Lisinopril and weight gain

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

I 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 am male and 46 y.o. I've been on this for 6 weeks and I have gained 6 pounds. I've been eating the same things and going to the gym like I always do. I have also noticed that I can't do the same workout intensity as before. I wear a heart rate monitor and so I can tell that it takes less effort now to get my heart rate to a higher level than before. In short, I can only do about 80-90 percent of my previous intensity. My clothes don't feel tighter but I think it must be fluid gains even though I am on Hydrochlorothiazide as well. I'm concerned I'm going to keep gaining weight. I already have weight issues to begin with and had been keeping my weight steady for 2 years after losing 35 lbs. Has anyone here found an alternative to Lisinopril that treats their bp without the weight gain issues?

Ive been taking lisinopril 5mg for over five yrs or more did not have side effects ive read about on here until feeling unwell over the past 12months maybe longer, joint pain, 6 months ago i could hardly walk, pain in left knee and pain in right foot, weight gain, pounding chest, dry cough, thank god for finding this site, soon as i did i stopped taking it that was about 5 weeks ago, i feel a lot better, even though my bp might be up i don't care id rather live with it than take this crap. and i feel that its just getting out of my system so you maybe talking a couple of months depending what strength you are on, to getting out of your system, hope my post will be of help.
S. in UK

I have only been on 20mg of Lisinopril for 3 days now and am having constant headaches, fatigue, dizziness, and very lightheaded.. I never got the headache even when my BP was up, much less any of these other symptoms. My DR. advised that if they don't go away after the 3rd day to stop taking the drug and take naproxen till I can get in to see her. Which will be this week! I refuse to take this drug with ALL of its side effects. NO OTHER DRUG I HAVE EVER TAKEN had EVER GIVEN ME THIS MUCH PROBLEMS WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS! Also, since taking this drug, I have cried more over stupid things than I can remember.

I'm a very healthy 53-year-old woman, with the exception of a recent onset of borderline hypertension. I've been on Lisinopril for approx. 2 months now; first 5 mg/day, then was advised by my doc to increase to 10 mg/day when BP didn't stay down. At first I just felt woozie and sleepy (on the 5 mg), but soon after I began to have a feeling of "fullness" and throbbing in my temple areas. Often times, a migraine would follow. These symptoms only worsened when the dosage was increased to 10 mg. Then, about 5-6 weeks into treatment, I began to have heartburn (which I've NEVER had in my life!), and a burning sensation in both upper arms. I treated with Tums, which seemed to help the heartburn, but the odd, burning feeling in my arms remained. It never occurred to me until now that the Lisinopril could be causing ALL of these symptoms. Since my hypertension is borderline, and I know it's most likely related to a recent weight gain (due to menopausal hormones, ughhh), I am going to wean myself off of this horrible drug and just commit to losing the 5-10 lbs. I need to lose. I will monitor my BP carefully in the interim, but having never been on any medication other than biodentical hormone replacement therapy this past year, I don't see the need to start now. I see now how easily people can innocently start out with one, simple issue and a prescription, and end up in worse condition and taking MORE medication to treat all the resulting side-effects! It becomes a vicious cycle.

I've been on Lisinopril 20mg for a week now. I have been having the hoarseness, leg cramps, tired (no energy), getting no sleep, and cough. But what worries me most is my blood pressure has dropped to what I think is TO LOW, (example: 87/60, 90/58, 96/66 89/68. I called my dr. 2 days ago and explained my concerns. They told me to cut my 20mg pill in half and we will decide what to do at my next appt. which is in a few days. Even after cutting the pill in half, my bp is still running 96/67, 98/66. Should I demand to be taken off the Lisinopril and be put on a different medication?

