Lisinopril and sensation

I am a 40 year old female and both my husband and I are taking Lisinopril 40 mg. I have mild tingling in my arms at night, however the tingling/ burning sensation is so great in my husband's arms that he can't sleep at night. His rest is continually interrupted by this uncomfortable sensation. I have noticed a host of things like tiredness, an occasional dry cough, feelings of depression, rapid heart beat, and lack of energy in myself. My husband has experienced all of the above and muscle pain and irritability. I thought his irritability was being caused by lack of sleep, but I have learned from this website that it may be yet another side effect of the medication. We both have to get off this. Thanks for all of your helpful comments.

Dosage: 10 mg/day-swelling of affected foot and ankle, heart arrhythmia, skin rash, sensation of skin burning, exhaustion, falling asleep in the middle of a task at noon. Originally prescribed by a general practioner after a hemorrhagic stroke in order to lower BP. A neurologist recommended doubling the dosage. I discontinued lisinopril (also had to discontinue toprol prior to being put on lisinopril because of extremely low pulse rate - under 40 bpm). I use no drugs and am using low sodium, high fiber diet to lose weight and control BP.

I have been taking Lisinopril/HCTZ now for approximately one month. Since then I have had several side effects very similar to those I have read on this website. Thank goodness my husband decided to check this drug out because I have not been myself lately.

First of all, I have been experiencing sporadic leg pain with the sensation of getting cramps on my left calf that have kept me up at night. I have not been able to get a good night's sleep because of it. This started about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I didn't understand why my leg was bothering me so much until I finally went to the doctor and he told me it was a side effect from the Lisinopril/HCTZ drug I was taking. He told me that the drug was a diuretic that acts like a water pill. It makes the kidneys work harder to get rid of the excess water in our body. When that happens, we lose minerals that cause the leg cramping. He suggested that I buy over the counter vitamins that had a lot of calcium and magnesium in it, as well as increase my levels of potassium. So, any of you that are having this problem, it is a side effect of this pill.

Other side effects that I have experienced are: stomach bloating and gas. Yesterday, my stomach bloated up so much I looked like I was six months pregnant carrying triplets! I have never looked this way before and it really depressed me. I looked absolutely awful! Furthermore, I noticed I am beginning to gain weight and inches. Although I am overweight, I was not putting on any weight or inches at all. I have been maintaining my same weight or less for years. Yet, since I have been on the drug for about one month, I have noticed the weight gain and my clothes are fitting tighter all over.

Finally, I have been more irritable and feel run down. Probably from the lack of sleep from the leg pain at night; but also from the hot flashes I have been experiencing within the last week or so. Although I am 50 years old, I have not experienced any hot flashes until now. They are so bad, I feel like I'm burning up inside. I have to open up the window or turn on the fan at night although it is cold in the room. This is also a new symptom I have never had before.

After reading other people's side effects on this website, I am convinced that I am going to stop this drug cold turkey. I was fine before and why try and fix something that doesn't need fixing? Doctors tell me that it is a preventative measure to getting a stroke or heart attack. I believe many doctors scare us into believing that we can die someday if we don't take it and that is pretty scary. But check things out first.

Thank God my husband did some research on this drug and found this website. It convinced me that I wasn't alone and this drug is really bad for you. I plan to go back to normal and watch my weight, eat healthy, exercise, and monitor my blood pressure instead. Not to mention, my blood pressure is only borderline from being normal. So, why risk it?

Martha G.

I am 51 year old female. I have been having similar side effects that everyone is posting. The cough just started. And I am having cramps in my legs and back that I never had before. I also have been a little depressed. I just stopped taking the medicine yesterday. I am at a place called Optimal Health Institute. They put you on raw veggies and juice and fruits and nothing else for a week to 3 weeks or as long as you would like to be here. Also mild exercises to help you cleanse and you juice wheat grass 2 times a day. I decided to go off my meds yesterday (been taking 10mg for about 4 months) and my blood pressure reading just registered 119/78. It has been running 135/85 with medicine average. I just started but after reading all of these posts and my own side effects, I am definitely going off this junk. I hope this cleansing works. I am going to be here for 2 weeks.

I have been on this for only 5 days- I also have the achy feelings in neck muscles and legs but I think it is mostly making feel depressed. I have never been diagnosed with depression - but I am having a hard time getting through a day. Do other people feel depressed on this drug?

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 was wondering if any of you are experiencing tingling in your hands and feet, which increases during sleep. I have been on this medication for two months and have just started noticing this sensation.

