Lisinopril and medications

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!

Hi all.

I just discovered this website, and reading all these comments makes me want to comment also. I, too, am on Lisinopril and am suffering many of the side effects mentioned here.

I'm a 54-year old male, and have had high blood pressure since around 1998-99. Nothing really controls it, although I've had episodic success from time to time. I lost a lot of my hearing last year due to a BP-related disorder called "hydrops" (my right ear particularly), and my eyesight has declined from 20/20 to "mediocre" in record time (although it's been largely stable now for 5 years).

Really, everything bad started when the medications began in 2002. For example, I now have Type II diabetes, almost certainly as a result of the diuretic I was prescribed from 2002-2007. I could also tell horror stories about clonidine, Toprol, Accupril, and others.

Latest event: I ended up in the hospital ER last Wednesday for what seemed like a minor stroke. I am now suspecting the Lisinopril because the symptoms so mimic much of what folks describe here. I've never had the bad cough, but the joint aches are awful. As for the stroke (actually, a TIA -- Transient Ischemic Attack) -- we'll know for sure after the MRI tomorrow, but my regular doc and the neurologist suspect it was NOT a TIA. Then I see descriptions here of tingling, neuralgia, and other symptoms identical to what happened to me!

Sadly, I don't have any simple answers to share. I've tried to cut all sodium from my diet, and I know that's helped. I am now trying a device called the Zona Plus (******), some $300 but possibly worth it. I used it for 90 days in 2007, then gave up and went to a no-salt diet ... and my BP dropped like a stone. I thought diet would do it all, but I was wrong. I should have continued using the Zona. So now I've started a new trial of it. We'll see what 60-90 days on it PLUS a low-sodium diet can do.

There's another device called the Resperate which is also kind of spendy. Anyone tried it and had success?

I'll be seeing my doctor this week or early next, and asking him to get me off the Lisinopril. But what to replace it with? Any ideas will be welcome.

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'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!

If you do not think your doctor is listening...find another. In mho doctors are to ready and will to prescribe medications for issues. Ive been off Lisinopril for two days now and feel really weird. I went to the ER thinking I was having a stroke. Turns out it must be a Sinus\ear infection that was throwing my balance of...like being on a boat 24\7 and sea sick non stop. Anyway while in the hospital they said my BP was high and put me on 20 mg of Lisinopril. I am not sure how much of what I am feeling has been caused by this drug or the infection. All I know if that I feel "out of it" today. Can anyone else who has stopped using this drug tell me what they went through

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.

I'm 52 yr old female with high blood pressure and asthma. About 4weeks ago had bronchitis with massive doses of prednisone. Around the end of the prednisone my doctor switched me from enalapril to lisinopril to better control my BP. Well after the Prednisone my knees felt better than they've felt in 3 years NO pain. I 1st started noticing the leg cramps when in bed at night. Now the cramps are 3 to 4 times a night waking me up. 3-4 days ago my knees started hurting again, to the point I have to brace my (R) knee even at rest. I can barely walk. So I decided to look at my medications as a source of my pain. Calling my MD on Monday. Switching back to Enalapril until then

am a 61 year old male and after a heart attack 7 years ago they put me on Lisinopril. I gained 20 pounds and look pregnant with 8 months of starting it. My stomach looks like I am pregnant.

My mother called the other night and said she had symptoms of a stroke.
I took her to the emergency room and the doctor looked over her medications and immediately diagnosed Lisinopril as the culprit and it was not a stroke. She stopped taking Lisinopril and immediately the symptoms disappeared and her stomach bloating disappeared.

I went to my doctor today and insisted he take me off this poison . Over the last 7 years I have gained over 40 pounds, all in my stomach.
I am hoping this does me good.

Hello. I was prescribed Lisinopril last May in the emergency room for high blood pressure. I didn't want to take the prescription because I'm planning to try to conceive and this is not a good medication to take. I have been taking natural supplements and have been able to keep my blood pressure in check. I see that quite a few of you are interested in the natural supplements. If you want some links to read about natural supplementation, please let me know and I will be glad to give them to you. I'm finding that Nitric Oxide and L-Citrulline are working quite well for me. I tried to post the links on this site for all of you that are interested, but go figure, the website deleted my posts. You should by all means consult with your physician before stopping your medications or altering the plan that they have for you, because they are the professionals. Take care and God bless.