I am a 31 year old male, in decent shape (play basketball, volleyball, workout at least 3 times a week) but I have a family history of high blood pressure and have had it myself as long as I've been tested. Went to cardiologist as a check up on my slightly enlarged heart, long story short, ended up on Metoprolol (25mg) beginning of 2008 and have been fine but no real help with bp. Then was put Lisinopril (5mg) a few months ago and my blood pressure was great at last checkup. However during that time I had a couple of weeks where I was very dizzy, that sort of feeling your brain is taking a second to keep up with your head as you get up, along with a fogginess and what seemed like sinus issues but I chalked it up to weaning off of a small dosage of Zoloft I had taken for over a year. I also developed "the cough" everyone refers to, but since it is winter in New England I chalked it up to dry heat, even though it was a choking cough unlike any I've ever had before. Also during that time I seemed to completely lose my sex drive, again figuring it was just something to do with the Zoloft or general anxiety. Then in the past week I started getting a constant headache, having really interrupted sleep, very foggy and out of it, tired, dehydrated, constipation, nausea, all things that I would normally associate with allergies or some kind of sinus/flu, but yet I couldn't really pinpoint anything that would be causing it.

Then I finally started looking up things about the meds I was taking and came upon this site, and guess what? Everything and every way I was feeling was described in hundreds and hundreds of posts on this site. I don't think my side affects were quite as strong as some have experienced (for instance the cough is very infrequent, like twice a day) but I have only begun my journey with Lisinopril. So despite the warnings, I decided to stop taking it a few nights ago, and almost instantly I began feeling better the next day and since then.

I have since called my cardiologist and he has recommended I switch to Diovan, basically saying that based just on the cough symptom alone, he wants me off of Lisinopril as this is a known side affect. Now I am left debating whether or not I want to continue down this path of trying different combinations of pills to poison my body in order to lower my bp. It seems like others have noted marked differences between taking Diovan and Lisinopril, where the Diovan has been much more tolerable than Lisinopril (with a great decrease in any side-affects) but I'm 31 and although I know it will be very difficult to reduce my bp on my own (believe me, I've tried) maybe I'm too young to start with the "last resort" of these toxins. Just reading about the possibility that Lisinopril was robbing my body of zinc or other minerals, so that my immune system is greatly weakened, likely being the cause for most of the symptoms, is enough to ward me off of pills altogether. It's a sad statement on the state of health care in America when I am left to basically make such an important decision on my own, because I can't trust that my doctors aren't just working in the interest of the drug companies to boost their income. I don't want to have to choose between a silent killer and a horrible existence filled with "side-affects".

In the end, based on some of the reports on here, I think starting on 40mg of Diovan will be fine, but I will certainly be VERY wary of anything unusual and immediately find other options.

Hi, I am a 67 year old male and I am glad I found these testimonies. I have been taking Lisinopril 5mg for over a year now and after reading all this you bet I'll stop taking it right away. My symptoms are pretty much the same as all of yours. Last night I had the worst episode, I started feeling a sharp and pounding headache which made me cry, along with memory loss, nausea, and my pressure was way up high. I really wasn't aware that this medication can make so much harm to your health, no wonder I felt so sick ever since I've been taking it. My symptoms are bloated belly, fatigue,weight gain, nauseas, hartburn, throat irritation, headaches, tiredness, sleeping problems, reflux and pressure in my chest. I hope all of this stops once I've discontinued this venom. This week I'll be seeing my primary doctor and we'll see what else she'll prescribe me,but I'll be sure to check it out first in the internet before I start taking it.

Hi, I have been taking lisinopril 2.5 mg for a little over a year now. I am 20 years old and had high blood pressure for my age so my doctor prescribed me to a low dose (2.5 mg) of lisnopril. I didn't think much of it at first because I figured my doctor had prescribed it and knew what was best for me, so I have been taking it over a year now.
The past couple days, I've started to think more about things and am wondering if the lisinopril has anything to do with it. I have definitely noticed that my hairline is receding faster and my hair, especially in the front of my head, is thinning. I have also gained weight over the past year and cannot seem to get any weight off. I never had these problems of losing hair or gaining weight before I started lisinopril.
My question is could the lisinopril, even with the low dose of 2.5 mg that I'm taking, actually cause these types of things to happen?
If anyone reading this could please reply to me and let me know, I would appreciate it so much because I am really worrying about this. Thanks.

