Lisinopril and headaches

I've been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 10-12.5 for 8 months now. I hate it. So far I've experienced:

- dry cough
- headaches
- chest pains (under my left rib cage area. Its a sudden sharp pain that lasts maybe 2 seconds, then its gone. It'll do that a few times a day)
- stuffy nose (doctor told me it was allergies. Put me on allergy medication, have been on it for 2 months, and it hasn't helped)
- trouble breathing
- rashes
- fatigue (doctor assured me it would go away after a few weeks, but it hasn't)
- dizziness
- no menstrual cycle (this medication has stopped my periods all together)

I've had it with this crap. My primary doctor wasn't the one who put me on it. I haven't been able to see my primary doctor because I don't have insurance and couldn't afford it. I've been going to a community clinic. I'm willing to pay to see my primary doctor than continue going there. At least I'll know I'll be taken seriously.

Hi,

Fist off I'm a fit 38 year old male, not overweight, don't smoke, occasional social drinker.

I've been taking Lisinopril since being diagnosed with high blood pressure in Feb 08, I was started on a dose of 5mg, which was then increased to 10mg and finally 20mg.

The Lisinopril never really got my high blood pressure under control and my Doctor has now switched me to Bendroflumethiazide, only been on those for about a week so have to see how they go.

Lisinopril certainly made me feel terrible:-

Constant Fatigue
Depressed
Foggy
No concentration
Dizzy
Tinnitus
Pounding headaches

if you feel like this then I'd go and see your Doctor and try something else

coughing, constant urination, headaches

I was put on Lisinopril (10 mg) back in August for my diabetes. My blood pressure is very normal without medication. About a month or so later I developed a urinary tract infection, something I have never had before, which was followed by severe, migraine-like headaches along with sinus pressure around my eyes. I also felt very anemic. My doctor(s) attributed the headaches to a degenerative disc in my neck. After five weeks of these daily headache bouts, I stopped the Lisinopril when my chiropractor insisted it was the blood pressure medication that was causing the headaches. The headaches subsided within a week.

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

I have been on this medication for 3 months now. I am a 28 year old male, 6'2", weigh 211lbs, and in overall good health. My blood pressure average is 144/72 without the medication, but on the medication it seems to stay around 136/66. It took about one week for the blood pressure medicine to start working and when it did I felt very tired (which is normal). Now, in my third month I have started to notice new symptoms like severe headache in the right front lobe, severe tiredness, cold fingers and toes (in warm conditions), severe lower back pain, mood swings, blurred vision in the right eye (same location as headache), and a occasional twitch in my right thumb (probably not related to the medicine). When I first started this medication I did read all of these post and figured that everyone was crazy and/or nuts, but know I am thinking that I would rather stop the medication
and start seeking out for a better medication.. I know medicine has side effects but damn!!! Anyone else have cold fingers and toes while they have been on the medication..thanks

I've been on Lisinopril for a little over three years and have developed a cough, can't sleep along with becoming impotent. I also get these terrible headaches and have recently started to urinate more than usual. Has anyone else experienced these side effects?

My husband (57 years old) started Lisinopril in March of 2007 for High Blood Pressure and he's never been the same. At first, we didn't connect the symptoms but now I am convinced this drug caused his problems. His symptoms include loss of memory, can't concentrate, can't retain anything, short tempered, depression. At times confusion or unable to grasp anything requiring multi-tasking. He had a loss of appetite where in lost 25 pounds in less than 6 months. He described months ago that "his head just doesn't feel right". When asked...do you have a headache...he'd reply.."I can't explain it...it just doesn't feel right. The depression has lead to another drug "Lexapro". This drug interferes with concentration too!
Prior to taking Lisinopril my husband was running his own business and working a full time job he's had for years. Within 6 months, our lives changed drastically. I know 2 other people experiencing the memory loss, can't concentrate, can't retain symptoms around the same age as my husband... all taking Lisinopril.

All of this has been weighing heavily on his mind because his mother has been diagnosed with Dementia/Alzeheimers at age 74. Guess what...she has been taking Lisinopril for years and years and has been treating for depression for years and years....any connection here? This drug has been around for many years and it seems like every elderly person is taking this for High Blood Pressure. Could this be a culprit to Dementia/Alzheimers? A reoccurring theme I see amongst all of these side effects is "depression".

