Lisinopril and six months

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.

I was prescribed Lisinopril by my physician about six months ago. Everything was OK until about two weeks ago when I developed a HORRIBLE skin red, flaky, itching skin rash. This first appeared as heavy dandruff and was confined to my scalp, but letter moved to my neck, chest arms, back and legs. I am so grateful to have found this web site and I will discontinue this medication IMMEDIATELY!!! I will inform my doctor of these side effects and I will refuse to take this or any similar medication in the future. I have tried all sorts of shampoos, skin creams, cortisone ointments and such...it just keeps getting worse. I am hoping that getting off of this medication will improve things. Please let me know if you have had a similar experience with this medication.

By: T

I started taking Lisinopril last March, and my monthly cycle went from a normal cycle to a debilitating three day pain fest.
The first month I had a uterine cramp like comparable to labor that lasts for three straight days. The second month I added a sharp pain in my stomach that compared to a severe food poisoning episode but the only symptom was the pain.

This continued through June, when I asked my physician to switch me to a different medication although he did not think the side effects I was describing was related to the Lisinopril. The next month the uterine cramp was less severe but I also was treating with Midol which may have been the reason.

Last month, at my six month check my blood pressure was still not where my doctor want to see it, so he put me back on Lisinopril and kept me on the Hydrochlorothiazide, now I am on two medications!

After reading this site, it occurs to me that my shoulder where I had surgery two years has also been acting up the last six months as well. I have been doing PT again after the pain increased and I asked my surgeon what to do. He made not connection to the medication I am taking as a possible source.

The only other thing is I have lost some weight, with relative easy (not usual for me). Which I had attributed to a change of eating pattern due to my new work schedule.

All things to consider now that I have read this website.

Thanks to all who share, this is the best way to understand that everyone does react differently and you have really pay attention to what is going on with your own body when you are taking any medication.

I recently noticed my hair was thinning, long strands coming out in the shower, and extremely dry. I had thin hair to start with, so can't afford to lose any hair. I read all these postings where others have had hair loss from Lisinopril. I started taking it the end of August and in the past few weeks have noticed the hair loss. I put in a call to my doctor and am waiting for his return call. Lisinopril has been keeping my BP's almost perfect, but what a trade off. I'm wondering if taking extra Vitamin E or Nioxin which promotes hair growth would overpower the effects of Lisinopril. I've also felt a vibration in my left thigh that comes and goes and my thigh heats up once in a while and goes away. Anyone had that side effect?

i have been taking lisinopril for six months and i feel sick to my stomach everyday and have a chronic cough now and vomiting.

Funny (not ha-ha) how one drug leads to another leads to another... My dr. started me on Lipitor for cholesterol, then Lisinopril for borderline high bp. Both drugs increased after six months - Lisinopril up to 40 mg. a day. I started to feel constantly fatigued, irritable, depressed and no sex drive at all. I thought I was going menopausal, but estrogen levels were normal. So I went on Wellbutrin to combat those symptoms. Seemed to help at first, but gradually less so - even at increased dosage. Dr. never suggested there might be other side effects to these drugs other than "dry cough" with Lisinopril, which would probably just "go away". Ever notice how side effects are minimalized by doctors., if acknowledged at all! I started to feel toxic with all the medicine in my system and decided to look into side effects. Now I am not taking these meds anymore - am watching my diet and will go to check ups. If doctor is unhappy with me I will look for different doctor!

I also experienced hair loss while on Lisinopril. I noticed it about six months after I began taking the drug. There is visible thinning in the front, and my hair generally feels thinner all over. I always had a thick head of hair. Since I am now in my early fifties, it's possible that it's normal balding, but I don't think so since it happen all of a sudden. My doctor also said he never heard about hair loss being a side effect of Lisinopril, but numerous people have reported it on several websites. I really think the side effects of many drugs occur much more frequently than the doctors and drug companies like to admit. Obviously it would be bad for business if they were honest about it.

