Lisinopril and sleep

I was put on Lisinopril in June by mid July started with the throat clearing then a choking feeling. Doctor saying its allergies, then post nasal drip, started Musinex plus Robitussin, so after nothing worked and I kept coughing they FINALLY, 12 weeks later ,says Oh I bets it's the Lisinopril DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't get anything to stop this choking cough its horrid I have been off the meds 5 days today, Its so hard at work and when trying to sleep I can only pray for some relief soon.......................

I took Lisinopril for 3 months. Symptoms gradually got worse: eyes watered, nose dripped, ears itched, puffiness under eyes, hair loss, tired all the time, body was very tense, night sweats, couldn't sleep well, and started having sharp pains like pin pricks. The doctor said to stop Lisinopril and switch to Cozaar (for Losartan). I didn't want to start another medication until I got this out of my system, so I stopped Lisinopril 4 days ago. My symptoms started to subside in about 3 days, but then I started to get horrible cramps behind my thighs. For 2 days now the pain keeps me awake at night...I can't get comfortable. At 11:00 p.m. tonight I had to take 1 Lisinopril to "wean" off this horrible drug. I don't have hypertension, but was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes--so the medicine is supposed to "protect" my kidneys. Does anyone know whether Cozaar is any better? I hate taking meds!

Get off this nasty drug. It has the most horrible side effects.Is there a lawsuit against this drug. If so I need to follow-up.I had,:
THROAT SWELLING AND LIPS SWELLING
EXTREMELY DRY ITCHY THROAT.
DRY HACKING HEAVY COUGHING CONSTANTLY(could not get sleep)
ENDED IN ACUTE TONSILLITIS WITH FEVER
after getting of the drug I had no more problems with coughing or respiratory infections.these side effects are common with this drug. Yet the docs are pushing it. What are the pharma companies giving thes doctors??I no longer trust doctors.

I have been on Lisinopril for 6 days...taking 20mg along with norvasc 5mg. I don't have headaches usually and the last two days I have had sharp and very painful headaches, my throat started hurting yesterday and I had cramps in my abdomen, sides and legs so severe that I cried last night and I could not sleep. I am glad that I found this website. Besides all that, if I walk more than a few steps I feel as if I have to lie down and my heartbeat is very high. It is not the Norvasc 5mg....I have taken it for 3 years or so.

Calling my doctor and changing meds....it did reduce the BP, but I can't put up with this pain.

Hi
My husband has been prescribed 2 different blood pressure meds Lisionpril and metoprolol back in June. Come mid July he started to have trouble sleeping and slight tingling in hands and feet. Then it progressed to the arms and legs and then the face and chest. We have seen cardiologist, neurologist, sleep apnea doctors, Had EKG, MRI, Heart sonograms, Nerve test done due to the symptoms. Everything came back normal. He is miserable. The burning and pain is unbearable to wear he wants to cut his feet off and the only thing we keep hearing is well LETS DO ANOTHER TEST or TRY THIS MED. So now he is taking a a sleep med for insomnia and some seizure med for the nerve pain, thinking he may have neuropathy. This is going on 2 months now of trial and error and after reading 20 minutes of experiences, I THINK ITS THE MED!!!!!!!
What do we do then? He had high blood pressure so what meds are good with no side affects of burning or insomnia? Any suggestions or help would be of great appreciation. Thank you!!!

Update on my experience with Lisinopril.
After 3 ER visits & 2 hospital stays the palpitations quit when the HCTZ (diuretic) was removed. Adjustment of dosage got the B/P readings down to acceptable levels but some side effects remain after 2 weeks. Dry-eye syndrome and over-the-counter drops do not help. I'm up most of the night-time.
However in the daytime after I exercise I feel sleepy and can sleep for a couple hours time.
Wondering if this side effect will go away or what. Anyone with the experience ?