Of course when we discussed these symptoms with his Doctor...we were pooh poohed with "I've never heard of these symptoms in 20 years of practicing". Well, he needs to do some research! My husband quit taking this drug on Sept 12th which takes 2-3 weeks to get out of your system. I noticed recently he didn't struggle at all at the ATM machine. I'm hoping this is the culprit as we are now in the process of getting a second opinion to determine if he may be in the early stages of Alzheimers. We pray that he is not! Get this drug off the market!!!

I was so happy to find this website!.. I am a 49 year old female taking Linsinopril for approximately 10 months now for high blood pressure (which has come down to a normal rate since being on the medication). I have been experiencing a severe in my lower back towards my left side for about 2 months now and have been tested for many things (ultrasounds, MRI's, blood work, etc.) and nothing has been found to be causing this pain so far. The pain is constantly there, but more severe when I have a bowel movement and for about 1-2 hours afterwards. I also have the following symptoms: pain in joints on left side of my body - ankle, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand (including joint swelling mostly on left side). Bad pain and weakness in upper left arm when I try to rotate my arm backwards - can no longer pick up heavy objects with left hand. Also have pain in joints on right side, but not as severe. I have experienced headaches and my abdomen feels swollen all the time. It feels as though someone pumps air into my stomach every morning. It also feels as if something is throbbing or on fire across my abdominal area. This condition has disrupted my life - I have no energy and feel weak and tired all the time. I get out of breath easily just from walking or any amount of exertion. I no longer have the ambition to do the things I used to do. I've been thinking that there has to be something seriously wrong that the medical doctors are missing - and have feared some type of cancer. Now that I have found similar symptoms on this website, I am going to try to stop the Lisinopril and see if my symptoms subside.

OMG -I'm 47 and I've been on for 6 months now and I've had a hunch for a few weeks but never thought I'd find this!! I was on Hydrochlorothiazide for 1 wk-had cramps in my toes so Dr. immediately took me off even though I said I felt great-but peed a lot!- He said this would be better for me..... EVERYTHING I've been feeling is the same as you.......I've just not been able to put my finger on it - I just felt "different", I thought it was me and I was getting "old" with a nagging tinkling cough, at the worst time "bed time"...ruins any sex life! I had fatigue, problems concentrating, headaches- back of my head, blurred vision- my eyes would kinda fog over- scared me to death so had tests but all was ok), I've been getting that "bummed out feeling" & didn't feel like doing anything but I've always loved Summer and Fall - going to the beach, riding motorcycles, swimming, my garden and to be outside, but now I kind of force myself to do. Then just this past week I've been feeling sick and nauseated, with an acid reflux vomit feeling and I've just had enough.......There are way tooo many coincidences here....... I have to get off of this stuff!!

I am so glad that I stumbled onto this website. I have been feeling bad for over 1 1/2 years with unexplainable symptoms all of which started around the time that I was put on Lisinopril/HCTZ 10/12.5 to help control my HBP. I started out with flu like symptoms, that progressed to terrible headaches onto chest pain that sent me to the ER. I thought I was having a heart attack. I've been to see every kind of Doctor you can name: neurologist (headaches) allergist,cardiologist (heart doctor), hematologist (bloodwork), rheumatologist (to rule out Lupus) all of which can't seem to find anything wrong with me. I mean nothing. I specifically asked my doctor some time ago if my symptoms could be could be related to the new BP meds and he told me "NO". After reading these testimonials, DON'T THINK HE'S RIGHT. I'M GETTING' A NEW PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN!!!!!

I hope someone can help. I am 42 year old female and I have been on Lisinopril 9 years. I now take 5mg daily, down from 10 when I first started taking it after developing cardiomyopathy. Lately my ever constant post nasal drip is worse, my throat is sore, headaches daily. I clog the sink daily with the hair I lose after the shower. My GP doc has done loads of tests on my head to check causes of headaches but all is normal. Never mentioned maybe 9 years straight on Lisinopril could be the problem. Of course I can't see my cardiologist for weeks. Any one experience the same?

