Lisinopril and medication

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!

I to can say that Lisinopril has caused me to have the worst coughing ever. I work as a receptionist and sometimes I have to but the call on hold to be able to cough. This is terrible I spoke to my doctor and he just gave me a prescription for another medication. My sister in law told me as well that Lisinopril made her cough. I have not taken it for 3 days now trying to clear up before starting the new medication but I am still coughing from the it, hopefully it will stop soon as this is driving me crazy. I now find myself having this ugly white flem that at times when coughing spits out of my mouth. This is so terrible, doctors must tell you this when given you this prescription not after the fact. Good Luck to all.

Hello everyone! I am a 28 yr old male, and I have now been taking this drug for about 1 1/2 yrs. What is so overwhelming to me is that I have been having some of these side effects, but it never occurred to me that they may have been caused by this medication. My side effects are not major, but they do really affect my self esteem and I think have some what depressed me a bit.

None of us have direct physical evidence that this medication is the cause, but I don't think this is a big coincidence. Below are what I believe may be side effects of this medicine:

Unlike before I now feel:

-Anxiety (im always nerves, and was blaming debt for it)
-Decrease in sexual drive (also blaming my financial problems)
-Joints popping all the time (blaming my gaut)
-Bigger forehead because of minor loss of hair (blaming age)
-Problem falling asleep (blaming financial problems)

and again im always scared, even if everything is ok (ive been holding together because on the other hand, since i was born, I have always been a very strong minded person). This is really depressing because two years ago, nothing would be scare me, I mean nothing, I was afraid of nothing. No matter what time it was, or what situation I found myself in, my buddy down south would be ready for action, now when im going to have sex, im all worried hoping that it works!, (dont get me wrong, it works like 90% of the time) but before it would work 200% of the time, i mean i was turned on by a damn broom, and now its not the same. This really *ux!

I have been blaming everything on my financial ruin that I am currently in, but am having second thoughts on what is causing all of this. This site has really opened my eyes and given me a whole new theory and even hope.

I once asked my doctor that if I went home and got on a diet, exercised and did all that was necessary, would he consider taking me off the pill or lowering my dosage and he immediately said NO. I mean he almost didn't even let me finish asking. He told me that If i wanted to go in a pine box to stop taking it. So he scared the crap out of so I have not stopped taking it. I can afford to go to different doctors because i don't have insurance or money to pay for the visit. I wonder if this doctors has advised me based on his financial convenience. I mean is it possible that a doctor may lie? I never thought doctors would lie. Im afraid of just getting off the pill, im afraid that all the doctors are going to tell me not to get off of it. my bp is usually about 130/85 some times up to 140/90.

I would appreciate peoples thoughts on what I should do?

Thanks everyone that takes part in this blog! it is really helpful for people like me that have no money to get advice.

Hope everyone makes the right decision!

Regards!

I just happened to do some research about lisinopril, and happened to stumble into this website. I am 43 years old, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetics, i also have a history of hypertension and migraine which is under control. my physician just switch my medication from Norvasc to lisinopril, Im already on my 3rd week of taking it, 20mg a day, however, i noticed that i have more frequent headaches, more of a migraine headache that pulsate in one side of my head, i tried taking some over the counter medicine, but with no relief, i went back to see my doctor, and i was given some sumatriptan for the migraine, but at the back of my mind, i already suspected that the lisinopril might have triggered my migraine headaches, i have a relief when i take the sumatriptan, however the migraines keeps coming back. and its been seven days already, i was not able to work one day, because the migraine made me nauseated and vomit. i was doing well with my other medication, and never had migraine like this that last for 7 days up to now.after reading the comments. i have second thought of taking this medication.it seem like it might be the one that triggers my migraine headache. what do you think?

I have been taking Lisinopril HCTZ for two weeks and experienced no side effects except one which concerns me. At this point I am not sure if it was caused by Lisinopril and would like to hear if others had something similar. I am 72 and in good condition and several weeks ago went up a mountain near Boulder. I managed quite well. At that point I had not taken any medication for two weeks having run out of Benicar HCT. A few days after starting Lisinpril I went up a mountain again and this time I was dragging my heels and my wife had to frequently wait for me. If this happens again I will dump Lisinopril and try to manage without b/p pills. If I can't I will return to Benicar but I deeply re resent the Benicar company's price gouging because they have Benicar on patent. Benicar costs 40 times more per pill than Lisinopril.