HI, I am a 56 year old woman with elevated BP. I was put on Lisinopril/Hctz about a year ago. I am not exactly sure when the cough started, since I am an asthmatic and have trouble with coughing already, but this cough is different and much worse than my asthma coughing. I like many others on here cough in the night and mornings until I vomit, cough up fluids, gag and can't breath. The cough was so bad on Friday I broke the blood vessels in my face, the coughing spell lasted for 30 minutes. It was just yesterday that I looked at the Warning for this medication as I picked up my refill on Friday. There on the warning was dry cough. So I looked on this site and there was my answer...most of you described exactly my symptoms....I feel so much better now that I think I know what has caused it, since my doctor was chalking it up to the asthma. I have emailed him with my new info, and hope that he will change my medication ASAP. I also have researched cronic fatigue sys....because I am always tired and unable to get anything done.....I was never like this before. Good luck to the rest of you, thanks for sharing or I would never know that this medication could cause all my problems.
DL

WoW! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad I found this website!

I had been taking Lisinopril HCTZ 10-12.5 once daily since April of this year. I was on Labetalol 200mg/2x's daily as I developed Hypertension during my pregnancy. Once I delivered my baby I was then switched to Lisinopril HCTZ by my primary care physician.

The Lisinopril did wonders for my blood pressure but by mid-June I started having side effects. I went to my doctor numerous times and then to the ER since I thought I was having a heart attack. The ER doctor suggested that I was having panic attacks or just symptoms from the cold I had. So, I went to my primary doctor and she immediately jumped and gave me Prozac. Never once did either doctor ever link the symptoms to the Lisinopril.

My symptoms included:

*Light Headed
*Dizziness
*COUGH COUGH COUGH!!!!!!!!
*EXTREME DIARRHEA - Everything I ate or drank came out like water almost immediately!
*Chest Pain and pain down into my left arm and fingers
*Chills
*Blurred Vision
*Rapid Heartbeat
*Cold/Sweaty Feet
*Sweating
*Bloated Feeling
*Tight/Itchy Skin
*Rash on chest 2x's
*Nausea
*****Panic attacks and feeling like I was going crazy!!!!!******

Upon finding this website Friday, August, 22nd, I went to my doctor and told her NO MORE was I taking this medication! It's POISON! I am now taking Ziac 5/6.25 once daily. Ziac like Labetalol is a Beta Blocker rather than an ACE Inhibitor and may not be as effective but I sure would rather this than Lisinopril.

I am still experiencing some of the side effects of the Lisinopril but I am hoping that they will deminish soon. PLEASE!!

I, like a lot of others have mentioned on this website felt like I was loosing my mind. I felt like I couldn't explain all the things I was feeling because some of the feelings just didn't come out right and did make me sound crazy. At one point my doctor told me it was "all between my ears!" Okay?!?!?

I hope this has helped others and I plan on making a complaint on the FDA website, this medication needs to be removed from the pharmacies! It's poison!

If anyone knows how long the side effects last after stopping this medication I would surely appreciate the info!

Hello all thanks very much for your comments on this drug. I need help quickly. My father is 55 years old and the Doctor have him taking this drug Lisinopril. All night long he is have a dry cough and only gets about 3hours of sleep a night. Please help with other options then this drug. you can e-mail me at ******

I started taking 10 mg. of Lisinopril on July 8, 2008. At first, I experienced extreme fatigue and weakness. However, this wore off after a few days. The dosage was increased to 20 mg. on July 21, 2008. I started having horrible symptoms on July 29, 2008: rapid pulse (as high as 118 b.p.m. while I was quietly reading), heaviness in my chest (which felt worse after I exercised), and shortness of breath. I had never felt so bad before in my entire life!!! I suffered with these symptoms until August 15, 2008 because I was hoping that they were just temporary. Unfortunately, they only got worse the longer that I waited. It is such a shame, too, because Lisinopril really did a good job of keeping my b.p. down.

This is the third day that I haven't taken Lisinopril, and I am feeling a little better. I am now on Metoprolol, which is helping with my rapid pulse. For those of you who experienced breathing problems while taking Lisinopril: How long did it take before your breathing returned to normal?