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 been on Lisinopril for about 10 months. I have really not felt well the whole time and have developed some side effects that i have gotten use to and just lived with and couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I had fatigue, problems concentrating, headaches, chest pain, blurred vision, body aches and overall didn't feel like doing anything. I also noticed a small rash on my stomach/chest when i would get out of the shower but figured it must have been soap or something. I even tried not using soap and it would still be there. Friends and family started telling me I never feel good etc. So about 3 weeks ago I got really sick with diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, chest pains etc. Kept thinking i had a virus or something. A few times i was so sick I layed on the floor wondering what is wrong with me. Finally got into my doctor today and he also said it was a virus. A few people said they thought i was my blood pressure pills including my chiropractor. The doctor ran a sleu of tests today and i should get the results tomorrow. I have also had itching all over my body and a vaginal infection so i thought that would not go away. From reading all of this I realize everything is a reaction to the medication and I did not take a dose tonight but 2 benadryl instead. I always noticed throughout this that i always felt better towards the evening of course because that was when my medication was due. I will not be taking anymore of this and I am not happy that so many people are being given this everyday without any knowledge. Thank goodness people are responding and telling their stories so we don't think we are going crazy and hopefully feel better and maybe save a life!

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

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

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

I'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 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.

Took first pill (5mg) on 7/8. Second on 7/9. After lunch on 7/9, food stayed in stomach and would not digest. Felt like a huge lump. Digestion continues to be a problem. No appetite. Food does not look good. On 7/11, developed two hives with large red areas surrounding them, however, they were not itchy. Became quite tired also. Allergy symptoms of itching eyes, watering eyes, itching throat, stuffiness developed. Headaches to the point of taking a pain reliever. Developed muscle cramping in calves on 7/15. Still great difficulty eating with no appetite. Existing hiatal hernia became a problem at night with nausea. Terrible flatulence also. Exhaustion is now the description, not just tired. Feeling depressed, but perhaps that is a result of the exhaustion. Blood in urine on 7/18, the final straw. Discontinued med on 7/18. Hives have still not cleared up totally (7/28) and the tiredness has still not gone away. I have been told that when you have hives on the outside, you have hives on the inside too. I would never take this med again. Going to look into biofeedback.

I am not sure about contributing this to Lisinopril, but I have been on this drug for about 1 1/2 years. I have been experiencing slight headaches and a burning feeling in my throat. Has anyone else had this in conjunction with Lisinopril?
July 26, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

As a 43 year old male in otherwise excellent health, I've always been opposed to being on meds of any kind unless absolutely necessary. My blood pressure has been borderline for a few years now, and I couldn't seem to get it lower with diet and exercise. So I allowed my doctor to prescribe something. I'm on 20mg of Lisinopril and 25mg of hydrochlorat. I'm glad to have a site like this available where I can be forewarned of side effects. So far, I've only experienced the dry cough, which my doctor warned me about. But it hasn't been too bad. It seems to bother me most shortly after falling asleep at night (because it wake me up). Actually, it seems like a welcome trade-off to the daily headaches I was suffering (I can't believe I haven't had a headache in over a week because I used to wake up with one daily). I've only been on this prescription for 10 days, so I'll continue to monitor myself for some of the potential side-effects that have plagued others.

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.

Approximately 3 months ago, I was prescribed a daily 10 mg dosage of Lisinopril which I've been taking before bed. Last night was the last straw... I anxiously took another baby Aspirin and lay there wondering if I needed to wake my husband. I really thought that maybe I was preventing or reducing a heart attack as my chest pains had become un-nerving. This has been going on for weeks on and off.

To name a few, various other symptoms combined with last night’s symptom-related anxiety are telling..... Coughing, chest pains, nausea, vomiting, light headedness, headaches (including Ice-Pick headaches), numbness in my toes, nasty stomach aches, and the very tangible anxiety and stress caused by some of the symptoms, particularly the chest pains. I’m so appreciative to have found this site and I truly thank God. To read the postings and matched other’s experiences with my own... It’s a real wake-up call! Last night, I vowed to start exercising daily & eating better. I’m going back to see the Doctor to evaluate and get off this med. I am relatively young but overweight and inactive with only recent elevated BP, which is believed to be transitory and stress related. Regardless, I just read...“if you're overweight, losing weight usually helps lower blood pressure. Regular exercise is a good way to lose weight. It also seems to lower high blood pressure by itself” (http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/heartdisease/risk/092.html). As the saying goes, “The “cure” can be worse than the cause”.... might well be true with me and Lisinopril. I hope this post will help as so many others did for me. Now I’m off for my walk.... Blessings and health to you all.

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!!!!