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.

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
******
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.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS SITE! I was beginning to feel that I was getting old too quick. I have been on Lisinopril for about a week and for the past two days I have had such severe muscle and joint pain that it even hurts to type this, it is in my hands, elbows, knees, and feet, and I look like a little old lady going to the store all hunched over and barely able to walk and I'm only 29!!! I don't care what my doctor says I'm quitting this medication today and going back on my old meds. Hopefully this excruciating pain will go away.

Oct-14-09 I found your site on Oct-1-09, read several stories with very similiar symptoms of my husbands, and at that time, wrote one of my own. Today several weeks later, I must tell you what has happened. I printed several of your stories and shared them with my husband's Dr. After his Dr. read a few, he in fact agreed that my husband might be having these reactions from the Lisinopril. He instructed my husband to stop taking the medication. It has been a little more than a week since my husband has stopped taking Lisinopril, and I am happy to report that his symptoms have decreased significantly. I had read the warnings about this drug before my husband started taking it more than a year ago, but it never occurred to me that this drug was his problem. In the past year he has seen a neurologist, stomach specialist and a endocrine specialist. Not one Dr. had even questioned the use of ths medication!! Had I not stumbled onto this site and read your stories, I know that my husband would still be taking this drug, We would still be searching for ANSWERS to the cause of his continued symptoms. It scares and saddens me to think of the many people who are taking this drug, who are suffering and don't know that the drug is causing all of their pain. Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories, God Bless!! A.

Started taking Lisinopril approx. 6 years. ago. Shortly afterwards I started a spiral downwards for no apparent reason. Did not connect this med. Shortly after starting it I was put on Synthroid for low thyroid. Started having loss of balance, dizziness, vision problems, muscle and nerve pain. B/P went up instead of going down. Have been to every type of Dr. (Neurologist, Dermatologist, Endocrinologist, Internist) and every nerve & muscle test and blood work came back negative. I have extreme cold in my hands and feet, increased back pain. headaches. This past week I have broken out in a rash on my torso and down both legs. The doctors answers are that I'm suffering from depression. The irony is that when the symptoms first started I questioned if I could be having a reaction to the medication and they flat out said no. After reading some of the comments as of today I am discontinuing the Lisinopril and will searce for something natural. I'm fed up with doctors and really short on cash from all the money spent trying to find an answer.

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.

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 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.

My mother took lisinopril and she developed the persistent cough many experience. It was so severe that she went to the ER. While she was there, they told her she had fluid retention in both lungs and didn't link this drug to the fluid retention. Instead, they told her to get a biopsy for the possibility of lung cancer. More money in their pockets for tests and biopsies? Definitely!
I definitely see the link between the drug and the cough and the fluids in her lungs. Now,she's not on that medication but she is still dealing with side effects and I feel that all these medications they tell her to take are just making her worse. Has anyone just stopped all the conventional medications of high blood pressure and perused alternative treatments with success? I'm hopeful to find out what options i have that can cure her situation instead of leaving her at the same hopeless stage of dealing with terrible side effects.

10-1-09 For the past year my husband has complained of severe headaches, muscle and stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea, hot flashes weight gain and severe depression.(he takes anti depression meds) He sleeps 8 to 10 hrs during the day and all night. He has seen a stomach specialist and a neurologist. He has had numerous tests done by both Drs. He had his gallbladder removed in Dec.08 He had over 100 gallstones His thyroid is very low, (has been since diagnosis 6 yrs ago) his medication has been increased 2xs in the last 2mos. He is not any better. He will see an endocrine specialist 10-5-09. I have researched for hours on the internet for anything that will help the drs. find what is causing all of these complaints. He has so many symptoms, nothing matched and from head to toe. No luck until now. He has every symptom that you good people are describing. I will most certainly use this information and share these stories with his Dr. I have seen the LIFE being sucked out of my husband. None of these "Specialists" have ever suggested that perhaps the lisinopril might be the problem. I GUARANTEE YOU I WILL!!
Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories, GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU. A. A.