I've had some issues with Lisinopril also, headaches, back aches and some dizziness. Just wondering if is normal for a drugs to have all these posting of people having issues ..maybe is only 1% of the population and I am one of the unlucky ones?

I have been on Micardis for years and have had no side effects at all. Ran in two marathons and worked out daily. Now I have been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 20 MG. and have not been able to work out without feeling dizzy, seating and cannot remember the last time I got a good nights sleep due to persistent coughing. The best moment was today finding this website and reading everyone elses comments. I plan to flush my remaining pills down the toilet and paying full price for Micardis since my insurance company will not pay.
This has to be thek worst pill available! If I knew today what I knew when this pill was first prescribed I would have never taken it. Hopefully it will not take long to get this out of my system and I can get my life back.

I was started on Lisinopril about a month and a half ago.

Initially I was taking 20 mg. I started having a dry cough and it was worse at night. After a month the doctor increased my dosage to 40 mg. The cough has grown much worse. As someone stated above...any phone conversation I have that is of any length at all will find me coughing continually.

At night I sleep for about 1 1/2 hours and then am awake for many hours before I can fall back asleep because my legs are aching and I have Charley horses in my toes. I have had problems with achy legs at night, in the past and ibuprofen always helped...now it doesn't and the achy legs are every single night.

Two nights ago I went to bed at 10:00 and woke up at 11:15. I was awake until 4:30 the next morning.

I decided after doing some reading on lisinopril that I was not going to take it any longer. The doctor had told me at my last visit that if the coughing increased they would change my prescription.

I too have experienced some nausea and headaches.

I commonly suffer the side affects of drugs so I'm not really surprised.

I've been on Lisinopril for a couple to three years. I often get tingling and numbness in my arms when I sleep. Also, my sense of smell diminished
greatly. I've now gone off the 5 ml. and am noticing my SENSE OF SMELL is much better!! Has anyone had this problem?? My hands swelled badly too, and that has improved too. Cough all gone. I'm monitoring with a bp monitor, and my pressure is normal. Exercise and good diet seem to be working.
Am so glad to have my sense of smell back after years!!!!

oh yea...i forgot to mention dry eyes and a hacking cough that was severe but has since gone away, really bad pain in legs, elbows and joints and toes that feel broken to the point that i recently had to get on pain meds, over counter meds didn't do the job. the more i read about lisinopril the more i'm convinced to start a half dose tonight. i'm going to experiment by tapering myself off and if i live through it i'll let you all know if the side effects leave.

I'm 55, Female, and have been on hbp meds for a long time. i take atenelol and lisinopril. they are both the affordable meds that seem to keep my bp in pretty good check. only problem is that i have been feeling sooo badly that i got on here to check out the side effects of these drugs i'm on. i hurt all over, i'm gaining weight, can't seem to lose, i'm constantly fatigued, depressed, very low energy, want to sleep all the time, feel like sand bags hanging on my eyelids all day, sweat profusely till it looks like i've just stepped out of the shower and haven't dried my face off yet which is very unattractive and i also have the reddest rashy cheeks. after reading the side effects of both meds i'm on, i'm very tempted to cut them in half or discontinue them. only problem is that i'll prob die of a heart attack because of high bp. i also have trouble with my blood sugar dropping to the 60's sometimes. i feel like if i continue feeling like this, i'll be checking out soon...any comments??

MY mother of 73, who was just put on lisinopril and had a pace maker put in do to heart rate of 38per minute. She was also coded and we were kicked out of the room when her heart rate dropped past 7. A emergency pace maker was put in ...then her permanent one followed 2 days later. She was released from the hospital on Sat. the 21st and since she has been home, she cant sleep properly and when she does she wakes up gasping for air. Could this be a cause of the drug? lack of the oxygen that she was on in the hospital? We have put a call into the doctor, but still haven't heard a replay....wondering if anyone can give us some info...Thanks

I am a 43 yr old female and have recently developed high bp. I have been taking lisinopril 20 mg for about 1 1/2 months. I have not been able to sleep for the past few days, as my heart is racing and I have a constant feeling of anxiety. In addition, I am having trouble swallowing and my throat feels raw. I thought that the fever and aches I had last week were the flu, but after reading other similar stories, I will contact my doctor as soon as the office opens in the morning.