5 years ago started Lisinopril; woke up with burning feet sensation; spasticity began; legs progressively became stiffer; hyper reflexes; loss of balance; falling; arms are spastic--stopped taking it 3 months ago--not getting worst but symptoms are the same.

I started Lisinopril 3 days ago and have already experienced unwanted symptoms. The feeling if increased fatigue is definitely there, a dizzying sensation, sort of like a euphoric high is hanging around. While I don't have insomnia, I have noticed a change in my behavior- my aggression level has decreased dramatically. This might be a good thing, however at the same time, it feels like I'm weighed down, definitely not myself. After reading the horror stories here, I'm probably gonna take myself off it. I'd rather lower my Blood Pressure the natural way than pump more medication into my body...

I have found since taking this drug that my bowel movements are very difficult. I am not actually constipated, but feel almost impacted. I have never experience this problem before, and attribute it directly to this drug. I am curious if I am alone in this problem.

Thanks

I am a fit lady of 67 (now).After taking a mini dose (2.5mg) of Lisinopril daily for 18 months I noticed various odd symptoms, putting them down to what I had eaten, lifestyle etc.
One of these was indigestion which caused a chokey lump sensation in my throat. For this I had an endoscopy which showed a clear result. Had also had an ECG test for palpitations..again no problem. The cough wasn't too bad, but I was always tired and did notice I had lack lustre and thinning hair.
After I came off them (gradually) I started to feel better and best of all am losing the wadge of fat from my stomach and hips.Constipation seems to be a thing of the past too.
Looking at all the comments on this site, can't we get together a petition to
at least get this drug(poison) investigated ?

Doctor prescribed, but wanted to check side effects before taking it, am glad I have! Anyone else that's a smoker with mild hypertension (140/90) taking this med? Now I'm afraid of taking it because I already have a problem with coughing and post nasal drip, choking sensation, near vomiting. Also am on Celexa 60 mg for depression and anxiety and certainly don't want to take something that's going to increase my anxiety! Any others taking Lisinopril and Celexa?

I have been on Lisinopril 20 mg since
February. After a few weeks I kept waking up every morning around 5 am and felt my heartbeat all over the place, like I just had run a marathon. After 4 weeks, this subsided. Then I started hearing weird sounds in my head like a church bell ringing in the distance, this was going on along with waking up for the past two weeks every morning at 4 am with a rapid heart beat, a creepy sensation going up my arms and legs and getting cold. On top of that I was getting very anxious and shaky. My doctor seems to think I suffer from anxiety attacks and put me on Zoloft. I also start getting out of breath just bending down, tieing my shoes and I feel tired and shaky all the time. In the beginning I had the cough, that has subsided but I seem to develop all these other side effects. After reading all these emails, I will stop my medication tomorrow and see what happens. I might try the apple cider vinegar approach. By the way, my blood pressure went down to 92 to 55 most of the time and my doctors thought, that was great! I was under the impression the bp to shoot for was 120 over 80.

I've been on lisinopril for 6 months and have been having this odd gagging sensation. Even before I start coughing, sometimes the smallest thing -- or nothing at all will make me gag. Tonight, despite the fact I didn't feel at all naseous, I had to stop the car while driving in order to gag and vomit. I also have a mild heart burn sensation in my throat and I have never been prone to any kind of heart burn in my life. My lisinopril cough is very small and inconsequential, but is more scratchy feeling than a normal cough. That's the best I can explain it.

I mentioned the feeling of gagging to my doctor. I suspected it was lisinopril since the symptom started shortly after I took the drug. My doctor shrugged off my question re: could it be the lisinopril and I concluded it must be in my mind, or perhaps some bizarre mid-life symptom of a result of being overweight about 30 pounds.

I had taken Benicar and Micardis for high blood pressure a year ago and both worked extremely well and without a single side effect. Unfortunately, my health insurance company (Blue Shield of California) wouldn't cover either, so my doctor switched me to lisinopril.

Fortunately, if my doctor reports my side effects, the insurance company will cover Benicar or another drug like it, so I'm going to fax him tomorrow with the alternative drugs covered by my insurance.

Tonight's gagging / vomitting attack provoked me to look up side effects for this drug on the internet. Now my suspicions are confirmed and I feel very validated. Thanks to all who posted here.