49 year old male started 4 years ago at 20mg and 10mg HCTZ. some results in lowering BP. 2 years ago MD upped it to 40mg because BP inching up. quit smoking 3 years ago, not one puff since. After MD upped mg the side affects have really kicked in. I experience all the side effects listed on this site with the exception of the cough which I started with but went away after a couple months. I have had stress tests, Holter monitor for heart arrhythmias, mri, blood work, stool samples, colonoscopy, and all sorts of other tests all coming saying I'm ok, yet I don't feel ok, I get progressively worse. After 4 weeks of 5 day a week exercising with weights and aerobics to get in shape to return to racquetball I have had it. I couldn't last 45 minutes my second day out. I felt like I was hit by a truck and it took a couple days to recover.
My MD attributes the issues to aging. I going for a second opinion and third if necessary. I am told by my MD that there are no studies showing these side affects for this medications. However I look at this web site and find it hard to believe that these doctors just haven't seen any evidence of what we are all suffering from. Why don't doctors really listen to patients. We are asked to listen to our own bodies and told we know our bodies better than anyone, yet when we bring up these issues we are treated like children.
No real answers, just questions

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

I am a twenty-nine-year-old man who was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I also have had a diagnosis of hypertension for nearly seven years, but have not been on any medications for the condition in as long. I was prescribed Metformin for the diabetes; Pravastatin to raise my HDL; and Lisinopril for the hypertension. I took myself off the statin after I read all the nasty things it can do to your body long-term a month ago. Since then I have been feeling crappy nearly every day; finding it hard to sleep, and when I do, get restful sleep; and I am overcome with attacks of weakness and fatigue while I am out and about each day. At first, I attributed these symptoms to weakness from the diabetes or withdrawal from the statin, but after reading the posts here I am beginning to wonder if its the Lisinopril instead. I take five mgs a day, and it has helped level out the blood pressure, but I experience palpitations and a higher systolic pressure sometimes. Especially when I don't take the drug at the same time. Any thoughts?

I was on Avalide for a while did not like side effects of tiredness, vertigo like side effects, went to my doctor she took me off and put me on lisinopril 20mg I have to say I rather have the symptoms from my first BP meds than this one! have been on it 2 and a half months. It sucks! I watch what I eat exercise on a regular basis, I lost a total of two pounds in a two week time period whoopeee!!! I should have lost two pounds in the first week never mind the second week but two lousy pounds! its like an uphill battle, I am done and going back to the Avalide, oh yeah and I have that irritating dry scratchy cough I thought was due to allergies, it wakes me up or never let's me sleep through the night. This Med stinks!!!!

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

went to doctor for headache, he put me on bp meds (Lisinopril/Hydrochlorothiazide- 20 / 12.5) & happy pill (Paxil - 20mg) , a headache pill i only took a few times , cuz headache was going away, i thought due to lower bp ,within 1 weeks time , the next wk-end , i passed out while talking , (no warning)everybody said resembled stroke, went back to doctor , he suggested i have test done , i refused till it happens again, he put me on chol meds.(simvastatin 40mg) due to hereditary factor , went 3 more weeks , passed out at work (fainted), had numbness in both lower arms & both lower legs , took me to hospital, did cat scan, said shows sign of stroke ????? , went back to doctor, he doesn't want me to do anything until i see a neuro & do a MRI. I have an appt next mon , ** I was tired b4 i ever went to doctor, & did seem to get better, but now extremely tired after episode, I Do have heart palps, sweat perfusly, had a couple of stabbing pains, have dry coughed a couple times, but pretty sure have had at times b4? ,ok, all i know is, b4 i went to doctor , i was fine except for a headache !!!??? now hit the dirt 2 times with in a month , woke up this morning w/ a thought - i don't care what the doctor says , i'm getting off these meds & go back to over the counter plain ole asprin !I (especially after reading this ( a BIG Thank You to my neice for website) I will go to neuro dr on mon, for MRI, which all these appts are costly ! thanks yall !

I am 39 years old. I have been taking Lisinopril for nine months now, for my High BP. For the first 7 months I had not really had any annoying side-effects other than a mild dry cough. But for about the last 2 months I am having a really odd sensation in my heart. It seems like a flutter and it goes across my upper chest area and into my throat. At times they are mild and other times, during a lot of moving around, I have more aggressive sensations. One night while in bed. My wife got her stethoscope out, (she has a medical background) and listened to my heart. She told me not to tell her when I get the sensation, but to let her try and determine when I have the feeling. this nailed it as soon as I had one. She said that it seems that my heart if pumping too quickly. Meaning that I may have a Premature Ventricular Contraction. This has really scared me. I am scheduled to see my Doctor tomorrow. In my last visit which was about 3 weeks ago, I had brought this up to him. He didn't really try to hear my heart on his own. He just listened to what me and wife were explaining about the sensation. I had hurt my leg about the same time this started happening, and I was taking large amounts of Ibuprofen. So he partly chalked up to Ibuprofen and maybe a drug interaction and stated that I lay off the Ibu and see if they go away in 2 weeks. And if not, he wants to do a Holter Monitor on me to see what may be happening. Well they haven't stopped! I am thinking maybe I should ask for a different BP med. I still want to do the Holter to make sure, but I think it may be time for a change. I have only heard of this fluttering feeling happening to one other person. Has anyone else out there had this same scary sensation? if so please let me know what you have done or have found out. Thank you!