Ive been taking Atenolol 100mg for years but it wasn't enough so my doc added Lisinopril /Hydrochlorothiazide 10/12.5mg......great at controlling my bp but the side effects aren't so grand. Recurring cough that sometimes triggers the gag reflex, especially late at night while lying down attempting to sleep. Also my libido has been cut in half. Time to go back to the doc.

About 1 1/2 years ago my allergist recommended I switch BPM from Lisinopril to Atacand because of congestion problems associated with Lisinopril. I made the switch and had no problems with Atacand other than my co-pay was considerably higher. Because of this I asked my family practice MD to switch me back to Lisinopril because I remembered it worked okay. However this time - a couple of days after the first dose of Lisinopril I developed flu-like symptoms (aching, congestion, fatigue). I thought I was coming down with the flu AGAIN. After about three days I started having chest pain, a headache that wouldn't go away, blurred vision, dizziness, shortness of breath, very shaky, weakness, couldn't sleep. I thought I was on the verge of a heart attack at times. The fatigue and weakness worsened. I often felt that I couldn't get off the couch or out of bed. My legs felt like weights. It wasn't until I checked out the side effects on this website and read the comments of other users of the drug that I realized what was most likely happening. Needless to say, I called my doctor and asked to be switched back to Atacand. I'm more than willing to pay the extra $'s to feel better.

62 year old female, taking Lisinopril for over a year. I was at lost for my symptoms until I read this site, pain in arm, don`t sleep, itching all over, Head ache, pressure on back of head Dizzy, trouble walking,depression,loose of memory etc.( history of a benign brain tumor about 10 years ago) Pressure was so bad I made a appointment with my neurosurg) Talked to a Pharm. He suggested to not take it one night and see. I did and the pressure went away.I called the Cardiologist. His nurse really told me off and that I was not having any side effect, something was going on, but not Lisinopril as I had taken it for so long. She was just plain rude! She would not call anything else in for me either. I am titrating it and and looking for a new doctor!!

I am a 56 year old woman and my doctor started me on 10 mg Lisinopril in March. Within 24 hours of starting it I developed a very annoying cough. At my next doctors visit she told me my bp was not down enough and wanted to increase the dosage. When I asked her if the cough could be from the Lisinopril she gave me some samples of Benecar HCT. The only problem I had with that was muscle weakness and some palpitations that went away after a few days. When I got the prescription filled I found that my insurance didn't cover it and it was quite expensive so I called my doctor back and she wanted me to try the Lisinopril again at 20mg and see what happened. That very same night the cough came back with a vengeance, along with dizziness. I decided to try to tough it out but after ten days now the cough is so bad it's unbearable. It keeps me up at night and I cough till I gag and cry. On several occasions I have coughed until I vomited. I couldn't take it any more and stopped taking it two days ago. I called my doctor today and she told me to stop taking it and now we're going to try Norvasc.

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.

taking lisinopril -2 yrs. tues. 6/2/08 - started feeling like the flu. by wed. was so sore in places i had never had muscle and joint pain, all i could do is lay...by wed evening was feeling a little better so, ok it's the flu. took med to go to bed and had one of the most miserable nights ever...what i call severe neck and left arm pain. could not raise or put weight on my rt. hip,leg, knee or foot (those were just the worse spots). by the by been i have been having very poor sleep about 4 months. managed thru thurs, by fri i was convinced it was lyme. saw physician...of course all blood was normal. on sat. 6/7 i kept thinking it was the lisinopril because i would start feeling better (not over the pain, just better) in the evenings and then be right back in severe pain by 2 am.