Anyone else experienced weight gain and swelling of ankles and legs when taking Lisinopril? I've gained 15 pounds in the past 9 months even though I'm not eating anymore than usual. And in the past 4 months, the swelling in my ankles and lower legs is worse then when I went on the drug. My blood pressure is consistent at around 120 over 70 but the side effects have me worried. Is there an alternative?

II'm a 54 year old male and I've been taking Lisinopril for about 24 months for moderately high BP (135/85). Initially, I was fatigued late morning, but that seemed to go away in a month or two. Having a previous back condition, I didn't blame the tightness in my glutes and legs on the pill or the extreme morning soreness, but now I wonder. Also, in six months I gained about 50 pounds with no change in lifestyle (205 to 255). I read in a few of the Drug Co. sites that this is a rare effect, but not in any postings here. Anyone else have this problem?
I also seem to have developed an explosive type of temper that I don't recall before, blowing up at minor things, then it quickly passes. Anybody?
Where the drug initially lowered my BP to 120/75, with the weight gain I need the drug to keep it in the neighborhood of the original problem (140/85). If I miss a dose it spikes to 170/115 or higher, so I'm basically forced to take it or another BPM where originally I had a very minor problem. I thought this was a common pill that was described as relatively benign, but I' starting to realize that's not the case at all.

My worst side effects were hand, rib, back, shoulder and arm cramps as well as front of the thigh cramps. The hand and thigh cramps were the most frequent. I am hoping the muscle weakness I have had is a side effect and will improve as time passes since taking my last dose. I have only been off of Lisinopril for 2 weeks. The cramps have mostly stopped and they were daily. I have also experienced weight gain which may have been a side effect. I will see as time passes.

okay people...I have been on Lisinopril for 5 years now with every side effect
you can think of...rashes, lethargic, severe depression, weight gain, pain in legs, back, arms, neck.
I am also a diabetic w/ nephritis (protein in kidneys)
I used to take cozaar, but insurance doesn't pay for that so now I take 20 mg lisinopril.
I am going to ask my doctor to chg my meds...this is ridiculous.

I am a 72 yrs old female. Put on Lisinopril-HCTZ 10-12.5mg 2 yrs. ago. Took Cozaar until drug provider (AARP) wouldn't pay for and told my doc to use Lisinopril. For a while I was ok...then the trouble started. Nausea, dizziness, headaches and swelling of legs and feet. All slow to happen. Then shortness of breath, cough and itching. Leg cramps got me up pacing and in agony several time nightly. Had a creepy feeling in the back of my neck, joint aches, tiredness, stomach PAIN, hot tingles in feet and toes late in the day. Slight weight gain, a runny nose and sneezing in the AM.. Hot one minute, cold the next. At some point I realized I had a feeling of ill-health, a def. loss of my usual feeling of well-being. I was edge, nervous and finally got depressed enough to call a psychologist. That's when I found this web site. Therapist told me to tell my doc and maybe get another BP med. instead of L. Ten days ago I stopped taking it and went back on the Cozaar...I will pay for it myself. I just want to feel good again. The mental anguish this drug has produced shouldn't happen to anyone. Also, I shouldn't have to find a web site that tells me I'm taking poison either. Last night I slept straight thru the night w/o awaking. First time in God knows when. Still some nausea but I can tell the effects of Lisinopril and lessening. Take hope all u people who have posted here...I think it will get better for you now that u don't take that snake juice anymore. I think it's good that we all stopped it before we started slithering through the grass of our front lawns. This too shall pass. Thanks for posting here for me so that I could finally feel good again. I owe you a huge debt for my sanity.

I have been on Lisinopril for 10 months and I have experienced horrible side effects. I am 48, pre-menopausal and I believed the side effects we due to my aging. I thought I was dying on this medication. I started having stomach problems, diarrhea, bloating, swelling in my throat, dizziness, cramps in my feet, constipation, weight gain, hair loss, shallow breathing, increase in my glucose levels making me pre-diabetic. Most importantly, I believe the drug contributed to the heart palpitations I experienced one month after starting the drug. I rushed to the hospital and had to wear a holter monitor for a day to monitor the irregular heart beats I was experiencing. My blood pressure was never stabilized until I started a new drug. I am now off this Lisinopril and taking a wonderful drug called Tekturna. Tekturna dropped my blood pressure down to 122/72 from 150/80. Talk to your doctor if you have experienced these side effects and demand a change.