Gil
I just wrote an entry concerning a potential problem of fatigue and tiredness which may be related to the ingestion of 20mg. of lisinopril on
a daily basis. I suggested the possibility that another BP Rx--Inderol might be better for some patients; of course, each person needs to check with his or her own physician to choose the right BP medication--often a matter of trial and error. I've been taking the lisinopril for almost three years; I started out with 10mg., then more, then 40mg./day. After retiring, my doctor and I found that I could get the same effect with half as much lisinopril; it took a few months after retiring. So now I'm taking 20mg. of lisinopril/day.
In the past 3 months or so, I've been experiencing a lot of tiredness and the need to sleep much more than is usual for me. I think it may be the lisinopril, and I've made and appointment with my doctor to discuss
a different medication. Everyone should check with his or her own physician before changing medications or taking new ones.
I neglected to mention that lisinopril is an ACE Inhibitor while Inderol is a Beta Blocker. Also, lisinopril is sometimes prescribed with hydrocholorothiazide. Hydrocholorothiazide is a diuretic. My physician first prescribed the combination of lisinopril and hydrocholorothiazide. However, in checking out this Rx on the internet, I noted that if one had an allergy to sulfa, it would be best not to take the hydrocholorothiazide since this diuretic is connected with sulfa in its formulation. My physician then prescribed only lisinopril and not the lisinopril/hydrocholorothiazide combination.
Again, each person needs to check with his or her physician to make sure they are getting the proper prescribed medication. It is also my belief that it's a good idea to read the literature provided by the pharmacy about any medication and also check the new Rx on the internet so one can know about the possible side effects and also any allergies(connected with the new Rx) one might already know about and have, as was the case with my taking hydrocholorothiazide.

I started taking Lisinopril last March, and my monthly cycle went from a normal cycle to a debilitating three day pain fest.
The first month I had a uterine cramp like comparable to labor that lasts for three straight days. The second month I added a sharp pain in my stomach that compared to a severe food poisoning episode but the only symptom was the pain.

This continued through June, when I asked my physician to switch me to a different medication although he did not think the side effects I was describing was related to the Lisinopril. The next month the uterine cramp was less severe but I also was treating with Midol which may have been the reason.

Last month, at my six month check my blood pressure was still not where my doctor want to see it, so he put me back on Lisinopril and kept me on the Hydrochlorothiazide, now I am on two medications!

After reading this site, it occurs to me that my shoulder where I had surgery two years has also been acting up the last six months as well. I have been doing PT again after the pain increased and I asked my surgeon what to do. He made not connection to the medication I am taking as a possible source.

The only other thing is I have lost some weight, with relative easy (not usual for me). Which I had attributed to a change of eating pattern due to my new work schedule.

All things to consider now that I have read this website.

Thanks to all who share, this is the best way to understand that everyone does react differently and you have really pay attention to what is going on with your own body when you are taking any medication.

I found this site by searching for depression and any of the medications I take: synthroid, metformin, glimepiride (amaryl), and lisinopril-hctz. And here's the culprit - lisinopril! I've been taking it for only a couple of months now but it feels like my world is closing in on my and I'm bouncing off the walls in my mind. I'm considering retiring having hit 62 and I thought it would be a happy time but instead I feel locked in a prison, with walls of debt, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, etc. closing in on me. I'm even very close to losing a boyfriend because I've become so clingy and emotionally needy.

I must say that I did stop taking an anti-depressant around the same time that I started with the lisinopril. However, the anti-depressant (Lexapro) was originally prescribed to combat anger and not depression. So I cannot say for sure that Lisinopril is the culprit here. But having read everyone's stories, it is very clear.

Thank you all for telling your experiences with this drug. God bless you all.