Hi,

My husband is 41 years old, and he has been on Lisinopril 20 mg for about 6 months. He is experiencing dizziness, numbness on his feet due to that he is unable to walk at times. He also has chest pain in the morning, which wakes him up and lack of sleep at times and memory loss. Since he has been taking this medication he is experiences extreme tiredness. The worst of all is the palpitations. The doctors are unable to find anything wrong with him. He had Cardiac Catheterization, and stress test and all come back normal. We do not know what do at this time.

Regards,

After a lifetime of good blood pressure, I was so reluctant of surrendering to the fact that I needed to be on blood pressure medicine but finally did so for the fear of a risk in having a stroke. My doctor put me on Lisinopril about 6 weeks ago. The good news is that my blood pressure is now 120/60 HOWEVER....I have had the most unusual, annoying, dry, itching cough that simply stops me in my tracks!!! It just sneaks up on me without warning and I suddenly feel like a lint ball is stuck in my throat and I can't swallow and the tears pour down my face. I cannot even walk into the post office without a bottle of water in my hand for fear of an attack coming on. The only relief I can get is to drink water. It really hits me at night when I am trying to sleep...so guess what I DON't get much sleep!!! I went thru 1 gallon of water 2 nights ago!!! Along with this condition, I have also felt extremely irritable!!!! I did have enough sense to know that the level of anger or the amount of tears I was experiencing seemed to be over amplified. Thanks to my good friend for caring enough about me to discover this web site so I can discontinue this medicine. No more high blood pressure but I may just choke to death!!!

I was placed on this drug by my PCP after a change in my insurance this year. I had been taking Avalide to control my BP but my new insurance said my co-pay for the medication would now cost me $200 for a 90-day supply, or $50 for a 30-day script. The customer service rep suggested my PCP put me on lisinopril, as it was a generic in the same class as Avalide. I started taking lisinopril in February 2008 and almost immediately developed a tickle in the back of my throat that worsened into a dry, hacking cough. I initially thought it was due to the dry air of furnace heat (Indiana resident) and started using a humidifier in my bedroom. My PCP prescribed me a codeine-based cough syrup to control the coughing, which wracked my body so hard I often was incontinent. The syrup helped -temporarily. For the past month, I've been wracked by chronic and severe dry coughing spells. The coughing was worse in the morning and would frequent awaken me from sleep at night. My PCP took me off the lisinopril today and appealed my insurance to place me back on Avalide. This has been the worst experience I've ever had with a prescribed medicine, although my BP reading yesterday was 120/76.

I was prescribed Lisinopril on 2/2008 to protect my liver, after taking I started with a tickle in my throat that would turn into one of those coughs that would make you cry which would occur at least 3 or 4 times a day. Then I would have pain in my neck, arms around my ankles and knee joints. Now I have developed a cough that is uncontrollable and happen all during the day and night I could not get any sleep, have bag under my eyes. I went to see my doctor and he told me to take robitussin DM, which did not help. The cough was so bad, until it made my chest and stomach hurt. It made me feel as if I had to throw up. I went to see my doctor today to tell her that I was not going to take the LISINOPRIL anymore, but when I told her about my cough, she said it was from the LISINOPRIL and not to take it any more.

I forgot to ask her was any of my other vital organ affect by this drug.

I started with 20mg of Lisinopril this winter. Within two months I was coughing. Within a month I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Antibiotics were prescribed and eventually the pneumonia symptoms went away, but I still have the cough. It is dry, deep and constant. I cannot sleep at night. I have a rash along my neck and on my scalp. I can't focus and I've gained weight. Food tastes funny and I have a metallic taste in my mouth sometimes. I have lost so much sleep I can hardly function. The only way I can sleep is to take a Benadryl at night, but that is not good restful sleep. I taking myself off of it starting tomorrow.