Just started 5MG Lisinopril once a day at bedtime (about a week).
After looking up side effects, I found this site. I don't have hbp,never had. I was given this to help protect my kidneys (type1 diabetic). Side effects are: head ache, dizzy, muscle pain in legs and arms, stomach pain... This morning I was helping my daughter find her craft supplies. All of a sudden I was sitting on the floor with no sensation of getting there. I'm stopping this stuff. Google Apple Cider Vinegar uses.

I have been taking lisinopril for years (10 mg/daily) without any noticable problems. About 2 months ago, my doctor doubled the dose and changed me to the version with HTCZ (a diuretic) included. A few weeks later, I started having this tickling sensation in my throat making me have a slight cough. The cough kept getting worse as the days went by and I also started having this congested feeling in my chest. I would cough my head off and it wasn't productive. I would cough until I would get dizzy and almost pass out.

I finally went to the doctor think I had some lung infection or TB. I was given a TB skin test, antiobiotics, and a chest x-ray. The TB test was negative, the chest x-ray was normal, and the antiobiotics don't seem to have changed anything.

I was back at the doctor yesterday and she said she think it's the lisinopril and switched me to Diovan. I started taking the Diovan this morning. Only time will tell if it is indeed the lisinopril that was the culprit.

I'm 5'8", 180 lbs, 57 years old. My BP has been sneaking up over the last few years ( around 130/80 to 150/90 ) so my physician decided to try the lisinopril after the usual diet and exercise didn't seem to be doing much good. I took it for about 2 1/2 weeks. That was enough for me. The dry raspy throat at night got worse and worse. The last four nights got harder and harder for me to sleep. I would keep waking up choking and hacking and having difficulty getting my breath. I also experienced the intense dreams thing, not weird or anything, just very vivid. For about 4 days after I stopped, my tongue felt swollen and the surface had the same sensation as if I had burned my tongue on some hot soup, kind of dry and coarse feeling. I took my last pill on a Monday morning. That night I was awakened numerous times with the dry, hacking cough. At about 6 AM, Tuesday, I got up and looked up this site and seeing the number of people having similar reactions, I decided not to take the med that morning. That day I left work early due to excessive fatigue. I slept all afternoon and that night with little or no further disturbance. Other than the tongue irritation I mentioned, I had no further problems after discontinuing the med. While taking the med I didn't notice any significant reduction in my BP. It did stop the excessively high readings I was getting ( the 150/90 sort of thing ) but didn't seem to bring it under the 130/80 level. After I discussed the reaction with my physician, he prescribed a different medication. I hope it works better.

It all began with LISINOPRIL: Constant involuntary pulsating, twitching, spasming toungue, swollen tongue, difficulty speaking, extremely dry mouth...

As directed by my new internal med doctor, I had recently begun taking one 5 mg lisinopril one time per day for my hypertension. I also take one 5 mg Ziac daily. I am a 40 yo female. I took the lisinopril for 6 days before feeling too frightened and anxious to continue the medication. I have now been off of the lisinopril for a week, and my involuntary tongue movements are still present 24 hrs/day. This is a very disturbing sensation over which I am powerless to control or stop. I am preoccupied with it and full of worry. It is very obvious that my speech sounds thick and impaired, and I am embarrassed to speak around anyone now. I know that "other people's opinion of me is none of my business" because I know the real truth, but I hate for others to assume I am intoxicated or impaired in any way.

Anyone else have the twitching, pulsating, throbbing tongue movements? If so, how long did this last?

Thanks, MAC

I have been taking Lisinopril for nearly a year and have experienced nearly all the bad side effects I have read about. I have had severe cough that does not respond to cough medications, copious amounts of clear slimy mucous that chokes me frequently. I even choke frequently when I am trying to speak because of the secretions. I have had severe bronchitis 4 times in 6 months. I am tired all the time and my anxiety is much worse. I now have insomnia which I've never had before. During one of the bronchitis rounds I had to take a very strong anitbiotic because it was trying to turn to pneumonia. The antibiotic made me very nauseated so I couldn't take my other meds. After two weeks without the Lisinopril, my symptoms cleared up completely. I resumed the lisinopril when I finished the antibiotic and all of my symptoms returned.

I just took one 20mg. Lisinopril pill on Sunday at 7am and it lowed my BP from 130/85 to 105/58 which I think was kind of drastic. I took another half of of pill on Monday morning at about the same time and that was it for me. Thank heavens I never was on them for long but I am having some problems like my face gets hot and red and also had a tickleling sensation in my fingers on my left side and also after walking for 20 feet or more it feels like my heart was beating outside my chest. I have stopped taking this medication immediatly and am still having these feeling soem 3 days after the last dose. I am feeling a little bit better every day but still am getting fatigued during the day evern though I am going to bed early and getting at least 8 hours sleep. Its Wednesday April 4th and still have the hot flashes but the tingleing haas gone away in my arm and fingers on my left side. I will keep everyone posted. This medicine should have never made it through the FDA.

