I thought i was losing my mind. Now i know that all my symptoms are because of this drug. Sweating, (thought i was going thru the change) chest pain, coughing and feeling just all around badly. I have stopped this drug before and my bp shot way up. I am afraid not to take it but i can't imagine what im going to feel like in years to come if i have to continue with this drug.