Very interesting read, I started taking Lisinopril last year to help my borderline high blood pressure. After taking it, it seems that my sexual sensation has decreased dramatically. I thought I would wait to see if it would come back & it has not. I went to my HMO & the Doctor could not find anything wrong, he checked my PSA's & testosterone levels & they were normal but albeit at the near bottom of the normal range. So he prescribed Viagra. This has not helped, in fact I now have headaches, stuffiness, pupils constricted so much that it is hard to look out doors because it is so bright. The Doctor also told me that he has never read anything about what I am experiencing in any medical journal & just by looking at him & reading in-between-the-lines he thinks that it is all psychological. Maybe it is but I feel as if something is wrong. I do the treadmill at least two times a week up to 3 miles at a time & on a 5% incline & walk at a 4 MPH up to 38 minutes at a time.

I am 33 years old with borderline HBP, but otherwise healthy. I have been on lisinopril for about 2 years. I thought it was a miracle drug as well lowering my BP (110-120/75-80) with no side effects. The pill's appearance changed about 6 or 7 months ago and now is the faint yellow pill that says Watson 408 on them. They did not used to say that, and they used to be a different color. I immediately noticed side effects. For the past 9 months I have gotten stress tests, wore an event monitor for a month, corotid artery scan, been to the ER about 5 times, had bloodwork done etc...
My symptoms have been:
1. When at work the room looks darker, I am a programmer and it's like someone turned down the dimmer switch and I strain to see the screen
2. I have been suffering palpitations and the sharp stabbing pains on my left side and right side of my chest
3. Most recently I have developed headaches and just this week I went to the ER b/c I got dizzy and disoriented at work. The ER said it was a spell of Vertigo.

I never even considered that it could be the lisinopril, I guess that seems pretty silly but I thought that if that was it my doc would have told me. Instead they tried to put me on Lexapro and Zoloft and even gave me some Xanax. Tomorrow I have another doc appointment and will suggest to her (yeah she is pretty hot - looks like Angelina Jolie) that it is the lisinopril. I am going to insist that I get off of it. I will post what happens. Thanks to all of you for the valuable information.
God Bless.

Started taking Lisinopril a few months back and it lowered my B/P way too much. So they half my dose from 20mg to 10mg but put me on cardium twice a day because my pulse was high (up to 170 at one point). I gradually had a B/P that was OK but felt horrible all the time. Blamed it on everything from the weather to the flu. Headaches all day every day for weeks. I have headaches but nothing like this and I was tired all the time and didn't feel like doing anything but laying down and trying to get rid of the headaches. Then the other day I forgot to take my Lisinopril. I felt pretty good that day and my headache was almost all gone! I realized what I had done that night. The next day I took my Lisinopril and back to a bad headache and feeling rough all day. So today I skipped it and again I have felt much better and so far no headache torture. I called my doc who told me to continue my other med and leave the Lisinopril off and watch my B/P. I have also had a rash on the back of my knees for a few weeks and it has started to spread to my arms. I am now wondering if it could also be the med. We'll see! Thank God I just may be normal again in the near future. My kids and I will be LOTS happier!

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.

I am 34, I started taking lisinopril for two months now, I have short member lost. I have lost a lot of hair in the past month. I am dizzy sometime and headaches. I had a cough in the first month. At first I though these side effects was because of my birth control that, I start taking the same time my doctor put me on Lisinopril. I will stop taking these pill today. I though I was just getting old with these crazy side effects. Hopefully I will get better as soon as I stop taking them...........

I am a 45 year old male. My bp at dr's office was 144/90. He prescribed Lisinopril 40 mg once a day and said come back in a month and see how I'm doing. I tried it and immediately experienced dizziness with headache and lack of energy, then later I noticed I was getting winded with little exertion along with fatique. I could hardly climb a flight of stairs with out resting. Also would get out of breath just talking to people. Isn't this a high dose to start with? I stopped after a few days and tried later with same symptoms. I am 5'8 155 pounds in fairly good health except for borderline high bp. Should I keep trying to take this med.....or reduce the dose?

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

Dry, hacking cough, leg and arm pain, loss of concentration, fatigue, worry about family members, strange dreams, headaches, stomach pain, chest pain, anxiety, malaise, pain in legs is becoming severe.