An unpleasant tickling sensation deep in the throat, which produces a persistent and irritating cough.

After being prescribed 10mg a day, my BP went down dramatically, sometimes as low as 85/60, and I was feeling very fatigued. ( No wonder ) I cut the dose to 5mg and my BP is still on the low side, but occasionally spikes to 140/90, then abruptly goes down to the very low 100's/70 or so. IN the past six weeks or so, I started to develop a very dry cough. In the past three weeks or so, I've had a very dry mouth, to the point where it's painfully dry upon awakening in the morning. I've had a few episodes of "skipped" heartbeats, sometimes feel the sensation of pressure on the left side of my chest, but never made a correlation of these symptoms with the medication. Since reading this, I'm going to d/c the medication and ask my doc about a beta blocker, which I've taken in the past with virtually no side effects, other than a lower pulse rate. This has been really eye-opening!

I AM SO GLAD TO HAVE DISCOVERED THIS WEBSITE! I HAVE BEEN ON LISINOPRIL 10mg NOW FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS AND FOR MOST OF THAT TIME I HAVE HAD THE MOST HORRIBLE, CROUPY COUGH.
IT STARTS AS A TICKLE IN THE THROAT, THEN I AM AWARE OF PHLEGM IN THE THROAT AND THE COUGHING THAT FOLLOWS COULD BE DESCRIBED AS 'VIOLENT'AND NOT A LITTLE SCARY! THIS CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY; I CAN BE SUDDENLY WOKEN UP BY COUGHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, PRODUCING A LARGE AMOUNT OF PHLEGM AND EXPERIENCING A DREADFUL WRACKING, CHOKING SENSATION AND SOMETIMES THIS WILL TAKE MINUTES TO CLEAR.
I SELDOM AM ABLE TO SPEAK ON THE PHONE WITHOUT THE CONVERSATION BEING LIBERALLY PEPPERED WITH APOLOGETIC, RASPY COUGHS.
THE SEVERITY AND FREQUENCY OF THE COUGH IS ALWAYS WORSE TOWARDS THE END OF THE DAY, AND OFTEN LEADS TO A TIGHT, SORE FEELING IN THE CHEST.
I HAVE TWICE BEEN TO SEE THE DR WITH THESE SYMPTOMS, AND HAVE BEEN SENT FOR CHEST X-RAYS AND GIVEN ANTIBIOTICS. THE FINDINGS ARE ALWAYS NEGATIVE AND THE SYMPTOMS HAVE NEVER BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO LISINOPRIL. HAVING READ OF THE SYMPTOMS OTHER LISINOPRIL USERS ARE EXPERIENCING, I AM CONVINCED THAT IN MY CASE AT LEAST, LISINOPRIL IS THE CAUSE OF THIS DREADFUL COUGH, AND TO A LESSER EXTENT, ACHY LIMBS.
I PLAN TO SEE THE DR YET WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND WILL MENTION THIS WEBSITE AND THE SIMILARITIES OTHER PATIENTS ON LISINOPRIL HAVE EXPERIENCED.
SO GLAD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE! I WILL BE REQUESTING A CHANGE OF MEDICATION PDQ!

I'm so glad I found this site. I suspected the cough might be connected with the Lisinopril. I was taking 5 mgs and then was upped to 20 mgs and the cough seemed to start then. It feels like a speck of dust in my throat that won't go away no matter how much I drink. My mouth is extremely dry at night. When I get that dust speck feeling, the only thing that helps it is to eat something, just something small, anything. That helps it for awhile. It didn't concern me that it was something else, because the sensation switches sides of my throat.

After reading this (I have been taking 25 mg. of Lisinopril for three years or more), I'm beginning to question whether or not it is right for me.

I have begun having strange side effects that match many of those written about here. Odd tension in my neck; occasional breathlessness; fatigue; cough; heaviness in the chest that is NOT related to my heart; inability to lay on my left side without discomfort; and this very annoying sensation as my heart "skips" (actually an extra beat) which started a week ago and has not left yet.