I am a male 55. Started taking Altace 15 years ago. BP kept creeping up. I work outside for a living. Sometimes work is very hard, climbing mountains, carrying land surveying equipment ect. Dr started me on lisinopril 40 mg, dropped altace which I had been taking with HCT 25mg. Started getting numbness in left hand and charley horse in elbow after playing mandolin for 10 minutes. I thought this strange. Now I have muscle cramps in legs and I am wiped out when I get home. (thought must be getting old) Then other joints, shoulders, and knees stared hurting and lower back. Started thinking what has happen to me?! I am completely falling apart! That's how I found this web site. Now I wonder, snake venom sounds about right. I had started thinking I had been poisoned. Guess I'll make a DR appointment or move to an "old folks home". At least I won't have a stroke.......right?

I am taking 20 mg in combination with 12.5 HCZ. It has kept my BP in the normal range of 110/75. In the first day of my lisinopril regimen, I experienced a strange tickle at the back of my throat. My doctor said it was probably nothing. That gradually, over 6 months developed into fits of coughing that hit 2-3 times an hour and continued throughout the night. It was the coughing that made me finally decide to stop the drug. I also had constant mucus drainage down the back of my throat that I'm convinced is connected with the Lisinopril as well, although my doctor disagreed and said I had a low-grade, long term infection. Well, after 3 courses of 3 different antibiotics, it was still there. In the last week, I developed increased coughing fits, and was having an allergic reaction causing rashes under my arms, and itching in all the tender places. Doctor said the rashes and itching was a reaction to the Hydroclorothyazide. I'm now on Norvasc 10 mg. Hopefully this will be a better experience and still give me good control of the numbers.

About 8 years ago I was prescribed Zestril by a private physician, after joining Kaiser 6 years ago I was switched to Lisinopril. 20mg/day. I had no problems until about 9 months ago when I suddenly had a SEVERE rash on my arms, back, and legs. After 3 physicians and an ER visit no one could identify the rash and no one asked about BP medications. I changed soaps, foods, clothing, and took lots of Benadryl. No improvement.

I never considered the Lisinopril because I had been taking it for so long.

My last physician was a very knowledgeable female doctor who confirmed that even after years of Lisinopril the side effects can suddenly appear.

It has been two weeks since stopping the drug and my condition has slightly improved but still very bad. Doctor says it could take weeks, months, or longer for symptons to leave.

My biggest complaint is that no previous physician including the ER never inquired about BP meds or Lisinopril. Incompetent at the least, bordering on malpractice.

Has anyone has similar symptons after a long use of Lisinopril?

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

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

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

I have taken Lisinopril 20mg once daily for only 3 weeks and I am having some of the same side effects. Memory loss and forgetting things is the main one, the 'grit in the eyes' and general feeling of being tired all the time. I'm glad I found these posts. It did lower my BP from 160 over 108 to 144 over 94. I take it after lunch, since I didn't want to drive while it takes hold. Guess i'm lucky I don't have the other side effects.

Spoke with my Doctor today and he said those were unusual side effects. I guess not from what i'm seeing here. He told me to stop taking Lisinopril and gave me samples of Hyzaar 50/12.5. I really hate taking drugs, since I have atypical reactions to them, but i'll give it a try. I'll do the research first.

Hope this helps others.

Body rash, all over, currently on several medications I have stopped all my medications one by one. Still have the rash and the last medication is Lisinopril. I can only guess the VA gives it out because it is cheap. Also has the cough. Did anyone get a rash from Lisinopril?

I am actually crying as I had no idea what was wrong with me. I have been on Lisionopril now for about 5 years at 40 mg/day.
During those five years I have been fatigued, suffered with GERD, dry cough. Of course my doc said to lose weight.
Last month I went on a diet and all hell broke loose. I lost 25 lbs and I don't know if the weight loss released all of those Lisionopril toxins or what but here goes:
Fatique, weakness, arm and leg muscle pain, absolutely no sex drive, rib cage pain, back pain, perceived shortness of breath. Heart palpitations, dry cough with mucus. I have a lump in my throat. It got so bad I went to the ER , they drew labs and my BP was elevated. They added labetalol to the lisinopril. I came across this site and I called my doctor and I told him that I wasn't taking lisinopril anymore. I feel as if I am having a slow death. I cant function, I cant work, I am panicky and nervous.
He said to monitor my pressure with 2x/day with the Labetalol.

I was on the maximum dose and I wonder how long will it take for this poison to leave my body. I can't believe what this medicine is made from. I am more than willing to lose weight and do anything to stop taking these poisons. I would love to hear your experiences. I need all the support that I can get.

I just don't understand the sudden exacerbation of all of the symptoms unless it is the weight loss. But my BP never went down even with the weight loss.