I've been off Lisinopril for about a month but haven't noticed any improvement in my hair so far. If it does come back, I'll update this post.

I have been taking Lisinopril for about six months. My muscles feel weak, dizzingness & I am constantly urinaiting making it difficult to sleep, waking every hour. I've had three urinary infections since. I'm not sure this has not been due to the Lisinopril. I will go off the drug & see. My bp was not that bad before I took this pill.

I started taking Lisinopril in October of last year and at first I thought it was great. It reduced my blood pressure significantly and stopped my migraines and stopped my ankles and hands swelling. However, in January of this year I started to experience very painful, itchy swollen eyelids and a general feeling of itichiness all over my face and neck. As I have suffered from eczema on and off for years, though never on my face, I put it down to that. The itching and redness does respond to steroid creams and antihistamines a little and it clears up for a while, but then is back with a vengance a few days later. It's very embarrassing and I have to stop wearing make-up when it's bad. I've only just realised after six months of this that it could be the Lisinopril. I've also had a bit of a dry cough but not enough to really bother me. However, whilst making breakfast one morning this week I nearly fainted so now after reading everyone's experiences on this website I really think I need to visit my doctor and have my medication changed. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this site - it's really helped me to know about the side effects of Lisinopril.

Feeling as though I was having a HEART ATTACK! I am an active triathlete who gets a cold once a year. After a bout with the flu the doctor decided that my blood pressure had been too high for too long (160/104 on that visit, which I have to agree was high, and in the same range for about a year prior). I started the medication on a Monday and on Wednesday morning I thought I was having a Heart Attack.

Severe Chest Pain (feeling as though a rubberband was wrapped around my chest)
Muscle soreness in my chest
Irregular heart beatc
Dry Mouth
Sweats
Numbness in arms

After 3 EKG's they found the heart to be fine. Found a mass on my liver through the Ultrasound and MRI (which turned out to be a Hemagioma and is normal, whatever that means, in 30 to 40 year old women)

The doctor failed to tell me that Lisinopril could cause "muscular/skeletal pain" Oh my...

They wanted to change my medication to Corvasc and when I read the side affects of that I decided to stay on this evil drug.

Now I just have:

Constant tightness in the chest
dry cough
Severe exhaustion
Depression

Is this worth it? I already eat right, exercise and am the proper weight, so I am looking for homeopathic solution to this issue and getting off this crud. Any suggestions please post?????

My side effects started within the first month of being on Lisinopril. I thought I had a cold at first but it didn't get better. I was coughing so hard that I couldn't catch my breath and could feel myself almost passing out, ended up with no energy, was depressed from exhaustion because I coughed all night, etc. I had to go to work when I all wanted to do was curl up and try to sleep. My doctor listened when I went to see him and he (the one with the MD) said that some people had terrible side effects on Lisinopril. It took close to six months to get over the cough and all of the other assorted problems.
I was put on Cozaar in place of the Lisinopril and my blood pressure is down and I have energy again!
So, the side effects are NOT imagination.

Me and my husband have been married for six months. He's 22 and has been on Lisinopril for four years. Before we married, sex was infrequent. Now, it is non-existant. He can go for over a month or more with out sex. I've talked to several people, who believe this is due to his blood pressure medicine. It just concerns me because he is so young. He should be in the prime of his life. Also, he has always been severely irritable. His parents told me about this before we married and it was due to his medication. However, I am noticing first hand since we started living together. He seems to suffer from pouts of depression and mood swings. Anything that can help???

Call me an idiot...

I have been on Lisinopril for about 8 months. I have been trying to figure out what changed in my environment that gave me this wretched cough. Was it moving the dog bed into my bedroom (happened about the same time as I started taking this med)? Was it the new pillow my wife picked up for me? New soap/detergent/ or some other household chemical?

I haven't had a good night's sleep for about six months now! Today is the last day on this stuff...