On top of everything else, now my blood pressure is very occasionally SPIKING.....the night before, it might be 137/72, then I wake up and it's an astounding 189/105!! If this drug is supposed to LOWER my blood pressure, why is it swinging so wildly?

The doctor's answer? He is pushing hard to get me to try beta blockers, actually arguing that at lower doses, I probably won't have the associated risks! That is pure garbage! If you take a beta blocker and then suddenly discontinue it without weaning off, or miss a dose, you risk a HEART ATTACK or a severe STROKE!!

Drugs, drugs, drugs.....there's got to be a better way. I'm looking for it right now.

I was prescribed Lisinopril 10mg just a few days ago by an ER doctor to treat hypertension after I started having chest pains and had a BP of 171/110 (even though I'm only 25) and I'm already noticing stomach cramps. It feels kinda like I'm really hungry, but there isn't the growling sensation, just stabbing pains. I see a few people listed that they feel bloated, but no one has mentioned stomach cramps. Has anyone else had this side effect with Lisinopril?

I have been taking 5mg combined with natrilix 2.5 mg for a few years and the combination has lowered my bp to a level which my GP thinks is ok. But I too get coughs which appear worse when I get a cold, so I instantly take benalyn to ease the irritable cough sensation. What i found amazing was reading a few reports were the dizziness, lightheaded, heart palpitations had affected people also. As I stated I have been on this medication for a while and I too have had a combination of these feelings, not all at once but periods where one or other will affect me, which have unnerved me to an extent that i feel as if i may be having a mini panic attack.I think I will call to my GP and see if another drug will keep my pressure low but hopefully not give me so many odd feelings, I have suffered in silence long enough. Thank god for this forum.

I am still recovering from numerous side effects from this lisinopril.

The most lasting effect is occasional shortness of breath, and aches & pains in the chest and abdomin. I have recently discovered that iron helps with this a lot.

As a recap, I've found over time that vit-C w/ bioflavinoids (twisting sensation in stomach), calicum (tight band around the chest, aching feet), vit-E (pains in chest) and iron (shortness of breath and muscle weakness/pain in abdomin) to be helpful in combating the side effects from this drug.

If you're having some of these problems, check to make sure you're getting enough of these nutrients.

Also remember: don't swallow that stuff it makes you cough up, that irritates the throat and stomach (lump in throat).

As always, best of luck to all!

I have been on Lisinopril for about 5-6 weeks now. I developed a cough immediately after I began the medication. It wakes me up everynight, so I am always tired. Sometimes I cough for a couple of hours. I've had to sleep on the couch for the last month, so I don't wake my husband. It's very annoying. I also have a "lump" sensation in my throat and it feels like someone is pressing their thumb against it, like being choked. My right side has just recently started hurting a little, but no leg or hip pain.

I've been taking zestril, then prinivil, and finally lisinopril for the past 15 years. A year ago I developed a lump in my throat and saw 4 different drs. about it who have diagnosed me from menopause to thyroid. But no one knew what was causing this sensation. I'm begining to think its something serious after I've been getting edemas on the back of my neck and the side. Finallly a pharmacist suggested it could be the lisinopril doing it. Callled the dr. switched to avapro, which is similar to lisinopril. After still some swelling within 3 hrs. of taking this nasty drug, he switched me to toprol xl. well its only been 2 days, but the swelling has not shown up.
Does anyone know when this lump sensation will finally go away? Its driving me nuts............. After a year of this I'm going crazy and can't believe not one doctor warned me of this side effect. Please advise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been on lisinopril for the past month and a half 40 mgs/daily, and the cough is crippling and disturbs my sleeping. I am also on Topril 50 mgs. The coughing starts as a burning twisting sensation in the middle of my stomach, which turns into a hugh cramp in the back of my throat and sends me into a coughing spasm that ends with my vomiting for a few minutes. I actually have fear when I feel this happening. I'm very scared. It stops for about twenty minutes then starts up again. The doctor thinks I have a cyst in my sinus that makes me cough, I think it's this medicine because of the same thing everyone says here. Blurry vision and fatigue are getting worse. Also my sense of taste is gone.

I have been taking Lisinopril for two months. My systolic is still high 140, but the diastolic is a much lower 72. My heart rate is it's usual sluggish self, anywhere from 43 to 60. I had diarrhea for about three weeks, it has gone away, but the dry cough is driving me nuts and I also get a lump in the throat sensation with this drug which is uncomfortable. On the plus side, it seems to have lowered my appetite so I lost 10 pounds. I would like to switch to something else though, because I hate the cough and lump in the throat thing.