Lisinopril and rn

I am still experiencing hot flushes even though I am post menopausal. I reckon it could be down to the Lisinopril pills. My dose has been doubled to 20mg from 10mg. Could this be the case? Has anyone else had these symptoms?

I am 58 with mild hypertension. Started Lisinopril 10mgs and started to cough and feel like I was getting a cold within 48hours. 4 days later I was in the MD office with what I thought was an Asthma exacerbation. We treated it with Solumedrol dose pack and xeponex nebulizer treatments. Two days later I am in the ER unable to stop coughing. My MD was on call and realized that this was due to the Lisinopril!! This dry hacking cough also sometimes produces some phlegm but I am exhausted. This is miserable. It appears from what I have been reading that Lisinopril has the worst record of the ACE Inhibitors for this cough side effect. I am an RN and had no idea that this could be so bad. No more ACE inhibitors for me...they go on my "allergy" list. There are other allternatives and I think the Calcium Channel Blockers are a better alternative.
Maybe it is time for the FDA to re look at Lisinopril????

Discontinuing Lisinopril (UPDATE from 06/13/07 post):

It's been about two weeks since I discontinued Lisinopril and there is light at the end of the tunnel! I'm no longer walking around "in a fog", though I still have some problems at times in recalling events, names, etc. The 'medicine mouth'/dry mouth has almost gone away and I can now eat normally. The cough and mucus are totally gone as well as is the major portion of my headaches. Instead of my BP jumping around when I take multiple readings (2-5 mins apart) there is a steady drop in my BP down to 114/80 (taken at work, usually after exertion). I am sleeping much, much better and the fatigue has vastly improved. I am actually looking forward to home projects and working a new part-time job. (When I was on taking Lisinopril, I had an interview that I did very poorly at one interview... I was in a total 'fog' and had problems organizing my thoughts and answering questions in a professional manner). I can once again laugh at life and not merely go through it like a machine.

The bottom line is this... in my case, THERE IS improvement. It may not be evident every day, but comparing it to a few days back, I see more of my old self. If you have gone off the med, BE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR BP AT LEAST EVERY DAY (if not more) and hang in there. Everyone's body is different and it may take a little longer to get it out of your system. Just remember, you are supposed to be feeling BETTER... if you experience signs of a heart attack, stroke, etc., it not the time to 'tough it out'... seek medical help IMMEDIATELY.

Interesting side note... I went in to the MD's office and told three employees including an RN) that I was experiencing significant side effects. All three of them said exactly the same thing, "So, what are you telling me; you want an appointment?" The RN reluctantly said that she would talk to the MD. About six hours later, she called home and left a message to tell me to discontinue the med, monitor my BP, and call back in a week if I wasn't any better.(I'm glad I didn't have to pay for that advice... since I was already doing it!)

Please post how you are doing after getting off the med... it is a big encouragement to everyone.

Good Luck!

All you are Hypochondriacs. If one person says this medicine is causing this, then of course; you all have the same problem "some how." Isn't this weird? It is called the "placebo effect." Normally all the people involved in the testing are given "Lisinopril" (or some other drug), then the placebo group is given a vitamin supplement, the group receving the vitamin supplement is being told they are receving "Lisinopril." Mysteriously?, the "placebo group" is all feeling better and their symptoms are gone. This is due to the fact that all these people in the "placebo group" have interacted with eachother and have told eachother "I feel better" than of course everybody feels better. So WEIRD!! So, my point is this forum is all your peoples "placebo group." If you guys never heard of these side effects from this forum you would have never experinced them. Hypochondriacs all of you are. This is a very good medicine that is helping all of you make up for your peoples lack of self-disipline to control your diet or exercise enough to lower your blood pressure naturally. So be thankful. Lets not complain about false side effects because John has them. I wonder what the side-effects of that cheese burger are that caused high blood pressure. It is funny, I don't see a forum for that. So deal with your so called "side-effects" that are associsted with "Lisinopril" or go on a diet people. Get over it!!

I am 41 years old yesterday. I am 6'3" and 190 lbs. I have been on the med since Christmas Eve 2005. I had a BP of 200 over 120 when my sister, an RN, noticed I seemed hypertensive (my job is can be very stressful). With a family history of high BP and heart attack, she admitted me for tests. Head CT and chest were clear. I was started on 10mg for two weeks, then progressed to 20mg. I had no symptoms other than urgency to urinate quickly after meals and more often. My BP has come down to 140 over 96 as of yesterday. My doctor has progressed me to 40mg effective this morning. I am a little dizzy and unfocused. I am going to increase my exercise this evening to include situps. Hopefully, this will increase heartrate, and maintain the systollic pressure while the diastollic decreases. That should take care of the dizziness by oxygenating my blood more effeciently. I will keep you posted.

I have been treated for HTN for the past year (I am 47) and have had great blood pressure results with Lisinopril, but I also developed the horrible cough.

I first started lisinopril first in February of 2005 but noticed the development of a terrible, gagging, cough that made it difficult for me to communicate at times (I am an RN). I would feel fine for a while and then start in with the cough...even the MDs noticed it and asked me about it at work.

I was hoping that it was just a winter cough thing since my BP was really doing well on the 10mg of lisinopril, but with my stress incontinence problem and the lost nights of sleep, and daily coughing-gagging fits, I had to stop it after a few months. I noticed that the cough subsided within a few days after stopping the drug.

My MD started me on 25 mg. HCTZ which lowered my BP although my diastolic was sometimes higher than he liked it.

I had been taking HCTZ until two weeks ago. After getting a few too many BPs in the 140/90 range, I decided to stop taking it and restarted my lisinopril. I felt okay for a day or two and then COUGH, COUGH, GAG, RETCH....all over again. I know it's the lisinopril now. I can't handle this coughing, I do groups in a mental health facility....I can't make it through them sometimes, I also have a horrible time with my stress incontinence because of the coughing.

I just restarted my HCTZ today and hope to have shaken off this cough within a few days. I see my MD in three weeks and hopefully we can work something else out. I was very disappointed in the lisinopril since it is very cheap and got my BP to a nice 120/78 range.

Hi All, three weeks after starting Lisinopril 20mg. I started having productive cough at night, after 4 months of this 'only side effect symptom' I went into Doc and got switched to DIOVAN. I used to run 3 miles, but after coughing every night, with wake-ups at 2 hour intervals coughing, I am too bushed to run. Hopefully the new B/P med will work. Never had a cough like this, don't smoke, 49yrs., RN Type-A person. The Lisinopril and HCTZ did work, but not worth the coughing for me.
A little down with sex drive, but mood lighting, candles, and eager partner helped!
(doc also did pulmonary function test, and xray, all normal range)