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 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.

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.

My mom just passed away 2 months ago from taking this ace inhibitor and she had been on the medication for years. The explanation we received is that "in African Americans, we are proned to have allergic reactions while on this medication and it could happen at anytime...even if you took the medication for 10 years, u could just all of a sudden have a reaction." My mom took it at least since 2004, I seen an old prescription bottle while cleaning her house. I am very torn about what i should do. I cant bring my mom back and I miss her dearly. Is there something I can do about this? Contact the makers? Who are they? Warn others? My mom was only 57 and if I can help someone else, then that could also help me heal.

I have been taking Lisinopril about 6 weeks it has lowered by blood pressure from 135 over 75 to 105 over 55, I feel dizzy and seem to get angry very easily. I was started off on 10 mg when I complained It was reduced to 5 mg by cutting my pill in half but my bp went back up to 125 over 70 which I guess is a little high. The above bp number are averages my bp can vary about 10 points from day to day.

I'm a 46 year old, Caucasian female, average weight. I was on Lisinopril 10mg once a day for 3 months. I'm in relatively good health (except for a slight increase in B/P).
During that time I experienced:
gagging cough (especially at night)
depression
anxiety (mild)
no menstrual cycle (it came back 4 days after stopping the drug)
dry nasal passage (including polyps)--this seems to be clearing up with Fluticasone.
feeling of an irregular heartbeat

I did go to my doctor and he said that the side effects are common; however, he said that this medication shouldn't effect my menstrual cycle... well, it did. He did put me on another B/P medication and told me to stop the Lisinopril.

I'm posting this because it's been hard to find anything out about a lack of cycle for women who were taking this drug. I wanted to share my experience to let you know that you're not alone. Always follow your instinct with medications you're taking. You know your body best!

I was taking Lisinopril for a month. I am a 38 year old male. My fingers on my right hand and joints began to ache and swell up which is making them weak and painful to grasp anything or make a fist. I never had these symptoms until I started taking this medication. I continue even after stopping Lisinopril for the last 5 weeks. Now my doctor is thinking I might have Rheumatoid Arthritis. It takes 4 weeks for this Lisinopril to work. Which is bringing me to think this medicine caused me to have these problems by triggering something in my system. Has anyone else had these problems with this medicine?

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....

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?

I am a 52 year old female and began taking 20mg. of lisinopril about 6 weeks ago. My blood pressure was very high 174/111. I feel terrible on this drug! I'm tired all the time, zero energy. I either can't sleep or sleep too much. I am a smoker but my coughing seems worse. I have a very dry mouth at night, I feel very depressed, crying a lot. Granted, I just lost my beloved nephew to suicide in May, but I can't shake the depression I feel. I am allergic to bee and wasp stings and was never asked this by the doctor. I'm going back next week and asking for a different medication

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.

Hi I am 28 yrs of age and I've been taking lisinopril (5 mg) for about 2 years now. At the beginning it seemed all well and I was glad that I'd been prescribed with a nice drug. But as the days went by I started to feel the VENOMIC effects of this DRUG. Slowly this venom was killing me from within, at the beginning i thought some other reasons behind and didn't give much attention to the drug, but later the symptoms just worsened and a time came when i could no longer take this medication. I recently consulted a different physician and he has changed me to atenolol+amlodipine. It seems to be working nicely.

Posted June 11, 2009 that Testosterone tested at 174 in April and 207 in June(6 weeks off Lisinopril). My last test results July 21 have my Testosterone up to 237. That's 3 months off Lisinopril and a 63 point increase. I still have all of the symptoms listed in the original post but they seem to be slowly fading away. I weighed in at 216 lbs this last visit. The only real change is that I have not taken Lisinopril since mid-April. Going to try to lose 15 lbs and lift weights to increase Testosterone. (63 POINTS in 3 months)

(ORIGINAL POST)
(42 year old male 6 ft 217 lbs) Testosterone dropped like a stone to 174 in April. To give you an idea how low that is normal range is 280-870. Symptoms include severe short term memory loss, confusion, panic attacks, many times unable to complete a sentence without losing track and of course E.D. Got off this in mid April and started a diuretic instead.(started lisinopril June 05) Bloodwork in early June shows testerone up to 207. Hmm, up 33 points after being off this medication for 6 weeks. Maybe I'm an anomaly when it comes to men using this medication. Any man considering this med would be advised to test testosterone before starting and 1 year later to see if there is any correlation.