Im a 57yr old female, when i was given Lisinopril 5mg 6months ago my doctor said it was the cleanest HBPT, around so i started taking it, i was on medication for cholesterol about 6 different ones, which made my life hell, so BP went up hence this medication, the mood swings, have been terrible, happy one day the next i hate everyone who comes into view even my husband said he cannot take this verbal abuse i send his way, i have felt so depressed, in the last couple of days i have just felt like ending it all, cant sleep, crying, all the time, headaches, coughing, heavy legs, noise in my ears, swelling of legs and fingers, i have got to find an alternative remedy, my life is worth more than feeling like this, im back to see the doctor tomorrow as i cannot cope any more, neither can my family

I have been on Lisinopril (20 mgs) for around 6 months and although it has reduced my blood pressure to a 'normal' rate, I have been suffering from swollen hands, particularly my right one, and they become uncomfortably hot and red looking. I sometimes find it difficult to sleep at night. Does anyone have a similar symptom? I am so worried about it, I have actually had a blood test by my doctor and am still awaiting the results to see if I have some form of arthritis. The only other side effect that I have noticed is the irritable cough, which also wakes me up during the night.

Hello folks - thought I would post here as well.........I am on 20MG of LISINOPRIL 1 time daily. I notice during regimented times of the day I get the side effects. I take it when I wake up in the morning. I have been on this for about a year now...........it has lowered by HBP from 150's/80's to about 130/80..............regular........I am a 37 year old Male

Problem is the multiple side affects:

1. Tiredness - comes and goes all throughout the day - almost like I could just close my eyes and go to sleep anywhere.........feels like someone threw sand in my eyes.......
2. Shortness of breath
3. Sore Muscles - everywhere - it doesn't discriminate!!!!
4. Pain in the chest mostly the left side but sometimes the right
5. Headache in one spot in the head - doesn't last long
6. Wake up often in the middle of the night with dead hands or legs
7. Sometimes I just have a total memory blank on things I should know right away - usually only occurs when I'm getting tired.
8 Of course the panic from thinking something is wrong with me!!!

Anyone else with these set of symptoms????

Drop me a note!!!!

I have been on Lisinopril for several months and my blood pressure was 170/104 . It is now 104/77, but I do have side effects that my dr. says it isn't from this drug. 1 is asthma and a cough and headaIches. Lightheaded and fatigue. I am now on asthma medicine an inhaler. I was taking 10mg but it was increased to 20mg and with hydrchorothiazide 12.5mg. I was depressed on the first 10mg I don't feel that now. I am also now taking zocor. I don't sleep as well. I am 57 year old woman, I other wise had been active enjoying life.

I am 37. My BP was around 160/95. My Dr put me on Lisinopril 10mg daily. My BP became normal almost immediately. I have been on it for over a year now and here is what I have noticed. I am CONSTANTLY tired and dizzy. Any thought of walking anywhere of any distance is horrifying because of the fear of collapse. I sleep over 10 hrs a night only to wake up exhausted. I am so sick of being tired. I just want to sleep my life away. This is no way to live. I am depressed all of the time. I can't even shop anywhere because of the anxiety which comes with it. i.e. numbness in arms, rapid pulse, faintness, hyper ventalation and just pure panic for no reason whatsoever. I can't control it. When I sleep, my fingers and hands fall completely asleep. They are dead. It wakes me up numerous times every night. I can't get good rest. I stopped taking Lisinopril a week ago. My BP is below normal now. My pulse is around 55 at all times. I have never had joint pain, just extreme fatigue. God willing, I won't have to take this med again, or any med. I forgot how I used to feel. I wasn't always like this.

I have only been taking 20 mg Lisinopril for about 5 days now. I actually started to notice I was feeling better, my headaches were gone and I could breath better, but about 3 days ago I started to get horrible heartburn, flu symptoms and I haven't been able to get more then an hour or so of sleep before I wake up to shaking and my heart racing.This is the scariest thing,I work overnights and I have serious sleep issues already so I feel like crap.
being that i have only taken this med for 5-6 days does anyone know how long it will take to get out of my system? I was thinking about starting to take them again just to see if it was something else, but after reading these posts I'm not touching that EVER again.