I have been on Lisinopril for almost 10 years now for minor HTN. A few months after beginning Lisinopril, I began having swelling in my lips and slight swelling in my tongue. I figured I was probably allergic to something but did not give the medication a thought. Approx 1 year after taking it, I had a severe allergic reaction that caused my tongue to swell to the point my tongue was sticking out of my mouth and I was having difficulty breathing. I drove myself to my family doctor and was treated with epinephrine and steroids. The doctor had the crash cart ready in case I "punched out." After about 3 hours the swelling subsided. My doctor and I tried for several weeks to determine the trigger for the episode. There didn't seem to be any specific reason for it.

Fast forward almost 9 years to last week. I have been battling severe sinus conditions for about 10 years or so. I have now had 5 sinus surgeries to remove severe polyp growth in my sinuses. My ENT finally decided I needed to see an allergist. After going over my history and my medications with my young doctor, I told him about the swollen tongue episode. He immediately told me that it was due to the Lisinopril. He told me ACE Inhibitors are notorious for those types of reactions and it could happen again at any time, even thought it has been over 9 years since the only episode. He told me he would contact my GP and advise him to take me off the Lisinopril and prescribe something else.

Like many others on this site I too have experienced many symptoms that have not been properly explained. I am just wondering how many could be attributed to Lisinopril. Based on many of the side effects I have read here, some or all can be attributed to the Lisinopril, including the sinus conditions I have been battling for the last 10 years. My GP and I will be having a very serious talk at my next visit.

I am a 60year old female who was admitted to Mayo clinic after experiencing a hypertensive encephalopathy seizure. I was placed on lisinopril to try to bring my blood pressure under control. I have been on as many as five different medications per day with none controlling my extreme high blood pressure. After taking lisinopril for two days I developed a severe headache with floaters. My face became very swollen, especially my eyes, with unbearable itching and soreness. I also have had chest pains and it feels like my throat and insides are raw. My stomach hurts and it is hard to eat. I have only taken two lisinopril tablets and will not be taking any more. I see my doctor tomorrow and expect to be given a different medication. So far I have had no luck with any blood pressure medicine and I have tried about ten different kinds. If any one has had any luck with a prescription drug or an alternative remedy, I would love to hear from you.Thanks, Evelyn

I am not sure if it is the Lisinopril or the 3 other medications I am taking for HBP, none of which seem to really help, since I have white coat blood pressure which goes wwwwway up.....This is the 2nd time I have woken up with my upper lip swollen and right now it is like 5 times the normal size and there is swelling above it now also as the swelling increases....started out as a bit of a tight feeling and swelling....Since this happens to people a lot who take Lisinopril (I take 40mg) I think this may be what is inducing it....It happened on Xmas day last year, not long after I started taking it, but then it was from an injury also, so it is hard to figure it out for sure, as I have addedn new BP meds since then....I don't see where anyone has posted anywhere on the internet about any one of the others though. Oh yes, the coughing is another thing...I hate that!!!

Have been taking Lisinopril for approximately 6 months. Was previously taking Benicar, but insurance company strongly recommended the generic form.

Have experienced depression, eye problems, extreme leg pain, mood swings, sinus problems tightness in my chest, and severe rash and sores over my entire body.

Went to a dermatologist for the rash and sores. She took a biopsy and the report stated I was allergic to something. Had to use 4 anti-itch medications and 4 pills to be taken internally. Rash never did completely clear.

After having a nuclear stress test, my primary care physician referred me to a cardiologist. My left circumflex artery was 90% blocked, so a stent was inserted.

So I should be feeling alot better with all this being done. NO!! Have had more problems since the stent.

Am going today to the dermatologist again for the rash and sores and am taking the Lisinopril so when the biopsy is done, the lab can check to see if this is the culprit.

Also, am going to my PCP today for the leg and back pain. Am going to let him know I will not be taking Lisinopril anymore. An alternative blood pressure medicine will have to be prescribed.

Thanks for all the information. I will update my situation as soon as I know what is going on.

I am a 34 y/o male who started taking 10mg/day of lisinopril on May 15th. My blood pressure at the time was 140/118, pretty high I guess! I was feeling it too in the form of headaches. The doc wrote the script for me and I filled it that night. I should also mention that this is not the first time I have taken Lisinopril. I stopped taking it back in March because the script ran out. I don't seem to recall any kind of side-effects the first time, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I also take Levoxyl for my hypothyroidism, and it is a pretty hefty dose, 225mcg a day.