I went into the hospital with a possible heart attack.... come to find out.. it was gall stones moving around...... I do have HBP...... FOR ABOUT the last 25 years... they can't control it....I never get any headaches...knock on wood..I brought to the hospital all my meds that I was on......one was lisinopril-hctz 20/25mg tablets..... one pill a day..... I have been taking this medicine off and on for 5 years.....more off then on..... when I was in the hospital..for 2 1/2 days they gave me 10 pills of 10 mg of lisinopril......my face swelled up so fast and big it felt like my lips would split open..... my cheeks swelled so big it was affecting my eye sight.... they shipped me to another hospital.... at 3:30 pm by 7:30 pm I was so swollen it was even freaking out the nurse that was on night duty.....it took me 9 days before my face went back to normal.....some thing needs to be done.... i didn't cause this........but i sure am paying the 2 HOSPITAL BILLS.....................................................

I took Lisinopril for only 2 weeks and quit. First, I was dizzy. Then, I developed nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and a cough. Finally, confusion and depression. I intend to hunt for the answer to lower my bp, perhaps trying a natural solution.

Christine Tippit

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

Been off this medication now for 4 months and have realized I don't have the unexplainable anxiety I use to have. This was over odd things like driving, which I have done for years quite happily. Also seem to take life in a more relaxed way all round. One side effect still to go(I hope) is neck pain with headache, though these aren't so frequent now. Weight too has remained stable.

I have been taking Lisinopril for approximately three weeks. Well, I have been experiencing lots of "itching". My appetite has decreased considerably and foods taste quite different. I have Lupus which keeps me tired all the time, therefore I did not contribute my tiredness to the Lisinopril. Now that I have read these comments, I can be assured that the additional fatigue can be connected to the Lisinopril. Otherwise, my bp seems to be better. I suffer with headaches normally, and have not worsened. I have not yet witnessed all the other side effects mentioned. I am, however, thankful for this site. It is good to know what could happen or if my symptoms change, this is an excellent source of reference.
Happy Holidays.

I have been taking Lisinopril for about a year now. My highest BP reading was 217/174--that was high as some of the nurses in the ER had ever seen! I was one of those that didn't have any HBP symptoms--I was in the ER because I had a crook in my neck that had me incapacitated. I started taking the Lisinopril and my BP is now within normal range (120/70) and hasn't been that low since I was in my teens. I do have the dull headaches, night sweats, stomach pain, trouble sleeping, constipation, and the dry cough but I feel like dealing with those things is worth it since now I don't have to worry about my BP going through the roof and killing me in seconds.

I have been on Lisinopril for about 4 or 5 years. This past Saturday,11-10-07,I started having some strange problems. At first my tongue swelled up so big it was hanging out of my mouth.Later my mouth and tongue got so sore and tender it felt like I had chewed on glass.I wasn't able to eat or drink.I couldn't sleep for the severe pain.I was breathing hardhad swollen lymp nodes,my throat swelled so bad it was almost closed.My throat never did get sore though.I also experienced lightheadedness.I had to go to the ER where I was told it was from the Lisinopril.I had a severe allergic reaction which I was told isn't uncommon.The Dr. said any BP medicine can cause this but he has seen quite a few cases involving Lisinopril.I was given injections to counter-act the Lisinopril.I started feeling 100% better within 15-20 minutes.I gad to stay at the ER for a about 2 hours so they could check on me to make sure I was okay.After finding this site today and reading others experiences,I recalled how just recently I have had nausea,lots of headaches and too many other problems to mention.I never associated these things to any meds I am on.Thanks for all the other posts.It is very helpful,

I started taking Lisinopril about 2 months ago. My bp was 160/90. Since I have been on it, I have headaches almost everyday, a constant tickle in my throat, and pressure in my head. My bp also has gone up to 197/110. I called my doctor to complain about this and he said he didn't think it was the medicine. Told me to monitor my blood pressure for another 2 wks. if it doesn't go down then call him. After reading all these comments about lisinopril, I am convinced more than ever that it is the medicine. I will not be taking this medicine anymore and am definetly finding another doctor that will listen to me.