HELLO EVERYONE....IM SITTING AT WORK AND JUST DECIDED TO RESEARCH THIS DRUG LISINOPRIL...BECAUSE I AM REALLY BORED....WHEN I GOOGLED THE NAME I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE.....OMYGOSH...I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY...I HAVE BEEN TAKING Lisinopril FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS NOW....I ALWAYS READ THE INSERTS THAT COME WITH THE MEDICATION BUT I NEVER SEEN THE SIDE EFFECTS THAT WE ARE HAVING ON THE INSERT...I SING IN THE CHURCH CHOIR AN I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY MY VOICE WOULD BE SO HORRIBLE AND MESSED UP..I AM SO HAPPY I GOOGLED THIS DRUG...DOSE ANYONE KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES BEFORE YOUR BODY GOES BACK TO NORMAL AFTER STOPPING THE DRUG....

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.

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 was on lisinipril for 10 months. I have never felt so terrible in my whole life!!!! I am 34 years old and this was my first BP med. I had dizziness, bloating, 20 lb. weight gain, tiredness, pain in my arms, back and neck. I could barely eat yet I gained weight???? I had nausea and even vomited at times. I had anxiety, depression and my hands would shake. The symptoms would come and go so I figured this is how I have to live my life. So I tried to deal with it. I had to quit 2 jobs because of the dizziness and finally thank god found this website. After reading everyone else symptoms and knew I wasn't alone--- I decided to go to the Doctor's and get on a new med. I am now on norvac and I do not have a single side effect! All the symptoms of that poison are gone and I have never felt better!!!!!!! Get off lisinipril- It is not in your head-THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE REAL!

Dry gagging cough, weight gain, charley horse in calves, but worse of all when I use the bathroom I have a terrible burning sensation in personal area of my body. Am using baby wipes instead of TP. The burning subsides for a while but of course is back when I have to use bathroom again. I think the diuretic in this pill may have some bearing on this symptom. I was checked for a bladder infection and it was negative, although a minute amount of red blood cells were found in my urine. I too, have had the very low BP readings, 90/68, etc. The first time this happened it frightened me so bad I got up and ran around our house and took BP again and it had risen within the normal range. I was on Hyzaar and my present doctor could not understand why I was on such a strong BP med. So he changed my to Lisinoprol HCTZ. Anyone having the same effect?

I am a 62 yo female who was prescribed Lisinopril in February. Within a week I had such a continuous horrible dry, hacking cough that I trouble communicating with others. This cough was particularly bad during the night. I have had to live with water and cough drops as my constant companions. I can honestly say that I have only slept through the night once from February until last night. My PCP finally decided that I did not have a sinus infection and that a codeine based cough medicine was not the answer and switched me from Lisinopril to Avapro on Monday, June, 2nd. According to my PCP it could take up to a week for the cough to go away.

Am I the only one who has gained a lot of weight while on Lisinopril? I have gained over 40lbs in 3 years. I have also experienced odd muscle cramping and have never made a connection to this and Lisinopril. The pain in my ear, side of my head, and my jaw was unbelievable. ENT dr thought it was TMJ or nerve damage. He was not able to really pin down the exact cause. One month later I was bed ridden with severe back pain, which I have never had before. MRI showed nothing. Headaches are daily, cough, leg cramps, chest pain, decreased sex drive, and definitely have feelings of depression. I have never made the connection between the changes in my personality, health, and lifestyle to this medicine; but now I have. I will be immediately contacting my doctor to discuss alternatives. My BP when I started was 150/90 and now is 112/70. Please let me know if anyone has also had the weight gain like I have experienced. I know I am going to have to have hard facts to show to my doctor. Thank you.

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 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?

My mother has also been taking lisinopril and I have noticed some memory loss. Could this be a side effect?