So, for the first week, I was doing pretty good on it. No coughing, or any of the listed side effects listed for the med. Then, about a week into it, I started having numbness in the right three toes on my right foot. When I say numb, I don't mean I could not feel anything, it was like touching your skin with a t-shirt over it. I could feel it, just kind of topically numb. I had a 'patch' of this numb skin right behind those same three toes and several other areas up the front and back of my right calve. I delt with this for a few days, thinking it was my shoes I was wearing at work. They were pretty worn out on the outer edges. I got new shoes on Monday, June 2nd. I wore them to work on the next day. At the end of the day, my calves felt kind of tired. The next day, they felt kind of tired still. I found this sort of weird. From that point on, my high anxiety really kicked in. I don't want to mention the thoughts I am having about what it could be that is causing this. I forgot to mention that I have not been sleeping well lately either since I started taking the Lisinppril again. I guess overall, I feel exhausted and weak. More so in my legs. To add to it, my lower back hurts like mad. I have two herniated discs and mild arthritis in it from damage from years ago. Also, for the past week, a pain has been developing in my left shoulder blade in my back. It is worse in the morning, and had gradually been getting worse for about a week. Today, it was awful.

I have ready a lot of the messages about the side effects different people are having. My question is, has anyone ever been on the lisinopril, gone off of it for whatever reason, having had no bad side effects, then gone back on it only to start having these bad side effects that you did not have before?

I have stopped taking the lisinopril on the 5th and have a doctor's appointment on the 9th to find out what is going on. I don't feel good at all. Can anyone relate?

I began taking Lisinopril last week. First the lightheaded and dizziness arrived. Called doctor was told to take at night to lessen this. Now I am nauseous and have a strange taste in mouth and the tip of my tongue feels like I scalded it with hot liquid. Calling Doctor to find out when she can see me again.

I'm a 44 year old female, and I have been taking 40mg. of lisinopril for over a year now. I also take omeprazole 20 mg. (a sub for prilosec) every day. Before taking lisinopril, I did have high blood pressure, but since taking this medication, I have had more problems than that. I have an irritating cough all the time and phlegm in my throat so thick that I feel as if I am chocking to death. I also have a severe rash all over my body and on the bottoms of my feet, and on my hands. I am depressed all the time, have no interest in sex whatsoever, and basically feel like crap all the time. I have a very bad pain in the left side of my neck that I know is not a result of sleeping the wrong way. I have to say, I never felt this way before taking this medication, but today I got to the point that I wanted to look up side effects to see if what I'm taking is hurting me. After reading some of these posts, I believe I know what my problem is. My husband was also on lisinopril, but 20mg and had such a terrible cough that we thought he had pneumonia. He is off the medication now, and his cough had disappeared. For me, the rash, and depression is the biggest thing. I have decided to take myself off this medication on my own, and try to find another way to deal with my high blood pressure. If you know of any herbs, and/or foods that help with blood pressure, I would love to hear about them. Thank you all for the information you have posted here. I'm sure it will help others think about what the doctors and pharmaceutical companies are trying to do to us. Seems the more medications they prescribe, the worse side effects we endure. Thanks again everyone!

Right after I started taking Lisinopri in May 2007, I had a major flare-up of my Psoriasis. I have had Psoriasis for over 35 years and it was only in certain areas, now it has completely spread over my entire body. I also have constant ringing in my ears, never thinking it could be related to the Lisinopril. Sometimes it works to lower my blood pressure and other times it seems not to help. Occasionally I experience dizziness. These are all symtoms I never had before, I am not overweight and do not smoke. I had been healthy except for borderline hypertension prior to taking Lisinopril. I am not taking any other medications. My dermatologist is pressuring me to start Raptiva and I have agreed, not realizing that maybe just stopping the Lisinopril might ease the symptoms of my psoriasis. I just started researching Lisinopril in the last few days when someone I work with casually mentioned that there may be a link between Lisinopril and Psoriasis flare-ups.

I originally posted my side effects on January 8, 2007. I had been taking Lisinopril for about 1 year prior. The dry hacking cough was driving me mad, so my cardiologist switched me to ATATCAND on February 9. On February 28 I posted that I had my first full day without a cough. Well, it is now March 24 and I have been cough-free for 3 weeks. Most of the other side effects have subsided also.
I know that only a small percentage of people taking this drug report this side effect. I normally do not react to any medications, but this stuff is poison, literally. I wonder if only a small number of people have side effects, or if more people have them, but do not report them, or are treated with other meds for their problems.
If you have a dry hacking cough and think it may be related to Lisinopril, don't wait. See your doctor and tell him that you are allergic to ACE inhibitors. It is well know by my primary care doctor as well as my cardiologist that this allergy exists.