I had been on Lisinopril for about 5 weeks, first on 40 mg. then I reduced it in half on my own, and have now decided to stop entirely and go back on Avapro. When I started it, I developed flu like symptoms and I thought I was just sick, but my body continued to fill "unwell". I had such terrible vertigo that I fell down 3 times and would get very dizzy when sitting up or bending over. Sometimes, the vertigo comes when I am sitting perfectly still! I became constipated and bloated with bouts of gas, headaches and sore throat in the evenings. My arms and legs were falling asleep during the night, so bad that I had to wake up and massage my hands and move my legs to get them circulating. Also, leg cramps have developed and cramps and shoulder pain that doesn't want to go away.I started to have to urinate all the time, as well! When I went to the doctor's office after being on it for 3 weeks, I complained that I was feeling awful (like I was going to die), depression had set in, I want to sleep all the time and have terrible vertigo, I was told that these were unusual symptoms and to try it for a few more weeks and see if these symptoms subside! Typical!!! It is thru researching blogs like these that I found that my symptoms are not at all unusual, but they are VERY ALARMING! I am a 46 year old woman and am healthy in every way. This medicine makes me feel as if I am being poisoned! I went off of it yesterday and am now doing an herbal cleanse to detox myself. I am also on fish peptides - which lowered my bp substantially in the past, but needed to find a reliable source that keeps it in stock all the time. It is safe and has no side effects.

On 02-26-08 Tuesday my Dr. prescribed Lisinopril 10 mg 1 time per day, 14 days later on 03-11-08 at 2:30 am I woke up because I could not hear the fan we sleep with. When I sat up I heard the fan going w/my right ear and felt my left ear was plugged. I tried to unplug it but it wouldn't and I realized I had to go to sleep because I had to go to go for some fasting blood work for my diabetes.When I got up that morning my ear still felt plugged and I thought I must have an ear infection so I would go up to see my Dr. since I had to go to the lab. 16 days later 03-26-08 3 audio test, 1 MRI the Dr's don't know what happened. Lisinopril was the only new medication I had started taking. I believe it was the cause of my 100% hearing loss. I noticed that someone else wrote about hearing loss on 03-18-08 & I replied to them but I have not heard back to see if they have regained their hearing. They say I probably will not get my hearing back! Thanks A LOT Lisinopril!

THANKS EVERYONE. I thought I was going crazy. I had the dry hacking cough and throat tickle for months now. It's especially when I lay down to go to sleep and often wakes we from a dead sleep. NOt sure if it's related but I've noticed a huge increase in my gag reflex. Even brushing my teeth (let alone getting xrays at the dentist).
I'm stopping Lisinopril STAT. I actually switched to it cause I was having problems keeping my Potassium level in range w/ HCTZ but I'll take those Potassium horse pills over this stupid cough any day of the week.

My doctor (PA, actually) prescribed Lisinopril a few weeks ago because I'm diabetic and she said it would help protect my kidneys as well as lower my moderately-high blood pressure. Things went well for a couple of weeks, but the past few days have been unbearable. Not much of a cough, but I feel terribly weak, exhausted, and I can hardly think at all--am very confused, and can barely write this note (strange for a professional writer, eh?). I also have trouble walking, am quite dizzy and out of breath, and have severe muscle cramps; feels almost like my nervous system is shutting down. And truly, I feel like it could kill me. I was grateful to read all of your comments; makes me know that I'm not alone. I will have to discontinue this medication, as I simply cannot function while using it. (I'm a 62-year-old female, by the way.) Thanks again for your comments, and I wish you all luck and happiness.

Posted my experience with Lisinopril around March 9, explaining flu symptoms, hacking cough, fever and chills. I stopped taking Lisinopril when I found this site. I have not taken any for a week. The fever and chills are gone, but the coughing has continued - in fact, has worsened. I also have an ear infection now, as well. I daughter wants me to go to the hospital because I coughed all night and no one got any sleep. Can anyone tell me about how long this cough lasts AFTER you quit taking Lisinopril? I feel like it will never go away, and from what I've read so far, antiobiotics are not much help.