Only 5 days on Lisinopril and I'm done with this one. Coughing - not sleeping well due to coughing during the night, cramping, constipation, headaches, severe fatigue. I called the doctor and requested something else.

i started taking this medication a few weeks ago and i too thought i had a cold then i was so tired for a few days i started having headaches and back aches i thought i sprained my back and statred putting heat compasses on my neck. tonight i noticed pain coming back some what over eye.
i am never taking this drug agin. i also noticed some depression and anxiety
my blood pressre was only midly high and most likely the result of the illness i had at the time.
i don't know what to do

I am a 24 yr old male that got diagnosed with HBP on my 20th birthday. I frequently felt jittered, on edge, flused easily, extreme pressure in my head, headaches, not being able to concentrate, felt run down, among a lot of other symptoms, decreased libido. My BP still ran in the 130 range. I decided to do a trial of not taking it and monitoring my BP closely. I have found my BP to be the same if not lower so far and it has been 5 days. It may be too soon to tell, but i'm going to keep monitoring. I feel great so far. I can concentrate, got my drive back, I feel good.

I was taking atenolol 20 mg for a while for bp. But that caused sinun problem which meant i took sudafed etc and that further increased bp. it was a vicious cycle. i went off it and now take lisinopril hctz 20 mg. the funny thing is my doctor's nurse was taking my bp with may arm swinging on its own weight and id get 140/90..when i went hom it was around 125/80 or 125/75. i complained to my dr and she realized the problem. she reduced me to lisinopril hctz 10 mg and now i take only half a pill daily.

i get a lot of sinus problems which have never happened to me before and also get easily tired. i have started acupunture and chinese herbal medicins which have done wonders to improving my digestive issuea and headaches. my plan is to get off bp pills completely and only take herbal medicines and eat right.

one warning to people. always measure bp when you are completely relaxed. before i had my machine, i used to walk into Publix and imdtly measure bp and it would always be very high 155/100..etc. always relax and take the third reading..someone told me..otherwise you may have normal bp but be uncessarily on medication which can ruin your lifestyle.

I coughed for 3 months, sometimes I coughed so hard that I would throw up it was an awful feeling, my body ached all the time, even the bottom of my feet , It hurt so bad to try and turn over at night, I had terrible headaches my symptons were very much like chronic sinusitis andI just slowed down because I didn't feel good. I've been off this medicine for 2 months and I'm feeling better but it does make me painful in the area of my kidneys on the left side and I have blood in my urine which is also a side effect and I did have an ultrasound today, I truly believe that this medicine almost killed me.

Boy! It is funny how all of us posting here have all these side effects and the doctors for the most part say nothing or keep an eye on it. I to have symtoms ranging from bad headaches, the tickle in the throat and cough with it, to lower neck across shoulders the pain is intense. I was started out with a 20mg dose and on july 2007. There are differences with me as i have a hard time now getting to sleep. I toss and turn most of the night. It is now mid september and the doctor has never called to ask how i was doing. My blood pressure has not gone down but up. ranging from 174/110 on sept. 9 to 158/104 on sept16 2007. so i am taking myself off this crap and doing something different if only what are for-fathers did most of the time........they lived with it. Any thing has to be better than this.....thanks for all your help!

I've been using Lisinopril for about a year and have experienced almost all of the side effects that everyone else has described. I have frequent severe sweating, headaches, sinus pressure, sore throat, tickling throat, annoying cough, frequent periods of when my face and solar plexus area feel very hot and/or flushed though my face looks normal, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, depression, no energy or motivation......etc, etc, and I did not have any of these problems before. Not sure what else to take. I've read side effects for all bp medications and none of them seem like anything I want to experience. Is there anything that people have found to work that has very little or no side effects? This stuff works but I'm so tired of feeling run down. I tried natural remedies, diet change, exercise, etc, before going on the Lisinopril but those did nothing to lower my pressure.

I am 48 yrs old, and was prescribed lisinopril in early 2007. It immediately lowered my BP. Due to the stress of my job it took me awhile to notice that the headaches, dry eyes, hollows under my eyes, lack of color to my face, were in fact not from my job but from the medication. It took someone I work with to say to me, "You know, you can go on high blood pressure meds, but if you make the lifestyle changes you need to make, you can also go off the high blood pressure meds." Since I stopped taking the lisinopril, the headaches (like a sinus headache, but deeper), the hollows under my eyes, have greatly improved, my face has color again, and the only symptom I'm still experiencing is dry eyes--hoping that will get better with time, also.

I'm going to start a serious search for a homeopathic alternative. Would appreciate any info anyone out there has re: that. I've also quit my job, gone back to graduate school, and will spend the time now to pay attention to what my body is telling me rather than run to the doctor and get some drugs.