I have been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 20/25 for about 5 weeks now and I have noticed a little dry cough recently and a constant runny nose. Since 3-15-08 I notice that my left ear has been losing some hearing and today the 18 of march it feels like I have something jammed in there and everything is severly muffled.I was just on Lisinopril at first and on 3-11-08 the Dr put me on Lisinopril-HTCZ 20/25 and this started 4 days after I started the drug I have not taken it today and don't plan on it after I I have read what I have just read. I am going back to see my Dr. this after noon.

My friend has been taking Lisinopril for several years,then suddenly last week she woke up with a swollen face and tongue! Went to ER. When asked what meds she was on, they told her was the Lisinopril. It can happen anytime! They gave her benadryl to bring the swelling down. She was really frighten.
No longer on this bad med!

Maxine

I am a 39 yr old male and have been on Lisinopril 20mg daily for approximately 6 months. I found this site looking for possibly explanations for my symptoms because I feel so lousy. I have always been extremely healthy, physically and mentally fit however HBP runs in my family. I am 6', 160lbs and on no other medications. After what I have read on this site tonight, I am extremely anxious to get off of this drug.

My symptoms include: Difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, anxiety, irregular heart beat and occasional high BP with pounding in my heart. My legs become numb pretty frequently (mostly in the AM) and I have difficulty walking. I am extremely dizzy which has caused me to stop working out at the gym which I believe has in turn lead to mood swings and loss of patience. I become confused and find normal tasks difficult. I, like many others experience an odd sensation that I am going to die. I have never been depressed and have never had any of the above symptoms in my life. Lisinopril is extremely effective in lowering BP but I am barely functional at this point and after what I have read, will be making a change immediately. I want to try to get back to exercising and will try to control my BP with diet, exercise, herbs and will do that while constantly monitoring my BP.

I honestly thought I had cancer or MS but I identify with much of what everyone else has said on this site and I am now convinced it is all due to Lisinopril.

Thank God for this site!!!

Thank goodness I typed in "Dry cough "and "gag." I found this site and now I know WHY I can't seem to get over this "cold."

I've been on lisinopril for about 3.5 weeks and I was beginning to think I had suddenly developed allergies. I get this terrible tickle and I try to fight it, because I know once I start coughing, it will take a while to settle down again. My eyes water, my head throbs, and I reach a point of nearly gagging. In addition, I get to deal with the added pleasures of menopausal stress incontinence. I'm MISERABLE!

I've been needing to schedule an MRA for another non-related issue, and I have been putting it off due to concerns about being in the MRI machine and not being able to catch my breath.

Thanks to all of your input here, I'm calling my doctor tomorrow. Enough is enough!

I developed hbp during pregnancy with my first child, after delivery the bp continued to stay up for about four months and then it went back down to a safe level. Six yrs later I became pregnant with my second child and my bp spiked again. Once again, after delivery, my bp went even higher. I tried a calcium channel blocker which gave me SEVERE headaches and then was put on a beta blocker. The beta blocker had no side effects but my bp was still out of control. My GP tried me on Lisinopril 10 mg in November 07. Since then I have had abdominal pain, loss of concentration, fatigue, leg and arm pain and numbness that is slowly worsening, dry, hacking cough, loss of sleep, strange thoughts of losing family members, etc....When I spoke to my GP about these new symptoms, I was told I have reflux, even though I never get heartburn and get this...POST PARTUM DEPRESSION! Oh, I am so sick of the "D" word. I never have thoughts of hurting myself or my kids, not to mention, I'm the happiest person I know. I'm really convinced now that these symptoms are all due to the Lisinopril b/c it all started around that time. The cough can be so embarrassing. I work in health care and will start hacking in the middle of an exam with a patient. It comes off as really unprofessional and it bothers me a lot. I see him next week and will discuss this with him. I am kind of discouraged b/c my bp is totally out of control w/o meds and this is the second one that has caused major side effects that has actually helped my b/p.

I am a 50 year old female and started taking 10 mg of Lisinopril about 2 months ago for HBP. I also take Lovastatin with no problems for about 2 years. Within a few weeks, I starting having the dry, hacking cough along with the tickle in the throat. I also starting itching over various parts of my body. I starting urinating a lot especially at night. Between the coughing and going to the bathroom, I was not getting much sleep. I was tired all the time and was not able to concentrate very well. A few weeks ago, I noticed my skin was getting little red spots. It finally dawned on me that all these symptoms occurred after I started taking the Lisinopril! I went online and found this site. I can't believe they would put a drug like this on the market! I quit taking the medicine about 4 days ago and my cough is starting to decrease, my itching is almost gone and I am not urinating as much. I have an appointment with my doctor in a few days and will tell him that I will NOT be taking this medicine anymore. I will find another way to decrease my blood pressure without medicine. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DRUG!!!!!