I have been using Lisinopril for just about a month and have not had any of these absurd side effects that everyone keeps talking about. This medication has lowered my blood pressure dramatically. The only side effect that I did experience for the first two weeks was nausea and diarrhea. Other than that I seem to be perfectly fine. As long as you take it how you are supposed to and don't miss a dosage, you are fine. We are not doctors and we can but shouldn't make the decision to stop a medication. It is life threatening and you should get a second opinion if you are not happy with your "experience" with the medication.

well im a 19 year old female. i know that sounds crazy but i have really high blood pressure.usually 140/90 they think its due to the small left kidney thy tried me on different kinds..but my feet ad face would swell. they told me they wanted to stick me other best out there..but didn't want to stick me on it without being on birth control.. ad just turned 18 at the time and didn't want to be on it yet.soo they stuck me on ic atenolol. they started out at 25 mg . the dosage ended up going ay up to 150. it is the highest te medicine goes. so i decided to go on birth control to try this pill that would apparently be the most effective.thinking that i would just go n this new pill i went in to change medication... they had me stay on the 150 of ic atenolol plus 5 mg of ic lisinopril. then they raised it up to 10mg of the lisinopril. i had a problem with forgetting t take it. but these past 2 months i ave remembered everyday. so when i started getting chest pains and pains in my arms that felt like i ha just gotten a shot by huge needle. i though maybe it was because ijuss started retaking it... ut its been over a month and ive gained 10pounds..have been nauseated, dizzy,loss of energy, and the pains in my arms and i didn't sleep at all last night because of te tightness in y chest.i was scared to death that if i went to sleep i would have a heart attack in my sleep or something. ad then whil laying there. i jumped because i felt shock in my lower back.. i thought was going crazy so i got online to look up side effects and came across this. and now im calling my doctor to get taken off the ic lisinopril..and now maybe the atenolol to because i am afraid of blood pressure medication

I'm 24. Ive been on this medication for about a week. I was put on it because of a kidney disorder. The first few days I had dizzy spells suddenly, and nausea. 2 nights ago I had bad heart pain for hours that kept me awake. I'm getting hot flashes about every 30 mins that are driving me nuts.

I am a 32 year old woman who has been taking 5mg of Lisinopril for almost 2 years. I have never had high blood pressure in my life but after the birth of my second child my blood pressure didn't seem to come down and with a family history of high blood pressure my doctor put me on 5mg.

I started experiencing pain in my fingers and hands about a year ago off and on. I work on a computer 40 hours a week and just put this off to typing/computer work. I have recently started experiencing pain in my ankle and foot.

I have an appointment tomorrow with my doctor regarding my joint pain/Lisinopril. After reading many of your posts I have also experienced other side effects such as fluttering in chest and tingling in arms and legs. My question is do any of you have any suggestions of things I should mention to my doctor or additional things I should be aware of? I am going to ask to be taking off this medication as well. Does anyone have tips on coming off Lisinopril?