What I don't have since stopping this medication a few months ago:.........................

indigestion
constipation
weight gain around the tummy
sore tongue
switched off feeling...dullness
problems with taste

(joint pain, neck pain still not gone but lessened).

Glad I have come off this poison,,,, and hope one day they take it off the prescription lists!

i went to google to type in swelling of the mouth and applecider vinager this came up. wow i thought i was goign nuts my whole body feels so funny on this medication. i had the cough now for over 2 months along with lots of mucous. lately. cause of my sinus. got involed with this dumb drug. im on 2.5 mg.been on it for 2 yrs now thank you chemo thereapy ate over 75 percent of heart muscle away. i thought i was going nuts my doctor kept blaming my symptons and weight gain on my over eating and iam not over eating . i want to thank you. for this.

My Side effects: major heart palpitations, numb/tingling hands almost every morning upon awakening, fatigue, thinning hair, bloating/weight gain. I am 43 yrs old, not overweight & in good health other than my BP. I was on atenelol for about 8 yrs & switched to lisinopril aprx 5-6 yrs ago. HBP & heart attack run in my family (dad & brother both had heart attacks at age 40). The heart palpitations (I call them summersaults in my chest) have caused me to go to the urgent care & doctor more than once. Have had EKGs twice in last 3 yrs, wore heart monitor, etc. Said I have irregular heart beat, but nothing to really worry about. I started on 5mg, but BP continued to increase. Raised to 10 mg, but same thing. Now up to 20 mg & BP is finally better (but not low) at 120/86. I HATE being tired all the time as I'm the kind of person who is always going. I'm going to talk w/Dr. & see about switching to something else again... Thanks to all for sharing!

Well - having read a lot of these entries I have to say, I share several side effects. Some of these the pharmacist had never heard of, a couple my doctor told me to expect. Cough - I was told about this by my MD but it has not been any where near as bad as some get. I'm on 10mg. I have had the constipation after decades of being "as regular as clock work". Phamacist and MD had nothing to say about this side effect. Unusually warm hands and my fore arms always look like I have a minor sunburn - no where else though does this show up. In the beginning I was tired all the time. It's been 2 months and that's gone away mostly. No bloating (thankfully), no weight gain. I am very, VERY thankful that there is a place for people to share their experiences as I believe we are ALWAYS to be vigilant in our health care - - after all, doctors are PRACTICING medicine - isn't that what they say?

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 have been on Lisinopril now for nearly 16weeks, went to doctors with a headache and they checked blood pressure it was 150/100. They put me on 5mg to start with, after 8 weeks they upped the doze to 10mg. I have experienced fuzzy headaches, severe neck pain and pins and needles down left arm for the whole of 16weeks, also been noticing that my clothes are becoming tight so weight gain as well, some days feel like i'm not even all there and that I'm never going to see my family growing up. Want to come of the pills but am too scared.It's reasuring to know I'm not the only one experiencing these side effects.

weight gain, tired all the time, I'm on 20 mg

Mine is nothing new according to the previous posts. I primarily have a problem with breathing and weight gain. I ride (rode) my bicycle 15 plus miles a day for years, but now it is a distant dream because of the severe breathing problem that begins in my upper chest and rises to my throat.
One pulmonologist tested me for asthma and said it appeared to be a reflux problem (without heartburn) that causes the acid in my upper digestive system to rise into my esophagus eventually causing this blockage of my windpipe. I can stop, sit for 15 minutes and then begin to exert myself again and sometimes it returns but sometimes does not.
No one mentioned the medicine, which I have been on for 5 years at 40 mg (because lower doses were ineffective.)
Once, I was given a different generic than I had been taking for 3 year, and it proved to be completely useless in controlling my BP. However, the choking did stop at that time, though I only notice it was the medication now.
Now, I am on a new lisinopril called Longes, which is made in Japan, so I became curious about the side effects. I will monitor this nedication for a few weeks and let you know if anything unusual happens. For now, it does appear to be controlling my BP.

I was prescribed Metoprolol and broke out in hives. My doctor then switched me lisinopril. I took it for the first time yesterday and I had a very bad sore throat to the point I could hardly swallow, diarrhea and I feel very blue (not myself). Is this common after only one dose?