I started taking Lisinopril and notice that I have been coughing. I cough so much until I have to throw up. I have so much sinus drainage and it is affecting my sleep. As soon as I try sleeping the drainage interfere with my sleep. I have cough so much until it cause me to throw up. I cough, non-stop all during the night, I cough during the day. The Cough is so severe with the drainage until I have to sleep sitting up. I notice I have stomach problem nausea a lot and it is hard to get to sleep insomnia. When I finally sleep it is interrupt from the cough and the drainage. I have so much drainage from my sinus. It is
a lot. I have a lot of red mark over my body; I also had a red rash. I have pain in my joint often.
Since I finally found out the source of the problem, what can I do to get this medication out of my system fast? If anybody have any suggestion so that I can get some relief from the cough and the drainage please advise.

Gloria A

I am 65 years old. Started Lisinopril HCTZ in November. Shortly thereafter began having a persistent tickle in my throat which caused me to to have a very dry hacking cough which then caused my sinus to drain and a lot of mucus to build up in my throat. The tickle and cough would pop up several times a day and night. After a couple of weeks I stopped the medication. The symptoms persisted for over a month. When they finally subsided I tried the Lisinopril one more time. Within one day the tickle & cough came back with a vengeance. I have now been off the medication for over 3 weeks and still have the tickle, cough and sinus drainage. It is now affecting my sleep and eating. I never know when the tickle is going to hit, but now every time I eat the food causes me to start coughing. My doctor took me off the medication and put me on Toprol which is a totally different class of medication. I am also trying Nasonex and Chloraseptic Spray and lozenges. I am considering going to an ENT doctor.

I've been on Lisinopril/HCTZ about 2 months, and am losing lots of long hairs. Will my body adjust to the medication and grow new hair? Does anyone know if total baldness will result? (82 year old female) My blood pressure is now excellent!

I have been taking Lisinopril for 3 months now but stopped 4 days ago because of the dry cough. I still have the cough! When does this go away? Getting worried that this is something else. Never smoked.

In 2000, I was given a beta blocker for a heart valve problem, and after a few days developed what seemed like Cystitis. The Urethra became extremely sensitive and swollen; I felt like jumping out of my skin; and, within a few days it had turned into a real infection which ultimately migrated to the right kidney causing vomiting and high fever. I was hospitalized. I didn't connect this condition with the Lisinopril, but discontinued the medication because, besides the urinary/kidney infection, I felt very lethargic.
In February 2007, I was prescribed 40 mg of Diocesan for the heart valve problem, and within a few days I began to develop the same symptoms as the 2000 episode, and subsequently developed a kidney infection again. During this very serious infection (high fever, vomiting, couldn't eat for five days), I had discontinued the Diocesan. I lost 17 pounds in two weeks during this event.
Once well, I resumed the Diocesan, and again within a few days the urethra became inflamed and the Cystis began.
This time it occurred to me that the beta blocker and the Diocesan were causing this side effect (the doctors during these episodes were incredulous), but was told that apparently all ".....April" medications would have that effect on me.
Subsequently, I was put on Lisinopril, at a quarter of the usual dose. I've been on it for two weeks and have had no urinary symptoms except for a little throbbing in the right kidney. This worries me. I can only suspect that some by product of these medications is causing an imbalance in the renal and urinary function.

I began taking this drug 2 weeks ago and I have a dry, tickling cough that won't subside. My doctor said this was a side effect and is changing me to Avapro.

I take Lisinopril and have for about 4 years. No side effects, but over about the last year I noticed increased coughing--like a smoke who quit. I "weeze" regularly, especially while laying down. I'm going to stop the medicine for 2 weeks starting today and will report back and see if the cough improves.
RJP

I was first diagnosed with hypertension in the late 80's and have been on several different medications to treat it. I think that Lisinopril is the worst that I have been on. I have extreme fatigue and severe dry and burning mouth, sore tongue and difficulty breathing and flu like symptoms. I have anxiety and PTSD so my symptoms have been blamed on that. With all these symptoms,
I sometimes wonder if it would be better off to have the hypertension.
Sometimes my mouth and throat is so dry and sore, I can't eat and I have difficulty breathing which is not addressed with asthma medication. Daytime symptoms are bad at night but when night time comes, it is almost impossible to sleep.
I would be interested if anyone has these symptoms and would like to hear from you.
Jenny

I was put on lisinopril 4 weeks ago and have broken out with shingles!!!!
I know it has caused it. I am very sensitive to any medications. My husband takes it and he coughs all day...I am throwing the stuff out..It may work for some but be aware if you get shingles it could be from this drug!