I have to agree with the July 11th comments. This medication should not be on the market. I was on Toprol XL for years and experienced side effects from that. Then my doctor recently changed my medication and put me on Lisinopril. Within days I started to experience dizziness, fatigue, muscle weakness, insomnia, racing heart ( these attacks would last for 30-45 minutes following muscle weakness ), weight gain, and oh my goodness the COUGH. That would start shortly after laying down and I would go on coughing for 2 hours. Between the cough and the insomnia what was the point of sleeping. I have been to the doctor twice complaining of the symptoms and they look at me like I am nuts. The worst part is the racing heart episodes which make me feel like I am having a heart attack. The amazing thing is, after all the tests that have been performed since I started this medication, I am a very healthy person. So why is it the doctors I have seen,who have run all these tests, at the cost of my medical insurance, never thought that maybe it is the side effects of this medication. WHY don't doctors listen more and WHY don't they take the time to inform themselves of these medications before prescribing them. They need to LISTEN more to their patients, after all
we know our bodies better than they do. My blood pressure is 104-63 with a heart rate of 110. I am 53 yrs old and my blood pressure should be between 129-142. Don't you think there should be a red flag some where?
This is where my trust factor is zero. I think the more medication doctors can prescribe the sicker it makes us. I can't speak for all doctors but I have seen 4 doctors and not one of them seemed to be looking out for my best interest. DON'T START THIS MEDICATION. Apparently there have not been enough case studies on Lisinopril. Oh by the way did you know that taking this medication increases your chance of a stroke by 60%. One more side effect. Thank you for this web site.

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 have been on lisinopril for over 3 years - 5 mg/day. I am a 52 year old female in great shape and exercise daily. For over a year now I have had muscle aches, muscle weakness, heart palpitations, foggy brain feeling, insomnia, fatigue, some tingling in extremities. I also sometimes get these spells where all these symptoms come on at once. It's very strange. Been to numerous doctors including, PCP, 2 neurologists and a rheumatologist and after many tests they all come up with nothing. After reading posts at this site I think it may be the Lisinopril and with my PCP's permission stopped taking it 11 days ago. My blood pressure is fine - I am monitoring it daily. My symptoms still remain. Does anyone know how long these symptoms may continue? I am grateful for any additional information you could provide.

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.

59 year old female. A history of hypertension started on Lisinopril in April of 2009..I am so GLAD I found this site! I have developed a severe chronic cough. This cough keeps me up at night ( and everyone else in the home)
Severe soreness in every joint in every part of my body. I can not sleep, serious fatigue, I have had mental confusion, short term memory loss I NEVER had the mental confusion or memory loss. I went to my Dr. 2xs he put me on antibiotics, told me I possibly had aspirated mucous in my lungs or had "silent reflux" no matter what I have taked or done none of the above symptoms lessened. Therefore, I started to do my own research and wound up here on this site. I am going to my doctor tomorrow informing him of the side effects ( which I would have thought he knew) and asked to be put on another medication for my hypertension. My question I have that there does not seem to be a easy answer is how long will it take to reverse all these symptoms? Truthfully I put all these symptoms in to the "just getting older" category. Thank You so much for sharing

I was on Lisinopril for 6 years, and feel as if I was robbed of those years of my life. I experienced depression, anxiety, racing heart, body heaviness, abnormal EKG's, chronic hives on hands and feet, extreme hives all over my body off and on, swelling of face, lips, eyes, hands and feet, extreme fatigue, and insomnia. I was sent to cardiologists, allergy specialists, psychiatrists, and then pain specialists when, after 2 years of Lisinopril, I developed extreme lower back pain. None of these doctors ever mentioned that any of these symptoms could be side effects of the Lisinopril. After 6 years, I one day ran out of the Lisinopril and did not have the money for a refill, and after only 3 days without the medication, all of the symptoms stopped, except for the low back pain. I felt like a totally new person, and was able to resume my life once again. Though I still suffer from extreme low back pain, I'd take that any day over all the other debilitating symptoms. I'm still not so sure that the Lisinopril did not induce the problems in my back, which continue even after 3 years off the Lisinopril. (As a side-note, my doctor put me back on the Lisinopril 3 months after I quit it, and within 3 days ALL the symptoms came back. Needless to say, I stopped it immediately.)