45 year old female - 10mg per day taken at night for kidney protection. CONSTANT cough to the point I sometimes gag and get a pounding headache. Sinus drainage, leg cramps at night, itching red skin, can't sleep at night, very irritable. I actually thought I had a bad cold for the last 3 months with some allergies kicking in - BS - it is the Lisinopril - I know that now after reading hundreds of people saying the same thing...I e-mailed my doctor today and told her I want off this horrible drug!

OMG! It's 4:45 a.m. where I live and I just found this site...what a Godsend. I thought I was going crazy! I've had almost all of the symptoms everyone has listed here the worst being insomnia,racing heart rate(at night)and feeling like I can't breathe! WOW! I have been on this med for almost 4 years now(10mg/day,down from 12mg/day with HCTZ)and I think it's time to STOP! I've honestly felt so horrible that dying didn't sound like such a bad idea...hate to say that but it's true. My Doc. does not think that this drug is causing these problems and just wants to give me more drugs! I'm a 36 year old female that used to be the picture of health...not anymore. I'm going to stop this medication a.s.a.p. and would urge others to do the same...the side effects are worse than the so called 'cure!' Please email if you'd like to discuss further. Thanks to everyone! You have saved me!

I've been on lisinopril for two years and just decided to check out this website. Sometimes I start to cough and can't stop and it is a very dry, harsh cough. I have gained over 30 pounds, been unable to sleep and have the weirdest dreams at night.

I am a 48 year old female and have been taking Lisinopril for 5 weeks now and I feel like CRAP! I ended up going to the med.check because I thought I had something wrong with me from coughing so much but I didn't have a cold, or fever any other side effects but this horrible cough that I coughed so much and hard my eyes would get blood shot and I didn't know that. Now 5 weeks later it is because of Lisinopril. I just found out today. I was starting to be tired and really grouchy and mean very moody and not getting any sleep at night so I would suggest NOT taking this drug. Plus I have gained weight from it just in 5 weeks. DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG it will mess you up !

Since starting this drug last April, I've gained 15 lbs. I know some of the blame is my own so I've changed my diet and am exercising again, but I can't lose any weight. None. I have the dry cough, my legs ache, especially when I'm trying to sleep and I make a lot more trips to the bathroom. I never had trouble losing weight before this (if I did the right things), but it seems the harder I try, the higher the scale goes.

I started this drug on 2/15/08 and by today 2/25/08 I couldn't handle it. I have a resting heart rate of 135 bpm without any exertion. I've been to my doctor three times in the past week due to symptoms. Fatigued, unable to sleep at night, restlessness in my arms, fever and rapid heart rate. I was beginning to think I was going crazy. I'm 41 year old female who has been relatively healthy until I was put on this drug. The last 10 days have been awful. I'm glad I found this site.

My doctor switched me to another drug today, which she claims doesn't have any effects on the heart rate. I'll keep you posted.

I am 61 years old.I have been on Lisinopril for two years, I wake up at night with my arms numb and my throat so dry that I have to get up and drink some water.After reading all of your side effects I think I will try to go a few days without it. My BP fluctuates between128/82 150/90. Maybe I can get some sleep. Also maybe I won`t ache in my joints so bad.

I was on Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/25 for about 8 months. A few days ago, I noticed my tongue felt swollen and I couldn't really sleep cause I felt like i was smothering. So this morning, I went to the ER, and thankfully I did. The doctor looked at my pill bottle and asked how long I had been on the drug, and I told him. He then said that it can cause swelling of the tongue even if you've been on it for a long time. He said that some ppl had been on it for over 20 years and suddenly had an attack of swelling in the throat and tongue. I looked at him and nearly cried. If anybody notices this do not hesitate to call your doctor or just go to the hospital. I'm so thankful that I listened to my instincts on this, and he has discontinued the drug until I can get to my doctor.

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.

After stopping Lisinopril these problems stopped.
dreadful itching throat especially when dropping off to sleep.
itching face
watery eyes
poor sleep/constant tiredness
bad dreams
gasping at night
partial voice loss