I had been taking 5mg of Lisinopril for almost 10 years with no noticeable side effects (at least not ones the dr. would consider), I have gained weight and attributed it to age or eating habits, I started snoring and attributed it to weight gain, my stomach feels bloated every night (my wife blames my eating)... In any case, after pharmacy error in Nov. when I took 40 mg instead 5 for one month by mistake, the Dr. brought me down to 20mg instead of the original 5mg since he said 5 might not have been doing anything. After 2 months on 20mg I started with a persistent dry/tickle cough in my throat which I thought was part of the winter flu. I never had any other flu effects, however, now 3 months later there is not a day that goes by without the cough. Finally, a new dr. has taken me off this family of drugs. It has only been a week. Cough persists. When should I expect it to go away, and what can I do to help it along?

I was on Lisinopril for one month and it took 18 months for the side effects to go away. The cough, the inexplicable weight gain, the exhaustion, the bloated tummy, aching muscles and joints, swollen eyelids, etc. Luckily, my doctor did listen to me and got me off it as soon as I could get a call through to him instead of having his nurse block calls and tell me that I could take codeine laced cough syrup. I explained to her very carefully to look at my chart--I am allergic to codeine. My doctor switched me immediately to Cozaar when I was able to talk to him directly. The pharmacist looked at what I had been on and asked why I was being switched. When I explained, he said that the side effects were commonly known and really affected people.

The coughing inflamed my bronchial tubes to where they were going into spasms. I was on an asthma inhaler for a month to heal them. That wasn't pleasant, either, because I didn't tolerate it very well.

I am at the point now that whenever I am put on a new medication, I immediately search the internet for side effects. I don't want to go through 18 months of misery because I wasn't told or the insert wasn't clear about possible side effects.

I've been on Lisinopril for a little over one year, I have also had the cough at night, dizziness, fatigue, weight gain, swelling especially the hands, choking and now shortness of breath with the slightest activity.
I WILL NOT TAKE ONE MORE PILL! These side effects are not in our heads.

I was on Lisinopril for one month in 2005. I had the cough, exhaustion, upset stomach, weight gain (which was interesting because I couldn't eat), depression, and various aches and pains. Luckily my doctor did listen and switched me to Cozaar. It is not a generic but I haven't had any side effects and my blood pressure is actually down after being on it for two years. It did take 18 months to get over the one month of Lisinopril but there is light at the end of the tunnel when you get off it.

If I get switched to a new medication or am put on a new medication for anything, the first thing I do now is check for side effects blogs.

I'm taking 10 mg. of Lisinopril daily. I had instant weight gain of 10 pounds, felt feverish, swelling in my legs and face, chest pain any time I do even the most minor exertion (walk from my car to my desk). At first I thought it was from stopping the HCTZ, didn't realize until today that everything I'm feeling are possible side effects from the Lisinopril. I'm talking to my doc tomorrow, I'm getting off this stuff.

I am so glad I found this site. Since I have been on Lisinopril 5mg, I have experienced extreme fatigue, sweating, left side of my neck is sore and my left eyeball was swelling and I am getting floaties and little spider like webbs, sometimes itching of the eyes. I also have gained weight and have been so bloated I could not wear some of my clothes. I went to my eye doctor about my eye situation, he did all the tests necessary and could not find anything wrong with the eye, other than the swelling, he suggested sinus problems and referred me to my primary doctor. The primary doctor could find nothing wrong with my sinuses and referred me to the eye doctor!!!!!. I am drowsy a lot and just plain have no energy. The problems with my eye started when the doctor upped the dose from 5 to 10 mg. I have ringing in my ears to go along with everthing else. Of all the above I had none until I started on this rx. I was beginning to think I was on a downhill trip until I found this site. I cut the dosage from 10 to five and the swelling in the eye and the sinus pressure decreased. I will insist on being put on another rx for my b/p or I just will not take it,

hair loss and weight gain

I was definetely warned by my cardiologist that I would feel cough symptoms. He also told me NOT to get pregnant. I am concerned that I am on Lasix and although the recommendations are to take 6 - 8 glasses of water while on Lisonopril, this is contraindicative to the Lasix which already gets rid of excess water. My newest concern is that I have read weight gain as one of the symptoms and if I start gaining weight, this will cause pressure on my heart. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED WEIGHT GAIN?