Today is a new beginning for me after finding this site about the harmful side effects of Lisinopril and all this time I thought I was going crazy. I was put on this drug in 2006 for elevated B/P of 130/90. I had just recently completed 20 years in the Marine Corps and was in the process of starting a new career so of course I was going through a very stressful time in my life which may have been the cause of the recent spike in b/p. I went to see the doc for a checkup and she put me on 10 mg of lisinopril. I first noticed the dizziness soon after taking this drug. I was working out with some Sailors since I got a job working for the Navy and we had a bet on who would finish first in a three mile run. I thought this would be easy for me since I used to run everyday as a Marine with run times of under six minutes a mile but this time it was different. I was the first one to the half way point but then my body began to shut down to the point I could barely run. Everyone passed me by and when I crossed the finish line I had to sit down cause I thought I was going to pass. Let me remind you that this was only a three mile run, I was used to running thirty to forty miles a week. It is 2009 now and I very rarely workout due to the pain I experience afterwards. I have the constant feeling of gagging and I thought it was allergies but I refused to start medication for that. I remember the times that I used to stand up at work and shake my arms out because of the numbness in my arms and hands. I always have the funny feeling with the left side of my chest not sure if my heart is just going to give out on me. My wife always notices how I'm always massaging my chest muscle. I tell her it must be arthritis to quell her suspicious. I too had to remove my wedding ring due to the smelliness in my hands something I never had to do even while serving my country overseas. Thank you all for your posts, you have turned the light on for me to all the aliments I have been feeling these past few years. I have been off lisinopril for three weeks now and I am already feeling like my life is coming back. Hopefully, I'll be able to run that marathon that I always dreamed about. Again, Thank you all!

I am taking Lisinopril for high blood pressure for 5 days now. I have been experiencing depression, swollen right hand, tired, but sometimes not able to sleep..very low energy.I need to know if i should stop taking this medication or not but i can not contact my doctor until Monday. I also am taking other blood pressure medications but this one seems to have the side effects I am having.

(42 year old male 6 ft 217 lbs) Testosterone dropped like a stone to 174 in April. To give you an idea how low that is normal range is 280-870. Symptoms include severe short term memory loss, confusion, panic attacks, many times unable to complete a sentence without losing track and of course E.D. Got off this in mid April and started a diuretic instead.(started lisinopril June 05) Bloodwork in early June shows testerone up to 207. Hmm, up 33 points after being off this medication for 6 weeks. Maybe I'm an anomaly when it comes to men using this medication. Any man considering this med would be advised to test testosterone before starting and 1 year later to see if there is any correlation.

I began taking Lisinopril back in early February. Within days, I developed a horrible cough, that was so severe, it induced vomiting - not food, just a clear sticky mucous. The vomiting happened 5-6 times per day following a stressful coughing bout. I saw my PCP, was diagnosed with a "bad cold", prescribed cough medicine and inhaler and sent on my merry way. The vomiting was happening while I was driving or sitting at my desk at work; it would come on so suddenly that I rarely had time to get to the bathroom. When this didn't clear up after several weeks, my PCP took me off the Lisinopril for about 10 days, but there didn't seem to be any change in the symptoms, so went back on the Lisinopril. I have had Abdominal, ENT, and Brain CT Scans to investigate the cause of this problem as I am a breast cancer survivor. Thankfully, the scans were clear. I have also had an Endoscopy, and have seen an allergist. I also developed a metallic taste in my mouth that was horrible. After doing research on the Internet and speaking with others who have also experienced similar symptoms, I contacted my PCP and took myself off the Lisinopril in mid-April. The coughing has been reduced, and the volume and frequency of the vomiting mucous has reduced as well. Here I am seven weeks off the medication and I am still have side effects. One of my doctors said that it could take several more months to see a complete improvement. Had I been aware of the potential for these side effects I would have never gone on this medication in the first place. I do know folks, however, that take Lisinopril without any side effects, so it works great for some. My BP is now creeping up again, and I am not sure what replacement drug will work best for me.

I am a 62 year old female and started taking Prinil, which contains Lisinopril, 3 months ago. On the second day the dry cough started and also my vocal cords felt paralyzed. After 12 days I was told to stop taking the medication. I still have a very hoarse voice and problems with my speech. Have been to two throat specialists and there is nothing wrong with my throat. Has anyone had such symptoms. If so please reply.

Is anyone experiencing confusion, trouble thinking, trouble concentrating, decreased cognitive function, mental sluggishness, trouble solving problems or situations which require logical thinking, memory loss? Would love to hear from anyone experiencing any these symptoms and if so, how long were you on the drug.
Thanks!