I am so glad I found this website. I have had a lot of questions answered about my husband's health issues. My husband is a relatively healthy 32 year old and has been on 5mg Lisnopril for almost 5 years for slightly high BP and has had a lot of problems since he has started taking it. The most severe problem he has experienced lately is vision loss in his eye. He started complaining in late November of Floaters and Grainy Vision in his left eye. This will last about a week and then subside only to return a few days later. The vision problems will come on suddenly and get so bad that he can't see or read out of his left eye. He sees lines, floaters, cobwebs, colors, and grainy spots. My husband went to his family doctor when it first started and was told not to worry about it.

Last week I took him to the eye doctor, who could not even see in his eye because there was so many floaters. The opthamologist immediately sent us to a retina specialist who thought he had a detached or torn retina. Well, we have been to the specialist twice and he can't find anything that would be causing this problem. We've had 3 doctors and a pharmacist tell us that Lisinopril would not cause this vision problem. Since I have found this site and read posts from others who have had the same vision problems, I am convinced that this is causing his problems.

Some other side effects he has had is memory loss, confusion, aches and pains, weight gain, headaches, fatigue and dizziness. Thank goodness he has not had the awful coughing that countless others have experienced.

Needless to say he is not taking this medicine anymore. If anyone else has had similar vision problems please contact me.

Here is a new reaction the ER doctor is attributing to my taking Lsinopril. I complaineed previously about weight gain, tired ness etc. but after my dose yesterday at 5:30 PM I was sitting embroidering and watching TV. At about 9:30 the left side of my tongue began to swell...it continued until I could not swallow, talking was nearly impossible. Checked on WebMD regarding sweeling of the tongue! Yikes, bad news. I have never been rushed into the ER so fast as I was at 10:30 last night. When I was stabilized the doc explained that you could take this drug as I had for 2 years or more and suddenly suffer this allergic reaction. Apparently it is a 1 in 1000 reaction BUT what if I was on the plane to Hawaii when it happened???? Doctor on board? Has anyone else heard of this? Stacie

afraid of weight gain

I have been taking lisinopril for about 2 years. I work out at the gym and follow a low fat diet and have lost 40 pounds. The medicine doesn't make you gain weight, what you EAT makes you gain weight.!! No coughing, no nausea, or feeling like I can't breathe---just normal BP's. If I forget to take it and check my BP, it is elevated. So I go right back on it. It works for me. Keep a close record of what goes in your mouth, and you'll probably be surprised. Remember, the BLT's count too---that is, the Bites, Licks and Tastes.!!

I have been on and off Lisinapril now for about ten years.
I have never had the dry cough, but, i never have had much energy.
Another disturbing thing I noticed is that I seem to get very depressed from it..very blue, without the ability to motivate to get things done.
Also, my weight went up by ten pounds a year and now, i am severely overweight. no diet seems to work!
I have often wondered if others have experienced fatigue, general apathy, and weight gain after using this medication over a long period of time?

Since taking lisinopril, I am tired most of the time. I do have discomfort on the left side of my neck as well as high creatine levels and weight gain. I feel this drug is bad for me.

PLEASE HELP....

My husband is 37yr. old Type II diabetic with high blood pressure. About 8 months ago, the Dr. put him on Linosipril and he has slowly deterioated healt wise that it is hard to tell why.

As of tnight, he is int he hospital for the 6th time in 90-days and the Dr. cannot figure out why he has excruating abdominal pain, sever vomitting and previously diarhea. He gained weight when first on Linosipril, however since May he has lost 50+ lbs and is in pain so sever he cannot work.

My sister who is 40 has been on Linosopril developed pancreatitis and has since been taken off the med. This has seemed to help, but she still battles pancreatitis.

Anybody else have a similar situation on the medication? Please e-mail me at ****** if you have.